So I'm finally updating!

I've been working on this fic really hard for the past few weeks and actually have the next ten chapters drafted up. As of today this will now be on a weekly schedule, except maybe I'll update once extra this week just as an extra as my way of thanking my faithful readers. Enjoy and review!

Thank you so much to me wonderful betas who I would be lost without!

Find me on Tumblr - Claireabellalou :)

oOoOoO

Hermione was the first to wake the next morning, being in a coma for four days plus a sleeping draught coupled with years of training her body to never sleep in, meant she was unable to sleep past six. Unless of course Draco had thoroughly worn her out the night before. Hermione glanced down in the bed to see Draco was in the exact position he had been when she closed her eyes hours earlier, his head though was snuggled into the crook of her neck as far as he could get it. Hermione smiled at his actions and dropped her hand to run her fingers through his hair affectionately. Something about this action always seemed to soothe them both, but now it was becoming a habit. When Draco moaned involuntarily at her ministrations Hermione sighed and turned her focus to the only other occupied bed in the room. Unable to reach the curtain with her hands, she grabbed Draco's wand since her own was nowhere to be seen and wordlessly drew the curtains open to check on Theo.

"You're awake?" She asked in mild surprise as she looked him over closely, determined to find any little scratch she could, wanting reassurances that her friend was okay. The night before when she had woken up, it had been pretty dark and though the boys had spent a good fifteen minutes explaining, in detail - as she had demanded - everything that had happened, she hadn't been able to see Theo's injuries with her own eyes. The outline of his silhouette and his voice being the only thing to calm her at the time. Now though she could see - from a particularly awkward angle so as not to cause distress to her own wounds - just how bad his leg really was. It was strapped up in a similar fashion to how muggle's might strap up a limb. The leg was raised slightly with the help of pillows and nestled inside of a bright orange aid that was cushioned and hollowed inside, which was perfect for putting a leg in. There were four straps along the whole device that secured his leg and foot in place, keeping everything as still as possible and minimizing movements. Not that that was a problem for Theo of course since he couldn't actually feel anything.

When Theo instinctively turned to face Hermione at the sound of her voice he momentarily forgot all about the witch's motherly tendencies. "Uh. I guess" he answered groggily.

Hermione's head snapped up and her eyes sought out his. The rough edge to his voice had concerned her but one look at his face and she was itching to jump out of her own bed and play Mediwitch. His skin was exceptionally pale which was not an easy feat since he generally had an olive tone to it. His eyes were puffy and bloodshot with purple bags underneath and his lips were cracked while his hair was an absolute disaster. "Theo?" She whispered "Theo what's wrong? When did you wake up, how much sleep have you even had?" She gasped as her hand tightened around the bars at the side of her bed, her knuckles turning white.

Theo bit his lip nervously "uh...last night?" He asked.

Hermione nodded sadly but seriously, to indicate that yes, she did mean last night.

"Umm well, none" he replied.

"None? When was the last time you slept?" She growled at him.

"I..."

"Theo" she said warningly.

"Fine. Friday. It was Friday." He admitted.

"Friday? But it's Tuesday! Theo it's been four days! You need to sleep." She admonished him before relaxing enough to ask "Why haven't you slept?" In her more caring voice.

"Scared"

"Of?"

"You" he answered bleakly.

"Me? You're scared of me?" Hermione asked confusedly.

"Well not you exactly, it's just, the last time I went to sleep I woke up and you were in a coma. It terrified me. I know I don't show it much and in all honesty we haven't been friends that long really but, but you're one of my best friends and you being in a coma, that was - that was hard. Plus, the last time I slept I kept having convulsions and nearly dying so there's that. I mean it's not all about you or anything." He said exaggerating the last part with such lack of tact that even a blast ended skrewt would notice. Basically he was trying to back pedal that he had just claimed Hermione Granger was one of his best friends.

"I'm scared too" Hermione admitted quietly "Madam Pomfrey gave me a potion for my memories last night, she said I didn't have to take it but I wanted to. I knew it would be bad and there's still bits and pieces missing but..." She said as she worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Taking a deep calming breath Hermione carried on "but I do remember some things" she said sadly. "I remember being on the floor and watching as three spells simultaneously backfired on you. I saw you fly into that wall and hit your head. I remember crawling over to you instead of trying to stop the duelling. The duel didn't even register in my mind I was too concerned with you. You hadn't even moved or made a sound, did you know that?" She asked as she looked into his bloodshot eyes. "When I reached you it was like all rationality escaped me. I thought you were dead Theo. I didn't even think to check for a pulse. I thought you were dead, was convinced of it even. And I sobbed, I felt my heart break, you know? I felt like a piece of me was gone. I felt empty." Hermione said as she wiped her tears on the sleeve of Draco's - no her's now - Quidditch shirt. "When you coughed, and I know it was with a mouthful of blood, but when you did I had honestly never felt happier in my life, despite the obvious. I love you Theo, you're one of my best friends and probably the only one besides Draco who I can have a decent conversation with without having to dumb down my words" she laughed lightly, still wiping away her tears. "Seeing that the first time was hard, reliving it was even harder and I'm sure the events of the whole day will plague my dreams for a while but I can't let it stop me and neither can you. You need to sleep Theo, I promise I'll be fine. No more coma's."

