I woke up coughing, my lungs burning but my skin ice cold. I opened my eyes as I sat up and recognised the Hospital Wing. Beds lined each side of the big room, big windows looked out across the Quidditch pitch and training grounds. I laid in a bed half way down the row of the quiet wing. The wool sheets felt itchy and horrible and were not succeeding in their attempt to make me warm, thank goodness. Madame Pomfrey bustled about at a bed three over from my own, she looked up at my incessant coughing and walked over with a tall glass of potion she scooped from a big oval vial.

"Drink plenty to soothe the throat and heal the limbs Miss Canagan. I'll have you up and about in no time. " I drank big mouthfuls of the sweet potion, it tasted like honey mixed with lemon and a hint of peppermint. My aching body felt a little better already, whatever happened in the lake, I felt like I'd been beaten up by the giant squid who often drifted past the common room windows. I looked back to the bed Madame Pomfrey had left to attend me. A boy lay quite still facing away from me, curled up in a foetal position with his arm held in a sling. His blonde hair hung limp on the pillow, not slicked back like it always is, which made him look unlike himself. Draco. Seeing him laying there unmoving made my stomach twist in knots.

"What happened to Draco?" I asked. She looked at me inquisitively before handing me another glass of potion. I sipped gingerly this time, feeling anxious and unsettled.
"He leapt into the Black Lake to save you, evidently all logic and knowledge of creatures in the lake disappearing. Professor Niquell tells me he ran after you from your Healing class thinking you were upset. As he jumped out into the lake over the rocks, a dementor came at him even though they aren't meant to be on school grounds. Mr Malfoy fell short of his jump, broke his arm on the rocks and fell back unconscious into the lake. Later, Dumbledore sent the dementors way after the incident with the strongly worded letter to the ministry to keep the guards of Azkaban away from students". The matron paused as if trying to recall the rest of what happened. " It's a good job another of you sneaking Slytherins saw the incident from the common room and alerted Professor Snape. He ran from his office at the news, fought off the dementors and jumped into the lake. He found you both unconscious and nearly dead before pulling the two of you out of the lake and bringing you here for treatment. I will say this, a soaking wet Professor Snape is not a very happy one". I let it all sink in as she tidied a wheeled tray and filled another glass full of potion. Why would Draco even try to save me? I didn't intend to jump into the lake, we could have both died. What if we had died?

"Will he be okay?" I asked quietly, scared he might hate be for all this.
"Of course he will child. I can heal bones in a heartbeat. Better if they finish the job on their own though. Two weeks and the cast will be off. He will be back in class by tomorrow. Don't you worry." Despite her insistence, I still felt worried. Dracos father would be furious. She hurried off to her office and I took a few more sips of potion. It really did help my throat, I must have choked on a lot of lake water.

Half an hour passed before Professor Snape walked in. His black robes billowed behind him like feathers of a crow. His ever stern expression sat on his face. I hoped it was forced but that was doubtful. Dragging two students out of the Black Lake probably wasn't one of his most favourable memories right now. He glanced over to Draco while walking over to me, Draco still lay asleep. Snape stood looming over the bed I sat on making me feel very small and alone.

"After much consideration Professor Dumbledore has elected that he is no longer able to be your guardian. He cannot ensure you are safe while at Hogwarts without assigning you an Auror as a bodyguard or some other such nonsense which will not be tolerated. Your behaviour has become too unpredictable. Professor Dumbledore has informed me that there is only seven weeks until the hearing at the ministry where your final guardianship shall be decided. Until then, when we will reconsider the decision, you are going to live at Malfoy Manor. Mr Malfoy will be away on business for some time and Mrs Malfoy would be pleased for some company. You will make it work because your only back up option is staying at the Burrow with Mr and Mrs Weasley. Have no doubt in your mind that you will go there if you mess this up. Am I clear?"

"I've been expelled?" Angry tears rolled down my cheeks. It felt like they left open wounds on my face. A crushing feeling in my chest was overwhelming. Snape stood, still looking stern as if I showed no emotion. As if he hadn't known me all my life and looked after me from time to time when I was little.
"Temporarily. The tragedy of your aunts death seems to have bothered you more than anyone had assumed. You need help Hogwarts cannot provide. Your possessions have been packed and are awaiting you at Malfoy Manor along with your cat". He spat the words. Almost as if he hated saying them as much as I hated hearing them. Madame Pomfrey suddenly appeared, Snape spun around to look at her.
"That's enough excitement for one day, Miss Canagan needs to rest". Snape scowled at Pomfrey's interruption.
"Of course". He turned back to me. "You will leave as soon as the Matron sees you fit enough to travel ". He walked away. At the entrance to the Hospital wing he stopped. A sad look on his face. "Do behave Rue and study. You could make a great healer". A new flurry of tears cascaded down my face and I didn't know how to make them stop.

After falling asleep in a flurry of a emotion, I was awoken that evening by Professor Dumbledore. Draco had been released and we were the only people in the Hospital wing.
"Miss Canagan it is time, I must escort you to Malfoy Manor." I glared at the old man in royal blue robes. I snatched my clothes from the seat by the bed and went to change behind the ghastly orange curtain. My legs felt stiff and my chest ached as I moved. There was no telling who had picked out my ensemble of clothes but considering the few choices I had, they picked very odd pairs. Green pants and a red top. I scowled at the jumper and left it on the floor, being too warm was an awful feeling.
"Come along Miss Canagan, we have to walk to Hogsmeade before we can apparate. I stepped out and strode out of the Hospital Wing ahead of Dumbledore. How could he expel me? Stomping down the staircase I could feel other students staring at me. Even the paintings were unusually quiet. It was as if I was walking to my own funeral. I stopped at a halt in front of the door of the castle knowing it would be locked at this time. Dumbledore took out his wand and silently cast a spell to unlock the door. "It would be wise to stay with me on the walk to Hogsmeade, creatures lurk on nights of a full moon". He was crazy. I humoured him and walked the entire way exactly one foot to his side and decided it was one foot too close.

At the centre of the village near to the Three Broomsticks, we grinded to a halt.
"Even if you don't believe me, I want you to know that leaving school is for your own good. You can still learn and flourish. I will be at the hearing, remember to think hard about what you want Rue". He held out his arm and I took it. I flew into the spinning vortex we call apparation.