Comfort

"I swear, I-I swear he walked right in through this door and tried to stab me! Blaise you have to believe me," Draco begged to his friend as they stood their shared flat.

"Draco. You're going through a rough time right now. You're mother's death, you lost your job, Teddy's gone missing," Blaise tried to reason, "Draco I'm going to be honest with you. I think you need help."

"Blaise you have to believe me! He tried to kill me and I took the knife and I-I-I stabbed it into his stomach! I went to get you and then he's gone!" Draco exclaimed, needing his friend to understand him.

"Draco look," Blaise said showing him a photo of a man eating a slice of pizza on a park bench, "Does he look like you stabbed him through the stomach ten hours ago?"

Draco looked at the phone, taking it in his hands. He slowly went over and sat on the couch.

"This is hard for you. I know, okay? I understand that you have all this stuff going on, lots of stress. But I think its taking a toll now. Your seeing things, mate, and it could lead to you hurting someone else or yourself. You need help Draco," Blaise said.

"Blaise.... Am I going crazy? A-Am I really losing my mind?" Draco asked setting the phone down and staring into space.

"I don't know," Blaise sighed.

"I need help." Draco said in a breaking voice, "I need help."

"I can get you help," Blaise reassured him, sitting in the chair in front of Draco and placing a hand on his knee, "Remember Hermione? From school."

"Granger?" Draco asked.

"Yes. Granger. She works with me in the hospital. We both are in the consoling ward. How bout I invite her over. Okay? Does that sound alright?" Blaise.

"G-Granger," Draco repeated. He had been seeing things for a long time now and rarely spoke. His outburst was a miracle and he knew he needed help.

"Yes. I'm going to call her over. She can help you," Blaise said sending a text to Hermione to get over to his house as soon as she could.

"Okay," Draco said shakily as he stood, "Blaise, I'm going crazy. There's all these voices in my head! I-I keep seeing things."

"I know man," Blaise said, "I'd help you, I will help you, but reconnecting with someone from your past may be better. Hermione can read people like an open book. She'll understand."

"Blaise?" A voice called from the front door.

Draco jumped behind Blaise at the noise.

"Hey, its just Hermione," Blaise said calmly.

Draco nodded and stood up fully. Blaise went to the door and opened it, hugging the small girl before leading her in.

"You said it was an emergency. What can I do?" Hermione asked.

"Draco he's... He keeps seeing things. He was holding a knife seconds ago claiming someone was trying to kill him. That's the third time this week its happened. He needs help, Hermione, and I'm hoping you can give it," Blaise said before they entered the room.

"H-Hermione," Draco said slowly when he saw her.

"Hello Draco," Hermione smiled, using his first name to keep him calm.

"Hermione," he repeated before walking forward and hugging her tightly, hurrying his face in her curls, "Please. Help me."

"I promise I will do everything I can," Hermione said carefully wrapping her arms around him in reassurance.

"I'm going to go to bed," Blaise whispered to Hermione, "Call me if he gets violent."

Hermione nodded and Blaise disappeared up the stairs.

"Alright Draco. Can you tell me what you saw earlier?" Hermione asked as he pulled away.

Draco sat down on the couch and Hermione sat next to him, keeping a foot of space between them. Draco, however, didn't seem happy by this since he put an arm around her waist and pulled her so she was sitting directly next to him.

"What are you doing?" She asked as he leaned his head or her shoulder.

"I don't know," he said, "I just want you here but I don't know why."

Hermione only nodded. She had never had a patient who craved companionship this much.

"Can you tell me what happened?" She asked.

"I was getting a glass of water because I couldn't sleep. I heard the door open and a man walked in with a knife. He tried to stab me so I took it from him and stabbed him. I told Blaise and he went and found the man. I kept the knife with me just in case though. The picture shows the man eating pizza. He looked fine, but I killed him. I stabbed him in the stomach," Draco explained in a broken voice.

"Hermione, what's happening to me?" He whispered scaredly, "Why do I only feel safe with you and Blaise?"

