What I\'ve Always Known

Disclaimer: I don\'t own anything but the plot and the cliff. I like my cliff.

A/N: Well I tried not to make this chapter corny, but as this was one of the first fanfics I did, and I\'m merely posting now, it might seem a little ridiculous. Thank you for your continuous reviews!


Hermione twisted from side to side as she descended the mountain, groping desperately for anything to hold onto. The loose gravel slipped beneath her fingers, cutting and bruising her palms. She let out a cry when the crevice overtook her and her lower body fell away into nothingness.

Gathering her remaining wits, she threw out her legs and managed to brace her feet against the opposite wall of rock. Throwing her hands out to her right side, she managed to snag a protruding root and held fast. Taking a deep breath, she pushed her feet off the wall, and let her legs swing to a foothold just below her hands.

“Hermione! Please no…” Draco’s call seemed distant to her even as he poked his head over the lip of the crevice a mere four feet above her. He gasped when he saw her and immediately held out a hand to help her up. Hermione took a deep breath and tried to soothe her raw nerves. She couldn’t help but glance below her and she almost lost her grip on the rock at the sight of the yawning chasm below her feet.

Suddenly, her left hand slipped and she grabbed for the root again, her fingers slipping on something wet. Frowning, she took her hand away and leaned closer to inspect what it was. She squeezed her eyes closed as she realized that it was her own blood from her torn palms.

“Hermione!” Draco said desperately and she looked up into his face, willing herself to let go of the root and take his hand. As soon as she had a firm grip oh his digits, he pulled her up out the rift with little to no effort.

He tried to pull her into a hug, but Hermione held him off.

“I don’t want to get blood on your shirt.” She said, holding up her hands, palm open, for him to see. He paled and without a word, tore one of the sleeves off his shirt and tied it as a tourniquet around her right palm. He repeated the same actions with the other sleeve of his shirt on her left palm and she gasped as he tightened it around the worst of the bleeding. He glanced at her apologetically and walked around her, checking her for more injuries. He groaned quietly and leaned down to roll up her pants past her right calf. She twisted around to see what was wrong and held back a cry as she saw the blood running in generous streams down her leg. She tried to force the images of how bloody she would have been had she not gotten hold of something.

“We have to get you to the hospital wing.” Draco said unevenly.

“It doesn’t hurt much. Really.” She added, as he shot her a disbelieving look. He sighed and rose from his squatting position. She rolled her pant leg down with her other foot, and continued down on the mountain as though they had simply stopped for a water break.

Hermione gritted her teeth as pain shot through her entire body with every step. She had been lying her face off when she told Draco she wasn’t hurt. Of course she was hurt; her entire body was throbbing uncomfortably, but she couldn’t bear to make him look any more worried than he already did.

By the time they reached the base of the mountain, Hermione had broken out into a cold sweat from the pain and she was starting to feel a little light headed. Before she could make anything like a protest, Draco swept her off her feet and started to carry her through Hogsmeade towards Hogwarts. Hermione groaned and pushed lightly on his chest.

“Put me down, I’m fine,” She protested weakly. Draco just shushed her and pressed her head into his chest.

“Shh, don’t talk, we’ll be there soon.” He said comfortingly. She started to nod, but her head pounded horribly and she let a small sob escape her lips. Draco’s pace quickened and in what must have been record time; he was carrying her through the doors to the Hospital Wing.

“Oh my!” Madam Pomfrey exclaimed when Draco set Hermione down on a bed. Hermione sat up, too much of a Gryffindor to show any weakness. Draco set about plumping her pillows nervously while Madam Pomfrey inspected her hands and leg.

“Well, well Ms Granger, you have certainly collected some nasty cuts. Lucky I received a new batch of Stitching Solution yesterday. As a precaution you should also take a Blood Replenishing Potion.” Madam Pomfrey said very professionally, and disappeared into her office to retrieve the necessary potions.

As soon as she rounded the corner out of sight, Draco burst forth with a tide of guilty apologies.

“This is all my fault, I shouldn’t have let you go first-“

“Draco that could have just as easily been you -“Hermione interjected to no avail.

