A/N: Here's another chapter! Thanks again to my friends and betas Lineswifty and Lizzie for their help! And thanks to each and everyone of you for reading and reviewing! You have no idea how much I appreciate your support! One last thing: the paragraphs in italics are a flashback!
'You can step back, Miss Granger, thanks for your help'.
It took Hermione a moment to process the Headmaster's words and it was only when someone pulled her away from Theo's unconscious body that she let herself panic. Everything around her was pure…anarchy.
She barely noticed Ginny's soothing touch and her comforting whispers. The only thing she could think of was the dark haired Slytherin, lying unconscious on the ground a few feet from her , the cheeky, irreverent and lively boy that was now lying in a pool of his own blood. And by the teachers, that were all muttering spells and conjuring potions and gauges. She had been calm and collected up until that moment, but the sight in front of her was too much and she lost it completely. She started sobbing uncontrollably, her nerves still shaken by her near-death experience with the Bludger and by Theo's current state.
Ginny was still holding her while saying 'Hermione, breathe…Dumbledore's here. He's going to be OK, you did all you could', but Hermione couldn't calm down for the life of her. She barely noticed that someone was worriedly calling hers and Ginny's names and couldn't bring herself to pay attention to whatever was happening behind her. She only knew that one moment Ginny was there and the next she was rushing towards what Hermione presumed was Harry's voice, and with no one holding her she simply let herself go and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.
All she could see was the blue, cloudless sky, that stretched endlessly above her. She felt overwhelmed by the lack of boundaries and closed her eyes, least she faint.
She was walking beside Theo towards the Pitch and the Slytherin was chatting nonsense. Hermione let him babble, sensing it was his way of coping with the nerves. Once they reached the entrance to the changing rooms she turned and wished him good luck and the dark haired wizard smiled nervously and said 'If I make it onto the team promise we'll celebrate, Princess! Hell, tell Potter to come over, I'd gladly offer everyone a Butterbeer!'
Hermione smiled and said 'I'll see what I can do. You certainly seem very eager to make it onto the team…it's weird, you didn't strike me as a Quidditch enthusiast' and noticed that Theo avoided her gaze and mumbled 'Well, I'm not a fanatic… - he seemed to gain back his usual irreverence, as he stopped shifting his feet and held her gaze without squirming – I might have ulterior motives, who knows…as you like to repeatedly point out…I am a Slytherin, Princess'
Hermione shook her head in defeat while smiling 'You're impossible! Go and claim your Chaser spot then, I'm sure even Malfoy isn't that much of an idiot…he won't sabotage you. Still here? Go, go…' she said hurrying him towards the changing rooms.
After he waved goodbye and disappeared she climbed the stairs of one of the stands, where pretty much all of Gryffindor House was gathered to cheer on their friends. Hermione spotted Neville and sat next to him, turning her attention towards her friends, zooming in the air all dressed in red and gold.
Neville leaned towards her 'Poor Harry, you should have seen it Hermione! He had to sack dozens of people! There were even a couple of students I've never seen around in our Common Room and I'm positive they're Ravenclaws in Luna's year! They all came to take a look at The Chosen One, can you imagine? Harry was positively speechless and Ginny had to physically drag a couple of them out!'
Hermione chucked 'I'm pretty sure Harry is amazed by all this attention. Wait, Nev…who else is trying for Keeper? I thought Ron would be the only one!'
'Oh…that. That, Hermione, is Gryffindor resident prat. We all have a Malfoy, after all. Cormac McLaggen. One of the worst braggers I had the misfortune to meet. My Gran loves him, can you imagine, she keeps going on about how confident, good-looking and well-educated the git is. He's just a pompous airhead, if you ask me' he concluded passionately.
'Wow. There's no love lost between the two of you' she commented, surprised to hear such things coming from Neville's mouth.
'Oh, I guess he doesn't even remember who I am, actually. Not that I'm complaining' said the Gryffindor with a dismissive tone.
'Well, now that I think about it I always hear him bragging for this or that…he's not someone I'd gladly spend time with myself Nev, I hate braggers!' she conceded.
Hermione was a bit worried about McLaggen's sudden wish to become the Gryffindor Keeper. He was well-built and she knew for a fact he was athletic and confident…while Ron…well Ron had a big heart and was funny, even though he did lose his temper a little too fast, and he loved Quidditch and played with his heart. But she guessed those things didn't really count as a real asset during the Try Outs. She turned her attention towards the goal posts on her left – the right side of the Pitch was occupied by the Slytherins, she remembered – just in time to see Ron flying in front of them. He clumsily managed to save all five Quaffles, much to Hermione's relief.
