CHAPTER 3

Hermione nodded to herself, making a mental note to recheck their reports. She started her round and walked pass the patients. Her usual subjects were responding better, relieving her of some part of the mental stress. She smiled at the first of the new entries; she was a plump witch in her mid-thirties. Her report said that she was found under the rubble of her house, unconscious, but she was doing quite well.

"so madam," Hermione began politely, "how are you feeling?"

"better." She beamed. It seemed as though she was really pleased to have survived, "my hand, it somewhat hurts slightly."

Hermione looked down at the clipboard again, there was no mention of the lady`s hand. Sensing her confusedness, Lacy leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "a broken wrist, the pain relieving potion must be wearing off."

"lets give her another dosage then." Hermione scratched the name and amount of potion in the report. Then she turned to her patient, she didn`t know why but she felt a sudden curiosity at the awfully jolly mood, she re-read the name of the woman, Kellen Harper, and began lightly, "so Kellen, what about your family, are they alright." She wondered if the question was too blunt but felt glad to receive the answer, it made her feel better. She learned that Kellen was married to Joe Harper, they had no kids and Joe had also survived the attack in their area. He was, in fact, lying on the bed next to hers, fully conscious and going through a mild treatment like her. They would probably be discharged in a couple of days. She thought happily.

She surveyed the other ones, noting gratefully that none was too shaken, until she reached the one who had been under the cruciatus curse. He was in his late sixties, an old man. Having seen the light ones, Hermione suddenly felt anxious upon seeing his mouth moving vigorously, eyes shut tightly. His arms were strapped to the bed to keep him from falling off due to the escapist movements he was showing. Seeing the silencing charm and the straps she felt agitated and asked Lacy in a voice pointier than she had meant, "why has Mr Albert been put under a silencing charm?" She had read the name from the clip board in her hand.

"uh…" Lacy shifted slightly under the probing gaze, "healer Mike thought that his shouts were disturbing the others."

"how are we to know what happened to him if we pretend that he`s not saying anything?"

"ma`am I talked to him about that but he was firm, I think you should talk to him yourself." Hermione could sense nervousness in her assistant`s voice and she knew that it was for good reason. Healer Mike was not one of the most pleasant people you could meet and he was used to take women to his advantage. Hermione had tried to explain this to Mr diglude several times but he said that he couldn`t do anything due to Mike`s close affinity with the Minister of magic, they had to bear him. Even though Hermione was technically his senior, although this gave him all the more reasons to take her as a challenge and flirt with her openly, but he still thought that she was beneath him.

She gazed across the room and caught a glimpse of the healer`s strong face, tapping his quill on his clipboard listening to one of the patients attentively. Hermione was always surprised at the contrast with which he treated his patients and normal people; he was always gentle with the ill. His curly ginger fringe was covering his green eyes slightly. There was no denying the fact that he was good looking but there was also no accepting either that his good looks covered up for his pathetic character. Sensing her eyes upon him he looked up to meet them and grinned sneeringly at her from across the ward. Hermione looked away abruptly, feeling the heat build up inside her; she knew how much Ron hated that person. Ron was always tight fisted around him, it was just because of Hermione`s job that he had, with a huge amount of difficulty, refrained himself from punching the freckled nose.

"I'll talk to him alright." Hermione muttered under her breath, sending him a glare from her shoulder. She then said loudly to Lacy, after scribbling a calming draught for Albert, "who`s next?" She flipped the page on her clipboard and was surprised to find no name on top of it, it only specified the place where the next patient was found and that he had been attacked by werewolf.

"we don`t know yet, he`s still unconscious and there were no relations to tell us about his whereabouts and personal information." Hermione studied Lacy`s face doubtfully before gesturing for her to lead the way.

A light gasp escaped Hermione`s lips as her eyes caught the sight of the platinum blond hair and the lean face. Although his appearance was considerably ragged, hair matted with dirt and his body just a mass of bones, Hermione could tell the person anywhere; Draco Malfoy. Noticing the sudden stagger in the healer`s façade, Lacy asked concernedly, "do you know him?"

Hermione shook her head to clear away the thoughts that were crossing her mind, memories from Hogwarts, and took a deep breath. She had a responsibility which was above all the childhood enmity grudges. "Yes Lacy." She handed her assistant the clipboard in her hand and moved forward to examine the patient.