“I should have known to take a safer route down the mountain-“

“Draco-“

“I mean, going down the face of the mountain was so stupid of me-“

“Malfoy-“

“I’m so sorry Hermione, now your leg might be ruined and I-“

“Draco!” this time, Hermione accompanied his name with a punch on the arm. When he stilled, she gently took his chin between her thumb and forefinger. “I’m fine” She smiled. For the first time in a while, Draco smiled back.

Finding she couldn’t wait any longer, Hermione leaned in for a quick kiss on the lips. She soon lost herself in the feel of Draco’s soft lips and velvety tongue, and she didn’t hear the approaching voices until they were directly outside the door.

“Really Potter, flying like that…you were bound to fall sooner or later.” A stern voice scolded.

“Yes Professor, I know.” someone replied meekly.

Hermione recognized the voices of Professor McGonagall and Harry, and she tore her mouth away from Draco’s as they entered the Hospital Wing, Harry nursing his left arm, but it was too late. Both Harry and the Professor froze, their eyes wide with shock, looking from Hermione to Draco, and back to Hermione.

“Ah, Mr. Potter, It’s you again is it? Very well, what ridiculous stunt were you attempting this time, hm?” Madam Pomfrey had come back out of her office, three different potion bottles in her arms. She seemed to completely miss the shock and tension filling
the air, and continued over to Hermione’s bed, setting down two potions bottles on her beside table and setting the third in a cabinet to her right.

“Ms. Granger? What’s wrong?” Professor McGonagall snapped out of her trance and came marching up to her beside to stand next to an extremely tense Draco.

“Oh, um nothing serious Professor, it’s just cuts and scrapes.” Hermione said, staring at her hands or the hospital sheets, just anywhere but at Harry.

“Cuts and scrapes are they? Well, on this cut on your leg, it’s run into the bone.” Madam Pomfrey said grimly. Draco visibly paled and Harry rushed over to seize Hermione’s shoulder. “We are going to have to keep you overnight I’m afraid. Now, was anyone with you when this happened?” Madam Pomfrey prodded at the cut in Hermione’s calf with her wand, making Hermione hiss in pain.

“I was.” Draco answered before Hermione could say anything. Both Professor McGonagall and Harry looked up at him curiously. Hermione was surprised Harry was acting so calm upon walking in on them kissing. Hermione grimaced in pain and guilt; that wasn’t how she wanted Harry to find out at all…

“Well, what happened then?” Madam Pomfrey directed the question at Hermione, who stuttered. She wanted to explain everything to Harry first personally. Professor McGonagall must have sensed her unease.

“Poppy, perhaps you and I should go retrieve Potter’s potion. “ She placed her hand on Madam Pomfreys’ arm and steered her towards her office. As soon as they rounded the corner, Hermione turned to Harry.

“Look Harry,” She said softly, before turning and taking his hands in her. “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out. I wanted to tell you face to face, on my own time, I know you deserved that.” She paused to take a deep breath “Draco and I are seeing each other. We have been for a while now, ever since the beginning of our Prefect duties.”

“I know,” said Harry, way too nonchalantly “Thank you for finally telling me” Hermione simply blinked at him; her brain unable to process what he was saying.

“You-you knew?” Draco asked. It was the first time either Hermione or Harry had ever heard him stutter.

“Well you two aren’t really as clever as you think.” He said, giving Hermione’s hand a squeeze. It finally made sense to Hermione why Harry had winked at her that day in the Great Hall when Draco had called her away for a ‘meeting with McGonagall’. She blushed and glanced away, worried about how Harry was going to react. She wasn’t even sure he would want to remain friends with her.

Unbeknownst to Hermione and Draco, Harry actually found it very cute Hermione had fallen for the baddest boy around; it was so refreshingly classic. A tear of worry glided down Hermione’s cheek and she turned her head away from Draco and Harry, embarrassed to let them see her cry.

“Hey,” Said Harry quietly, moving in and taking her chin in his hand. “Don’t cry Hermione. What’s wrong?” But Hermione couldn’t speak so Harry started guessing. “Does your leg hurt?” she shook her head.” Are-wait a minute-are you worried about-were you worried I would be mad because you were seeing Malf...um-“He paused to glance up at Draco. “Given the circumstances, could I call you-“

Draco answered his question by stepping towards him, and extending his hand.

“Call me Draco.” He said a little timidly.

