Chapter 10

It must have been an odd sight, Hermione thought, as they made their way up the stairs. Draco had his arm wrapped tightly around Hermione's waist, while Hermione had her arm around his neck. Hermione was staggering and her face, while indeed very green and pale, had a look of determination. Draco wasn't much better, with specks of blood on his clothes and face and his black eye.

"Draco, we need to find her," Hermione says through heavy breaths, worry building up in her gut.

"We will. We will find both of them, Minerva and Ginny. We are almost to Minerva's office now." We just have to get up the spiral staircase to her office, Draco thought, pulling Hermione closer to him. He knew that the weasel couldn't hurt her when he was with her, but he was feeling very paranoid that Weasely would appear from behind a statue or a dark hallway. He had almost thought to leave Hermione in the Potions room but couldn't bear the thought of her by herself, even though she is very capable of taking care of herself.

"What is the password?" Hermione asks as they near the statue that leads to Minerva's office. She knew the staircase was not going to be great for her in her current state, but she had to get up there, she had to get Ginny safe. And if getting Draco and herself safe was an option, she was going to take it.

"Albus," Draco says, both to her and the statue, which begins rising.

They get onto the staircase as it is still moving up so they will have less to walk up. Hermione closes her eyes and takes deep breaths, trying to not focus on the movement. Draco squeezes her waist and puts his head in her hair, breathing in her smell.

They stop moving up so they begin walking the small distance to the top. Draco bursts through the door, pulling Hermione after him, and they walk over to Minerva's desk. Minerva just stares up at the couple, taking in their appearance with shock as they both talk in one continuous stream.

"Both of you, shut it," Minerva exclaims, making them both stop. "Please sit down and explain what has happened, together."

"But there is no time for sitting," Hermione says quickly. "Ron is going crazy because he found out that Ginny is pregnant yelled at her and me for being with Draco, then he had a one way fist fight with Draco in front of a class of first years!" she exclaims, all in one breath.

"Where is he now," Minerva asks, rising from her chair and walking to her fireplace.

"He stormed out of my classroom in a hough. He could be anywhere now."

"I'm worried that he went back to Ginny. I can't imagine that he would hurt her, but he is doing things that I would never imagine today."

"We must find him. I am going to write to the ministry now and they will help. I want you two to go to the hospital wing. Poppy will have something for both of you."

"But we want to help," Draco says, giving Minerva a look of disbelief.

"Neither of you are in any shape to help find either of them. When Miss Weasely is found I will send her to the hospital wing as well. Now go so that I can inform the ministry."

Draco wraps his arm around Hermione again, as he let go of her while they were talking. He sort of drags her out of the room, her feet not moving much.

"Hermione, do you need me to carry you?"

"No, I'm fine. I... I just need to sit down for a minute." Draco helps her to sit down on the stairs then slides down next to her. "I don't feel good," she says reluctantly, putting her head on the wall behind her. Her whole body is shaking and she feels so cold.

"I know," Draco says, putting his hand on her cheek. "I think you're sick. I'll carry you to Poppy, I'm sure she will have something that will make you feel better." He puts his arms under her legs and around her back, gently lifting her and making his way down the stairs.

"Draco, I'm sorry. About all of this." Hermione puts her head on Draco's chest and rests one of hands on his chest as well.

"It was not your fault. He is an adult, 'Mione. He decided to do this. Don't ever think that this was your fault." Hermione nods her head slowly and closes her eyes, breathing in his sent.

"Put her in this bed here," Poppy says, leading Draco to the closest bed. He gently sets her down and Hermione shifts on the bed so that she is laying down.

"How soon will she be able to leave?" Draco asks. "We need to help find Ginny and Ronald."

"You can not rush the healing process Mr. Malfoy. Sit down on the next bed and I will get you a potion that will take care of your eye."

"Draco, you heard what Minerva said," Hermione says, turning her head to look at him. "Ginny will come here as soon as they find her."

"What about the Weasel then? He can not just be able to walk around after what he did to you."

"He didn't hurt me, he just yelled. You were the one that he hurt. And don't worry, they will catch him and then he won't come near us again."

"How can you be so reassuring when you feel terrible?"

"How can you be freaking out about this when we survived a war?"

"I didn't have someone to freak out over," he replies, standing up walking over to her bed.

"Sit down Mr. Malfoy," Poppy says sternly, coming out of her potions room and walking over to stand between both beds. She can not have two professors snogging in her hospital wing when children could come through those doors at any second, she thought, and being professors, they should know better.

Hermione sighs as Draco sits down on the bed. She really wanted to kiss him. When he says something as caring as that it reminds her of just how much he has changed and how much she loves him.

"Drink this and you should be feeling much better soon," Poppy says, dragging Hermione out of her thoughts as she hands Hermione a cup. "This should get rid of your black eye." She hands Draco another cup and walks into her office, closing the door loudly behind her.

Hermione downs the potion then lays back on her pillow and closes her eyes. Draco quickly swallows his as well, but once he has finished he gets out of his bed and goes to Hermione's, laying on his side next to her. Hermione scoots over to give him more room. He wraps his arms around her and Hermione scoots closer to him, so her head is pressed into his chest.

"I think I am falling in love with you," she mumbles into his chest.

"Did you say something?" he asks, looking down at her. He knew exactly what she said, but he really wanted to hear it again. He wanted to hear her say that she loved him over and over again, he would never be able to get enough of it.

"I will tell you later. When we aren't in a hospital, when my friend isn't in possible danger, when I know for sure."

"Or you could just say what ever you said now." He shrugs his shoulders like it is no big deal. "We might be here for a while."

"That is why you just have to wait."