A Reason To Be

“You’ve been released, huh?” Draco asked Hermione. He had just woken up and looked over to see the girl up and out of bed. He stretched and turned over onto his side, facing her.

“Yes, Madam Pomfrey said I have made a complete recovery and can go back to my usual routine.” Hermione said, looking up and over to Draco’s bed. She had gotten dressed and was now gathering up all her belongings.

“When do you get to leave?” Hermione asked as she bent down and stowed her now folded comforter in her trunk.

“The warden says my sentence isn’t up yet. Maybe later on this week though.” Draco replied, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and kicking his blanket off of him. Hermione giggled softly at his comment about serving a prison sentence. Draco lay there and watched her as she picked up her things. He shifted and adjusted his blanket to disguise his morning hard-on. Of course it was a common occurrence for any man but it certainly didn’t help that he usually woke up from dreams about doing a million and one things of a sexual nature to Hermione. He just breathed deeply and willed it to go away. He looked back at the young woman and smiled. He still could look at her and be amazed that she was awake and well. After he had brought Hermione out of the coma, he passed out and did not come to until the day after. When he had woken up he did not let anyone know, he just watched Hermione. That night Draco couldn’t help but let the tears flow. Wither it was from the excruciating pain he was feeling for the tremendous relieve he felt to have Hermione back in the land of the living; he didn’t really know. Now he was doing what he so often did, watching Hermione and thinking to himself how beautiful she was.

“I…I think this is yours, isn’t it?” Hermione said with a confused frown. In her drawer was a copy of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. She sat on the bed and looked down at the book.

“I remember now. You bought it that day in London.” She said more to herself than to him. When she had first woken up, she couldn’t remember much of anything that happened.

“I didn’t think you would remember that day.” Draco added softly. A moment later Hermione looked up and held the book out to Malfoy.

“Bring it here, Granger. Don’t make the invalid get out of bed.” Draco said teasingly. He really didn’t want to get up he really was quite lazy that early in the morning. She and sighed an annoyed sigh and got up and crossed over to his bedside.

“What else do you remember from that day?” Draco asked her as he took the book from her. She stood there still a moment, thinking about his question. It was obvious she hadn’t come up with anything when she heaved a sigh and sat down on the side of Draco’s bed. He did not let on, but this kind of surprised Draco.

“Darling, if you wanted in my bed all you had to do was ask.” Draco said smoothly, smirking suggestively. Hermione didn’t grace him with an answer, only a smack on his shoulder. She didn’t let on that the whole morning, before Draco had woken up; she had been staring at him. Draco still talked in his sleep and seemed upset but Hermione could never discern what he was saying, more importantly he tossed and turned violently which often meant that he became uncovered. Earlier that morning, when she had been dressing, she casually glanced over at young blonde boy and noticed he had kicked his blanket to the floor and was lying there in only his boxers.

She really hadn’t meant to ogle him, but it just couldn’t be helped. Some unknown force had pushed her around her own bed and over to his. She had stood there gazing down at Draco’s nearly naked form.

‘Wow…Who knew that Malfoy looked this good underneath those robes. He has the body of a god. I wonder if it’s the Quidditch, though I can’t say I have noticed Harry or Ron being this fit.’ Hermione thought to herself. It took all the effort she had not to reach out and run her hand over his chest and washboard stomach. She had picked up his blanket off the floor and covered him back up again. She was snatched back to the present by Draco’s voice.

“Hermione?” Draco asked when he noticed her staring off into space. Hermione looked back at him and spoke.

“I think I remember out field trip. I remember being on the train and I remember seeing you in the music store.” Hermione said hesitantly, even those memories were a bit fuzzy. Draco watched the display of expressions and feelings on Hermione’s face. He was curious about something, and he had to ask.

“Do you remember anything else, later on that day? Like how you were hurt?” Draco asked tentatively. He probed for this information for Hermione\'s own good. If she knew who hurt her, then they could be punished accordingly. Draco couldn’t hide that he was crestfallen when she shook her head.

“I don’t remember anything after the music store. Even that is still blurry.” Hermione replied quietly. Draco nodded his head and said nothing. She sat there on his bed for a moment and then looked back at him.

“Do you know what happened?” Hermione asked. Draco looked into her beautiful, brown eyes and saw hope. Hope that maybe someone had an answer for her. Draco felt an ache in his chest when he looked in her eyes. He wanted to tell her everything but knew he shouldn’t. So even though his heart was aching, he shook his head.

“No.” Draco whispered. Hermione nodded her head; it was obvious she was disappointed that he had nothing to offer her. She got up and walked back over to her bed and finished gathering her things. Draco watched her walk and jumped up out of his bed. He quickly grabbed a shirt and pants and threw them on. Then he padded over to her.

“You know, I remember other things as well. It isn’t a specific memory, I remember someone talking. I don’t know when and I can’t really recall what about but I remember hearing someone’s voice.” Hermione called over her shoulder to him. It surprised him when a moment later he appeared at her side in a long sleeved shirt and a pair of loose, black pants.

“Whose voice is it?” Draco asked. He was pretty much positive that it was his voice she remembered hearing. He wondered nervously if she would realize it was him. She shook her head though, showing that she didn’t know.

“I don’t know.” Hermione sighed. Draco quickly changed the subject.

“So where are your lap dogs? Aren’t they coming to help carry your things back?” Draco questioned. It was obvious as to whom he was talking about from his distasteful tone Just as he finished speaking, the hospital wing’s doors swung open and in came Ron and Harry.

“Speak of the devil…” Draco grumbled with a frown on his face. He turned around, pouting, and went back to his bed. Harry and Ron said nothing to Draco; they barely glanced in his general direction. Draco glanced over and noticed Ron seemed to always have his hand on her shoulder or her back.

‘Oh take your nasty, little hands off her. Must you always touch her?!?!’ Draco thought jealously. Draco lie back down and listen to their friendly exchange with Hermione until finally they had gathered up all her stuff and were about to depart. Hermione turned and flashed a smile to the young man lying in bed.

“See you when you escape, Malfoy.” Hermione teased. Draco smiled slightly though she did not see it. He raised his arm and waved his farewell, but he didn’t say anything. The three turned, passed through the doors and disappeared. Draco shifted, his back now facing the door and tried to go back to sleep.



Three days later Draco found himself gathering his own belongings up. He didn’t have as much as Hermione had had; then again no one had gone to his room and brought his stuff to him to make him more comfortable. He just had just about gotten everything together when he heard someone come in.

“I heard they were letting you out, had to come see for myself.” Blaise said pleasantly as he made his way over to Draco. Malfoy nodded and confirmed he was indeed being let out. Blaise offered to help Draco carry his stuff back to his room but Draco declined. He did not have that much to carry and he didn’t feel like letting anyone know where his room was, not even Blaise. As the two young men left the hospital wing and went down the steps, the two talked about Quidditch. When the time came for the two to part ways, Blaise quickly spoke up before he went down his hall.

“By the way Malfoy, are you going to be able to play Quidditch tomorrow? The match is against Gryffindor. We’ve been missing our seeker.” Blaise commented in his best tempting voice. The Slytherin team had not been up to par the last few games since their seeker was placed in Madam Pomfrey. Draco smirked, he knew what Blaise was doing and he had no problem walking right into it.

“I think I’ll be up to it.” Draco said confidently before turning and heading back to his own room.