'Ron did well. I really hope he will get onto the team…the other boy has too many Nargles floating around his head, don't you think so Hermione?' said an eerie voice coming from behind her.
Hermione recognized Luna's serene drawl and, of course, her nonsense about invisible and completely made up magical creatures. 'Hello Luna. Well, yeah Ron was great, and yeah…definitely too many Nargles floating around McLaggen's head' she said humouring the blonde Ravenclaw, while discreetly elbowing a chuckling Neville.
She turned her attention towards the Pitch and saw McLaggen saving the first four Quaffles spectacularly. He defended the goal posts effortlessly and even had the nerve to wink at her. Neville was right, the git was a little too pompous and self-absorbed for her liking. He seemed to think he was a Quidditch God or something along those lines…while her friend Ron was…well, at least Ron had a big heart.
Before she could think about the consequences of her actions she covered her mouth and muttered 'Confundo' while clutching her wand under her cloak. Fortunately no one seemed to notice, and if they did no one said anything. As soon as she finished muttering the spell she saw McLaggen diving on the left, while the Quaffle went through the hoop farther on the right. She didn't even notice the roar that shook the stadium until Neville grabbed her arm shouting 'Ron's on the team! Cormac McPerfect is out, he's out Hermione! Did you see that?' and Hermione couldn't help smiling, suppressing the guilt that for a moment had threatened to assault her. Once everyone stopped shouting and howling she dared glancing towards the Slytherins. Theo and Zabini were next to each other, the latter patting Theo on the back. They were both smiling, and guilt swept over her once she realised she'd missed Theo's try outs, but at least it was evident that he made it onto the team. She then noticed Malfoy, who was pointing his finger towards a Slytherin fifth year, looking pretty minacious. It was a safe bet to say the boy didn't make it onto the team and had the unwise idea of complaining. Hermione shrugged her shoulders and grabbed a book from her bag. She had to stop the Malfoy watching, it wasn't healthy, and the madness in the shower was a clear signal. A big, fat, red warning sign. With neon lights. And an alarm siren. She was disgusted by her stupid fantasy…the blond git tried to strangle her, for Godric's sake! Now, let's talk about madness and masochism. Or let's not…actually. No more lingering on dangerous, stupid, pointless thoughts about a certain blond Slytherin. Or any other Slytherin.
She soon got lost in her book, gladly forgetting Quidditch, Quaffles, Brooms and most importantly boys. Hermione barely noticed Neville and Luna saying something about games, whistles and whatever else. She absentmindedly said goodbye to her two friends –who were leaving together - while reading a very interesting passage on Wizarding Trials.
It was only when she heard terrified screams and people scattering around that she decided to look up, annoyed by the interruption.
And she froze.
A Bludger was about to hit her straight in the face. She didn't even try to get her wand, it was too late and she was paralysed by fear and shock. She didn't even notice what was happening around her until she heard a familiar voice shout 'REDUCTO!'. The Bludger exploded a few inches from her face, and her saviour – which for unknown reasons had Malfoy's voice, but very well couldn't be him – must have cast a Shield too, because the debris bounced on an invisible wall at an impossible speed and rebounded in the opposite direction.
She was safe. And alive.
Hermione blinked twice and distractedly noticed that she'd been crying. She heard Lavender's voice coming from somewhere behind her say 'Did Malfoy just save her? Tell me I'm dreaming because this is the most surreal thing I've ever seen!'
So it really was Malfoy, after all.
Hermione's hand reached for her face and she wiped away the tears, while she blinked again and finally noticed Seamus, Parvati and half of Gryffindor Tower surrounding her, asking her if she was all right.
'In one piece, thanks' she whispered to her friends, trying to stand up without losing her balance. She barely had the time to compose herself when she heard a cry coming from the pitch.
She whipped her head towards the sound and saw Zabini zooming towards Theo, who'd just been hit by…no! The cloud of debris that once was the Bludger had just hit Theo full force on his left side and she watched in horror, her mouth agape, as Zabini tried to grab his friend before he fell. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough.
Hermione held her breath while Theo's body propelled towards the ground and hit it full force seconds later. Her feet moved on their own accord and she started rushing towards the stairs.
Her heart was racing and all she could think of was 'Please let him be OK, let him be OK, let him be OK'. She jumped down the stairs and skipped various steps in the process. Neville was waiting for her at the bottom of the stair, sweating and wearing a worried expression 'Hermione! Are you OK? I can't believe Ron nearly killed you!' he said.