"ma`am, would you tell the name and-"

"he is the last one, right?" she inquired, not looking at the blond witch standing next to her, when she nodded Hermione continued, " just leave the documents on the bedside table and give the others their medicines, I'll note down the required information myself."

When Lacy left, Hermione took a slow step towards the bed and stared down at its occupant. How could have Malfoy ended up like that? There was a big gash on the side of his neck, probably the werewolf bite. It had not been healed yet but the blood was cleared off for a better inspection. Hermione extended her hand and cautiously pulled up the left sleeve of his robes. She sighed in relief on discovering that there was no sign of the dark mark. She knew that he might have supported the dark lord during the war but was a great lift up that she didn't have to heal a deatheater, which he was not. She stared down at the pale skin, cold under her touch, and turned it sideways just to make sure.

A voice behind her made her jump and release the pale one`s arm, "you seem to have taken quite an interest."

She turned to glare at Mike and raised her eyebrows, "do you mind telling me, Mike, why have you put a silencing charm on Mr Albert?" Hermione steered the conversation to the topic of her convenience, her heart was still drumming in her chest because of the shock.

Mike walked up to the other side of the bed and looked down at Malfoy`s pastel face, pretending not to hear her, "how many time do I have to ask you to call me Hugh, Hermione?" he pressed his fingers at the side of Malfoy`s neck, not the side of the wound, to take the pulse.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, fully aware that he was not looking at her, "I'm afraid I asked you a question." She paused; he was looking down at his wrist watch while his other hand took the pulse, "Mike."

Head still slightly bowed, Mike raised his green eyes and fixed them upon Hermione`s amber ones, she noticed a faint hint of a smirk on his face, "I`ve done just the same." He glimpsed down at his watch again before removing his fingers from Malfoy`s neck and extending his hand towards Her. She handed him the clipboard and the quill curtly, after noting down the pulse he handed it back.

Sensing her questioning glare at him he said stiffly, "it was necessary, I couldn`t allow him to ruin the environment of the ward." He ran a hand through his ginger hair. Hermione knew that as much of a pain he could be, Hugh Mike would never miss treat his patients on his own.

"Well, I`ll arrange a separate room for him." She placed the clipboard back after reading the pulse, it was relatively slow. She had guessed it would be due to the coldness of his body.

"No need." Mike said, this time deliberately not looking at her, "done that. He`ll be moved out after a while."

She furrowed her eyebrows, she didn`t know what to say. A cold silence enveloped the surroundings; Hermione was looking down at Malfoy`s form while Mike looked around aimlessly, trying to figure a way to excuse himself.

She looked at Malfoy`s right hand and noticed something clutched within his palm. She pulled it out of his grasp and saw a small crystal vial all the contents gone; there was no cap on it. She brought it near her nose and smelled it, it was odorless.

"what`s that?" Mike asked eyeing the vial in her hand.

Hermione held it out to him, after a moment`s hesitation, "he was holding it, maybe that`s the reason for his state of unconscious-"

"Hermione!"

Hermione looked up; she could see Ron making his way through the door behind Mike. Seeing the other with Hermione, he fastened his pace. Mike, however, stayed as he was, back facing the intruder, and just raised an eyebrow.
"some day I'll have to put a silencing charm on him." Mike spoke through clenched teeth as Ron drew nearer.

Ron glared at him as he wrapped an arm over his girlfriend`s shoulders. Mike responded with a glare too. He then pocketed the vial and addressed the one next to him, his tone was less like in which they had been speaking to each other before, "I'll send it to the labs for testing, Hermione." He said coldly before turning away.

"what was he- whoa!" Ron practically took a big step back from the bed when he realized who was lying on it. Hermione had completely forgotten about Malfoy. "what`s he doing here?"

"it's a hospital Ron, what can you expect?" Hermione tried to keep her tone light.

Ron kept observing him for a whole minute before saying, "Do you want Harry to talk to Diglude and transfer you to another ward?"

"of course not!" Hermione grabbed his hand, "I`m not a coward. Anyways, he`s still unconscious… even when he comes to his senses, he`ll not have his wand." She felt the badge on her chest start to vibrate. "come on, Harry`ll be waiting." With another glance at the ward, Hermione walked out with Ron.

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A/N: yeah well, here`s the third chapter, io know some migt think that Hermione is a little leaned towards Mike but you`ll get over the idea once Draco wakes up... hope you like it though...