Champagne Dreams

If you want email updates for this or any of my other fics - email roozie83@yahoo.com
you know you want to... - Love Esme
============================================


She stayed by Draco's side in the hospital wing, drifting off in the hard wooden chair. She decided he would be docile when he woke so she drew up the privacy curtains and crawled into his bed. She rested her head on his chest and drifted off to sleep. Hours passed before the moonlight spilled into the healing wing and Draco stirred. He felt a weight on his chest and a little hand coiled around his hand. Her scent of vanilla and cinnamon hit him and he sighed in contentment at her inviting scent, even though his head was screaming. He grabbed his head in an futile effort to subside the pounding behind his eyes. She felt him stir and lifted her head groggily.

He was still furious with her, but at the time couldn't piece together why, she looked too stunning bathed in moonlight staring up at him with concern on her face, to caught up in her to care. She was the first to break the silence "Draco... I"m sorry, I just... how are you feeling?" she untangled herself from him and was about to hop off the bed before his hand wrapped around her wrist. "stay" so she did, but stayed warily at the edge of the bed.

"I don't bite" he said as he tried to pull her closer. She shuddered at his touch, a tinge of fear welling up in her, he had sensed it instantly. "what's wrong with you... why are you looking at me like that?" Hermione gave him a pained glance, before ignoring the question completely "how are you feeling?". Draco groaned aloud as his fingers explored the tender and bruised flesh around his eye "like I got hit by a train". "you were out for a couple hours actually... I was worried" His mind began to sharpen and sober and retrace everything that had happened in the past two days "well, I guess I'll make it through... so you can go run back to him now"

"how dare you" she said through clenched teeth. He gave her a slightly stunned look that added insult to injury. "to think that I actually cared about you, after what you did to me today... anyone else would have probably smothered you in your sleep... instead I stupidly stayed by your side, just like I stupidly let you play on my feelings... remember this as you try to get the swelling down on your eye, this is the LAST time you make a fool of me" she almost made it off the bed but he held her in another death grip.

"PLEASE! listen to me... I don't exactly remember everything from today... I do remember who gave me these bruises... but I'm scared... there are large spots gone from my memory"he gave her a slightly panicked look. "why must you always use forces? please let go of me and we can actually talk like human beings" she said as she squirmed in his clutches. He looked her dead in the eyes and let go of her "I'm sorry... but I'm never sure when you will run off on me"he said with no malice in his voice, but the idea registered in both of their minds.

"how long have you been drinking?" Draco was glad she had not hexed him or cut and run on him again that he regained some of his sarcastic humor back "well do you mean drinking in general or the binge I've currently been on?" "both figures will due" she said as she casted him a fierce glare.

"I've been dipping into the old man's liquor cabinet since birth... but my black outs started at 15... and I had started drinking that morning, so I wasn't completely sober at all that day" Hermione was taken aback by how harsh the truth was and he hadn't sugar coated it at all for her. "what made you go on this binge?"

"don't take this the wrong way, but that's the stupidest question I've ever heard... and from the brightest witch of our age... tsk tsk" Hermione rolled her eyes, before she hung her head "because of me?" she half stated half inquired. Draco sharpened his eyes on her "yes, you"

She changed gears on him, this wasn't just about her she thought "you attacked me today" Draco searched his mind for remnants of the attack she mentioned. His mind only bringing up the look of intense pain in her eyes, exactly like the one she had in this moment. "than I suppose I deserve these don't I?" he said with a smirk as he motioned to his bruises. "I was scared he was going to kill you...I was scared you were going to kill me... you should have seen the look in your eyes" she shivered at the reminder of his rage.

Draco sat up farther in his bed and edged closer to her, he slowly cupped her face with his hands and turned her face to his, he was inches away from her face "I'm so sorry Hermione, and I know nothing I'll ever say or do will take your fear of me away now... but you have to believe me when I say I never wanted to hurt you".
She warmed to his touch on reflex alone, over riding her brain. "I'm sorry for hurting you... I..."

He pressed a finger to her lips to stop her "please, don't apologize to me or accept my apology... I don't deserve it"
He released her and laid back on the bed "and I don't deserve you, I've fucked everything up for you... I understand if you hate me, hell I hate me too..." after he retreated from her she advanced, leaning over him, watching the moonlight spill over his silky hair, her face stern, her voice breaking with emotion "don't you EVER say that again! I could never hate you... you have no idea how much Lucius and I love you... your my best friend, I couldn't hate my best friend" she said as she gently stroked his hair.

"ahh there it is again... the reminder of who has his claim on you... you know I'm in love with you, and I always will... you may choose to ignore it but it will always be there" Hermione closed her eyes and gripped his hand in hers "you may or may not have wronged me in the past, but I don't care... I am in love with you and I'm in love with Lucius... and I had to make a choice, your his only heir and is expecting you to marry a pure blood witch... I know we could never be, and if we were we would never be accepted... I"m in love with both of you... but I chose him because he knows we can't broadcast it to the world... he's offered me the chance to study abroad and start a career... and I know that with you we would have to start a family, I would want to start a family... but I'm not ready for that, just believe me when I say I love you too... and always will"

Draco brought her hand to his lips "if someday he casts you aside or you decide he's not what you need... remember I'll always be there to pick up the pieces" She leaned down and claimed his lips slowly, a tear slid down her cheek and dropped onto his, she wiped it away from his face and smiled down at him, her heart bursting and breaking and healing all over again. Draco wiped the tears from her face and kissed her back, with more fire and desperation than she had ever known. "if he is the man you choose, then go stand by him... just know I'll wait for you forever Hermione"

"goodbye Draco" she said as she kissed his forehead and retreated from the bed.