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hpkinkfest2010-01-30 04:51 pm
kinkfest-mod.livejournal.com) wrote in hpkinkfest2010-01-30 04:51 pm
FIC: The One Where Ron and Hermione Find Out 1/2
Title: The One Where Ron and Hermione Find Out 1/2
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
eruditefics
Prompt Number: 69 submitted byvaysh11
Kink Showcased: topping from the bottom
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco with a side of R/Hr
Summary: When Harry is injured, the secret is out. Will their relationship last such a startling revelation?
Warnings: NOT KINKY AT ALL! Beware of flangst
Word Count: 12500
Author's Notes: Vaysh, I really hope you like this. I had set out to write this really hot PWP, but something akin to plot snuck up on me. Also, I took your request for hurt/comfort very seriously, which also diminished the kinkier aspects of topping for the bottom. I’m quite disappointed in myself for not being dirtier, but I’m a slave to the plot bunneh! Thanks to my wonderful betapastry_slutbag!
This story is posted by the Mod for technical reasons.
The One Where Ron and Hermione Find Out
Part One
Ron Weasley knew they were in trouble the moment they Apparated to the abandoned house in Herefordshire. It was dark and seemingly lifeless, but that is not what they expected. A reconnaissance team should have been on site with information regarding the amount of people and the types of wards they were dealing with. Being met with stony silence was not a comforting sight, even in the peace of the midnight air.
"Let's go and get back-up," Harry said, pulling out his Auror Communicator to alert headquarters of the problem and let them know they were returning.
"But, Harry! They've got those muggle kids! We don’t have a lot of time before something happens to them. Just tell Kingsley that we need back-up now and let's go in," Ron said, drawing his wand and advancing on the seemingly empty house.
"And they probably have our men, too," Harry said, and Ron saw the steely determination flit over Harry's shadowed face. He was on board. They were going for it.
Ron cast a Revelio spell, revealing all of the spells currently in place around the old shack. There was a number of disguising spells, including one to make the home look empty and unused. After casting a few whispered Finite spells at these security measures, Harry and Ron could clearly see the shack buzzing with activity. Upon seeing the property in its true form, a large, black barn was revealed to them. The barn was barred shut, but the barred and wooden doors opened and closed periodically to let large wizards and witches in shapeless black cloaks through. Ron felt Harry grip his elbow as the barred doors opened again, and a dark figure could be seen levitating a small cage with a very young little girl in it.
The little girl was crying uncontrollably, shaking with fear and cold. She was dressed in rags, and the bitter February wind was slapping against her exposed skin. The man guiding her cage paused and waved his wand as the cage shook incessantly. The shaking stopped when the girl stopped crying. After that, she just sat there, her little fingers wound tightly through the thin metal slats of her cage. Ron felt his dinner rise in his throat, and his entire body shook with rage.
"The informant was fucking right!" Ron whispered through clenched teeth. "They are kidnapping little muggle children to test potions on!"
"They must keep them in the barn and then conduct the experiments in the house," Harry said, Ron saw his knuckles were white; he was gripping his wand so tightly.
Ron thought of the little children currently nestled in his quaint home, and rage rippled through him again. He wanted his babies to be safe, to not have to worry about things like this, and here he was, still trying to stop immeasurable cruelty. He could see by the way Harry was holding his wand that he was thinking roughly the same thing. Lily was still brand-new, and Harry was most likely picturing the raven-haired baby girl as they watched another caged child being carried into the house.
Ron still hadn't fully forgiven Harry for ending it with Ginny, especially since Ginny had been pregnant at the time, but Ginny kept insisting they both wanted it that way. He couldn't fathom the reasoning behind their split at all: they had dated for two years after the war, and then married, rebuilt the house in Godric's Hollow, and created three children. Even with all of that, they apparently had realized one day that they were together for the sake of being together, and not because they were in love. Harry desperately wanted a family, and Ginny cared for Harry so much that she desperately wanted to give it to him. How that didn't mean being in love, Ron would never understand. He loved Hermione more every second of every day, and when they moved in together, got married, and had children … well it only made Ron even more in love with her. It wasn't until Ginny brought Oliver Wood to one of the Sunday dinners at the Burrow that it really sunk in for Ron. He still didn't understand any of it, but he accepted it as fact.
However, Ron couldn’t stay mad at Harry, since Ginny still seemed amazingly happy and James, Al and Lily were loved children. Ron resolved to scratch his head about it, and just be there for his best mate. Hermione told Ron that he was being very mature about the whole situation, and Ron couldn’t help but feel proud at such an adjective being used to describe something he did. Still, it had only been a few months since Harry tried to explain this to him, and the reluctance to accept and forgive was still there.
"Okay, Kingsley says he's on his way with back up," Harry said, looking at his watch where the message was magically flashing.
"Right, I've counted thirteen separate people, but there could be more. First thing we need to do is find out where the rest of the team is. We can't go in there, just the two of us … no matter how badly we want to," Ron said, stalking closer to the forest edge so that they could sidle over to the barn undetected.
When they made it around to the back of the barn, they found the missing Aurors. All five of them were tied to a large oak tree, gagged, with their heads sagging unconsciously.
Harry rushed over and checked their vitals really quickly. Then he cast a few healing spells on some of them while Ron untied the uninjured. They quickly cast Ennervate on all five of the Aurors and Harry sent the two injured ones back via Portkey.
"Okay, we have to work fast. There is back up on the way, but we need to get those kids out as soon as possible. In case you guys didn't find out, there are thirteen of them." Ron started pacing, but was interrupted by Ernie Macmillan.
"There are six kids. One of them looks like they might … they're … I don't think he made it," Ernie said, hanging his head.
"Four of them, including the still one are in the barn, in cages kept in the horse stalls," Mary Bringer called up.
"Okay, Mary and Tim, you guys wait for our signal and then go into the barn and get those four out as quickly as possible. Portkey to the Ministry in one trip if you can," Ron said. He turned to Harry. "Harry, you should try to slip into the house undetected. Most of the targets are there and we probably won't be able to get the kids out without being seen … but we need to try. You are the best at stealth we've got." Harry winked at Ron and slipped his hand into the pocket of his robes, where Ron knew his Invisibility Cloak was.
"We've got no chance of taking all of them down! How are we going to get the kids out before the backup comes?" Ernie whispered urgently.
Ron just smiled and readied his wand. "Ernie, my boy, you and I are going to distract."
