The next day found Hermione bundled up and on her way to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries via the knight bus. After a long ride during which she was jostled and thrown around by the turbulent motion of the purple bus, she managed to keep in any traces of sickness that might have arised, and got off (only somewhat shakily) on both legs once it arrived at the hospital.
"Thank yo-" she began to say once she had taken her bag from Stan, but the bus had already speeded off. Shaking her head, Hermione turned to look at the building she had been dropped off at.
Her initial reaction was to turn back in dismay; this grungy store hardly looked like a place where the best healers in the wizarding world worked. However, she then remembered back to her 5th year when she had visited Mr Weasley in St Mungo's. Tonks had taken her and her friends to this very building, and had done something to enter the hospital, which had been enchanted to prevent muggles from finding it...what was it she had said...
"I'm er...here to see Draco Malfoy," Hermione muttered at the very ugly mannequin which stared down at her from behind the dirty glass display window. She looked around furtively, afraid that someone would notice the dummy nodding and tilting its head, but the passers by paid no attention to her. Relieved, she stepped through the glass and into the reception room.
Once Hermione was inside the hospital, it took her a few moments to adjust to the lighting. The weather outside was dark and stormy, and the bright glare of the hospital's visitor's room's lights immediately took her by surprise. When she had gotten used to it, she weaved through the bustling crowd of hexed, sick, and frantic people to the reception desk. There, she waited patiently in line.
When Hermione finally reached the tall, marble desk, she said politely to the blonde witch behind it, "Could you tell me which ward Draco Malfoy is currently in?"
"What's his problem?" was the lazy reply.
"He attacked by Mithions."
"Creature-Induced Injuries. First floor, ward eighteen. He's a handsome one isn't he?" the witch said with a slight smirk.
"Er...I suppose..."
"How long for you two?"
"How long?" Hermione repeated, confused.
"How long have you been dating him?" the plump blonde said, shooting a "where have you been?" look at Hermione.
"Oh no! We're not...y'know...together," was Hermione's hurried reply as a blush rose in her cheeks. "I...er...we're just friends...thanks." Without bothering to wait for the witch to reply, she turned around and began heading to the stairs. *
Hermione let out a small sigh as she climbed the wooden staircase. Although the allievrae had shown her that Draco would live through this, she couldn't help but worry. Dumbledore had allowed her to take a day off of her classes so that she could go visit Draco, and she was grateful to the old headmaster for it.
When Hermione found Draco's ward, she knocked on the door, fidgeting with her hair as she waited for a reply. When no one answered, she hesitantly pushed the door open and took a look inside. To her delight, Draco sat on the bed at the other end of the room. His hands were wrapped in bandages and he was still pale, but seeing as he was scribbling on a piece of parchment, he appeared to be fine.
"Draco?" she said softly.
He looked up, startled. The initial shock faded from his face when he saw who it was, to be replaced with a slight frown. As Hermione approached, he quickly shoved the letter he had been writing under his pillow and pulled his sheets up.
"Hey Granger," he said quietly.
"How are you doing?" she asked as she sat down on a hard stool beside his head.
Turning away, Draco mumbled into his covers, "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"
Hermione couldn't help but feel a sense of deja vu as the memory of the visit she had paid Draco in the school hospital ward came back to her. "I came to see you. Dumbledore gave me permission to take the day off of school."
Her ears picked up a sigh coming from the other side of the bed. It was followed by silence, and then, "Weren't you supposed to meet that DADA teacher today?"
"Yes, but I'd rather not go without you. I already let him know that we can't make it later this afternoon, and he said he would reschedule our meeting to next Thursday."
More silence.
Hermione watched the second hand on the clock atop Draco's bedside table slowly make one full rotation, then another, and another. Finally, she said, "What was it you were writing."
"Nothing," he responded sharply, his back still turned towards her.
"Then why did you hide it from me when I came in?" she argued back.
With another sigh, Draco turned around to face her. "I was writing a letter to you, okay?" he said defiantly, his stormy eyes avoiding hers. His mouth was set determinedly, as if daring Hermione to say something sarcastic or degrading.
Hermione felt a blush creep up her cheeks. "To...me?"
"That's what I said. Do mudbloods have a hard time hearing too?"
"What were you writing to me?" she asked, ignoring his rude comment.
"None of your business."
"Well if it's to me, then it is."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
"I'm going back to sleep," Draco said abruptly, ending the pointless argument.
"You know that I'll just steal the letter from underneath your pillow while you're sleeping," Hermione said matter-of-factly. She smiled smugly, knowing she had won.
"Not unless the nurse kicks you out, Granger. She listens to me."
Hermione's mouth dropped open slightly, and she gave Draco a disbelieving look. Seconds later, she began laugh.
"What's so funny?" he asked in annoyance.
"Do you really think EVERYONE obeys you, Malfoy?" she asked with amusement between her giggles.
"Yes, because they do," he replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm good looking, intelligent, pure-blooded, rich, powerful...they have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking my orders."
Hermione shook her head. "You are so arrogant, you know? I've honestly never met anyone with a head as big as yours."
"Or as handsome?"
The corners of Draco's mouth were now twitching, as if he were trying to hold in a smile. Hermione now realized that he was joking about all of this; nonetheless, she started laughing again. She couldn't stop laughing. As she took her hand off of the beside table to cover her mouth, she lost her balance and fell forward onto Draco's bed.
Her giggles stopped abruptly when she realized what had happened. She was now in such a position that her face was about a foot away from his, and she was staring directly down into his eyes.
Draco sat up slowly, using his elbows as a crutch to steady himself. His eyes were now level with Hermione's, and they gazed at her with an emotion she couldn't read in them. "I..." he began to say. He was moving closer to her without even realizing it.
Hermione was distinctly aware of the diminishing distance between them. "Please..." she said in a barely-audible whisper. His face was 5 inches away from hers...2 inches...she could feel his breath tickling her cheek...less than an inch...and then, everything around her stopped. The quiet ticking of the clock, the rustling of the leaves outside the window, the distant voices of nurses...all sounds and movements ceased to exist in her mind.
She was drowning in his kiss. Electricity was travelling at the speed of light between her lips and his, and her whole body felt numb. She instinctively raised her hand and placed it on his broad shoulder; he held her small, delicate hand in his. And then, before she could even begin to enjoy the sensation of being in a state of absolute perfection, he pulled away.
Hermione's eyes opened, and she looked at Draco in confusion. "Why did you..."
"No, don't say anything," he said, averting his gaze. "I shouldn't have done that. They'll find out."
"But Draco," she pleaded, "they can't find you here."
"We can't do this."
"Why not? I don't know if..."
"It's not right.
"Please, just listen to me. I...like you. A lot. I know you feel the same way about me, you can't deny it any longer. Don't do this."
"Hermione," he said firmly, employing the use of her first name again, "just leave. Before anything else which shouldn't happen does."
She bit her lip, willing the tears that were threatening to fall to go away. "Fine," she whispered. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."
With her last few words said, Hermione turned around and walked out. When the door had shut completely behind her, Draco let out a frustrated groan. Reaching under his pillow, he pulled out the parchment he had been writing on earlier. Dipping his quill in a bottle of ink resting on the table beside him, he scribbled a few more lines, then ended it with three last words before signing the letter with a flourish:
"I love you."