I wrote this chapter to the mood of the song "Sumiregusa". Go to Enya.com and click the gray Sumerigusa highlight, that will lead you to windows media player and then you can listen to it from there. A minute and Ten seconds in to the song there is this gorgeous crescendo. That part in the song fits the part when Draco and Hermione kiss almost perfectly. Try to fit that part in the song with story and you'll see.
Draco’s eyes fluttered open, and for a moment or two, the only thing he saw was a bright light. His fears were confirmed.
“I’m dead?” Draco muttered in to the vast blankness.
“No. Not dead, thank god.” Said a voice. He recognized it, but couldn’t put his finger on it. Then, suddenly, memories came flooding back. The rose, the staircase, Ron, Hermione…
“Hermione!” Draco sat up, only to fall back down from a horrible pain on the right side of his chest.
“Lie down, Mr. Malfoy.” Said the voice again. Draco’s eyes began to clear up and he saw Madame Pomfrey, stern and resentful.
“What happened? Where’s Hermione?” Draco asked anxiously.
“Miss Granger hasn’t been since last night. You gave us quite a scare.” Pomfrey said, her eyes softening up. Draco felt the bandages on his chest, leading up to his back.
“Do you mind if I look in a mirror?” Draco asked. Pomfrey nodded and gave him a mirror. Draco wondered what happened to the cuts on his face.
“The cuts on your face are cleared up, there are only a few very faint brown scars. But those will go away in a day’s time. A valuable looking rose, however, caused the cuts on your chest. Those will hurt. I put some healing potion on those bandages; you can take those off in three days. The cuts were pretty deep because the longer they were in, the farther in they went. We found a piece of jagged ruby that was a centimeter away from your lungs. Be happy that Granger was there, other wise we’d have had to send you off to St. Mungo’s. We used a repairing charm to fix your rose.” Pompfrey informed Draco, but all he heard was “Granger” and “valuable looking rose”.
“Where did you put the rose?” Draco asked apprehensively.
Madame Pomfrey pointed to his side table. Draco turned and was relieved to see that it was fixed. Every bit of it was put in its place. Draco reached over and touched the rose, and inhaled in relief. Thank heavens he still had something to give to Hermione.
“It’s almost lunch, yours is on the side table as well. Oh, and I don’t want you to use that arm, it was a pretty deep cut, too.” Pomfrey said, and then after a moment added, “I don’t know what happened down there, Mr. Malfoy, but I suggest you plan a huge thank you note.” And then she disappeared behind her office door.
Draco lay in his bed for hours, hoping against hope that Hermione would come through the doors. He played the image in his head. Hermione would wrap her arms around him, and they would talk, they would be happy. Nothing, not even Ron, would stop them from being together. His lunch sat ignored on the table, the soup going cold. Draco only got up to relieve himself and to stare out the windows. It was a sunny day, but night called for thunderstorms, and rain. Curtains of rain, was the phrase that he heard Pomfrey say to another patient. Then, finally night fell. Draco was glad it was Sunday, and that they had no homework.
It was maybe nine o’clock at night when he got fed up with the Hospital Wing. An idea flew in his head; it might’ve been the hunger getting to him, or it might’ve been the spark of daring genius. Draco gathered his strength, and wearing only the trousers on his legs and the bandages on his chest, back, and arms, he picked up the rose, grabbed his cloak, a quill and parchment, and left for the Owlery.
Luckily, the curfew had been extended to eleven thirty and he had plenty of time. Draco put the parchment against the wall of the Owlery and began to write.
Hermione,
Once again there is no need to say who I am. Please come down. I am standing under Gryffindor Tower.
Draco decided he would come short for identity purposes and tied the letter to an owl after writing Hermione Granger on the front. The owl soared off and Draco made his way to the main doors. Taking his time, he walked through the downpour of rain; it completely drenched him, made his hairline extend to the brim of his forehead. The bandages began to drip with rainwater even behind his cloak. The cuts began to sting as the water seeped through. Draco trudged through the grass that was slowly pooling with a muddy concoction. Finally, drenched, he stood under Gryffindor Tower.
Hermione Granger had all the intentions of avoiding Ron, she had hid herself in the Lady’s Dormitory and only came down to eat. At the time, Hermione was reading her book.