With that, the makeshift team separated. Mary and Tim moved to the back entrance of the barn to wait for Ron and Ernie's flash and bang. Harry moved into darkness until he was far enough away to pull his Cloak over his head. Ron stared in his direction and let a moment of worry pass as his best friend once again went into the fray alone. Ron looked to Ernie, and they both raised their wands and ran yelling toward the opening between the barn and the house.
The cloaked villains immediately rushed out of both buildings, shooting a hodgepodge of curses at Ron and Ernie. They carried a shield charm on them until they could set themselves up in the center of the fray. Then, back to back, Ron and Ernie began to cast as many spells as they could, creating mass chaos. When a Reducto hit one of the henchmen and he screamed out in pain, three more people came out of the house. These people were wearing white lab coats and goggles. Ron counted as quickly as he could while he was casting spells and found that all thirteen were currently battling him and Ernie.
He knew they wouldn't be able to last much longer, but at least the kids would be safe. He set off a flash bang charm and hoped for the best.
Suddenly, one of the blokes in the lab coats snapped his head back to the house as though he had been silently alerted of something. He shouted something in what Ron thought might be Italian, and then four of the biggest men made a beeline for the back door of the house. A series of 'pops' told Ron that the backup had arrived, but the only thing going through his head was that Harry was about to be ambushed. He began to run toward the house even as he heard Aurors shouting spells over his shoulder.
The Still Boy in the cage was the only child that remained in the run-down make-shift lab, not in the barn as they had initially thought. The cage was sitting on top of a metal table, but Ron couldn’t make it there, his path blocked by the three men. Ron slipped behind a short desk to try to gauge Harry's whereabouts and whether or not he could get his friend or the Still Boy out of there. The two burly men were searching frantically through the one-roomed building for Harry, but they couldn't cover enough space in enough time and never seemed to find where the invisible force was coming from. The man in the lab coat continued to bark orders, his demeanor growing increasingly crazed in frustration.
That's when Ron saw it, the flash of a foot on the other end of the expansive room, only a few feet from where the boy was. Ron leapt out from behind the desk and shot three successive stunners. He managed to take down one of the large men, but the other two came right for him. With any luck, they would assume he was the only one in there and Harry could make it out. Ron had managed to hide behind upturned tables and counters and was eluding injury quite well. He peeked around a stainless steel table to see the cage seemingly floating in mid air toward the door. Ron shot an Incendio in the opposite direction.
The fire ignited a stream of chemicals that had dripped on the floor and was currently traveling toward the large table in the center of the room. The two standing villains immediately screamed and fled out the back door. Ron began to run, but he knew he wouldn't make it in time. He ran toward where the cage was floating and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Harry! Get out of here now!"
In the next moment, four things happened: Harry whipped off his cloak. He set a Portkey on the boy's cage and it immediately disappeared, he turned to Ron and cast Aguamenti preemptively in his direction, and a gigantic explosion rocked Ron to his bones. Ron was flung to the floor by the initial force of the sound, and his body slid across the ground to where Harry had been slammed against the wall. As the room filled with flames and Ron's lungs began to give out under the fumes, he looked over to Harry's limp body. Blood was gushing from his side, and a trickle of blood could be seen falling from his lips. His leg was bent grotesquely underneath him. Ron's hand found Harry's and clasped on tightly.
"Get Draco," Harry groaned in Ron's ear.
Everything went dark.
***************
Ron came to with a painful burning in his lungs, he was still in the shack, but there was no fire. Smoke billowed thickly around his head and he could scarcely breathe. He must have only been out for a few moments. He looked over at his outstretched hand and noticed that Harry's grip had gone slack. Harry lay motionless, without even a cough at the heavy smoke.
"Weasley! Potter!" Ernie was shouting. Ron groaned in what he hoped was a loud enough voice to be heard.
"They're over here!" Mary yelled, kneeling down in between Ron and Harry. Ron turned his head to see Ernie appearing through the smoke.
"You two have to go to St. Mungo's. I'll floo Hermione as soon as we get out of here," Ernie said, running some light healing spells over Ron. The burning in his lungs eased.
"Malfoy…" Ron croaked.
"What?" Ernie said, though Ron was certain he heard him.
"Harry says he needs Draco Malfoy, I'm not sure why, just get him," Ron said, but the energy and air he used to form such a long sentence caught up with him, and he blacked out again before he could even get a confirmation from Ernie.
***************
Hermione clutched her chest as Ernie Macmillan held her arm and lowered her to the sofa in her cozy family room. Hugo had finally gone to sleep and Rose was long since tucked in her "big girl bed" as she liked to call it. Hermione wanted to cry out, wanted to scream Ron's name, but bit her tongue for fear she would scare the kids. She began to shake as Ernie quickly summoned some tea. She needed to go to St. Mungo's in that moment, and her mind began to buzz frantically, trying to figure out if she should take the kids or not.
"Why don't you get Mrs. Weasley to keep an eye on the little ones until we have more word on Ron's condition?" Ernie said gently. At the word 'condition', Hermione crumpled again, her tears threatening to turn into loud sobs if she didn't get control over herself.
Hermione nodded and brandished her wand, attempting to cast her Patronus to call Molly over. After a few disappointing silver wisps, she could feel her delicate countenance begin to give way. She looked at the clock, panicking, knowing she needed to get to Ron's side as soon as she could. Ernie still had a comforting arm around her, but his warmth didn't do anything to soothe her, the way Ron's would. Hermione closed her eyes and remembered the quick hours after Harry defeated Voldemort. She remembered the bittersweet happiness mixed with mourning, the immense sense of joy at the prospects of a brilliant future, and mostly the overwhelming relief that Harry and Ron were safe and sound. Ron came to her in that moment, stood behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his nose into her neck. As Hermione remembered his warmth, and the way it enfolded her beyond her skin, she finally managed to produce her corporeal Patronus. She let the ethereal creature take a small swim in the air around her, taking comfort for a moment, before she gave it instructions.
"Molly, I'm sorry to disturb you and Arthur so late, but there's been an accident. Ron and Harry are injured. I'll give you more details as I have them, but I must get to St. Mungo's now. Would you kindly come and watch Rose and Hugo for me?" she said to the happy little otter. The creature did a flip in the air and immediately floated away. Hermione put her head in her shaking hands.