“Harry,” Harry said, grinning and shaking Draco’s hand. Anyway” he said, turning back to Hermione “Did you think I would be mad
because you’re seeing Draco?” Harry asked, frowning slightly. Hermione nodded and burst into tears. Harry enveloped her in his arms and rocked her a little.

“Hermione Granger,” He said in mock stern tones after a minute. “If you think I would resent you for doing something that makes you happy, you don’t know me very well.”

Hermione laughed and wiped her eyes on the tissue Draco handed her.

“I’m sorry Harry, I was just nervous and…I don’t know what came over me. I’m not looking forward to telling Ron though,” She added, sighing.

Harry suddenly burst into laughter. Draco and Hermione glanced at each other, seeking an explanation, but neither of them had one. Harry was doubled up, hanging onto the bed and laughing so hard he was silent. He was still chuckling when Madam Pomfrey came back out of the office with Professor McGonagall, holding a long blue bottle of potion.

Harry turned to them, wiping his glasses and wheezed, “I’m sorry to laugh but I was just picturing his face. You might want to tell him with me there.” His expression suddenly shot down to the other end of the scale to grim. “I saw what he did to you this morning and I don’t want him hurting you.”

Hermione opened her mouth to protest, to insist that Ron would never hurt her, but Draco covered her mouth with his hand and said “I want to be there too.” Harry nodded knowingly, and went off with Madam Pomfrey to take his potion.

In no time flat, Madam Pomfrey forced Harry to swallow the potion that screamed as soon as it was opened, and Harry departed the Hospital Wing, in perfect health except for the occasional blue spark shooting out of his nose.

“After effect of the potion,” Hermione explained to Draco as he fought to keep a straight face.

“Your turn!” Madam Pomfrey sang, turning to her with a beaker of the murky brown Stitching Solution that smelled suspiciously like fertilizer. Hermione sat back against her pillows drank it in one gulp. She immediately started coughing; the potion was causing her throat to sting unmercifully.

“Yes sorry dear, that is actually the most painful potion I posses.” Madam Pomfrey shook her head apologetically.

“Well, if I would have known that, I would have kept my leg as it is!” Hermione said, her eyes watering from the pain. The potion she just drank was the magical version of stitches; it helped the skin and muscles heal from the inside. Madam Pomfrey tenderly rolled up Hermione’s pant leg, removed her hiking boots, and wrapped her injured calf in white gauze, putting cotton against the wound first, then Spello-taping the lot together. Hermione pulled her sweater off of her waist and Draco held it while Madam Pomfrey practically shoved Hermione under the covers of the hospital bed, propping her leg up on plump white pillows underneath the blankets. Draco went to get her some water while Madam Pomfrey made her take the Blood Replenishing Potion. It didn’t taste fantastic, but at least it took some of the light headedness she was feeling away. Madam Pomfrey healed her hands with a simple wave of the wand and threw out the ruined sleeves of Draco’s shirt.

“Well dear, you try to get some sleep now. And Mr. Malfoy, I will be back out in two minutes, and I expect you to be gone.” Madam Pomfrey gave him a stern stare and bustled off into her office. Draco handed her the goblet of water and Hermione downed the whole thing in about two seconds, suddenly aware of just how parched she was. She sighed and leaned back against the pillow, her leg throbbing slightly as the Stitching Solution took affect.

“I should be getting back to my Common Room love.” Draco whispered, leaning down to kiss her jaw line.

Hermione smiled and buried her fingers in his blonde, blonde hair.

“Why don’t you stay the night?” She whispered seductively.

“Ms Granger, are you making a pass at me?” He asked quietly, burying his face in her wavy hair.

“That must be record time for you.” She whispered in his ear, turning the line she had used earlier on Marcus Flint on him. He chuckled and moved his lips up to suck gently on her pulse, letting his lips trail softly over her shoulder.

Suddenly, Hermione was overtaken with a most peculiar sensation. She yawned widely and found she could barely keep her eyes open. Draco pulled back and stroked her hair as her vision started to blur. Hermione couldn’t remember ever feeling so tired in her life…and then it hit her.

“Draco Malfoy you put sleeping potion in that water!” Hermione said, suppressing another yawn, but feeling her eyelids growing heavy all the same. Draco grinned and opened his mouth to speak. “Don’t even,” she said, sure he was going to fire her sassy line right back at her. And then the world went black and Hermione fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.