"I don't know" Theo answered weakly.

"Please? For me? Would you please try? I'll get Madam Pomfrey to bring you a sleeping draught. I'll be here when you wake up. And I'll even go through all that homework you've been doing. Don't think I don't know about that threat to do it wrong on purpose." She admonished lightly before calling on the Mediwitch without giving him a chance to answer.

Madam Pomfrey didn't seem at all like she had just woken up; her uniform still looked as crisp as it had the previous day and her healers hat was perfectly in place without a hair out of place, in fact both Hermione and Theo wondered if the Mediwitch slept at all or if she just ran solely on extra strength Pepper-Up potions. The Mediwitch took the opportunity to check Hermione over first, screwing her face up in obvious distaste at Draco sleeping soundly in the bed with Hermione but choosing not to say anything when the younger witch laid it on a little thick saying him being there had helped her get a decent sleep the night before. Not that the sleeping draught and pain potion cocktail hadn't helped of course, but apparently he drove the nightmares away and the Mediwitch couldn't argue with that but instead silently wondered how in Merlin's name did Hermione know Draco would keep the nightmares away considering that they were one, in different houses. Two, they couldn't share a bed even if they weren't and three, it's hardly like they would be able to meet outside of school, for obvious reasons. Keeping her thoughts to herself Madam Pomfrey checked Hermione's cuts that were healing nicely (albeit slowly). Her chest was completely closed up now due to all the creams and salves that were being applied so often. The skin around each cut was still very pink but with the help of magic and potions, they were no longer raised angrily as they had been for the first few days. All in all, she was on the road to recovery, being kept in a while longer as a precaution for the blood loss she sustained and of course, the coma.

After administering Hermione's potions Madam Pomfrey moved on to Theo. She issued the Slytherin boy a pain potion before looking him over after he visibly winced at the light she had lit. Checking Theo over, Madam Pomfrey was obviously more concerned than she had been for Hermione. Her worry was mainly for the lack of feelings in his leg and his obvious headaches which she was now sure would likely follow him through life since nothing she seemed to do helped, except a really rather strong pain potion that Professor Snape was brewing specifically. The good news, she declared, was that his blood clot was now no longer a blood clot and basically all they were waiting for now was a specialized healer from St Mungo's to arrive and take a look at his leg. She hoped they would have some better answers and helpful ideas to get him back on his feet again. At Hermione's request, or rather, insistence, she gave Theo a sleeping draught that, combined with the pain potion, should knock him out for at least a day; though the last time she had said that it had barely lasted twelve hours before a migraine forced him awake.

Madam Pomfrey excused herself back to her office mumbling something about paperwork and chasing up healers after passing Theo's school bag to Hermione so the witch could go through their homework while he slept. When she left the room Hermione stared at Theo, watching him closely, waiting for him to drink down the sleeping draught and give in to exhaustion.

"Fine" he grumbled when he realized she wasn't giving up and swallowed the contents in one go before discarding the vial and glaring at the bushy haired witch in the next bed. "Happy now?" He moaned.

"Not really but it's a start" Hermione replied watching the effects of the potion take over him as he yawned and his eyes closed involuntarily.

"Bloody hell woman what can I do to make you happy?" He muttered in his sleepy state.

"Sleep" she replied with a smile.

"Mmhm" he answered inaudibly before he started snoring.

Hermione's smile grew a little wider at her small achievement and she pulled Theo's bag up ready to tackle their homework. After all, she needed to keep herself busy somehow if she was going to keep her promise.

oOoOoOo

A couple of hours and a Charms assignment later and Hermione had resorted to forcefully waking Draco. How he had slept through the mediwitch's half hourly checkups to apply more salve and redress her wounds she didn't know, but if he carried on sleeping he would be late for class, never-mind breakfast and she would be damned if he missed another day of school now that she was awake.

"Draco, wake up" she whispered, hoping Theo wouldn't hear and wake up instead.

