"Draco, when Ella was in her third year, we became fast friends after she showed the coach her Quidditch talent and made the team. I sympathized with her. I was once the young talent on the team. I took her under my wing. She became like the sister I never had.

"About halfway through her first year there, she became involved with a boy named Demetrius Theophilus. He was in my year. Ella was the "new girl" and it was a shock to everyone when they started dating. Draco, he broke more than just her heart."

"So… he took her virginity and left her? That was her struggle?" Draco said, acting uninterested because he was still fuming over Scott's tale.

"Will you let me finish please?"

"Yeah, right." Krum exhaled and continued.

"It had only been four months. I did not like him. I did not like the way he looked at her, as though she was an object, a treasure that only he had access to. One night, Ella did not make it to the team dinner after practice. I was concerned. I went looking for her everywhere and finally I went down to the Quidditch pitch. Draco, I cannot accurately say how distressed I was by what I found.

"After searching everywhere, I made it to the storage closet where the equipment was kept. I did not know why she would be there, but I could hear that someone was in there and couldn't open the door. It had to be her. I used my wand to blast away the door and I saw her.

"All she had on was her tattered Quidditch robe, the one that had been pristine only hours before. Her hair was a mess. Her nose was bleeding, her lip was swollen, she was crying. I couldn't get her to tell me what happened, all she would say is that she couldn't go to the hospital. I fixed her up as best I could. But I knew what had happened without her saying."

Krum looked away from Draco. He got up and paced back and forth. Draco had a hunch what came next in the story, but he waited for Krum to decide when the time was right. When it was, he looked Draco dead in the eye.

"He raped her. They raped her."

"What's wrong with her?" asked Narcissa as Melanie stepped out of Ella's room. Melanie sighed.

"She's got a nasty stomach bug. I better stay home with her. You guys go out without me," she said. Tonight was the last night in Paris and the bachelor and bachelorette parties had been planned for this evening.

"Oh Mel, it wouldn't be a party without you! Draco will stay home with her," said Narcissa. Draco looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"I will?" he asked. Narcissa grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him a little ways away from the group.

"Draco, this would mean so much to me! This is a night that most women wait their whole life for, and it would be no fun without Melanie. I know you and Ella have had your differences over the past few days, but I don't give a damn! You two will have to get over it for this one night," she scolded. Draco couldn't say no to Narcissa in this state, so he walked back over to the group.

"You go have a good time, Melanie. I'll stay home with Ella," he said. Even though both Ella and Draco had had separate plans for the evening, he would have to stay home so that his mother could have a little fun.

"Oh Draco! Thank you oh so much! Are you sure you'll be able to handle her?" she asked. Draco nodded a little hesitantly.

"Ok then! Ladies, let's get this show on the road!" said Dominique with an excited voice.

"Draco, she's currently sleeping, so just peek in on her every now and then. I'm going to warn you now that she might throw up, so just be prepared," said Melanie as the ladies parted down the stairs and out the door.

"And here we go," he said to himself. He walked downstairs to find his latest Quidditch magazine. He collapsed on the couch and began to leaf through it to find the interesting articles. Just as he had begun to read one about the latest gear, he heard a faint little voice yelling down the stairs.

"Mum? Where are you?" It was Ella, who was obviously out of bed. Draco rolled his eyes and stood up from the couch. He followed her voice upstairs, where he saw her sitting on the top step, folded over. Her blonde hair was covering her face and her breathing was out of order.

"Ella? Are you all right?" he asked, sitting next to her. Her head snapped up when she heard his voice.

"What are you doing here?" she moaned. He hadn't talked to her since his outburst three days ago at the banquet. Draco felt saddened by the pain and anger that was in her voice. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him.

"Your mum went out with the rest of them. I'm staying here with you. Is that ok?" he asked, tilting her chin up to look at him. She had pain written all over her face.

"I... uggg..." was all she could get out before throwing up all over Draco's lap. She blushed a deep, deep shade of crimson and began to apologize profusely. He just laughed.

"Ella, it's all right! Calm down, I just have to go change, that's all," he said. She sniffed and nodded. "I'll be right back," he said, leaving her and going into his bedroom to change out of his clothes and into something more comfortable. He put on some athletic shorts and a t-shirt. Using his wand, he put the puked-on clothes down into the laundry room. He returned outside to Ella, who was clutching her stomach and leaning against the banister with her eyes closed. He walked over to her quietly and touched her shoulder.

"Ella? Do you want to go back into your room?" he asked. She shook her head. "Ok, then where do you want to go?" She shifted herself and looked up at him.

