Draco Malfoy was broken.

The war had done unrepairable damage to his mind and his body. While magic could fix his cuts and bruises, they couldn't heal his mind.

As he laid on the bed in St Mungo's, his mother and father took turns watching over his body. Deep down inside, they both doubted that his soul was still in his body. But despite the war, the Malfoys still had the money to make St-Mungo's keep Draco on life support, despite his comatose state.

Not many people visited Draco. He was not a hero and most people viewed him as a Death Eater. Goyle and Pansy had perished in the war and Crabbe was in Azkaban. Blaise and Theo both came to see him once and gave the Malfoy's their sympathy.

And then there was Hermione.

She came often. Too often, according to Mrs. Malfoy. At first, the Malfoys wondered if she was pregnant with Draco's child. But as the months passed, that theory went out of the window. At first, she simply stood at a distance and let the Malfoy's mourn over Draco. As time passed, she would offer them refreshments and to look over Draco when they were both needed elsewhere. While Narcissa was reluctant, Lucius saw no harm in letting the chit watch over his son.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," Lucius greeted her as she walked in at 2 in the morning.

"Hello, Mr. Malfoy," she whispered despite that fact that the only other person in the room was Draco and he wouldn't wake up.

"Has Narcissa asked you to come?" he asked tired and depressed.

"She's worried that you haven't been home a few days. Please, let me watch over him. I think your wife is really worries," Hermione urged him.

"Very well," he replied with a sigh and walked out of the room with one last longing look at his son.

Maybe it was because they realised her worth in the current state of the Wizarding World, as war heroine and poster girl for muggle-wizard relations. But they now treated her like she was human.

If someone had told her a few month ago that she would be worried about any of the Malfoys, she would laugh her head off and send them to the Psych Ward. However, in the past few months, she has come to realise that they were, in their own way, quite human.

She looked down at Draco and was envious of how peaceful he looked. In the last few months, she has become accustomed to holding his hand or brushing his hair when she spoke with him.

"You should really wake up," she told him. "You father is looking less than perfect these days."

She sat down on the chair the older Malfoy had just vacated and continued to talk to Draco.

"Ron came by today. Again. I really don't know what I'm supposed to do…"

Usually she told him about her day and how she felt. Sometimes when she ran out of things to say, she would berate him over his self-sacrificing action in the final battle.

"It was so stupid, so very very stupid. Why did you jump in front of that curse? My family doesn't even remember me. Yours are suffering. You don't even like me," she stated annoyed.

After a bit of silence she began to laugh.

"You know, maybe you are ingenious mastermind. What's the best way to make Hermione Granger suffer? Why I should sacrifice my own life for hers and make her feel so guilty that she will never be able to sleep well again," she mimicked in Draco's tone.

"Gosh, look at me. I've gone mental," she mumbled. "You've done it now Draco."

By noon, Narcissa and Lucius were back at the hospital and looking very well rested and elegant. Hermione did not want to know why they looked so content. But a little part of her was glad that despite their loss, the Malfoys still loved each other very much.

"Thank you Hermione," Narcissa bid her as she left.

Hermione headed back to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. She found that Ron and Harry were great at distracting her from her guilt over Draco. They didn't know the entire story about Draco but they did know that she visited him often and was always really sad when she came back. Ron was good at ignoring issues but Harry would often poke and prod at her mood.

"Blimey Hermione, you're not even trying," Ron said as he won the game of chess for the fourth time in a row.

Just as they were about to start a new game Kreature apparated into the room.

"The honourable Lady Malfoy would like to speak to Miss Mudblood," he said proudly.

"Kreature," Harry reproached.

Kreature simply ignored it and proceeded to lead Mrs. Malfoy into the living room to meet her.

"Ms. Granger," she greeted.

"Hello," she replied. And before she could ask what Narcissa was doing here, the older woman began to speak again.

"I'm afraid we must hurry. I tried to floo you but…"

"I disconnected it," Harry apologized.

"Yes, well no matter now. I simply wish to tell you that Draco is now awake…" she paused for Hermione to register the information.

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered in the background. "I thought he was a goner for sure."

Everyone in the room gave Ron a reproachful look.

"May I go see him?" Hermione asked hopefully. Narcissa honestly look happy about her question.

"Of course! In fact, Draco has been asking for you." The older woman told her slyly, as if she were now in on a secret.