"Its because you trust us, Draco. We're going to help you," she assured him.

"Please help," he whispered so quietly that it was barely audible as he gripped her hand and cried into her shoulder.

They spent the entire night like that. Draco crying into Hermione shoulder as she told him sweet nothings to help keep him calm. Not even when Blaise came down for breakfast, did Draco release Hermione.

"Draco, I have to go to work now. Will you be okay with Blaise?" Hermione asked as the clock reached nine.

"Your leaving?" He ctokard raising his head, having stooped crying hours ago.

"Yes. I have to get back to work."

"Y-You're coming back, right?" He asked worriedly.

Blaise nodded to Hermione, "Yes," she said, "I will be back by seven."

"Please don't be long," Draco whispered hugging her again before letting her go.

"I won't." She promised as Blaise lead her to the door.

"Thank you, really Hermione. I thought he would never be the same arrogant Slytherin we know him to be, but he might be normal with your help." Blaise thanked her.

"Of course. It's rather... Unnerving to see him like that." Hermione said, "Well I guess I'll be seeing you later. Bye Blaise."

"Bye Mione," he said kissing her cheek before she left.

"Is she going to be gone long. I don't want to be without her," Draco asked when Blaise came into the room again..

"Why not?" He asked.

"I don't know," Draco sighed, "When I see her my stomach feels weird, but I like it. And I like her hair and her eyes and everything about her. She makes me feel safe."

Blaise smiled to himself realizing that Draco had a major crush on Hermione. He'd have to warn her about it later.

Over the next year Hermione practically lived at Draco and Blaise's flat, using the spare room since Draco never wanted her to leave. He was back to normal now, but still stubborn when Hermione was gone for long periods of time.

"Mate, I kinda have to tell you since your good now," Blaise laughed after a rather heated argument when Hermione said she'd be staying the night at Ginny's, "For the past year or so you have a had the biggest crush I have ever seen. You really fancy Hermione."

"Do not," Draco grumbled.

"That night exactly a year ago, do you remember what you said?" Blaise asked.

"No."

"You asked me if Hermione was coming back. Said you wanted her to come back. I asked you why and you gave me a full on list of everything about her you liked and told me she made you feel safe. Thats how you've acted for a year, even since your better."

"Not my fault she's hot as hell and the kindest girl I've met," Draco argued.

"What did you say about me?" Hermione asked from the doorway, "Actually I never mind. I don't want to know."

She turned on heel and walked outside into the rain without a jacket.

"Go get her," Draco exclaimed, "She is not supposed to leave."

"You get her. Why do you want her here so bad?"

"I don't know! I just like being around her. She can make you feel better when your in the darkest corners of hell! She njsy makes you want to smile to be yourself. I just really really like her--"

"--you admitted to it," Blaise said singsong.

"Shut up, that's not what I meant."

"So you don't like her?"

"No! Wait yes, no that's not what I meant. I don't like her like that--"

"Ah so you don't like her as a crush--"

"--yes--"

"You just full on love her."

"Exactly-- wait no!"

"Go get her, Draco."

Draco groaned in defeat and got up, leaving the house. He walked down the rode a bit to find Hermione under a streetlight.

"Hey Hermione," he said cautiously.

"Draco," she greeted.

Draco opened his mouth to say something but stopped when he saw her. The rain was falling and making her hair dripping wet and the streetlight made her pale skin glow in the night.

"In sorry," he said.

"For what?" Hermione asked turning to him.

"For this," he said.

In an instant he had grabbed her hips gently and placed his lips on hers as the rain continued to soak them.

Hermione tried but couldn't stop her eyes from falling closed and kissing him back, encircling her arms around his neck. Draco was overjoyed and wrapped his arms around her waist as they kissed in the rain.

"What was that for?" Hermione asked when they pulled away, both panting and faces flushed.

"I just needed the full comfort to get better." Draco said, "I just needed your comfort."

"You can have it anytime," Hermione smiled before he captured her lips once more.