Instead of answering, Draco moved closer to Hermione and snuggled his head deeper into her side while pulling the blanket up over his head.

Despite herself and the pain it caused to do so, Hermione laughed at his childish antics and pulled the blankets away. "Come on Love, classes start in an hour and you have to get changed and have breakfast first."

"Five more minutes" he pouted sleepily.

"No, now" she insisted.

"Urgh" he moaned as he pulled the blankets back over his head to shield out the light.

"Fine then. Have it your way. Go to classes dressed in the clothes you slept in all night, I'm sure nobody will notice"

"Okay okay, I'm up" Draco said as he pulled the blankets away and sat up, being careful not to knock Hermione in anyway or mess up her layout of homework. "What are you doing anyway?" He asked as he kissed her temple since she was far too deep in concentration with a quill hanging out of her mouth for a proper kiss.

"Homework" Hermione replied vaguely.

"Of course, how stupid of me" Draco joked sarcastically before getting out of the bed to stretch and give Hermione more room. He then pulled over a table for her to lean on better and grabbing her own bag of homework that she could be working on.

The pair spent the next ten minutes catching up, Hermione filled Draco in on the progress Madam Pomfrey had said she had made in her recovery, telling him that her stay in the hospital wing was now just precautionary for a while. Draco was happy and for the first time in a while he smiled a genuine smile, that is until Hermione continued and explained about Theo. When Draco realized he had spent so long in the same room as his best friend, literally within reaching distance of him and not noticing he wasn't sleeping, he cursed himself. He thanked Hermione for looking out for his friend until she glared at him and insisted he was her friend too then went on to explain the rest of Theo's issues. They were both concerned over the headaches and hoped that over time, and with less stress, they would dissipate to nothing, though they each knew the likelihood of him getting less stress any time soon was laughable. The leg though worried them more and though neither said so they were both concerned he may never walk again. Hermione sent Draco off with a list and clear instructions to visit the library as soon as he had the chance for healing books regarding both ailments. She figured that since she was stuck in bed she may as well make use of her time and try to find a way to help her friend.

oOoOoOo

Draco made it to the great hall in time for breakfast much to the surprise of practically the entire table of his house mates. He sat himself down in his regular seat next to Blaise in such a way so that he had a perfect view of the Gryffindor table and could keep an eye on Harry Potter. Draco absent-mindedly plated his food up and began eating without paying much attention to what he was putting in his mouth, too busy glaring at the Chosen One across the hall when, from a few seats down the bench where the majority of the Slytherin Quidditch team regularly sat he heard the voice of Cassius Warrington, current team captain, pipe up. "Oi, Malfoy" he shouted as he threw a stale piece of toast Draco's way.

Draco turned to Cassius' direction, catching the toast before it had the chance to land in Pansy's porridge. He shook his head at the older boy for his immature behaviour and glared at him "yes?" He asked impatiently when it became obvious that the other boy didn't understand the full concept of the Malfoy glare.

"Where were you on Saturday, we had a game! In fact, you missed Friday's practice session too" Cassius shouted down the table.

"Busy, I'm sure you've heard the rumours." Draco answered as he took a sip of his pumpkin juice.

"Busy? That's all you've got to say for yourself? We lost the game without you. We don't know if you're coming or going anymore and to be honest mate it's making practising pretty hard" Cassius said lowering his tone slightly so that only their section of the table could hear what was going on.

"Well why don't I make it easy for you then Warrington, I quit" Draco replied as he he stood up and collected his bag, ready to head to his first class of the day.

It wasn't just Cassius that was spluttering on his words or juice, the rest of the team, and the Slytherin's who had been within hearing distance were all choking on mouthfuls of breakfast food at Draco's revelation. After all, he had worked hard throughout the summer holidays between first and second year, telling his father all about Harry Potter being on the house team and could he please just buy his heir and only child's way in so that he could be on the team and beat the boy-who-lived and prove to everyone he was better than him, because he was better, oh also I need a better broom. Everyone knew that story, even the first years knew that story.

Draco walked out of the great hall without looking back at his classmates; Holding his head high he actually felt like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that he had one less thing to stress over and take up more time that he didn't really have. He actually smiled as he headed to Charms. It was a small smile but a smile nonetheless. His girlfriend was awake and on the road to recovery, their Potions assignment was nearly over and with it the Easter holidays right around the corner. Sure, he still had plenty to worry about too; Theo was his main issue at the minute, but he also had the small tasks of killing his headmaster and the being a death eater thing, but right now, he was taking what silver linings he could.