"Hermione, there's another thing. I'm not entirely sure what it means though …" Ernie said, looking incredibly unsure and a little frightened.
"Out with it," Hermione commanded sharply.
"Draco Malfoy. Before Ron … well … passed out, he said that Harry asked for Draco Malfoy. I don't know if he has connections to the case or what Harry's got up his sleeve, but I figured it might be important. This case did involve some very potent potions, and he might need to be brought in for questioning or something. It's just, well, I can't bring him in without an order from the Minister or the Wizengamot, and I don't want to lose my job. It might be important though," Ernie said in a stammer.
Hermione still winced slightly at the sound of Draco's name. It had been years, but whenever she heard of him, she only saw flashes of his pale and frightened face as she was tortured, staring down at her pain as a spectacle. Despite working for the Magical Creatures department in the Ministry, and utilizing and commending Malfoy's remarkable new Wolfsbane potion, Hermione had successfully avoided any contact with him. She knew on paper he was 'good' and had done what he could to help their cause during the war, even in his situation and despite the mistakes he made. He tried to hide their identity on that horrible night in Malfoy Manor and his mother had done so much to save Harry's life. Draco was a victim of circumstance and Hermione understood that. How could she not? She was reasonable and logical after all. However, she could never look at him, let alone trust him, without reliving that awful night in her mind. As far as she was concerned, Draco Malfoy would always be a Death Eater, regardless of forgiveness.
"I'll go over to the Apothecary's and get him on the way to St. Mungo's," Hermione whispered meekly. If Harry needed Draco brought in, Hermione would do it. She was no coward.
"I've got to go back to headquarters and help out with those kids," Ernie said, then he Apparated away.
As soon as Molly had arrived, looking disheveled and incredibly worried, Hermione kissed her mother in law and Apparated to Diagon Alley. She climbed the sturdy, elegantly carved wooden steps to the apartment above the Apothecary shop and knocked lightly. She laughed coldly at herself, sucked in her breath, and knocked louder in the hopes of waking the occupant up. Hermione's heart began to race as she heard rapid footsteps approaching.
The door was yanked open, and Hermione involuntarily shrunk back at the sight of Draco Malfoy. He was slightly unkempt, but in impeccable silk pajamas and matching robe, like he had just woken from a very peaceful sleep. He looked livid until he saw Hermione shrinking away from his door and leaning against the railing, then his face turned into an emotionless mask.
"Granger …"
"It's Weasley, actually," Hermione whispered.
"Of course, my mistake. To what do I owe this … visit?" Draco said, his face still cold, white marble and revealing nothing.
"Harry would like to speak with you," Hermione said, straightening her back.
Draco raised a single eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, still revealing no emotion.
"And why didn't he come for me himself?" he asked sharply.
"He's … there's been … he can't quite … oh God!" Hermione couldn't quite find her words as her voice shook. Tears were burning behind her eyes and her knees were getting weak. Draco just stood there, something that almost looked like fear flickering across his face.
"Is something wrong with Harry?" he said in a croaking whisper.
Something in his voice caught Hermione off guard, and the fact that he said 'Harry' instead of 'Potter' set off some warning bells in her head. However, she figured she was just being mocked, and was too mentally exhausted and anxious to delve more deeply into her questions. She tried to steel her bones yet again.
"There has been an accident while on a mission. Harry and R… R… my husband were badly injured. They are currently unconscious. Before Harry went out, he asked for you. I'm sure he has questions about the potions that were used on this case. It may be urgent, so I'm asking you to come with me to St. Mungo's," Hermione finished, realizing she had been holding her breath the entire time.
Malfoy turned from her swiftly, running through his flat with his wand raised. In a few very quick moments, he was clad in some gray trousers and a white Oxford shirt, wrapping himself in a nice, black robe. He slid on some black leather gloves, charmed a green and silver scarf to tie around his neck, and was casting wards on his house before Hermione could even blink. Taking his cue, she took the steps down quickly and Apparated to St. Mungo's as she simultaneously heard a 'pop' in Malfoy's direction.
The Wizarding hospital was startling quiet in the early morning hours. Hermione vaguely acknowledged Malfoy's tall form next to her before her smart shoes were clicking on the white tiled floor. There was no magic allowed beyond the Apparation point unless you were a healer, so Hermione and Malfoy had to walk nearly two hundred yards to the other end of the hospital toward the lifts. Harry and Ron were on the 6th floor, in room 615, and Hermione repeated that information over and over again in her mind to the rhythm of her steps, trying not to dwell on the fear rising in her chest.
As they entered the lift and Hermione called out the floor number, and she had to grip the golden handrail attached to the wall to stay standing. When the bell rang and the lift doors opened, Hermione's unsteady legs took off a little too fast, and she stumbled upon exiting past the golden doors. A firm grip circled her elbow and held her upright, and Hermione gasped at Draco's touch. He looked at her, his eyes daring her to question him, and she inexplicably felt a little steadier. She allowed Draco to take her hand and wind it around his proffered arm, keeping herself from sobbing and collapsing on the floor. When they made it to the room, Hermione's shaking hands could barely turn the handle to go inside.
Hermione froze when she opened the heavy metal door. Ron and Harry were in identical beds beside each other, streams of light come out of them and connecting to magical monitors to catalogue their vitals. Ron was even paler than usual, and his bright freckles stood out against his pallid color. He had some cuts and bruises, but otherwise looked peaceful tucked into the white linen of the hospital bed. Harry looked so bad that Hermione let out an audible gasp. He had a huge scar, something like a hastily healed burn, running up the side of his face. The other side held a swollen bruise, covered in dittany but still standing out. Harry's skin had also lost all of its color, with no freckles to decorate it, and he appeared like a ghost. He was not covered in blankets, his injured, bloody leg lying mangled and grotesque against a hospital pad. Hermione let out an cry and felt the hand on her arm tighten.
She moved quickly to the chair in between the beds and reached her arms out on either side of her. "Oh god," she whispered as she gripped two different, very cold hands. She closed her eyes and held on to them tightly, trying to keep herself from shaking. When she thought her tears were behind her, she lifted her head up to see Malfoy standing on the other side of Harry's bed, he reached out a hand to Harry's lifeless form. Hermione drew her wand with more speed than she thought she was capable of.
"Don't you dare FUCKING touch him!" She shouted, feeling her body shaking in hysterics even as she stood firm against Malfoy.