Hermione stopped abruptly and asked 'What do you mean Ron nearly killed me?'
Neville shifted nervously from foot to foot and said 'Well, he sent that Bludger towards Malfoy out of spite…' but Hermione had heard enough, she'd deal with the idiotic redhead later, at the moment the only thing she wanted to do was to make sure Theo was still breathing, so she started running towards the group of people gathered around him.
She really hoped Ron will have the sense to hide in a place where she couldn't find him.
When she reached the cluster of red and green she saw Harry holding Malfoy down, while the blond Slytherin thrashed around screaming Theo's name. If she wasn't so worried she'd be amused by the sight. Harry holding Malfoy and trying to calm him down was not something you got to witness every other day, given their mutual dislike.
But she was worried, she had no time to be amused by the sight. And she had to do something.
She approached Harry just in time to hear Malfoy scream '…re's Blaise? I need help, Potter. He's pale and he's losing blood…I'll lose him! I'll lose him!' while going crazy, kicking and punching the air in a fruitless attempt to break free.
'Malfoy, calm down. Zabini went to the Castle to find help, I'll see what I can do in the meantime, right? Stop thrashing!' and she left the blond in Harry's care, launching herself at Theo's side. She had to triage him first…his pulse was erratic and his lips were bluish, not a good sign. She noticed blood spurting from a big hole in Theo's skull and she did her best not to gag. Her heart was racing, but she had to stay calm and help her friend. She was muttering basic healing spells when Theo started jerking violently, while vomiting blood. Internal damage, crap! Where the heck were the Teachers? Theo didn't have much time! She started barking orders to Dean and Ron while trying to contain the damage the fall had done to Theo's body and while working to stop the steady flow of blood from spilling. She heard Malfoy shout like a maniac 'Let me go!...Theo don't fucking die!...' but she his screams were distracting her and hearing the despair and utter desperation in his voice made her heart ache a little bit more, so she tuned him out.
After what seemed like ages she heard the Headmaster's voice asking her to move. Thank God, Merlin, Godric and even Salazar-sodding-Slytherin!
Hermione was only barely aware of here surroundings…her eyes were still firmly shut and she was still trying to regain control of her breathing and her heart rate. Theo, Theo, Theo, Theo. Please God let him be alive. Please, please, please.
She wasn't even sure he considered her a friend, but she couldn't help being worried sick. That boy had something about him that made you want to hug him and ruffle his hair. You just couldn't avoid warming up to him and now he was there, lifeless on the ground and she was aching.
Hermione, her eyes still shut to escape from the bitter reality of what was happening around her, heard Snape's cold voice say 'I'll levitate him to the Hospital Wing myself Headmaster' and Dumbledore's calm one answer 'Very well Severus. I will alert St. Mungo's and ask to send over a team of Healers, the boy has sustained severe dama…'. The two wizards were leaving the Pitch and she couldn't hear them anymore.
What she did hear though was Harry's voice, frantically calling her 'Hermione, Hermione! Please Merlin tell me she hasn't fainted too! Hermione, come here! Is he breathing Ginny? Fuck! He's cold…conjure a blanket…HERMIONE!' and as soon as Hermione processed his words and the urgency and utter desperation in Harry's voice she bolted up, steading herself before stepping towards Harry, Ginny, Zabini and a bunch of other people, all of them surrounding a green heap on the ground.
What was going on now? She hurried towards her friends, moving people out of her way in the process. When she finally reached Ginny's side she saw Draco Malfoy. Unconscious. On the ground.
Hermione assessed that Zabini was too pale too, and how could she blame him? His two best friends were currently knocked out. She took a deep breath and asked 'What happened?'.
Zabini looked haunted but managed to say 'He…I don't know…Granger he just…he…help him please!' and Hermione nodded reassuringly before turning towards Ginny and saying 'Bring him to the Hospital Wing too, Gin…he's too pale and a Pepper Up Potion should do the trick, plus he's just going to panic and distract me if he stays here'.
Ginny nodded grabbed Zabini's arm and pushed him away. He didn't even protest. That was the extent of his shock.
Hermione turned towards Harry and asked 'Did Malfoy bump his head?' and her best friend looked unsure 'I have no idea…he was thrashing and kicking like a bloody psychopath! He could have…I was trying to keep him still but I'm not exactly a Giant…'
Hermione wondered where exactly his other friends were, if you could call them that! How could you possibly leave someone you consider a friend alone on the ground was beyond her. Not even Parkinson was in sight, and Hermione was pretty sure she'd seen the black-haired Slytherin waving her stupid flag and cheering the team when she arrived.
