To Me, From Me // DHr ✔️

t h i r t y - o n e

Malfoy's heavy, laboured breathing mingled with the crescendo of the crashing waves and Hermione honestly couldn't tell which one was louder. She exhaled shakily, not even realizing she was holding her own breath.

And then laughter – hauntingly beautiful shattered laughter. Hermione can't think of a time when she heard Malfoy laugh before, at least not without the trademark sneer or mocking voice. She'd decided that even that kind of laugh was infinitely better than this one. His shoulders trembled and shook as his knees gave in, forcing him to hunch forward, letting go of his wand in the process. It was the kind of laughter that had a condescending ring to it, the kind that reminded Hermione of her bullies in primary school where they laughed at her for trying out the monkey bars and failing to swing across without falling. The kind that makes you feel silly and foolish and stupid because, for a moment, you actually thought you could make it.

Oh, reality. Thou art a heartless bitch.

The laughter slowly died down and she could see his breathing return to normal based on the rise and fall of his curved back. Hermione just couldn't look away. With Malfoy lately, it seemed to her that everything he did automatically drew her in; the way he walked, talked, wrote. There was something severely hypnotic in the way Malfoy broke down. He used to be a boy who thought he was the center of the universe, the star in everyone's lives, and here he was presently – practically on his knees with the weight of his choices on his shoulders.

The juxtaposition between what he used to be to what he was now unnerved her greatly, not just because he was a reminder that things will never go back to how they were before, but because she wasn't sure if he changed for the better.

"It's not an easy spell, Malfoy." She whispered. "It doesn't make you any less of a wizard."

He looked up at her with arctic eyes that never felt colder. "You don't get it, do you?"

She did though. She knew what his problem was, knew exactly why he has such a difficulty to even conjure a puff of smoke. But how could you kick someone down when they're already on the ground and coughing up blood?

"No, you're the one who's not getting it. You know how difficult this one is and you know what's required. You're the one who's not choosing the right memory."

"Everything's tainted. How does that Muggle saying go again, Granger? 'Once you go black, you never go back'?"

Hermione yanked on his hand, throwing him off-balance physically and mentally. She turned his arm over and rolled up his sleeve even further, both their eyes stuck on Hermione's fingers as she lightly drew small circles and odd shapes on the unmarred plane of skin on his arm.

"Good thing you never went black then."

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A/N:

Continuation of the flashback! Dedicated to @ilovebooks181 for voting on all 30 chapters of this book and waiting patiently for a chapter update xx Much love to you guys!