Malfoy looked startled, and then Hermione could have sworn a flicker of pain flashed across his face, before finally he settled on lifting his chin high and sitting down elegantly in the chair beside Harry's bed. Hermione gave him a dirty look and turned her attention to Ron. She placed both her hands over his, which were clasped across his abdomen, and rested her head on their hands. She sobbed openly then, not caring about her company, just giving in to the fear that was engulfing her at seeing her husband and her best friend lying so still and injured as though they were near death. She whispered his name over and over again, willing his body to move, willing his voice to sound out.
Hermione understood the risks involved with Ron being an Auror. She expected him to be gone on late night missions, expected him to be in dangerous situations, and knew he would occasionally come home with wounds. What she wasn't prepared for was the day he wouldn't come home to her, the day she had to watch him walk a line too closely to death. Hermione tried hard to be strong, to keep it held together for Ron and Harry, but she couldn't do it. She was never one to bottle her emotions, no matter how logical she could be, and being married to Ron meant rampant expression at every turn. It would almost be a disservice to him to not cry when she wanted to.
Long moments passed, Hermione couldn't pinpoint exactly how much time, but the sun had long since been up. She kept her head on Ron's chest, taking a small comfort in the slow rise and fall. Healers had gone in and out, but couldn't give Hermione any information until they were done drawing their own conclusions. As she sat, her ear against Ron's beating heart, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. When she looked up, Malfoy was holding a cup of warm tea for her.
"This should keep you awake and calm your nerves a little," he said quietly, before taking his tea and returning to his seat next to Harry. Hermione turned and looked at him, using the ruse of wiping her eyes with tissue to gaze at him from around the white paper corners. The Malfoy she knew would have left long ago, not waited around to be questioned (by Harry of all people) without any legal reason to hold him. Sure, he cooperated with Harry and got deals that kept his mother and him out of Azkaban, but he never lost that air of entitlement. Hermione wondered why he was sitting there still, even after hours of waiting, and even more so, why he wouldn't take his eyes off of Harry's face. She was shaken from her curiosity by Ron's breathing quickening next to her.
"Ron?" She croaked her voice hoarse from stress, crying, and lack of sleep. He let out a soft moan and began to lift his arm. Hermione put a hand over his to keep him from moving too much, and he eyes slowly opened. She had never been happier to see those deep blue eyes before in her life. When he looked directly into her eyes, she started crying all over again, draping her body over his and fisting her hands in his hospital robes.
"M'okay Mione … okay …" Ron said, reaching up and running his hand over her hair. When his hands got slightly tangled in her frizzy unkempt hair, she felt her heart swell. She leaned in to kiss him, breaking away quickly as she heard the healer enter.
"Ah, Mr. Weasley, you're awake," he said, quickly scanning over Ron's head. "The concussion seems to have been healed correctly, and you seem alert." The healer lit up the tip of his wand and made Ron's eyes follow it. "You should be able to go home tomorrow. Let me just check the burns." He lifted up Ron's blanket, moving his robe aside to run his wand over his chest. Hermione gasped at the angry red marks all over him. "Yes, they are healing nicely. A little dittany twice a day and you should be good as new."
The healer smiled at Ron, but he hadn't heard him. His eyes were fixed on Malfoy, who sat in a corner, his face as hard and set as stone matching Ron's stare.
"What the FUCK his he doing here?" Ron shouted, making the healer jump.
"Ron … Harry needed to ask him some questions," Hermione said, putting a calming hand on his chest." You told Ernie that Harry asked for him."
"I don't care, get him away from Harry!" Ron shouted again. "I can't…"
"That's is quite enough Mr. Weasley. This is a hospital and you are injured. Please, take it easy. I need to examine your friend before we do anything else," the healer said sharply.
The room was deathly silent as the healer’s wand went over Harry repeatedly. He had turned Harry, moved his robes aside, and even poked his wand at a couple of Harry's limbs before he had finally stopped.
"His concussion is healed, the damage to his lungs is repairing, and his burns are in a similar state to Mr. Weasley's. The only thing I'm worried about is his leg. This is a very serious compound fracture, and a healing charm won't do. There are too many bone fragments and too much tissue damage," the healer said, his hand on his chin.
"What can be done?" Malfoy said, and Hermione saw a confused look on Ron's face that must have matched her own.
"Well, we've got some great new Skele-gro that only takes thirty minutes, but it's incredibly painful and will most likely wake Mr. Potter up screaming in agony," the healer said, genuinely concerned. "But I don't see any other option if he wants the use of his leg. We're going to have to wake him up and feed him the potion. Someone will need to comfort him and keep him from grabbing at his leg."
Hermione kissed Ron's hand and slid over to Harry's bed, bracing her hand over Harry's thigh. Ron attempted to sit up, but was stopped by a quelling look from the healer. He left the room to get the potion, and Hermione turned to position her hands just right over Harry's leg, preparing herself for his shouts of pain. She looked up and accidentally met Draco's eyes. They seemed watery, and he stared at her wide-eyed and pale. His lips were pressed in a thin line and one of his hands was hovering near Harry, shaking. Hermione cocked her head to the side now, not trying to hide her curiosity this time. Suddenly, Draco took a deep breath and took Harry's hand his both of his.
"What the bloody fu…" Ron started, fighting with the blankets on his bed.
"Mr. Weasley! You need to hold still, and I'll need peace as we wake Harry," the healer said. "Ennervate."
Harry took a big, gasping breath before screaming out in pain and reaching for his leg. The healer held his shoulders while Hermione put pressure on his leg to keep it from moving and opening the wound farther. Malfoy's face was pressed right against Harry's, and he was speaking something urgently in Harry's ear. His hands still held Harry's so tightly his knuckles were shockingly white. Harry's screaming stopped, though his breathing was still rapid and sweat was gathering on his face. To Hermione's shock, Harry leaned his head against Malfoy's shoulder.
"Oh god, Ron … Is Ron okay?" Harry cried, not moving his head from Malfoy's shoulder, even as one of Malfoy's arms circled Harry's shoulder and pulled him tighter.
"I'm right here, mate," Ron said hoarsely. He was bright red and had a look of complete confusion on his face at the sight of Malfoy and Harry.
Harry's watering eyes got really wide as his head whipped around and looked to Ron and then Hermione. He looked back at Draco in a mixture of panic and pain, and Draco brought Harry's hand up to his mouth and kissed it. "Let's not worry about that right now," he said soothingly.