'Hermione, what do we do?' asked Harry anxiously.
'We take him to the Hospital Wing, Harry! What else could we do? I'm not going to leave him here!' and she promptly conjured a stretcher. Harry and Dean grabbed Malfoy and tried moving him from the ground.
Hermione watched in horror as her friends jostled the blond around 'Guys mind his head...no, no! Stop! OK, I'll hold his head, now let's lift him on the count of three…Ron? RON! Come here, immediately!' barked Hermione, on the verge of losing her calm.
'I'm not touching the ferret!' said her other, unreasonable, stubborn and sometimes annoying best friend.
'Ronald Bilius Weasley! It's your fault this is happening in the first place, don't think I don't know. Just be glad that Malfoy decided to pass out and I have to attend to him, otherwise I'd be hexing you into the next century right now! You utter imbecile!'
Ron's ears were a vibrant red, a telltale sign of his anger. He had some nerve! He nearly got her killed by a Bludger and now was refusing to help the boy who saved her from a gruesome and premature end. 'I said I'm not touching the ferret!' he repeated stubbornly.
Hermione's right hand was about to reach for her wand, while she was holding Malfoy's head with the other hand when Harry cut in 'Ron stop it! Can't you see he's fucking unconscious? He saved Hermione's life in case you didn't notice! I fucking hate him too, OK? But this is not the moment to let hate cloud your judgment! Come here and move the bloody stretcher beneath him when we lift him! And before you even think of refusing…remember I could give your spot on the team to Cormac McLaggen. And don't give me that outraged look!'.
OK, an angry Harry was a scary Harry indeed, so Hermione wasn't surprised when a sulking Ron approached them and helped them moving Malfoy on the stretcher. She thanked Dean and glared at Ron, then levitated the stretcher and started walking briskly towards the castle, Harry by her side.
They were silent for a long time, then Harry whispered 'I can't believe what happened. You were nearly killed, Nott – he swallowed and steadied his voice – he wasn't in a good shape was he? And Malfoy…he saved your life, you know that? And, Hermione you should have heard him! He was going crazy after Nott fell from his broom….I guess he feels guilty because they had an argument and they weren't speaking to each other. He wouldn't stop kicking and scratching me…I barely managed to keep him still. He was so out of it that he didn't even complain I was the one holding him. Call me shocked, Hermione'.
Hermione couldn't even begin to process what had happened. One moment she was reading a book and the next all Hell broke loose. With all the commotion that followed Theo's fall she hadn't had much time to realise that Malfoy actually saved her life. Even after the slap and the horrible (yet deserved) things that she told him the previous day. She was alive thanks to the unconscious blond, and she didn't know how to feel about it.
They were entering the castle when she finally spoke. 'I'm proud of you Harry. You really are an amazing person…you helped him even if you don't like him' she told her friend.
Harry looked at her and said 'Well, you did the same. You helped him even though he's always been an arse to you'.
Hermione blushed deeply, thinking about her morning shower, then said 'Well, but I'm…me. You know I'm hopeless, I have to help. You surprised me, that's all. And of course I mean it as a compliment!'
Harry smiled briefly, then looked serious all of a sudden and asked her 'Do you think Nott will be OK? There was a hell of a lot of blood…' and Hermione was at a loss of words, she honestly didn't know if Theo would be fine, and she didn't want to think about the possibility of him not being fine.
Hermione noticed with relief that they were only a flight of stairs away from the Hospital Wing. She looked at her feet and finally decided to answer. 'I don't know Harry…he…he was vomiting blood…I don't know' and her voice was quivering. Her friend stretched his arm towards her and brushed her cheek, then said 'You did all you could, Hermione…it's not your fault. Let's just hope Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey got there on time'.
They walked as fast as they could, considering that they were levitating Malfoy in the meantime, and they reached the Hospital Wing in only a couple of minutes. Harry kept the doors open for her and the unconscious boy, and she levitated him inside, following straight after.
Hermione understood the meaning of the word chaos for the first time.
The place was buzzing with urgent voices. There was a team of Healers in the far corner, busying themselves around what she presumed was Theo and running from cabinet to cabinet, grabbing potions and concoctions. Well, at least he was still alive, or they wouldn't be trying to help him so frantically. Dumbledore was there too, and he seemed a bit concerned, not a good sign at all.
