?

Hermione looked at the dead werewolf for several seconds before turning around and marching towards the library doors.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Malfoy called after her.

She turned back to him and said "To Dumbledore. I need to report this" She wasn't able to completely hide the shaking in her voice.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Malfoy asked tentatively.

"You don't have to, I suppose. You didn't do anything, only I'll get in trouble." Hermione blinked at him several times, the shock written all over her face.

"Hold on, why do you think you'll get in trouble?" He looked genuinely confused "You defended yourself against a werewolf that was attacking you. This thing shouldn't have been able to get in here in the first place so big ol' Dumbledore should be the one getting in trouble, considering he let this happen!" His voice rose with every syllable, he suddenly felt protective of the shaking girl in front of him. How could she think she'd done anything wrong? She saved him from getting mauled by this fairly dangerous creature and she thought she was about to be expelled or get detention?!

She just continued staring at him, dazed, dizzy, unable to really register anything going on around her. Her hands started to tremble terribly, she felt like she should probably sit down. Yes, that was the thing to do now.

But before she could really do that, her knees gave out underneath her.

Malfoy was at her side in an instant, holding her upright. "Granger, for the love of god, please do not faint right now. I don't have my wand, I can't levitate you anywhere, so please stay with me now."

Gripping to him like a drowning woman to a rope she started shaking uncontrollably and before she could stop them, tears started streaming down her face.

She'd never taken a life before and even though it wasn't fuelled by bloodlust or hatred like all the other victims the war had claimed already, it had still happened at her hand.

She knew the werewolf had been likely sent by Voldemort to infiltrate the school and cause as much harm as possible, but Hermione hadn't wanted to take its life, even though it probably meant at least two had been saved.

"I didn't want to kill him, I- I don't-" She couldn't finish her sentence before another sob tore itself out of her throat.

Merlin, she was pathetic. Sobbing in the arms of her bully like a complete fucking fool.

But Malfoy didn't seem to care, he just wanted her to feel better really. Without his friends around, he didn't have to pretend to be disgusted by her very being so he just held her and let her cry into his shoulder.

"I'm not like- like them, I didn't mean to-" Her quiet voice was barely audible between her sobs.

"Shh, it's alright. I know you didn't mean to kill it. You had to. You're nothing like them" Even though they both knew they were talking about the death eaters that had killed hundreds of innocent people and Malfoy should be offended, he wasn't. All he cared about at the moment, was how he could get her to stop crying and ripping his heart out of his chest with every sob that left her mouth.

Yes he'd been cruel to her in the first few years, but that was before he found out how fascinating that enormous brain of hers really was. How her eyes had the ability to claim him, making him unable to move or form a coherent thought while he drowned in them like honey and not caring about how he wouldn't be able to get back to the surface if she didn't show mercy. How she was the embodiment of justice, treating everyone how they deserved to be treated.

So after he'd finally accepted that he didn't hate her -and that that was okay- he'd started to care (?) about her. He didn't really know, if he was honest. All he knew was that it didn't make him happy to see her crying and defeated anymore like it had in second year. He didn't want to hurt her like he had in third year. He wanted to keep her safe. He didn't know where this sudden need to protect came from. Maybe it was because all he ever caused was harm and this new feeling of doing something right, something good, of being useful was intoxicating.

He liked the way she felt in his arms, her skin beneath his hands, her hair in his face, even though it did tickle a bit. It all felt like it was right. Like they belonged.

He didn't allow himself to think that, of course, after all, she probably still hated him, just as he deserved, but he felt it.

He ran his hand soothingly over her back and whispered in her ear that it was going to be alright, that she'd done nothing wrong and that she was still a good person and everybody knew that.

When she got her breathing back under control and her crying ebbed, she slowly peeled herself away from him. She was still in shock and her heart was still thumping furiously in her chest but she felt a bit lighter.

"Are you alright? Do you think you can get back to your dorm?" Malfoy asked quietly. He was still holding her, just in case her knees gave out again.

She looked away, embarrassed. "I think so, yes" She turned away from him to wipe away her tears and took the doorknob into her still trembling hands but before she got the chance to step out of this godforsaken library she collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by her emotions once more.

Malfoy knelt next to her before she really realized what was happening and took her face into his hands so she'd look at him. "I don't think you'll get up there alone. Should I go and get someone?"

Even though he didn't want to leave her alone, he doubted she'd be comfortable with him leading her to her dormitory.

But when she started shaking again and tears streamed down her face he realized he didn't have a choice.

"Granger, look at me. Open your eyes" she finally managed to keep herself from pinching her eyes closed "there we go. Alright, I'm going to carry you now, okay? You're in no state to be wandering around the school right now"

She stared at him, tears still coming uncontrollably "n- no, I- you don't have to, I can make it"

Malfoy shook his head. Of course she was going to be stubborn about it, even when she was seemingly on the verge of passing out. "No, you won't. It's fine, just let me help you, we can forget this tomorrow and not ever talk about it again, but I can not leave you on this blood soaked carpet."

Hermione screwed her eyes shut, seeming to accept her defeat but then she tried to get up on her own again. Bull-headed cretin.

Malfoy rose with her and caught her when she collapsed again. "Yeah, we're not doing that. It is five in the morning, I do not have the nerve."

He picked her up and carried her out the library, his arms wrapped around her shoulders and hooked under her knees.

Hermione pressed her head against his chest and continued sobbing quietly while he carried her up the several flights of stairs apparently unfazed by the effort it must've taken him.

She could smell him. He actually smelled quite pleasant for being such a moron, she thought to herself. Like cologne and a bit like a deep forest she could lose herself in.

Before she could ask herself why in Merlin's name she was thinking like that, they were standing in front of the portrait of the fat lady.

"What's the password?" He whispered to her.

She was too tired to scoff or ask him who he thought he was that she'd just tell him the password to the Gryffindor common room so she complied and said "ignis ardet"

Malfoy chuckled quietly " 'fire burns', very creative"

The portrait swung to the side and they stepped inside.

"I must say, your common room looks quite cozy. Where's your room?"

"It's up the stairs on the left, but I can get there myself" Hermione answered quietly, without even a trace of strength in her voice.

"We're not doing this again. You're in shock and you're still shaking so stop being so stubborn and let me get you to your room." Malfoy said sternly, not wanting to argue. He went up the stairs and turned left when Hermione told him to.

He slowly, quietly opened the door and carried her to her bed. He gently lay her down on the mattress and looked at her for a few moments before he heard something move on the other side of the room.

It was Ginny, sitting up in bed and staring at him.

Malfoy knew the situation didn't look good that all so he raised his hands to show he wasn't armed.

"We were attacked in the library and I carried her upstairs. She's fine, she's just in shock" He spoke slowly and quietly so he wouldn't alert the almost sleeping Hermione in the bed next to him.

Although Ginny looked suspicious she didn't say anything, her worry for her friend being greater than the hatred she felt for the Slytherin boy in front of her. She got out of bed and moved to Hermione to make sure herself that she wasn't harmed.

Malfoy left as quietly as he came after he was sure that Ginny was going to take care of Hermione.

It was almost 6 am now so he supposed he could get ready to pay a visit to Dumbledore to report the...state of the library.