With the morning classes over and a free period before lunch Draco headed to the library with Hermione's list in one hand and dragging Blaise behind him with the other. He had spent the majority of the previous class, History of Magic, filling his friend in on Hermione and Theo and why he had quit Quidditch when it was literally his favourite thing in the world, according to Blaise. When Draco turned and looked his friend in the eye and said, without skipping a beat, that his new favourite thing in the world was watching Hermione orgasm around him, that Quidditch didn't even come close to comparing to that feeling, Blaise's eyes widened slightly. He replied with "I always knew she would be a dirty little whore in the bedroom" with his biggest, most deviant smirk he had in his arsenal. Draco had punched him in the shoulder to dispel of any images his friend might be conjuring up in his head involving his girlfriend. After that, Draco decided that for payback Blaise would accompany him to the library, figuring that with both of them looking for the (rather large) list of books they might actually be done in time to drop them off to Hermione before lunch.

In the library Draco and Blaise headed straight for the section Hermione had mentioned. Draco had never paid attention enough to know that Hogwarts even offered healing books, never-mind a whole section dedicated to them. There were tomes upon tomes of books and what looked like ancient diaries all in the name of healing. It was obvious that Hermione had spent quite a bit of time in this particular section of the library since she seemed to know exactly what she was looking for. Draco and Blaise browsed through, section by section. First they went through the section on regular healing, putting four books aside before moving into the specialized sections and picking out the titles Hermione had instructed. By the time they reached the Medicinal Herbology section they already had nine books, two of which the boys had picked themselves which they thought might be helpful.

As Draco neared the end of the aisle, focused on the book titles and skimming for a specific one, he heard heated voices from behind the bookshelf. Ignoring it in favour of hurrying up he carried on through the shelves intent on finishing off the list and getting the books to Hermione.

"-and look at the state of you, you can't even dress yourself properly, it's actually laughable. Didn't mummy ever teach you to wear shoes?"

"My mother passed when I was young" he heard a calm and serene voice reply back. A voice he had come to know pretty well after the past few days, the voice of a girl he knew would help literally anyone, any time. The voice of a girl that had helped him despite knowing who he was, what he was. Stopping what he was doing Draco silently waved Blaise over and both boys listened in closer, intent on seeing how far things went.

"Aww Loony has no mummy such a shame" the voice mocked, he was sure he knew that voice too.

"Though it really does answer a lot of questions. Like why you always wear radishes in your ears" another voice added.

"Actually, they're not radishes though I do see the confusion. They're dirigible plums"

"Whatever. Radishes or plums, whatever they are are hardly suitable ear wear"

"They ward off bad spirits and energy. Actually, I think you could really use a pair because your aura is getting a darker shade every time I see you. Red really isn't a good look on you. I can make you a pair if you like, all of you" Luna replied and Draco could just feel the smile on the younger girl's lips.

"The only bad spirit around here is you, Loony. You don't get it do you? Nobody likes you. Nobody wants to hang out with you or sit next to you in class or at meals. -"

"That's Chang" Blaise whispered.

"-You have no friends. You'll never have a boyfriend. I mean, look at you, look. You're a mess. Even make-up wouldn't fix that face. You're-"

Draco had had enough; he couldn't listen to Luna being spoken to like that anymore. He rounded the corner on the scene, shocked to see that Cho Chang along with Marietta Edgecombe had a group of Ravenclaw's trailing behind them, all agreeing with everything the two girls were saying about their own house-mate. Some were even in Luna's year by the looks of it. "Well, well, well, what have we here?" He asked as he leaned against a book shelf pretending to be amused at what he had happened upon. Blaise, following suit, pretended to inspect his immaculate nails.

"Piss off Malfoy, this doesn't concern you" Cho said with a snarl.

"Aww like I would do what you say. You, the dirt on my shoe"

"You know, I'm team captain, I can make your Quidditch life and career a living hell" she threatened.

Draco laughed, the idea that someone like her who didn't have his family name and fortune to help her in life could actually ruin anything for him was rather hilarious. "I'd pay galleons to see you try. So I take it it's your time of the month or something? Are you lot all synced up? Is that something bookworms do as soon as you get handed your room assignments? Or are you just always this much of a bitch and I just never noticed it before?" He asked as he drummed his fingers along a book he had picked up, pretending to be interested in the title.

"Like you're one to talk" Marietta hissed back.

"Well for one, we wouldn't turn on our own house-mate's, would we Zabini?"

"Huh?" Blaise asked, still feigning interest.

"These bitches are bullying their own house-mate and they're trying to say we're no better" Draco repeated in an almost bored tone.