“The Loch ness monster has been sighted…has been sighted…” Hermione murmured, trying to understand the sentence but worrying and killing herself over Draco.
A familiar tapping came at the window. Hermione turned her head sharply to look at the window; a brown owl was waiting on the sill. Hermione went over to the latch and let the bird in, it soared onto her shoulder, sticking out its leg to her.
Hermione slowly reached for it, her fingers shaking, and her eyes wide with excitement. She swallowed and opened the note. A moment later she looked out the window, and saw a boy looking up at her. Hermione put the note in her pocket, grabbed her cloak and ran down the stairs to the Common Room. She avoided everyone that was there, even Harry and Ron, leaving them uninformed.
Hermione got to the main doors as fast as she could, thrusting them open and making her way through the sheets of rain that were falling unnoticed around her. Hermione stopped when she saw Draco a few feet away. He was bandaged, she noticed, and soaking.
Hermione walked slowly towards him with time understanding the tenderness of the moment. Soon, she was standing centimeters away, and her feet were glued to the ground. Draco closed the gap, wrapping his arms around Hermione, ignoring the pain that shot through.
“Are you alright?” Hermione asked, her voice trembling, tears blending in with the rain.
“I’m fine. I feel better when you’re with me.” Draco whispered, holding her closer. Thunder resounded above.
“Do you want to leave?” Draco asked, “I don’t want you to get sick.”
“No. Let’s just stay here, please?” Hermione said, smiling weakly. Draco smiled, and nodded. Hermione gasped when her eyes fell on the bloodstained bandages on his chest.
“This is all…Ron’s fault?” Hermione asked, her voice shaking uncontrollably, her fingers grazing the stain.
“No. It’s my doing.” Draco reassured her.
“Don’t say that.” Hermione said sharply, and laid her head on the un-bandaged side of his chest. Amidst the rain, she could hear his heart beat, his slow deep breaths. His body was warm, and she wondered how she could have ever thought him evil.
“Before anything else happens, I have to give you something…” Draco said, gently lifting her head so her could reach inside his cloak pocket. Draco found the rose, thankfully noticing that it was still undamaged as he pulled it out.
“This, Hermione Granger, is for you.” Draco said, holding the rose out for her. Hermione gasped, and took it gently from him.
“Thank you, but I don’t deserve it…” Hermione whispered, shock outlined her features as she examined it. Draco lifted her chin so she could look in his eyes.
“I don’t deserve you. I never will. But what I am going to tell you, you must always remember.” Draco said softly, taking the rose from her and putting it inside her cloak pocket. Then, he pulled her close enough to whisper in her ear. Draco pressed his lips against her cheek, and then whispered
“I love you.” Draco pulled back so he could look in her eyes and saw that Hermione was crying silently, but she looked content and deeply in love.
“I love you too.” Hermione said quietly. Draco felt his heart leap and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her body, and Hermione did the same. They clung together in a world that dismissed their love. Draco released her just enough so that he could look at her.
“You must always remember, Hermione, always remember that I love you. When you’ve nowhere to turn, I’m going to be there. I don’t care about my reputation. I don’t care if I die trying to be with you…I’ll die happy, knowing that you’re alive, that you know I love you.” Draco told her, taking her hands and bringing them to his lips.
“Draco…I don’t want you hurt anymore…” Hermione said, the rain falling harder, as if to encourage a kiss.
“I’ve been hurt so many times; I don’t feel it. The only thing that would hurt me is if I lost you.” Draco said seriously.
“I will always be yours…I will always remember that you love me, that I love you.” Hermione said through tears. Draco lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers. The first truly happy moment in the life of Draco Malfoy.
The rain stopped, and the stars came out to watch the two lovers as they crossed the boundaries of love. Hermione smiled at her hero, and they walked inside the castle, holding hands, soaked to the bone.
Draco walked her to the Gryffindor portrait, and they kissed one last time before Hermione disappeared behind the portrait.
Draco walked peacefully back to the Hospital Wing, hoping against all odds that the night wasn’t a dream. Draco laid down in his bed and fell into a peaceful sleep, dreaming for the first time, of a Hermione that was his, in the dream world and finally, finally in the real world.