Not far from Hermione and Harry, Madam Pomfrey was checking a very distressed Blaise Zabini, while Ginny tried to keep him on the bed, telling him 'Stay put! You have to let her check you!' and rolling her eyes at the boy's protests.
Hermione turned towards Harry, unsure about what they should do. She was about to interrupt Madam Pomfrey when a voice coming from behind them said 'Miss Granger, Mister Potter please levitate Mister Malfoy on that bed'. Hermione and Harry both turned around to face Professor Snape, who was pointing the nearest bed while tapping his foot on the floor. 'Are you deaf or simply daft? I said move him on that bed' remarked their lovely Potions Master. Harry scowled and opened his mouth, but before he could say something he'd probably regret Hermione cut in 'Sure, Sir. Just a second – she aligned Malfoy with the bed and levitated him on in, then turned towards her teacher and continued - we don't know if he passed out after a panic attack or if he bumped his head…he sort of lost it when he saw Theo in a pool of blood'.
'Understandable' was the only thing their professor said before approaching Malfoy's bed.
He then added 'You may go, thank you for bringing him here' said Snape without even glancing in their direction.
Hermione shook her head and said 'I'd rather stay here and make sure they-'
'You will do no such thing, Miss Granger. You will grab your two friends and get out. There's enough mayhem as it is. Do not make me repeat it. My patience is wearing thin. So much for a Sunday off' the gloomy teacher said, while heading towards a cabinet stashed with colourful potions.
Hermione was still staring at Malfoy's limp body when Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the exit, Ginny on his other arm. Both the girls kept glancing behind them looking conflicted, but Harry kept charging towards the doors until the three of them were out in the corridor.
Ginny approached Hermione and hugged her. 'How are you feeling? I was so worried for you! It must have been horrible…and I don't know how you could keep so calm'
Hermione blushed fiercely. Why was Ginny asking how she felt about the whole ordeal? Had the redhead noticed something? Actually…was there something to notice in the first place? She was so mortified about her thoughts that she found it hard to form a coherent sentence 'Why…what…I mean I'm sorry for him but I'm not…I mean I was worried but…'
Ginny looked at her inquisitively and said 'Hermione what are you going on about? I meant I have no idea how you managed to stay calm and still help both Nott and Malfoy after you nearly died because that fucker of my brother decided to be more idiotic than usual! Anyway…you're sorry for who?'
Hermione cursed inwardly. Now Ginny had noticed something, and all thanks to her own inability to lie decently and to her guilty and malicious thoughts. Who was she worried about anyway? Theo, of course. Malfoy would be OK and she was not thinking about him.
'Oh, I- I'm sorry for Theo of course! I thought you were asking me how I could perform the spells on him while he was in such a state…' she answered tentatively.
Ginny arched her eyebrow and said 'Ah is it Theo, then? I didn't know you were on first-name terms…'
Hermione blushed again 'Yeah, since not long ago though. He's not bad you know…not all Slytherins are jerks apparently' she said smiling shyly. Ginny surprised her by laughing heartily and said 'Yeah, well…thank Merlin for that, then!', leaving both Hermione and Harry – who was still there, leaning on the nearest wall – speechless.
The redhead seemed to notice their bewildered stares and hastily added 'Sorry guys…forget about me, you know I talk nonsense when stressed! The Try Outs, the Bludger that nearly killed you…then this mess with Nott –she added gesturing towards the Hospital Wing - …and Zabini! He was a nightmare, honestly. I had to drag him all the way up here and he wouldn't stop calling Nott and Malfoy's names!'
Harry nodded and said 'Yeah, well…he went pretty barmy, but I guess it's not so weird given the situation…still, it was all weird and surreal. I mean…I sort of hugged Malfoy!' he said with a disgusted expression on his face.
Hermione finally snapped out of her trance and started chuckling. 'I swear I'll never come to see you play ever again guys…I love you but this is a little too much. See why I insist the Library is better than the Quidditch pitch? The risk of being killed or having to hug Malfoy is pretty non-existent there…'
Ginny and Harry both laughed and her best friend said 'Hermione…you could be killed by the tons of books you always carry. Can you imagine? Hermione Granger – killed by the weight of knowledge. In case if should happen I'd make sure they'd bury you with a copy of Hogwarts: a History, don't worry!' he said, bending over with suppressed laughter.
Hermione shrieked outraged 'Harry! This is so morbid! Not funny at all!'
'Oh, Hermione…it is a little funny though' said Ginny, tears in her eyes, clutching her stomach and dissolving into fits of laughter too.
