Azkaban, September 1998.
"Is it true?"
Hermione asked the man in front of her.
He was sitting in the waiting room, wearing an azkaban prisoner's gown, his hands were cuffed.
His skin looked paler than she knew, his platinum blond hair that was always neatly combed now a mess.
Hermione could tell that his body was trembling slightly, twitching.
Not from fear, no.
Hermione knew exactly what was causing it.
The residual effects of the cruciatus.
"Is it true that you did that for me?"
The man looked up.
Silver and dots of blue. She saw.
Unlike what Hermione remembered from first year, those eyes were now cold, sharp, still beautiful, but had lost their sparkle.
Silver and golden brown met.
"You hurt her for me."
It's not a question.
"You saved me."
"No."
For the first time the man in front of her, Draco Malfoy, spoke up.
To be honest, Hermione couldn't believe it, nor did she really want to.
If it wasn't for Harry telling her she may need to see Draco's memories that would be used for trial, she wouldn't want anything to do with the former Death Eater.
Neither would she want to use the pensieve to relive the painful memories at Malfoy Manor that night.
It had been months yet still haunted her every night.
But Draco's memory that she saw through the pensieve really shocked her.
"Then why the hell did you stop Dolohov? Why did you drop that damned chandelier on Bellatrix? Why did you help Dobby get out of Malfoy Manor?!"
Hermione felt her breath turn heavily. The Malfoy heir remained silent, not a single word came out.
Without further thinking, she pulled his hand in front of her. Holding his wrist, which was slightly trembling.
She turned it until she could see it.
The Dark Mark.
It was still there. A creepy snake and a horrid skull.
Hermione felt the shivers when she touched it.
It wasn't the Dark Mark that made Hermione flabbergasted.
She could see for herself, above the Darkmark was a scar across it, like it was carved into The Dark Mark.
Emphasising it.
The scar looked red, painful. Just like the carving on her own.
Hermione was frustrated as he remained still as stone.
"You know what it would cost you. Then why did you do it?"
Her voice screeched in frustration
"Why Malfoy? Why?!"
Malfoy Manor, March 1998.
She's safe.
She would be safe.
Draco felt the weight on his shoulders disappear.
It had all gone so quickly. He saw her wincing in pain, screaming in agony as Bellatrix attempted to carve off the her hand.
Crucio.
He could see Hermione's body convulsing under the spell, sceaming in agony. Her eyes rolled back into her head, unconscious.
Then everything after that was a blur
All he knew was that he had risen from his seat to cast stunning spell on Dolohov and his parents then dropping the chandelier hanging on top of Bellatrix's body.
Her aunt fell, the cruciatus detached from Hermione's body.
Merlin heard him when Dobby suddenly arrived. The elf quickly pulled Hermione on his arm as Draco released the ward and let them apparate.
She'd be safe.
Her golden brown eyes wouldn't lose their shine.
He wished.
"Stupefy!"
Draco's body fell, sprawled on the floor of the drawing room of Malfoy Manor. Right where Hermione had been.
He could feel Bellatrix now standing firmly on her feet, wand pointed at him, her face red with rage, her eyes glaring angrily at Draco.
He knew what his aunt would do.
The cost he ought to pay.
"What were you thinking Draco? Have you gone insane? I didn't teach you to be weak! Why did you let her go?!"
Draco couldn't move, his eyes blinking at the sight of Bellatrix shouting at him.
"You shouldn't have saved that filthy Mudblood! She deserved to die! The Dark Lord will kill you if he finds out about this."
Bellatrix crouched down beside him, shoving her wand to his throat. Her voice was sharp, sounding terrible in his ears.
"You are too weak Draco. I must have been too soft for you. I should teach you more."
Draco knew exactly what was coming next.
"Crucio!"
Draco's body convulsed, his bones felt shattered.
"Crucio!"
He was sure some of his ribs were broken.
"Crucio!"
He heard his own voice scream, deafening.
His body screamed in agony. His eyes rolled. He could feel the taste of copper in his mouth.
He didn't know how long it took for Bellatrix to finally release the spell.
His body slumped, panting in the middle of the drawing room.
Bellatrix pulled out her knife again, the same one she had used on Hermione.
"You should be thankful I didn't kill you because I know you have a task from The Dark Lord that you have yet to complete."
She took Draco's arm, her long fingers tracing The Dark Mark on his hand.
"You have been branded with this Dark Mark, Draco. You are a Death Eater. And you, will always bend the knee to the Dark Lord."
The last thing Draco remembered before the darkness swallowed him was Bellatrix's knife carving into his hand, tracing The Dark Mark.
Azkaban, September 1998.
Hermione hated not knowing what was really going on.
Hermione hated not knowing what he was really thinking.
Hermione hated that she would feel indebted to that man.
Hermione shook his body, breathing heavily, unconsciously a tear fell on her cheek.
"Tell me! Why did you save me?"
She screamed for him.
"Why, Malfoy? WHY?"
She met silence.
"Because—"
His hoarse voice finally came back.
Silver and brown gazed at each other again.
"—I love it when it shone."
Guilt, relief, adoration.
Hermione could see the glint in his eyes.
"—And I will never forgive myself for letting those golden brown eyes lose their light, Granger."