Hermione had read many novels and in most of the novels their main characters had gotten everything they had ever wanted, well of course with a little trouble along the way. Hermione couldn't really help but feel completely envious of each and every one of them, man or woman. Why on this green earth couldn't she get what she wanted? Why couldn't all the pain and the darkness just float away? Why was she suffering when all others prospered? Now, that was a very selfish thought. Hermione shook her head and opened her eyes. The light in the ceiling of her office was bright; she leant forward and onto her desk. Hermione's thoughts were never selfish, at least that's how she felt. She clasped her hands together tightly, her slim fingers intertwined with themselves. She was shaking, it was near nine at night, and she hadn't eaten all day. She had been busy, with Wizengamot duties. An impromptu meeting with Minister. Her application had been accepted and her leave commenced next Monday at 9:00 am. It had been awkward. Kingsley had asked why. Hermione refused to say anything but plain personal reasons. It's what Malfoy had told her to say. Why she had listened to him troubled her. The dinner had gone swiftly and quietly. He neither talked nor pursued Pansy's intentions. Only leaving saying that stating personal reasons is a fair enough explanation. He left through the fireplace; he had a small smile as he disappeared in the green flames.

That was two weeks ago. She hadn't seen him since, and quite frankly she couldn't care less either way. To be even more frank she didn't seem to give a damn about anything. Well, work she did but only out of guilt. She sighed heavily and stood from the desk. Friday had come more quickly then she had thought it would. Kingsley had personally assured her that her office would still be here when she returned, no matter who says so or not. Probably pertaining to a Weasley who had become incredibly accomplished at brown noising. She picked up her briefcase and threw the brown leather strap upon her shoulder, and bent over to and folded her robes on her forearm. She took one last look, for what she understood; it could be a very long time before she returned to the walls adorned with books on law, and history alike. She pushed herself to move forward. She heard the familiar click of her door knob, she shoot up straight, smoothed her hair that was miraculously tied in a bun.

"Thought you might still be here." A calm male voice entered into the room followed by its owner Malfoy.

"Yeah, well last day thought I would make the most of it." Hermione said sarcastically. Malfoy opened the door wider so she could slip out into the corridor. They walked together towards the lift, Hermione's heels clicking almost painfully loud and Malfoy running his hand absentmindedly through his hair. Hermione noticed that instead of his usual black on black ensemble he wore a dark green dress shirt under his now undone robes. She pushed the lift button almost forcefully but backed off as she heard the harsh contact with the button echo throughout the corridor.

"How was your week?" Hermione asked trying to make the awkwardness slip away into a corner.

"Bad. Yours?" Malfoy admitted with a smirk on his face but Hermione felt that he was being genuine.

"About the same." Hermione admitted, the tone emitted from the lift and the brass doors slid open. The two figures slipped in together. Both with the same bland expressions on her face.

"Pansy told me today was your last day." Malfoy said looking grossly attentive at the floor.

"So she sent you to take care of me. How splendid?" Hermione said sarcastically.

"She's just worried about you. By the way I am glad you told everyone about your break." Malfoy said now looking a Hermione as he bit his bottom lip.

"Well, thank for you approval. Not that I needed it, mind you." She bit angrily but covered her mouth and looked up to him with a terrified expression. "I am terribly sorry. I have out-loud-thought problems; I can't keep things to myself. I apologize."

"You have about as much tact as a common pig, Granger." Malfoy said almost laughing.

"Don't compare me to a pig." Hermione said forgetting that she had been terribly apologetic only a few seconds ago.

"Sorry, Granger. But I thought I would at least have the thanks of coming to walk you down." Malfoy said starting to sound on edge.

"Oh, yes. Let's just baby the 'Granger'; she's obviously lost her mind. Hell, she might even get lost on her fucking way home! No fear, Draco Malfoy is here!" Hermione said loudly and it began to echo as the sliding doors opened up to the empty atrium.

"Is that why you think I came here, to baby you? Don't get me wrong Granger kids are cute but fuck if I am going to take care of one for fucking charity." Malfoy bit back as they both headed for the fireplaces.

"Don't think your doing me any fucking favours, Malfoy!" She yelled out at him. He stopped dead in his tracks. His stride much longer then Hermione's had allowed him to pull ahead but now he turned on his heels and walked back to her.

"Fucking favours! Merlin's beard Granger, you're fucking right. You've gone off your fucking rocker. You fucking have everything you ever wanted or at least you could have, if you fucking tried." Malfoy yelled at her stepping closer.

"Don't you bloody judge me!" Hermione yelled at him and pushed him back. She could feel the heat rising in her head, her chest was contacting around her heart. An attack. It was emanate.

"Right, because Draco, bloody, fucking, Malfoy; doesn't have the fucking right to judge part three of the Golden-fucking-Trio." Malfoy said lowering his voice for some reason.

"You don't know. You don't even fucking know!" Hermione shouted at him, her throat felt dry and her body was betraying her starting to shake violently.

"Fuck you." Malfoy said monotonously, but his face changed from anger to a look of concern.

"Granger, are you all right?" Malfoy asked but his words seemed to fade. Hermione felt herself fall too her knees. Pain shot up through her upper legs when her knees hit the granite and a slow darkness crept upon the Ministry walls and Malfoy's face.