'You two are crazy, you know right?' she said shaking her head. The truth was, Hermione was glad about their silliness…it eased the tension and helped her distracting herself from the gnawing sensation that possessed her and made her heart beat erratically at the thought of the boys lying on the beds in the infirmary. Malfoy had looked so innocent. Just a boy. Not the evil, prejudiced brat she had to put up with for the past 5 years. Not a Death Eater's son. Just a boy who was scared for his friend. Hermione had always thought the blond had befriended Zabini and Theo because it was convenient, but she had to admit that he seemed to really care for them. Slytherins had a heart, shocking. But not so shocking, when she thought about it. Theo was a caring Slytherin, she knew it. Theo and his irreverent humour. Theo and his sweetness. He had to be fine, she wouldn't even think about the possibility of him not being fine. It was crazy, Hermione was well aware that she was worried sick about someone she barely knew, but she couldn't help it. Theo was there when she was falling apart, and helped her putting a few pieces back together. She couldn't and wouldn't forget something like that.
Hermione shook her head to clear it of all thoughts about the two Slytherins and noticed that both Ginny and Harry were leaning on the nearest wall, silent and thoughtful. She approached them and leaned on the wall too, slowly slipping to the ground in a sitting position. Her two friends did the same and they all stood there, without speaking a word.
Nearly an hour later Dumbledore opened the door of the Hospital Wing, and the three Gryffindors all but jumped up and ran towards their Headmaster.
The old wizard held his hands up to silence them, a twinkle in his eyes 'I expected Slytherin House camped out here…but I must say seeing you is a pleasant surprise. Yes, Harry – he held his hand high to prevent Harry from speaking, leaving him with his mouth wide open – I will tell you all I can. Mr. Zabini was a little shocked but all in all fine, he refused to leave his friends and will spend the night there. Mr. Malfoy…well, he's not awake at the moment. We revived him and he is physically fine, but we had to sedate him to prevent him from hurting himself or others, I bet Harry here knows how passionate he was about this whole incident. He will be fine, eventually. As for Mr. Nott…I'm afraid I don't know when he will wake up'.
Hermione didn't even notice that she was desperately clutching Harry's hand until he whispered 'Ouch', wriggling it out of her iron grasp. She felt all hope leaving her and her eyes were blinded by fresh tears. Dumbledore seemed to notice her despair and put his hand on her shoulder, patting it gently. 'There's no need to cry Miss Granger, he's in a critical condition, but he's in no immediate danger. The team from St. Mungo's did a wonderful job and now he's stable. He's healing, and it might take a while…but he will wake up eventually, we just don't know how long it will take. At any rate, I'm pleased of your concern, it means our efforts towards House Unity are not in vain. Go now, you missed lunch already, it's not wise to miss dinner as well' he said while waving towards the staircase at the end of the corridor.
The three students left the corridor silently and were heading towards the Great Hall when finally Harry spoke 'I don't think I'm hungry girls. I can't believe I lost my appetite because I'm worried about a Slytherin. No more than two weeks ago I spent my days glaring at the three of them and now I'm here all concerned about their health. I swear they put some Peace Serum in our Pumpkin Juice, because this is all too weird to be true'.
Ginny chortled soundlessly at what Hermione felt was an inside joke, then said 'I'm not hungry either…I'd rather go back to Gryffindor Tower, someone else coming?'. Harry agreed to go back to their Common Room, but Hermione shook her head and refused to join them 'Sorry...I'm still a bit shaken. I want to be alone for a while…and I really don't want to see Ron right now. Ginny, no offence but you might end up short of a brother if I stumble across him now that I'm still so mad'.
The redhead assured Hermione that she'd hex the living daylights out of her brother herself if he only tried opening his mouth to speak and not a minute later both her and Harry were gone, and she was finally alone.
She went back to the Hospital Wing and sat in the corridor, leaning on the wall opposite the entrance to the infirmary with her eyes closed and her head resting between her legs.
Draco woke up lying in his bed, his eyes still shut, with no recollection of the recent events. He noticed straight away that something was off, but he couldn't tell, for the life of him, what exactly was disturbing him. He could feel a beam of light warming his face. Real light coming from a real window. Only, the dungeons didn't have windows. The only windows were in the Common Room, opening on the depths of the lake, and usually the sun didn't travel that far underwater. There were plenty of weird fishes to look at, though, and Theo would always claim he'd seen the tentacles of the Giant Squid, but no one really paid him any attention.
Theo. Fuck.
