I Learned Your Pulse

"Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."

She'd never considered healing. She had always assumed she'd take S.P.E.W. up a couple levels, make it a public wizarding organization, but she seemed to be doing extremely well on the Draco front. He'd gradually stopped closig his eyes, and they were trained on her face as she moved downward onto his thighs.

Uncomfortably, she looked at him, her cheeks slightly flushed. He shook his head slowly, and she nodded, skipping the... erm, certain section... which she assumed was fine. But she rolled his pants up to his knees and inhaled sharply. His stomach had been much worse, but on the inside - the outside of his knees were now gnarled and blue all over, though sometimes the blood covered it, and she actually saw bones sticking out of the skin.

"Good Lord, Draco," she muttered, "How did this happen?"

"I suppose that happened when I landed on them. Or maybe when I straightened my legs out afterward."

She looked at him sharply, and awaited more explanation, but he seemed welcome to taunt her with knowledge she didn't hve and he did. She might have been upset at this, but she was so relieved and glad that he was okay and acting like himself again she completely forgot everything and smiled at him, reaching over to hug him again.

She paused as she was bending her head down to his level, and their eyes met for another second.

The message was slightly altered. Behind those steel walls, there was a mind in desperate need of assistance. and Hermione was a very helpful person.

"Don't," he whispered, "Please."

Hermione was shocked and hurt and surprised and sad and angry and everything but the good emotions; but she was reasonable. She smiled a false smile and leaned down to hug him once more. "Don't like hugging?" she asked, tenderly pulling away and seting work to his knees.

"No, you were -" he winced. "- going to kiss me."

She raised her eyebrows in  false surprise. "Was I now? I was under the implications I was checking your face to see if the spell had completed working yet before I hugged you."

"No, you were going to kiss me," he insisted, wincing once more as she got the skin, bones and blood back in the right places.

She smirked, but it was fake. "Full of ourselves, now are we? Can't even help fantasizing about the bookworm -"

"You're hardly just any bookworm," he snorted. "You're the queen of the Wizarding World, Hermione fucking Granger, aren't you."

"I'm also a Mudblood."

He looked as hurt as she felt. "No, you're not, don't say that -"

"Like you did, what, maybe forty-three times?"

"I don't think ike that anymore!"

Hermione didn't know why she was going off like this, but as she reached his ankles, she said, "Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater."

"Hermione!"

"What?" she demanded furiously, trying to keep herself in check and failing. "Do you really think I'm just going to forgive and forget seven years of hatred? Seven years of prejudice, of judgement, of letting me know again and again where my place is -"

"Your place is above mine," he tried weakly.

"Then why did you aways tell me it wasn't?!" she shouted, slumping back against the corridor wall. "You made sure to keep drilling it into me that you were better than me, I was worse than you, and now all of a sudden -"

"I was exposed only to thoughts like that for those years, what did you think I was going to -"

"Well I was exposed to Muggles and I'm nothing but the most famous female in Wizarding History!" she shot back hotly. "The best friend of Harry Potter, brain of the trio, saved his arse maybe a hundred times, S.P.E.W. founder and president, best in the year, Head Girl, and I'm proud! Of! My! Self!"

"Then why are you shouting at me when I'm proud of you, too?" he bellowed, finally getting into the fight and sitting up.

"You're not proud of me! Nobody is! I'm a bad person who cheated on her boyfriend and broke Harry's wand and is shouting at her friend for no reason, oh, good God, I'm a bad... p-person..."

And she was reduced to tears on the floor, her shoulders shaking and her body trembling once more.

And without a word, Draco held her. Held her like a friend, like a brother, like she needed to be held. He let her rest her head on his shoulder, he whispered consolances to her and he let her cryout all the guilt she'd been bundling up and soak his shirt. He petted her hair and massaged her neck, he told her she was great, he was everything she needed in that one moment.

And in that one moment, all he needed was her.

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Hey, I'm sorry I didn't update yesterday, but my basement flooded and I was fighting for three hours where I usually write. :( But it's all better now! :) And I know this chapter isn't particularly long, but I thought they diserved a chapter where they could bond. And what's the score for saving the other's life? I think it's like... Hermione:3  Draco:3. I think it's all tied up. I'm not sure. And they're going to continue waging this little war until one of them is just incapable of saving anyone anymore... Hm, what do I mean? You'll see.

You probably feel like killing me right now. Thought you were getting a whole other page? WRONG. One sentence. ULTIMATE TROLLING. But it's a good sentence.

So, I have a blog, for anybody who wants more background info on what was originally happening in the chapters, what the other person was feeling, what I took out and added, and a bunch of stuff you don't need to know but might want to. It's makemeforgetonwattpad.blogspot.com, and I made the font my handwriting - if you have any trouble reading it, copy and paste to Notepad or soemthing and read the font there. Thanks :) And yes, for those of you who checked, I do write in cursive.

I have almost three thousand reads on this! I NEVER thought it'd be so popular! And I know most are probably just people who happened to stumble across the first page, and then were frustrated I wasn't the story they were looking for ("This is not the story you are looking for," said she, awesome possesser of Jedi talents) and left, but I've realized that I make people break down and give speeches a lot, so I'll try not to do that too much. They have the climax for speeches and tears, and trust me, there will be plenty, which is one reason I don't want to give it all up now by making them weepy and totally detsroying their characters. Also, the "Who's Reading" section there on the side brought tears to MY eyes, which might be why I have my charcters sob so much (Sorry!). You guys make me so happy, and I'm so glad you like the story.

I've also decided that, from now on, if you comment I'll dedicate a chapter to you. I have my longest reserved for owlsarelovely, my inspiration and a fun persom :)

Bear with me, but it'd help if you'd VOTE, COMMENT, SHARE!!