They quickly apparated to the hospital and Hermione all but ran into Draco's room. However, mediwitches were around him.

"Ms. Granger," Lucius spoke to her with humour. Must have been from the joy of seeing his son alive. "You would have made quite an excellent Slytherin, the way you kept your relationship secret."

"Relationship?" she asked confused. But before she could continue further, it seemed like Draco caught sight of her.

"Go away," he told the mediwitches. "Let me speak with Hermione. Please."

Hermione looked straight at him. She had never hear him use her given name. Nor has she ever heard him say please so genuinely or spoken so calmly.

"Hermione, love," he whispered.

"Hello, Draco," she said softly as she walked towards the bed.

Draco was smiling at her life a kid on Christmas morning. When she got close enough, Draco took her hand and kissed it. She briefly wondered what game he was playing at.

When she was close enough for him to touch, Draco took hold of her hands and pulled her down to him for a kiss. She was too shocked to react but that didn't seem to bother Draco. His lips were a little chapped but surprisingly warm. When Hermione finally came to her senses she pushed him lightly and he pulled away sheepishly. Hermione touched her own lips lightly wondering if what just happened had really just happened.

"Well then… I'm glad to see you so well," she told him when it looked like he would continue to smile like an idiot at her.

"I'm simply happy. Voldermort is dead. You are alive. I am alive. We can finally be together!" he shouted excitedly. "I told mother and father all about us."

Hermione was very confused at what was going on. She kept quiet and observed Draco. Then she looked back at the older Malfoys who were beaming at her. Maybe she was dreaming. Or she fell into an alternate reality.

"About us, Darco?" she finally found the nerve to ask.

"Our relationship…" he said uneasily. "Do you no remember? You didn't say a thing to my parents. You know, I keep telling you, they aren't as bad as you think they are."

"I know Draco," she placated. "They have been very nice."

"I knew you would get along," he stated proudly. "I am at a loss of words to describe how wonderful I feel. We can finally be together."

"Draco," Hermione says finally having enough. "I'm a little overwhelmed. And I don't think the mediwitches have finished looking over you. How about I come back in a little bit?"

"Of course," he said warmly. "It was inconsiderate of me. Please, go. I will be fine on my own for a while."

As Hermione left the room, she felt Lucius Malfoy follow her out. She ignored him and walked to the closest bench and sat down.

"I do not know what game you are playing here Ms. Granger but if you hurt my son, I will ruin you, war heroine or not."

"Mr. Malfoy," Hermione tells him annoyed. "I am afraid I am as clueless as you were pertaining to my apparent relationship with Draco."

"I beg your pardon?" he replies aghast.

"I've shocked the almighty Lucius Malfoy," Hermione mumbled. "This is definitely a moment I wish I could savour. However, I must move on and explain to you that I have never been in any sort of relationship with Draco."

"Explain."

"I have spent my last two years busy haunting down Voldemort. I have not had the time to have any romantic relationships." Hermione tried to explain.

"Draco told me that you became friends in third year, after you apologized for hitting him," Lucius provided.

"Well, I did hit him," Hermione mumbled mostly to herself. "But I never apologized."

"How rude," he commented.

Hermione glared at him. "Is that really what you want to talk about now?"

"Of course not. However, if what you say is true then we must speak with the mediwitch immediately," Lucius decided as he began to search for a mediwitch.

Hermione remained on the bench until Lucius came back with a mediwitch. She wondered if this was all a twisted nightmare.

"Ms. Granger," the calming mediwitch began. "Due to the current state of the young Mr. Malfoy, I believe it would be best, if everyone simply played along with his delusions. They do not seem entirely unfounded and are simply extensions of realities. They may very well be his coping mechanisms and the only reason he is still sane."

Hermione nodded. She could see the reasoning in this.

As she walked back into the room, Narcissa was speaking quietly with Draco. Hermione smiled at their loving relationship and began to miss her own parents. But for the moment, her main focus was Draco.

"Narcissa," Hermione told her. "Lucius would like to speak to you."

"Of course," she replied and left. Draco looked suspicious.

When his mother left, Hermione smiled slyly at him.

"I just wanted to get us alone for a bit," she eased his suspicion.

Draco's eyes widened comically as Hermione sat down on his bed.

"I just didn't know if you still felt…" Draco trailed off. "You know my feelings for you haven't changed, right?"

Hermione could only nod. Well, she was going to hell for lying to Draco. There's something she never thought would happen.