Draco suddenly remembered what had happened during the Quidditch Try Outs, opened his eyes and sat upright in his bed. His hospital bed, to be precise. That explained the light.
'Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Thank Merlin you woke up on your own. I was fearing I'd have to kiss you to wake you up'. Draco turned towards the spot where the voice came from and found a very tired-looking, yet smirking Blaise sitting in a chair on the left side of his bed.
'Ew, Blaise. Do you want me to throw up even before I have lunch?'
'I hate to break it to you, Draco, but it's 3 in the afternoon' said Blaise looking out of the window, feigning indifference.
It was 3 in the afternoon? Draco scratched his head and ran his fingers through his hair 'Crap! I've been out for four hours?'
Blaise shifted on his seat and finally faced him, a cautious expression on his face. 'Draco, mate now try not to freak out but…you kind of lost it out there on the Pitch, you were screaming and thrashing around. Potter had to hold you down…do you remember?'
Draco gasped in shock 'Who did what to who? Please tell me you're joking Blaise. First Granger slaps me in front of half the school, then Potter helps me when I'm freaking out…what's next? Longbottom sending me a Christmas gift? My reputation is gone. Forever lost' he whined while tugging at his blond hair in desperation.
Blaise snorted. 'Oh, shut up and listen, will you? You're such a kid sometimes! Potter had to hold you down because when Theo started vomiting blood, well…you sort of went absolutely bonkers and then collapsed. I couldn't wake you up, no one could wake you up actually...and to cut a long story short Granger and Potter brought you here on Sunday, Snape tried to revive you but you were completely out of it, so he sedated you and said you would wake up on your own once ready to face reality, or something along those lines...' then he trailed off and resumed looking out of the window, to avoid Draco's gaze.
The blond, worried by what he'd just heard, sat up even straighter and cleared his throat, thus succeeding in drawing his friend's attention 'What do you mean they brought me here on Sunday? I thought you just said it's 3 in the afternoon…it's still Sunday, isn't it? - when his friend hesitated a heavy dread settled in the pit of his stomach – Blaise…it's 3 pm on Sunday, right?. Blaise slowly shook his head and sighed 'No, Draco. It's Tuesday afternoon, I told you that you took your time to wake up'.
Draco weighted Blaise's words and stared at his friend trying to decipher if he was pulling his leg or not, but much to his dismay, he saw honesty and worry in his dark eyes. He'd been out for two whole days. Anything could have happened in that amount of time.
Draco swallowed and braced himself for the next topic they needed to discuss. There was another very important question he had to ask, and he'd been studiously avoiding it until that very moment, dreading Blaise's answer. But Theo had to be OK, or his friend wouldn't be so calm, right? Blaise must have read his mind because he leaned over and whispered 'He's OK, Draco. They had to put him in a magical coma…he's still healing. He's in here, behind those curtains in the far corner. They don't know when he'll wake up, but they said he will do. The only thing - he hesitated for a moment and Draco thought he might throw him something, anything within reach, out of frustration – the only thing is that he might have suffered from brain damage, because for a moment his brain didn't receive any oxygen' Blaise finished awkwardly.
That couldn't be true. 'Brain damage? You mean he could be…a-a-A VEGGIE?' exclaimed Draco, horrified at the mere thought.
Blaise snorted and said 'Only you could be this disrespectful Draco, I swear your mother would be horrified to hear you speaking like that'.
Draco grunted in annoyance and said 'You just told me one of my best friend could wake up with the IQ equivalent of a courgette, sorry I momentarily forgot my manners'
Blaise chuckled and gave up trying to be too serious, they didn't work that way. 'I bet he'd be an awesome aubergine, not a courgette. Or maybe a potato…yeah, definitely. Theo Nott: Slytherin's resident potato'
Draco appreciated his friend's efforts to lighten the mood and smiled, Theo would definitely appreciate that twisted humour. Anyway, the thought of a brain damaged Theo was disturbing, to say the least.
The blond leaned towards his nightstand and grabbed a glass of water, he was dying of thirst and his mouth was too dry. Blaise was studying him, so he arched an eyebrow questioningly. The dark skinned wizard smiled enigmatically and said 'So…you saved Granger'
Draco feigned disinterest, and kept sipping from his glass. 'So…I did'.
Blaise's mouth twisted upwards and said 'You do have the most peculiar way to show how little you care about her…'
Draco looked at his friend, horrified by the implications of what he'd just said. 'Don't start again, Blaise. Fuck, what was I supposed to do? Let her die because her idiotic best friend decided to aim a bloody Bludger at me? I'm not that evil'.