"What do you mean she just collapsed?" Pansy yelled into the hospital corridor. Draco swore under his breath watching a very pissed off Pansy Parkinson soon-to-be Weasley rush towards him with a small piece of parchment in her hand.

"What do you think I mean?" Draco yelled back falling back into a waiting room chair.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Draco. How is she?" Pansy said sitting down beside him, her hair was messy, and her makeup seemed to be smudged.

"My Merlin Pansy, did I interrupt something back at home?" Draco asked trying to stifle a laugh.

"What on earth are you talking about Draco?" Pansy demanded looking at him with her eyebrow raised.

"Nothing." Draco chuckled. "Just your sex hair." He mumbled loudly enough so she could hear him.

"We're not here to talk about me. Where is the damned Healer?" Pansy said changing the subject quickly. Draco saw a small smirk and realized that he may have interrupted poor Weasley and his fiancé. The thought made him want to laugh loudly. He also had a sudden erg to tell Granger.

"Is that the 'Gent?" Pansy asked getting up to meet the man looking at a chart in his hands.

"Yeah." Draco said rolling his eyes. It had taking him exactly fifteen-seconds to sweep Granger off the floor, another thirty to apparate and get here registered and another fifteen fucking-loony-tune minutes to get her a Healer. He even name dropped. He never name dropped, it was a case of who his family was but since his annual donation he had been given the treatment of a King. In Granger's case the treatment of a Queen ... or maybe a Duchess. She wasn't out of the woods just yet.

"Are you family?" Draco looked sharply at the Healer who was now talking to a very flustered Pansy.

"No, I am not. You need to--" Pansy pleaded but was cut off.

"I am sorry I can only admit family." The Healer said stiffly looking at his watch and tapping his foot.

"She has no family, you idiot." Draco found himself standing and walking towards the Healer.

"No matter, I still cannot admit you." The Healer said puffing up his chest like a four year old child.

"I'll have your job!" Draco threatened pointing at the pig faced fool.

"And who are you to make these threats." The Healer replied with his smug look.

"Draco Malfoy, the person who pretty much signs you checks." Draco said strongly willing his right arm to stay at his side.

"Oh, Mr. Malfoy. I had no idea. Of course please, room two-hundred and eight." The Healer's face turned white and he quickly gestured down the hallway. Draco allowed Pansy to travel down the hall first. The Healer walked beside him and explained his diagnosis.

"According to Miss Granger's chart, this has happened almost twenty times since the end of the war. These past six months she has been here almost seven times. Mr. Malfoy, attacks like hers are violent. Her heart is strong and that's because her youth but when her heart beats so hard her blood pressure rises. When the pressure rises the blood travels quickly sometimes forgetting to fill with oxygen. Thus rushing through the body without restoring energy, the body collapses or seizes. Mr. Malfoy you must understand the only reason she lost consciousness is because the blood reached her brain without oxygen thus suffocating the brain, causing her to black out if you will." The Healer finished in front of the door two-hundred and eight, Pansy had already rushed in to Granger's side.

"What have you done to prevent attacks like these?" Draco asked the man as he leaned against the corridor wall.

"Well, minor attacks are classified as panic attacks caused by stress, probably from daily life, so we suggest a vacation or a break." The Healer stated simply with an air of pompous-healer-syndrome Draco had diagnosed.

"Come on man, you said it was serious! What have you done to help her?" Draco asked the man almost hissing at the prat in front of him.

"There's not much we can do. She needs time off work, she needs to realize that it is the stress around her, not a disease that affects her. She needs to know that if she continues in the stressful world she resides in now ... the next attack may not be as forgiving as this one tonight which I might add is the worst so far." The Healer said to Draco calmly. Draco looked at the floor and bit his lip hard. He was worried. A feeling he was accustom to all his life. And it wasn't the worry one has when you've lost an important piece of parchment, it was a worry that he had felt all through the war, the trials and the death of his mother. It was a feeling that made him want to vomit and then crawl into his bed and never wake up to feel it again.

"I have prescribed a week worth of calming draughts but it's all I can, they become ineffective after a while." The Healer stated quietly.

"I know." Draco answered in hushed tones. "Thank you." Draco said to the Healer silently telling him to piss off. He didn't like that Granger had done this in front of him, and practically made him rip the hospital apart, okay she had been unconscious but he hated that he had felt compelled that he had to do so. It made his skin crawl. Draco had never felt compelled to do anything that didn't involve him or his mother, but now he felt compelled to see to that Granger realized the depth of her situation. He took a deep breath and walked into the small hospital room.

"Thank you." A very pale and soft voiced Granger spoke as he walked up behind Pansy who was sitting beside Granger's bed.

"Your welcome." Draco replied and emitted a small smile. Maybe he would enlighten her another time.


Hello Everyone, I want to thank all the reviewers you guys are great!

I want to make a special shout out to HarryPGinnyW4eva I really enjoyed reading your response it helped me organize my plot!

And I am so glad you are enjoying this fic, because I love writting it.

Keep reading, keep reviewing and I'll keep writting.

MDM