"Motherfucker," Ron whispered, and Hermione had to agree.
continues: Part Two
Author:
eruditeficsPrompt Number: 69 submitted by
vaysh11Kink Showcased: topping from the bottom
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Harry/Draco with a side of R/Hr
Summary: When Harry is injured, the secret is out. Will their relationship last such a startling revelation?
Warnings: NOT KINKY AT ALL! Beware of flangst
Word Count: 12500
Author's Notes: Vaysh, I really hope you like this. I had set out to write this really hot PWP, but something akin to plot snuck up on me. Also, I took your request for hurt/comfort very seriously, which also diminished the kinkier aspects of topping for the bottom. I’m quite disappointed in myself for not being dirtier, but I’m a slave to the plot bunneh! Thanks to my wonderful beta
pastry_slutbag!This story is posted by the Mod for technical reasons.
Part One
Ron Weasley knew they were in trouble the moment they Apparated to the abandoned house in Herefordshire. It was dark and seemingly lifeless, but that is not what they expected. A reconnaissance team should have been on site with information regarding the amount of people and the types of wards they were dealing with. Being met with stony silence was not a comforting sight, even in the peace of the midnight air.
"Let's go and get back-up," Harry said, pulling out his Auror Communicator to alert headquarters of the problem and let them know they were returning.
"But, Harry! They've got those muggle kids! We don’t have a lot of time before something happens to them. Just tell Kingsley that we need back-up now and let's go in," Ron said, drawing his wand and advancing on the seemingly empty house.
"And they probably have our men, too," Harry said, and Ron saw the steely determination flit over Harry's shadowed face. He was on board. They were going for it.
Ron cast a Revelio spell, revealing all of the spells currently in place around the old shack. There was a number of disguising spells, including one to make the home look empty and unused. After casting a few whispered Finite spells at these security measures, Harry and Ron could clearly see the shack buzzing with activity. Upon seeing the property in its true form, a large, black barn was revealed to them. The barn was barred shut, but the barred and wooden doors opened and closed periodically to let large wizards and witches in shapeless black cloaks through. Ron felt Harry grip his elbow as the barred doors opened again, and a dark figure could be seen levitating a small cage with a very young little girl in it.
The little girl was crying uncontrollably, shaking with fear and cold. She was dressed in rags, and the bitter February wind was slapping against her exposed skin. The man guiding her cage paused and waved his wand as the cage shook incessantly. The shaking stopped when the girl stopped crying. After that, she just sat there, her little fingers wound tightly through the thin metal slats of her cage. Ron felt his dinner rise in his throat, and his entire body shook with rage.
"The informant was fucking right!" Ron whispered through clenched teeth. "They are kidnapping little muggle children to test potions on!"
"They must keep them in the barn and then conduct the experiments in the house," Harry said, Ron saw his knuckles were white; he was gripping his wand so tightly.
Ron thought of the little children currently nestled in his quaint home, and rage rippled through him again. He wanted his babies to be safe, to not have to worry about things like this, and here he was, still trying to stop immeasurable cruelty. He could see by the way Harry was holding his wand that he was thinking roughly the same thing. Lily was still brand-new, and Harry was most likely picturing the raven-haired baby girl as they watched another caged child being carried into the house.
Ron still hadn't fully forgiven Harry for ending it with Ginny, especially since Ginny had been pregnant at the time, but Ginny kept insisting they both wanted it that way. He couldn't fathom the reasoning behind their split at all: they had dated for two years after the war, and then married, rebuilt the house in Godric's Hollow, and created three children. Even with all of that, they apparently had realized one day that they were together for the sake of being together, and not because they were in love. Harry desperately wanted a family, and Ginny cared for Harry so much that she desperately wanted to give it to him. How that didn't mean being in love, Ron would never understand. He loved Hermione more every second of every day, and when they moved in together, got married, and had children … well it only made Ron even more in love with her. It wasn't until Ginny brought Oliver Wood to one of the Sunday dinners at the Burrow that it really sunk in for Ron. He still didn't understand any of it, but he accepted it as fact.
However, Ron couldn’t stay mad at Harry, since Ginny still seemed amazingly happy and James, Al and Lily were loved children. Ron resolved to scratch his head about it, and just be there for his best mate. Hermione told Ron that he was being very mature about the whole situation, and Ron couldn’t help but feel proud at such an adjective being used to describe something he did. Still, it had only been a few months since Harry tried to explain this to him, and the reluctance to accept and forgive was still there.
"Okay, Kingsley says he's on his way with back up," Harry said, looking at his watch where the message was magically flashing.
"Right, I've counted thirteen separate people, but there could be more. First thing we need to do is find out where the rest of the team is. We can't go in there, just the two of us … no matter how badly we want to," Ron said, stalking closer to the forest edge so that they could sidle over to the barn undetected.
When they made it around to the back of the barn, they found the missing Aurors. All five of them were tied to a large oak tree, gagged, with their heads sagging unconsciously.
Harry rushed over and checked their vitals really quickly. Then he cast a few healing spells on some of them while Ron untied the uninjured. They quickly cast Ennervate on all five of the Aurors and Harry sent the two injured ones back via Portkey.
"Okay, we have to work fast. There is back up on the way, but we need to get those kids out as soon as possible. In case you guys didn't find out, there are thirteen of them." Ron started pacing, but was interrupted by Ernie Macmillan.
"There are six kids. One of them looks like they might … they're … I don't think he made it," Ernie said, hanging his head.
"Four of them, including the still one are in the barn, in cages kept in the horse stalls," Mary Bringer called up.
"Okay, Mary and Tim, you guys wait for our signal and then go into the barn and get those four out as quickly as possible. Portkey to the Ministry in one trip if you can," Ron said. He turned to Harry. "Harry, you should try to slip into the house undetected. Most of the targets are there and we probably won't be able to get the kids out without being seen … but we need to try. You are the best at stealth we've got." Harry winked at Ron and slipped his hand into the pocket of his robes, where Ron knew his Invisibility Cloak was.
"We've got no chance of taking all of them down! How are we going to get the kids out before the backup comes?" Ernie whispered urgently.
Ron just smiled and readied his wand. "Ernie, my boy, you and I are going to distract."