Blaise still had that knowing smile on his face. 'You're not evil at all. You're a softie, Drakie…not a good thing for someone who's planning to join the forces of evil…just so you know…and judging by your glaring look you probably disagree, but I'm right. I just know I am, and nothing you say or do will convince me otherwise'.
Draco sent his pillow flying towards Blaise and his friend promptly ducked it. 'Yeah, very mature. Like a real Death Eater. News of a new attack from You-Know-Who's followers: 3 injured after gruesome pillow war. You have a future as a Strategist, mate'.
Draco shook his head in desperation and snickered 'You'll be the death of me. If only my father knew how much of a bad influence you are on me…'
'Bad influence? I'm the voice of reason, Draco. Your conscience. And I'm telling you to stop being an idiot and borrow a page from the awesome, amazing, stellar, astounding and remarkable book that is me'.
'You forgot to mention modest' added Draco sarcastically. Sarcasm that was lost on Blaise, or better completely ignored. 'Yeah, that one too Blondie', said Blaise causing Draco to splutter in disdain at the less-than-threatening nickname.
'Anyway – continued Blaise unperturbed by Draco's reaction – as you clearly don't care, I have decided that you don't need to know that a certain someone has been here to visit two times'.
Draco's eyebrows shot up in surprise, but fortunately he almost instantly managed to plaster his trademark smirk on his pale face. 'Please, tell me it wasn't Potter. I don't think I could stomach it, I'm still debilitated'.
Blaise threw him back his pillow and exclaimed 'You are such an idiot. I still wonder how you manage to convince everyone you are someone that must be taken seriously'.
'I must assume it wasn't Potter, then. Thank Merlin for small favours. Are you going to tell me who it is we're talking about or do you want me to guess?' asked Draco feigning ignorance.
'You know who we're talking about' pointed out Blaise.
'Do I, now? Don't think so…care to tell me?' asked Draco, not wanting to give his friend the satisfaction of saying Granger's name out loud. Knowing that the girl came to visit him had been shocking enough, and it embarrassed him to no end, especially after the spectacular slap he received three days prior.
'Oh, you can see for yourself. She's just crossed the threshold' said Blaise nodding towards the large wooden doors.
Draco scoffed, sure that his friend was bluffing and said 'Yeah, sure. Stop being an ass, Blaise. And who else is there, Babbity Rabbity?'
'No,Malfoy. But next time I can bring my cat if you want' said a voice behind him. Her voice. He slowly turned around, the tip of his ears red from the embarrassment of being caught talking about her.
There she was. Hermione Granger, Gryffindor Princess and bookworm extraordinaire, looking pretty smug, her hands on her hips and a small, tentative grin on her face.
Draco studied her for a second, then said 'You have some nerve…calling that thing a cat, Granger'. She looked hilariously irritated by his less than polite remark, but her mouth twisted upwards once she realised there was no malice in Draco's voice.
Blaise cleared his throat and both himself and Granger turned towards him, who was now standing up. 'Well, we don't want Madam Pomfrey to kill us for breaking the One-visitor-a-time rule, right? –a rule that Draco was sure his friend had just made up - I'll be back later Draco – said his traitor of a friend, smirking like a maniac, and knowing perfectly well that Draco would kill him for leaving him alone with the Gryffindor girl – and you can come and sit here if you want, Granger' he added pointing at the chair behind him.
Before either of them could speak or move, the tall wizard had cleared from the room, leaving a still flushed Draco and a slightly self-conscious Granger alone and undisturbed. Draco would make sure his friend payed for this little stunt. Draco's only consolation was Granger's embarrassed expression, and her plain discomfort.
She approached the side of his bed and softly said 'Can I sit for a moment then?' and Draco's heart rate increased progressively as she came nearer, bringing a wave of her spicy, cinnamon scent with her. He found he couldn't speak, so he nodded instead. She dragged the chair closer to his bed and sat down, then she smoothed the creases on her skirt and took a big breath before speaking, while Draco tried to calm his own nerves.
'Thank you, for saving my life Draco' she said, finally looking him in the eyes. Hers were warm, and Draco noticed with surprise, watery. For a small, fleeting moment he forgot why he was supposed to hate her so much. For a moment he understood what Blaise kept telling him relentlessly. She was just a girl. An intelligent, challenging, caring, fierce and smart girl. A girl who tentatively smiled at him, waiting for his reply.
She was so bloody irresistible.
And he was oh-so-fucked.
