The Malfoy family had been known for their Dark ways for years. What many didn't take into account was just how long one Wizarding generation lasted. While Lucius had followed the Dark Lord under the initial orders of his father, Abraxas, it seemed that even he was not aware of the legacy left to them by his grandfather, Ophiuchus.
Malfoys were Healers.
It was all Draco could do not to laugh during his Wizengamot trial, when Potter of all people testified as a witness for him and imparted that delightful piece of knowledge. It became harder when he glanced into the audience and saw Granger there on the edge of her seat, eager as ever to absorb new information.
He stared at the ceiling above him as Potter explained that the Malfoy family had an innate power when it came to Healing, a sense of the body and a connectedness to magic that allowed them to create breakthroughs where before there had been only death. Malfoys had created the vaccines for Spattergroit and Scrofungulus, among others, he said. Deep within their line was the potential for Parseltongue, which they had used to heal with even more astonishing results.
"What if this potential lies within Draco? What will he be able to do?"
What indeed.
And that's how Draco found himself apprenticing at St Mungo's. A strange court order to be sure, but he knew that he was being watched and evaluated constantly. One toe out of line and he'd be in Azkaban faster than he could blink.
So it was ridiculous to keep coming here. Foolish, even.
As he strode down the stark hall of the Janus Thickey Ward he found that he really couldn't bring himself to care.
He entered the room silently, and made himself comfortable at Alice Longbottom's bedside. She was sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at the opposite wall in immense concentration.
"Hello, Alice."
She didn't respond, though Draco hadn't expected her to. Few people in his generation knew that Alice Longbottom was born a Fortescue. Even fewer still knew that her mother had been born a Malfoy. From a cadet branch of the family, to be sure. But still. They were blood.
And perhaps their blood would make progress possible.
"Alice," Draco spoke once more. Her eyebrows furrowed in deeper concentration.
Draco gently took her hand, and felt. A sense of static filled him as he probed her magic with his own as he'd been slowly learning to do. For hours he sat at her bedside, feeling and nudging things here and there.
When he withdrew, Alice looked at him in silence. Her grey eyes focused on his.
"Hello, Alice."
He waited in silence. Five minutes passed. Ten.
He sighed in frustration and rose to leave. A thin, reedy whisper stopped him.
"Hel-lo?"
I hope you enjoyed this oneshot! It was written as my starting point for the Pixel Dungeon Competition over at HPFC. My selected hero is the Huntress, and thus I'm able to write 100 words above or below the stated limit. Here, I've written about 100 over the 400 limit. For this first entry, I've written about Healing. I've always wanted a better ending for Frank and Alice. Maybe I'll continue this as a full story one day.