With that, the makeshift team separated. Mary and Tim moved to the back entrance of the barn to wait for Ron and Ernie's flash and bang. Harry moved into darkness until he was far enough away to pull his Cloak over his head. Ron stared in his direction and let a moment of worry pass as his best friend once again went into the fray alone. Ron looked to Ernie, and they both raised their wands and ran yelling toward the opening between the barn and the house.
The cloaked villains immediately rushed out of both buildings, shooting a hodgepodge of curses at Ron and Ernie. They carried a shield charm on them until they could set themselves up in the center of the fray. Then, back to back, Ron and Ernie began to cast as many spells as they could, creating mass chaos. When a Reducto hit one of the henchmen and he screamed out in pain, three more people came out of the house. These people were wearing white lab coats and goggles. Ron counted as quickly as he could while he was casting spells and found that all thirteen were currently battling him and Ernie.
He knew they wouldn't be able to last much longer, but at least the kids would be safe. He set off a flash bang charm and hoped for the best.
Suddenly, one of the blokes in the lab coats snapped his head back to the house as though he had been silently alerted of something. He shouted something in what Ron thought might be Italian, and then four of the biggest men made a beeline for the back door of the house. A series of 'pops' told Ron that the backup had arrived, but the only thing going through his head was that Harry was about to be ambushed. He began to run toward the house even as he heard Aurors shouting spells over his shoulder.
The Still Boy in the cage was the only child that remained in the run-down make-shift lab, not in the barn as they had initially thought. The cage was sitting on top of a metal table, but Ron couldn’t make it there, his path blocked by the three men. Ron slipped behind a short desk to try to gauge Harry's whereabouts and whether or not he could get his friend or the Still Boy out of there. The two burly men were searching frantically through the one-roomed building for Harry, but they couldn't cover enough space in enough time and never seemed to find where the invisible force was coming from. The man in the lab coat continued to bark orders, his demeanor growing increasingly crazed in frustration.
That's when Ron saw it, the flash of a foot on the other end of the expansive room, only a few feet from where the boy was. Ron leapt out from behind the desk and shot three successive stunners. He managed to take down one of the large men, but the other two came right for him. With any luck, they would assume he was the only one in there and Harry could make it out. Ron had managed to hide behind upturned tables and counters and was eluding injury quite well. He peeked around a stainless steel table to see the cage seemingly floating in mid air toward the door. Ron shot an Incendio in the opposite direction.
The fire ignited a stream of chemicals that had dripped on the floor and was currently traveling toward the large table in the center of the room. The two standing villains immediately screamed and fled out the back door. Ron began to run, but he knew he wouldn't make it in time. He ran toward where the cage was floating and yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Harry! Get out of here now!"
In the next moment, four things happened: Harry whipped off his cloak. He set a Portkey on the boy's cage and it immediately disappeared, he turned to Ron and cast Aguamenti preemptively in his direction, and a gigantic explosion rocked Ron to his bones. Ron was flung to the floor by the initial force of the sound, and his body slid across the ground to where Harry had been slammed against the wall. As the room filled with flames and Ron's lungs began to give out under the fumes, he looked over to Harry's limp body. Blood was gushing from his side, and a trickle of blood could be seen falling from his lips. His leg was bent grotesquely underneath him. Ron's hand found Harry's and clasped on tightly.
"Get Draco," Harry groaned in Ron's ear.
Everything went dark.
Ron came to with a painful burning in his lungs, he was still in the shack, but there was no fire. Smoke billowed thickly around his head and he could scarcely breathe. He must have only been out for a few moments. He looked over at his outstretched hand and noticed that Harry's grip had gone slack. Harry lay motionless, without even a cough at the heavy smoke.
"Weasley! Potter!" Ernie was shouting. Ron groaned in what he hoped was a loud enough voice to be heard.
"They're over here!" Mary yelled, kneeling down in between Ron and Harry. Ron turned his head to see Ernie appearing through the smoke.
"You two have to go to St. Mungo's. I'll floo Hermione as soon as we get out of here," Ernie said, running some light healing spells over Ron. The burning in his lungs eased.
"Malfoy…" Ron croaked.
"What?" Ernie said, though Ron was certain he heard him.
"Harry says he needs Draco Malfoy, I'm not sure why, just get him," Ron said, but the energy and air he used to form such a long sentence caught up with him, and he blacked out again before he could even get a confirmation from Ernie.
Hermione clutched her chest as Ernie Macmillan held her arm and lowered her to the sofa in her cozy family room. Hugo had finally gone to sleep and Rose was long since tucked in her "big girl bed" as she liked to call it. Hermione wanted to cry out, wanted to scream Ron's name, but bit her tongue for fear she would scare the kids. She began to shake as Ernie quickly summoned some tea. She needed to go to St. Mungo's in that moment, and her mind began to buzz frantically, trying to figure out if she should take the kids or not.
"Why don't you get Mrs. Weasley to keep an eye on the little ones until we have more word on Ron's condition?" Ernie said gently. At the word 'condition', Hermione crumpled again, her tears threatening to turn into loud sobs if she didn't get control over herself.
Hermione nodded and brandished her wand, attempting to cast her Patronus to call Molly over. After a few disappointing silver wisps, she could feel her delicate countenance begin to give way. She looked at the clock, panicking, knowing she needed to get to Ron's side as soon as she could. Ernie still had a comforting arm around her, but his warmth didn't do anything to soothe her, the way Ron's would. Hermione closed her eyes and remembered the quick hours after Harry defeated Voldemort. She remembered the bittersweet happiness mixed with mourning, the immense sense of joy at the prospects of a brilliant future, and mostly the overwhelming relief that Harry and Ron were safe and sound. Ron came to her in that moment, stood behind her, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his nose into her neck. As Hermione remembered his warmth, and the way it enfolded her beyond her skin, she finally managed to produce her corporeal Patronus. She let the ethereal creature take a small swim in the air around her, taking comfort for a moment, before she gave it instructions.
"Molly, I'm sorry to disturb you and Arthur so late, but there's been an accident. Ron and Harry are injured. I'll give you more details as I have them, but I must get to St. Mungo's now. Would you kindly come and watch Rose and Hugo for me?" she said to the happy little otter. The creature did a flip in the air and immediately floated away. Hermione put her head in her shaking hands.
"Hermione, there's another thing. I'm not entirely sure what it means though …" Ernie said, looking incredibly unsure and a little frightened.
"Out with it," Hermione commanded sharply.
