Authors Note: Hi everyone thanks you for taking the time to read my story. Thank you for everyone that has reviewed so far. Reviews are helpful for me as a writer, its good to know peoples opinions good or bad. Let me know what you like about the story so far and want you to want to happen in future chapters of the story.

Chapter 21

Hermione had woken up the morning after healing Draco on a hospital bed wrapped in Fred's arms. Her head felt fuzzy and she wasn't really sure what had happened the previous night. She remembered going to the kitchens, she remembered finding Draco and she remembered him flatlining. After that, it got a bit fuzzy and she wasn't sure what had happened. She had no idea how she had ended up in a hospital bed or why Fred was in it with her.

"Freddie wake up," she said rolling to face him and gently running her hand through his messy ginger hair. His eyes fluttered open.

"Princess?" he asked in confusion.

"We are in the hospital wing, Fred. What are you doing here?"

"I don't really remember, my mind is fuzzy. What about you?"

"I'm not sure I went to the kitchen for a snack late last night. Fizzy is having twins that are due in April, she looked ready to pop. On my way back to the tower I found Malfoy, he was covered in scars, cuts and bruises. He's been abused by his father and from what I could see it looked like it had been happening for years. All of the cuts were infected, he was so out of it, he thought I was his mother. I took him to the hospital wing and he kept flatlining. I don't really know what happened after that my mind is fuzzy." she said.

"Damn I don't like him but no one deserves to be treated like that," Fred said.

They talked for a while longer and eventually fell back to sleep.

When they awoke later Professor Dumbledore was sat next to them.

"Good morning children," he said in a fatherly tone.

"Good morning Professor" they chorused together.

"What do you remember from last night?" he asked them.

"I remember finding Malfoy and bringing him here but don't remember anything after he flatlined," Hermione said.

"I remember waking up and knowing Hermione needed me but I don't remember anything after that," Fred said.

"I thought that would be the case, you both used a lot of magic last night. Miss Granger, you completely depleted your magical core. Mr Weasley, you shared your magic with Miss Granger. Sometimes when one uses too much magic it can make memories foggy, I expect they will become clear in time." He said.

"How did I drain my core?" she asked the headmaster.

"You saved Mr Malfoy's life. You have a very rare skill known as natural healing. Not many people have it but those that do can heal people by holding their hands over the injured person. You intrinsically know how to heal the sick or injured. As you get older the skill will develop and you will be able to heal more people and control it better. Because Mr Malfoy was so close to death, it drained you of your magic saving his life. If you hadn't of found him last night or healed him he would have died." Dumbledore said.

"I'm glad he is okay. Why do Fred and I have gold tattoos around our wrists," she asked.

"That is something I can't tell you it's better for you to learn yourself through research." He said his eyes twinkling.

He had then extracted her memories from the previous night and told them they could leave the hospital wing.

Hermione had sent Fred off and had instead slipped through the curtain to Draco's bed. She didn't want him to be alone when he woke up.

She sat in a chair for hours, observing his sleeping form. He was pale with dry tear tracks on his face. He still had purple and black bruises scattered across his skin. She sat watching him for hours until his eyes eventually fluttered open."

"Granger, " he said his voice scratchy.

"Here drink this, " she said pouring some water into a cup for him. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and drank the offered drink.

"What are you doing here Granger."

"I found you last night, you almost died. I didn't want you to wake up alone."

"We're not friends Granger."

"No, but we could be, none of your friends are here, are they? I've sat next to you all day. If I hadn't have found you last night you would have died." she said.

"Might have been better if I had," he whispered.

"Don't you dare say that Draco Malfoy, you've had a shitty life but you've survived, you're father can't hurt you anymore." She said.

"Yes, he can. He's powerful. He will find a way to hurt mother and me again." He said.

"No he won't, he will be locked away for life Draco," she said grabbing his hand.

"Granger thank you for saving me." He said smiling tentatively at her."

"Your welcome Draco." she smiled back.

Since that day Hermione had visited Draco in the hospital wing every day and they had slowly become friends. She had also met his mother who was nice to her which surprised her. It seemed that Draco's prejudice came from his father and without him in the picture he really didn't care that she was a muggleborn.

Many of the Slytherins hadn't bothered to visit him but; Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott had. They were both intelligent.

Blaise was Italian with a dark olive complexion, black curly hair and jade coloured eyes. He liked to joke and flirt, often saying phrases in Italian to get a blush from unsuspecting witches.

Theodore had a cream complexion, chocolate curls and sapphire blue eyes. He always had a book on him and he spoke in a quiet soothing tone. He was very shy but kind and polite.

Hermione had befriended both of the boys quickly. Many of the Gryffindors thought she was mental and had a bleeding heart. They couldn't understand how she could be friends with three Slytherins. Ron was the most outspoken against her new friendships. She had told them that she could have been a Slytherin and they backed off a bit. Fred and Harry have supported her new friendships and quickly became friends with the three Slytherins themselves. It wasn't uncommon to find Draco and Harry sat in the Great Hall laughing together, it was hard to believe they had been enemies just months before.

Soon February arrived and Hagrid had let slip that the Cerberus on the third-floor corridor was called Fluffy and it was one of many obstacles guarding something for Nicolas Flamel. Harry has recognised the name from a chocolate frog card and they had soon discovered that the philosophers stone was inside Hogwarts.

Valentine's Day had arrived and Fred had given her a teddy that held a heart with the words best friend on. She thought it was adorable. She had given him a prank product she had created that would turn people pink and every time they would say anything romantic heart-shaped bubbles would leave their mouths instead. He had got the house elves to slip it into the pumpkin juice at lunch.

Professor McGonagall had bought Harry a Nimbus 2000, the best broom in the world. During the first Quidditch match of the year against Slytherin, Harry's broom had been cursed, Hermione had seen Snape doing it and had set his robes on fire causing him to lose his concentration. Harry had caught the snitch in his mouth, he really was an excellent Seeker.

Harry had been a lot happier over the last few months; he had been exchanging letters with Sirius and Sirius would be his legal guardian by the end of the academic year. He'd never have to see his horrible relatives again. Hermione was really happy for him. Harry deserved to have a loving family.

Draco had also been exchanging Letters with Sirius. Sirius was now the head of the Black family and there weren't that many Blacks left. Sirius had two cousins Draco's mother Narcissa and her sister Andromeda Tonks. Andromeda had a daughter called Nymphadora. Sirius had reached out to them all as head of the family. They had all started to rebuild their family relationships. Sirius had helped Narcissa get divorced from her imprisoned husband. The family were going to meet up in the summer for a meal together. Draco was happy, the only family he had ever had was his mother and abusive father. He had no siblings and all his grandparents had died before he was born. He couldn't wait to meet his family officially.

After months of things going well, it was only a matter of time before something bad would happen...