I Learned Your Pulse

"He's alright."

Harry grimaced. "Tomorrow."

Hermione paled again, and for a second, Draco feared she might fall back to sleep and never wake up; but then, when McGonagall said she didn't have to compete, the colore returned angrily. "I can do it," she said stubbornly, moving to sit up. Draco reached out and took a hold of her shoulder, helping pull her upwards.

Pomfrey bustled toward her. "You should rest," she said, but Hermione waved her off, trying to swing her legs over the side of the bed and stand, but ending up pitching forward.

Draco had caught her. she laughed unsteadily, and he realized where exactly her face was and how low he'd caught her, and brought her back up, both their faces tinged with an embarrassed pink.

Mrs. Granger, however, used her arms to encircle her daughter, crying tears of gratitude while Mr. Granger shook his hand. "You saved her life," he sound, now looking as if he'd discovered the bioled puppy had escaped somehow unscathed. "How can we thank you? Who are you, young man?"

"Draco Malfoy," he said honestly, shaking the man's hand back.

He pulled it back. "The one who called her a Mudbloodfor seven years?"

Draco smirked. "Six. I haven't called anyone... that name... since she was trapped in my house."

Hermione managed to pull away from her mother, looking sheepishly at her parents. "He's alright," she promised, ging to stand by him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

~*~

"Leave her be, it's my fault, kill me too!" he begged an invisible person, trying to struggle out of his parents' grasp.

"You can't save her Draco, save yourself," said his mother softly, her nails anything but as gentle as her tone.

"Pansy!" he cried once more, seeing as he raised his wand, hoping it would be immediate, that her keening would end quickly. But no, no, of course not, that wouldn't be enough for someone like her, whom he wanted to torture - he had to get to her, tried to reach her, his fingers uselessly twitching out for her as his parents restrained him...

"Draco. Draco, wake up."

Draco sat bolt upright, his back straightening, his eyes opening wide, his head still pounding with the dream/memory. He found that it was Harry who'd shook him awake, and that he looked perfectly calm - didn't he knew what he'd saved Draco from witnessing again?

"We're going," said Harry, nodding to Ron, who nodded curtly, clearly unhappy about the friendship sprung up between the two boys. "To dinner," he added, seeing Draco's expression. "We'll be back. Can you watch over her?"

Hermione's form lay still in her bed, and even though she'd been sleeping for over a month, she was still tired - apparently, fighting off the venom to the point of near-death took a lot out of you. Madame Pomfrey had been adamant in refusing to let Hermione leave until they were sure she was going to be alright, but Hermione, in response, had been adamant in pursuing her wish of competing in the second task. Though McGonagall had promised her she'd be able to continue on to the third without having to participate in the second, Hermione had found that as cheating, which she refused to do. And she was resting for that, as well. Draco looked over at the sleeping face and nodded.

"Thanks," said Harry, his stomach choosing to growl loudly. Draco smirked while he and Ron left and headed toward the Great Hall; however, he immediately began frowning again.

Granger's lips were moving in her sleep, and curious, he listened closely to hear what she was saying. He was surprised to hear that it was actually singing, and that she had a very good voice. the song was one he'd never heard before, very slow, and soft, like a ballad, in a language he didn't know.

Esse fortis ad tuum anima.
Esse infirma ad tuum cor.
Sentire of thrum in tuum pectus.
Sic suus tantum committitur.

It was a chant-like melody, and her voice was clear and well-cut, as if she knew the words only by forgetting them, as if that made any sense.

And then her eyes fluttered open and met his.

He hadn't realized how close he'd gotten, but sometime during her song he'd leaned in so near her face her breath washed over him and her eyes seemed to become one with his. He could feel her body warmth through the sheets, heard the hitch in her breathing, and grew infinitesimally closer by the second, wanting to remember what her lips felt and tasted like without having to delve into his memories. It seemed those chocolate eyes were beckoning to him, calling for him to come closer, begging him to lean in.

His nose had just brushed hers when she closed her eyes in expectance, and the trance broke.

Pulling back immediately, he almost tipped the chair he was sitting on over, but steadied it, noticing how her eyes were open again, and confused. "Draco?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Sleep," said Draco brusquely, disturbed by his lack of control, "you'll need it for tomorrow."

And, to his amazement, she did. Closed her eyes and fell right back asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to tell himself he was an idiot when her eyes flew open again.

"Is it weird to say I'm glad you're here and not somebody else?" she said, perfectly innocent.

Draco was entirely surprised, to say the least, and could not respond - his jaw agape, he watched her shrug and fall back to sleep, and only when he heard her snore did he slap himself as hard as he could, leaving a stinging red spot on his cheek. She's Muggle-born, your parents will hate you. You don't even like her, but you're friends with her to help your family's reputation. Help the reputation... would it help his or hurt hers if he dated her...?

He slapped himself again, on the other cheek, and then slammed his head agianst the wall to get it to shut up.