"Draco Malfoy. Before Ron … well … passed out, he said that Harry asked for Draco Malfoy. I don't know if he has connections to the case or what Harry's got up his sleeve, but I figured it might be important. This case did involve some very potent potions, and he might need to be brought in for questioning or something. It's just, well, I can't bring him in without an order from the Minister or the Wizengamot, and I don't want to lose my job. It might be important though," Ernie said in a stammer.
Hermione still winced slightly at the sound of Draco's name. It had been years, but whenever she heard of him, she only saw flashes of his pale and frightened face as she was tortured, staring down at her pain as a spectacle. Despite working for the Magical Creatures department in the Ministry, and utilizing and commending Malfoy's remarkable new Wolfsbane potion, Hermione had successfully avoided any contact with him. She knew on paper he was 'good' and had done what he could to help their cause during the war, even in his situation and despite the mistakes he made. He tried to hide their identity on that horrible night in Malfoy Manor and his mother had done so much to save Harry's life. Draco was a victim of circumstance and Hermione understood that. How could she not? She was reasonable and logical after all. However, she could never look at him, let alone trust him, without reliving that awful night in her mind. As far as she was concerned, Draco Malfoy would always be a Death Eater, regardless of forgiveness.
"I'll go over to the Apothecary's and get him on the way to St. Mungo's," Hermione whispered meekly. If Harry needed Draco brought in, Hermione would do it. She was no coward.
"I've got to go back to headquarters and help out with those kids," Ernie said, then he Apparated away.
As soon as Molly had arrived, looking disheveled and incredibly worried, Hermione kissed her mother in law and Apparated to Diagon Alley. She climbed the sturdy, elegantly carved wooden steps to the apartment above the Apothecary shop and knocked lightly. She laughed coldly at herself, sucked in her breath, and knocked louder in the hopes of waking the occupant up. Hermione's heart began to race as she heard rapid footsteps approaching.
The door was yanked open, and Hermione involuntarily shrunk back at the sight of Draco Malfoy. He was slightly unkempt, but in impeccable silk pajamas and matching robe, like he had just woken from a very peaceful sleep. He looked livid until he saw Hermione shrinking away from his door and leaning against the railing, then his face turned into an emotionless mask.
"Granger …"
"It's Weasley, actually," Hermione whispered.
"Of course, my mistake. To what do I owe this … visit?" Draco said, his face still cold, white marble and revealing nothing.
"Harry would like to speak with you," Hermione said, straightening her back.
Draco raised a single eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest, still revealing no emotion.
"And why didn't he come for me himself?" he asked sharply.
"He's … there's been … he can't quite … oh God!" Hermione couldn't quite find her words as her voice shook. Tears were burning behind her eyes and her knees were getting weak. Draco just stood there, something that almost looked like fear flickering across his face.
"Is something wrong with Harry?" he said in a croaking whisper.
Something in his voice caught Hermione off guard, and the fact that he said 'Harry' instead of 'Potter' set off some warning bells in her head. However, she figured she was just being mocked, and was too mentally exhausted and anxious to delve more deeply into her questions. She tried to steel her bones yet again.
"There has been an accident while on a mission. Harry and R… R… my husband were badly injured. They are currently unconscious. Before Harry went out, he asked for you. I'm sure he has questions about the potions that were used on this case. It may be urgent, so I'm asking you to come with me to St. Mungo's," Hermione finished, realizing she had been holding her breath the entire time.
Malfoy turned from her swiftly, running through his flat with his wand raised. In a few very quick moments, he was clad in some gray trousers and a white Oxford shirt, wrapping himself in a nice, black robe. He slid on some black leather gloves, charmed a green and silver scarf to tie around his neck, and was casting wards on his house before Hermione could even blink. Taking his cue, she took the steps down quickly and Apparated to St. Mungo's as she simultaneously heard a 'pop' in Malfoy's direction.
The Wizarding hospital was startling quiet in the early morning hours. Hermione vaguely acknowledged Malfoy's tall form next to her before her smart shoes were clicking on the white tiled floor. There was no magic allowed beyond the Apparation point unless you were a healer, so Hermione and Malfoy had to walk nearly two hundred yards to the other end of the hospital toward the lifts. Harry and Ron were on the 6th floor, in room 615, and Hermione repeated that information over and over again in her mind to the rhythm of her steps, trying not to dwell on the fear rising in her chest.
As they entered the lift and Hermione called out the floor number, and she had to grip the golden handrail attached to the wall to stay standing. When the bell rang and the lift doors opened, Hermione's unsteady legs took off a little too fast, and she stumbled upon exiting past the golden doors. A firm grip circled her elbow and held her upright, and Hermione gasped at Draco's touch. He looked at her, his eyes daring her to question him, and she inexplicably felt a little steadier. She allowed Draco to take her hand and wind it around his proffered arm, keeping herself from sobbing and collapsing on the floor. When they made it to the room, Hermione's shaking hands could barely turn the handle to go inside.
Hermione froze when she opened the heavy metal door. Ron and Harry were in identical beds beside each other, streams of light come out of them and connecting to magical monitors to catalogue their vitals. Ron was even paler than usual, and his bright freckles stood out against his pallid color. He had some cuts and bruises, but otherwise looked peaceful tucked into the white linen of the hospital bed. Harry looked so bad that Hermione let out an audible gasp. He had a huge scar, something like a hastily healed burn, running up the side of his face. The other side held a swollen bruise, covered in dittany but still standing out. Harry's skin had also lost all of its color, with no freckles to decorate it, and he appeared like a ghost. He was not covered in blankets, his injured, bloody leg lying mangled and grotesque against a hospital pad. Hermione let out an cry and felt the hand on her arm tighten.
She moved quickly to the chair in between the beds and reached her arms out on either side of her. "Oh god," she whispered as she gripped two different, very cold hands. She closed her eyes and held on to them tightly, trying to keep herself from shaking. When she thought her tears were behind her, she lifted her head up to see Malfoy standing on the other side of Harry's bed, he reached out a hand to Harry's lifeless form. Hermione drew her wand with more speed than she thought she was capable of.
"Don't you dare FUCKING touch him!" She shouted, feeling her body shaking in hysterics even as she stood firm against Malfoy.