"Can you put me on the couch in the family room?" she asked him. Draco smiled.

"Do you need me to carry you?" he asked. Ella nodded. "Well, you know the drill," he said with a laugh. Ella smiled up at him and pulled out of her sitting position so that he could pick her up easier. He leaned down and put his arms under her knees and put the other around her waist. He lifted her into his arms like a child.

"Doesn't this bring back memories!" said Ella with a giggle as she remembered him carrying her home after their flight on Ares. They walked downstairs and into the living room. Draco set her carefully on the couch.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked. Ella thought about it for a moment.

"Can you please get me a blanket and a pillow?" she asked with those puppy dog eyes. Without another word, Draco left to get some of the spare linens out of the closet. He returned to see her sleeping peacefully right where he had left her. He decided to take this opportunity to clean up himself.

Draco turned on the shower and stripped down. Right now, he could have been out clubbing with his friend Rob, but instead he was taking care of Ella. For some odd reason, taking care of a sick Ella had more appeal to him than dancing with numerous girls he didn't know. When the water had warmed up to the right temperature he stepped into the shower and closed the curtains.

He let the water rush over his muscles and felt himself relax. Since the other night, he hadn't reached out to Ella about what Viktor had told him. He wasn't sure it was his place. He had a new appreciation for her, but hadn't apologized for his outburst at the banquet.

He lathered up the shampoo and scrubbed his head thoroughly. He didn't want what Ella had, that was for sure. He hated throwing up more than anything. Sickness was something that he didn't need right now. He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair and looked through the shower for the anti-bacterial soap. When he didn't see it, he jumped out of the shower. Draco looked through the cabinets but he heard something that made him listen carefully.

He heard coughing and crying coming from downstairs. The only person in the house besides him was Ella, so he assumed it must be her. He threw a towel around his waist as quickly as he could and ran downstairs. He ran into the family room, but she was nowhere to be seen. The quilt he had so carefully tucked her into was now on the ground. He listened carefully and heard the coughing and gagging noises again. They were coming from the downstairs bathroom.

Ella sat crouched over the toilet bowl, clutching her stomach. She had obviously eaten something that didn't agree with her. Tears filled her eyes as another bit of bile came up and into the water. She began to shake uncontrollably. She was cold, very cold. She looked up when she felt her sweat-dampened hair be pulled from her eyes and out of the way. A soothing voice met her ears.

"It's going to be ok, Ella. Calm down," she heard Draco whisper. She clutched his knee with her spare hand, thankful he was there. Ella felt his hand begin to move in slow circles around her back, helping her relax. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and leaned into him. He was still warm and damp from the shower than she had interrupted. She closed her eyes.

"Draco, I'm so cold," she whimpered as she shook violently. Draco felt her forehead, but pulled his hand away instantly. She wasn't the least bit cold. If anything, she could be on fire. The cheeks that were normally so pale were flushed and damp with sweat and tears.

"Ella, you're so hot!"

"Thank you, so are you," she said with a weak smile. Draco's voice turned serious again.

"Ella, do you want to get back to the couch?" he asked her. Not wanting to risk throwing up, she just nodded her reply rather than opening her mouth. He picked her up and took her into the family room for the second time. Setting her gently on the couch, he noticed that she was still shaking.

"Draco, I need some blankets. I'm freezing," she pleaded. Draco knew otherwise. He picked the quilt off of the floor and covered her with it.

"I'm only going to give you this because I don't want you to get overheated. Whether you know it or not, you've got a massive fever. I need to go brew you up something, so give me a second," he said, walking over to the small cauldron that was in the kitchen. He flipped through the leather-bound book that was at its side until he found the fever reducer that he was looking for.

Slowly but surely he began to add the ingredients needed. Occasionally he would hear Ella whimper from the couch. He tried his best to speed up the process but the solution had to simmer for ten minutes. He waited impatiently until it was done. When it was, he scooped it into a glass and brought it over to Ella.

Draco sat on the edge of the couch and helped her drink the concoction down. She wasn't too pleased with its taste, but she didn't care. Right now, she would do anything to feel better. Stomach pains were the worst for her.

"Do you want to lay down here for a little while?" asked Draco, still wrapped in the towel. She looked up at him with that look of hers.

"Not if you don't stay with me," she said faintly. Draco softened a bit.

"Can I put some pants on first?"

"Well, that's not required," she said jokingly. She gave him a cheeky grin.

"Oh really?" he said with a raised eyebrow. He stood up from his spot on the couch, walked a little ways away from her, and tugged playfully on his towel. Ella laughed and pulled the quilt over her head. Draco acted slightly hurt by this gesture.

