Chapter Song: Shootout
The first thing Hermione noticed was the steady, rhythmic beat of Draco's voice.
"Hey… you're awake."
Her eyes fluttered open slowly, the dim light of the hospital wing filtering through the curtains.
Draco sat close, his hand wrapped around hers, his expression unreadable but soft.
She blinked, trying to focus. The sharp sting in her chest and the haze clouding her thoughts made it hard to remember where she was.
"Draco?" Her voice cracked like dry leaves.
He squeezed her hand gently. "I'm here."
For a long moment, neither spoke.
Then Draco's voice dropped to a whisper — hesitant but steady.
"I didn't know…"
Hermione closed her eyes, the tears she'd held back spilling silently.
"Neither did I," she admitted, voice trembling. "I've been… carrying it for so long."
He swallowed hard. "You never showed me. Not when we met. Not even through school. I hated you, I admit that."
She gave a small, bitter laugh. "I knew."
"But this…" He shook his head slowly. "This is different. You've been fighting a war inside yourself — one I never saw. And I'm sorry I wasn't there to help."
Hermione's breath hitched. "I thought I could handle it. I was strong. I survived."
Draco's eyes softened, glistening with something like regret. "Strength isn't just about surviving, Hermione. Sometimes it's about asking for help."
A gentle knock interrupted them, and Madam Pomfrey entered quietly.
She offered a kind smile. "Good to see you awake, Miss Granger. The diagnosis is clear: you've been battling severe PTSD compounded by depression."
Hermione swallowed hard. "PTSD?"
Pomfrey nodded gently. "The trauma you endured — the torture, the constant hatred, the isolation — it left deep wounds on your mind and heart."
Draco clenched Hermione's hand reassuringly.
Pomfrey continued, "It's why you felt overwhelmed, why the hatred became unbearable. But there's hope. Therapy, support, and time can help you heal."
Hermione's eyes met Draco's. "I don't want to be defined by this."
He brushed a tear from her cheek. "You won't be. I'll be with you every step."
For the first time, Hermione let herself believe she might survive this too — not just the battles outside, but the one within.
And in that quiet hospital room, held by the man who once hated her but now loved her fiercely, she allowed herself to start hoping again.