Malfoy looked startled, and then Hermione could have sworn a flicker of pain flashed across his face, before finally he settled on lifting his chin high and sitting down elegantly in the chair beside Harry's bed. Hermione gave him a dirty look and turned her attention to Ron. She placed both her hands over his, which were clasped across his abdomen, and rested her head on their hands. She sobbed openly then, not caring about her company, just giving in to the fear that was engulfing her at seeing her husband and her best friend lying so still and injured as though they were near death. She whispered his name over and over again, willing his body to move, willing his voice to sound out.
Hermione understood the risks involved with Ron being an Auror. She expected him to be gone on late night missions, expected him to be in dangerous situations, and knew he would occasionally come home with wounds. What she wasn't prepared for was the day he wouldn't come home to her, the day she had to watch him walk a line too closely to death. Hermione tried hard to be strong, to keep it held together for Ron and Harry, but she couldn't do it. She was never one to bottle her emotions, no matter how logical she could be, and being married to Ron meant rampant expression at every turn. It would almost be a disservice to him to not cry when she wanted to.
Long moments passed, Hermione couldn't pinpoint exactly how much time, but the sun had long since been up. She kept her head on Ron's chest, taking a small comfort in the slow rise and fall. Healers had gone in and out, but couldn't give Hermione any information until they were done drawing their own conclusions. As she sat, her ear against Ron's beating heart, she felt a light tap on her shoulder. When she looked up, Malfoy was holding a cup of warm tea for her.
"This should keep you awake and calm your nerves a little," he said quietly, before taking his tea and returning to his seat next to Harry. Hermione turned and looked at him, using the ruse of wiping her eyes with tissue to gaze at him from around the white paper corners. The Malfoy she knew would have left long ago, not waited around to be questioned (by Harry of all people) without any legal reason to hold him. Sure, he cooperated with Harry and got deals that kept his mother and him out of Azkaban, but he never lost that air of entitlement. Hermione wondered why he was sitting there still, even after hours of waiting, and even more so, why he wouldn't take his eyes off of Harry's face. She was shaken from her curiosity by Ron's breathing quickening next to her.
"Ron?" She croaked her voice hoarse from stress, crying, and lack of sleep. He let out a soft moan and began to lift his arm. Hermione put a hand over his to keep him from moving too much, and he eyes slowly opened. She had never been happier to see those deep blue eyes before in her life. When he looked directly into her eyes, she started crying all over again, draping her body over his and fisting her hands in his hospital robes.
"M'okay Mione … okay …" Ron said, reaching up and running his hand over her hair. When his hands got slightly tangled in her frizzy unkempt hair, she felt her heart swell. She leaned in to kiss him, breaking away quickly as she heard the healer enter.
"Ah, Mr. Weasley, you're awake," he said, quickly scanning over Ron's head. "The concussion seems to have been healed correctly, and you seem alert." The healer lit up the tip of his wand and made Ron's eyes follow it. "You should be able to go home tomorrow. Let me just check the burns." He lifted up Ron's blanket, moving his robe aside to run his wand over his chest. Hermione gasped at the angry red marks all over him. "Yes, they are healing nicely. A little dittany twice a day and you should be good as new."
The healer smiled at Ron, but he hadn't heard him. His eyes were fixed on Malfoy, who sat in a corner, his face as hard and set as stone matching Ron's stare.
"What the FUCK his he doing here?" Ron shouted, making the healer jump.
"Ron … Harry needed to ask him some questions," Hermione said, putting a calming hand on his chest." You told Ernie that Harry asked for him."
"I don't care, get him away from Harry!" Ron shouted again. "I can't…"
"That's is quite enough Mr. Weasley. This is a hospital and you are injured. Please, take it easy. I need to examine your friend before we do anything else," the healer said sharply.
The room was deathly silent as the healer’s wand went over Harry repeatedly. He had turned Harry, moved his robes aside, and even poked his wand at a couple of Harry's limbs before he had finally stopped.
"His concussion is healed, the damage to his lungs is repairing, and his burns are in a similar state to Mr. Weasley's. The only thing I'm worried about is his leg. This is a very serious compound fracture, and a healing charm won't do. There are too many bone fragments and too much tissue damage," the healer said, his hand on his chin.
"What can be done?" Malfoy said, and Hermione saw a confused look on Ron's face that must have matched her own.
"Well, we've got some great new Skele-gro that only takes thirty minutes, but it's incredibly painful and will most likely wake Mr. Potter up screaming in agony," the healer said, genuinely concerned. "But I don't see any other option if he wants the use of his leg. We're going to have to wake him up and feed him the potion. Someone will need to comfort him and keep him from grabbing at his leg."
Hermione kissed Ron's hand and slid over to Harry's bed, bracing her hand over Harry's thigh. Ron attempted to sit up, but was stopped by a quelling look from the healer. He left the room to get the potion, and Hermione turned to position her hands just right over Harry's leg, preparing herself for his shouts of pain. She looked up and accidentally met Draco's eyes. They seemed watery, and he stared at her wide-eyed and pale. His lips were pressed in a thin line and one of his hands was hovering near Harry, shaking. Hermione cocked her head to the side now, not trying to hide her curiosity this time. Suddenly, Draco took a deep breath and took Harry's hand his both of his.
"What the bloody fu…" Ron started, fighting with the blankets on his bed.
"Mr. Weasley! You need to hold still, and I'll need peace as we wake Harry," the healer said. "Ennervate."
Harry took a big, gasping breath before screaming out in pain and reaching for his leg. The healer held his shoulders while Hermione put pressure on his leg to keep it from moving and opening the wound farther. Malfoy's face was pressed right against Harry's, and he was speaking something urgently in Harry's ear. His hands still held Harry's so tightly his knuckles were shockingly white. Harry's screaming stopped, though his breathing was still rapid and sweat was gathering on his face. To Hermione's shock, Harry leaned his head against Malfoy's shoulder.
"Oh god, Ron … Is Ron okay?" Harry cried, not moving his head from Malfoy's shoulder, even as one of Malfoy's arms circled Harry's shoulder and pulled him tighter.
"I'm right here, mate," Ron said hoarsely. He was bright red and had a look of complete confusion on his face at the sight of Malfoy and Harry.
Harry's watering eyes got really wide as his head whipped around and looked to Ron and then Hermione. He looked back at Draco in a mixture of panic and pain, and Draco brought Harry's hand up to his mouth and kissed it. "Let's not worry about that right now," he said soothingly.
"Motherfucker," Ron whispered, and Hermione had to agree.
continues: Part Two