"I'll be back in a minute. You just stay on the couch and if you need me, I can be back in a flash," he said. Ella nodded and leaned back on her pillow. The pain in her stomach was still there and it was a big annoyance. She cringed a little bit as the pain escalated.

Draco looked into his dresser and put on some boxers and shorts. It was rather warm inside and he didn't feel the need to wear a t-shirt. Before heading back downstairs, he deposited his towel in the laundry basket.

When Draco walked back into the family room, he discovered that Ella's eyes were peacefully closed once again. He leaned against the doorway and stood there watching her. To his surprise, her eyes opened and she smiled.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," she said in a croaky voice. Draco was surprised that she hadn't been sleeping. Nevertheless, he smiled at her again. She was still beautiful to him, even when she was sweaty and delusional.

"Well, you seem to be doing fine on your own. I guess I'll just go upstairs and-"

"NO! Don't leave me down here by myself!" Ella pleaded. Draco laughed. She was all talk. As tough as she talked, Ella was the biggest sissy he had ever been around.

"Well, if you insist. Scoot over," said Draco as he pushed her aside. He curled up behind her on the couch and she snuggled into him. He threw his arm over her waist and laid there for some time until the silence hurt his ears.

"So Ella, what's it like at Durmstrang?" he asked her. She shifted a little bit and sighed.

"To be honest, I liked Beauxbatons better. Sure, the Quidditch is great and the schooling is first class, but there's more of a mixture at Beauxbatons. At Durmstrang, there are only three hundred students and two-hundred-fifty are boys and fifty are girls," she said with some disgust. Draco thought of another question.

"So is that why there weren't any girl contestants from Durmstrang for the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"

"Exactly that. Durmstrang is very sexist. There are no girl teachers or anything! Back in the day, Durmstrang was an all boys institute and only in recent years have they allowed girls back in. I don't hang out with them much. Since Viktor left, I had to branch out. Jack is one of my fellow Chasers. Do you want to see a picture of him?" she asked.

"Sure," he answered. Ella crawled off of the couch and walked over to the back door where her purse sat on a hanger. She dug through it until she found a strip of paper. It was one of those things that you get at the booths in any muggle mall. Draco now was lying flat on his back as Ella came over to him. She pulled the quilt off of him and stretched out on his stomach. She propped herself up on her elbows and handed him the picture sequence.

Jack had short blonde hair, hazel eyes, and a strong chin. He was slightly browned and seemed like a cocky person. One of those "I'm-good-looking-and-I-know-it" types. Jack and Ella looked like your typical best friends: just two people who had fun together.

"Wow, he sure looks like a Chaser," said Draco, noticing his bulging biceps, the necessity for anyone who played that position.

"Yeah, he's an awesome guy," said Ella fondly as she placed the pictures on the coffee table. She put her head against Draco's chest and could feel the beating of his heart against her cheek. She closed her eyes.

"So what's it like at Hogwarts?" she asked sleepily.

"It's the most beautiful place in the world. The castle is magnificent with all of its towers and marble staircases. My dorm room isn't anything special, though. It's a little boring... the classes are at least. But they'll let anybody in... Mudbloods and everything! I don't get it. But people are always respectful to me. Oh, and then there's Potter and his little group! If I had the chance I would curse-" Draco looked down in the middle of his sentence to see Ella asleep on his chest, not listening to his rambles. She breathed softly from her mouth and he could feel it on his neck. It looked like he was stuck here for a while. Not that he minded, of course.

A few minutes later, Draco found that his own eyelids were getting heavy. He closed his eyes and rested his arm on her back. Slowly he drifted off to sleep. But before he did, he felt his forearm fall asleep. He wanted to move it, but she looked so innocent that he didn't want to wake her. He fell into a deep sleep as he waited for the sun to rise.

At roughly four AM, the group of ladies arrived back from their little adventure. They thought that they could sneak in through the back door, but they had no luck. When they came through the door, they noticed Draco and Ella, who were still sleeping on the couch. They all let out a little "aww".

"Watch out, Narcissa. I think you may be looking at your future daughter-in-law," said Dominique to her older sister who just smiled sweetly. To be honest with herself, she had never seen her son as happy as he had been this summer. The way he acted, the way he smiled, and the way his eyes lit up when she walked into a room... it was an interesting thing to watch. Whether Draco wanted to admit it or not, she knew he was in love.

"Come on ladies, let's not wake them up," whispered Melanie. They tiptoed out of the room and turned off the light.