"We might be snakes but we huddle together for warmth. We look out for our own. We certainly wouldn't cast someone aside just because they might be a little bit different." Blaise said as his harsh stare met Cho's.

"A little bit different? Have you even looked at her?" She asked in shock.

"It's part of her appeal. She's not like the rest of you bimbos. Well, that's what her boyfriend said anyway."

"Did you just call me a... boyfriend?! What? Well you got me there" she said as she laughed at the Slytherin boys, clearly thinking this was all some sort of prank.

Draco stood up straight and walked over to Luna "You okay Luna?" He asked softly.

"I'm fine Draco" she smiled "I'm used to it now anyway." She replied with a sad sigh.

Cho and Marietta stopped their laughing abruptly and looked to one another then back at Luna and Draco, the realization that neither of the Slytherin's were joking dawning on them.

"You know she believes nargles exist!" Cho almost shouted as she tried to turn things around.

"I know. And Wrackspurts and dimple-bottomed-forget-me-nots" Draco said smiling fondly at the witch beside him.

"She's mental, definitely a few cauldrons short of a potions lab" she said to a round of laughter from her friends.

Draco looked up at the group of girls "Why's that?" He asked curiously.

"Because she's the only one who's ever seen them. I've never seen them. Nobody I know has seen them. Everyone knows they're not real" she laughed.

"Is that so? Tell me Chang, Edgecombe, do you believe Harry Potter?" He asked almost wickedly.

"Excuse me?" Marietta asked, clearly confused.

"Do you believe Potter? Do you believe Voldemort is back?"

"Wh-what?" Cho stuttered.

"It's a fairly simple question. Do you believe he's back? Last year you were both a part of the DA and hardly anybody believed he was back but you had to or you wouldn't have wasted so much time sneaking about and learning defence." He said firmly.

"Well, yes. Yes, I do." She answered.

"What about you, Edgecombe? Do you think he's back?"

"Y-yes" she answered nervously.

"Right. So, have either of you seen him. With your own eyes I mean?"

"Well no, not exactly" Cho trailed.

Draco turned his attention to Marietta. "No" she almost whispered in reply.

"So how do you know that he's back? By your logic, seeing is believing. Apparently." He said with a roll of his eyes.

"We just know okay?" Cho said, mustering up her courage.

"Great. And Luna just knows that nargles exist. Is anyone belittling your belief? No? Then why are you belittling hers? Do you know, I've never been more proud to be a Slytherin. There's something seriously wrong when you cast your own aside because she's a bit different. Especially in a house that values individuality and wit and whatever" he ranted. "Are these the girls who have been taking your shoes? I heard you the other night you know" he said as he looked down at her feet "Luna, where are your shoes?" He demanded. "Merlin, it's a bloody good job Theo isn't here to see this."

Luna looked up at Cho, Marietta and their group of sheep before turning to Draco "I'm not entirely sure" she answered.

"This has gone too fucking far. Chang, Edgecombe, I swear to Salazar if Luna doesn't have EVERY single one of her possessions back within the hour I will make your life hell and don't think I can't. And if I so much as even suspect you're bullying her again I will make you think your only option is to hide in the muggle world and then I will find you and make that life hell too. Trust me, it's better than what her boyfriend would do." He spat as he stood inches from their faces, his mouth twisted into an evil snarl. "You'll never be half the woman she is" he growled before grabbing Luna's arm and walking away. "Oh, and Edgecombe?" He called to the girls as they started to hurriedly leave the library. Marietta turned back hesitantly "your scars spell something, did you know?" He said with a smirk as he pointed to her head and remembered a story Hermione had told him. Marietta's hands flew to her head and mouth and she squeaked loudly before running back down the aisles.

Draco and Blaise waited for the group of girls to leave before turning their attentions to Luna. "Are you okay?" Blaise asked gently.

"Yes. I'm okay. It's okay. You didn't have to do that." She answered as she gave each of the boys a hug albeit awkward hugs.

"We stick up for our own and you're Theo's girl so that includes you" Blaise replied with a smile as he moved back to the bookshelf and began looking for the last of the books on the list.

"He's right you know. Besides you don't deserve that. You really are the purest person I've ever met. Come on, help us find some books Hermione sent me down for" Draco said as he dragged her towards the Medicinal Herbology section.

"Hermione's awake?" Luna asked excitedly with a huge grin on her face.

"Oh shit" Draco muttered to himself before explaining the events of the night before after she and Ginny had left once curfew was up. Once Luna was clued in she explained to the boys about her passion for healing and how she was fascinated with medical Herbology. She helped them find the tomes Hermione had asked for and added another to the pile herself before the three of them walked to the hospital wing to drop them off before lunch.