Chapter 26 The Sun
Hermione's scream pierced the darkness as she came upon the violent scene. She called out to Harry who was currently in a crumpled mass on the ground, unconscious and bleeding from his head.
As she ran over to her fallen friend she caught a quick movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned, now fully taking in her surroundings she saw a dark man heading quickly off for the gates, with someone in tow. The gleam of a blonde head bobbled helplessly through the night.
"STOP!" She cried, failing to garner his attention as he made his way swiftly to the exit. "STUPEFY!" She cried out again, her spell failing to land on the wayward professor. At this he did stop, to smirk at the furious girl.
"This school is full of foolhardy teenagers isn't it? I doubt you'll be able to put up much of a fight." He drawled easily laughing off her anger.
"I m-might be more of a challenge than you realize" Hermione bit back, trying to keep the dread that coursed her veins hidden under her brave words. She glanced around nervously, her eyes settling somewhere in the twilight.
"To frightened to even look me in the face. Pff. Pathetic. Just like you FRIENDS!" He growled at her, not wanting to admit his frustration at her attempts to waylay him.
She tried to control her emotions but images of Harry's motionless figure, bloodied and beaten flooded her mind unbidden and incensed her.
"YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HARRY" She vowed with a fire she was unaware she possessed as she thew a stunning curse toward the vile man.
"GIVE IT UP ALREADY," He raged, his temper rapidly escalating. "I am running out of time to deal with you insolent children! CRUC-"
Immediately the professor's body was engulfed in a terrible burning pain that brought him instantly to his knees. He struggled to free himself from the searing agony but was unable to move his arms or legs.
"I THINK NOT!" Headmistress McGonagall shouted, her face white with rage.
"What is this! What have you done to me! WITCH!" the vampire cried as he writhed in the intense pain of the enchanted chains the Headmistress had bound him in.
"Just a little something designed to weaken you kind! I worked on its design myself along with the late Headmaster Snape. You'll find you will be sitting tight until the Aurors arrive, Mr. Albatross." The headmistress said with a sneer to the imprisoned man who bucked against his confines beneath her.
"Hermione, get Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy to Madam Pomphrey as quickly as possible and assist her with anything she needs. You're excused from your classes and other duties for tomorrow, just ensure that these boys are taken care of. Go." She commanded in a stern, urgent voice as she returned to watching the vampire moaning in pain.
Hermione nodded quickly at the headmistress then quickly set off to collect the injured boys. Thanking Merlin for the mediwitch training she'd been receiving she stopped the bleeding for both boys and ran a diagnostic spell on each. Both had a range of minor to somewhat serious injuries and Harry had a terrible concussion that would need to be taken care of but both were movable so she cast the necessary spells to levitate them over to the Hospital Wing.
Soft morning light was the first thing Draco saw when he opened his eyes the next morning. It stung his eyes causing him to recoil deeply into his sheets. After giving his eyes a few minutes to adjust he slowly lowered the sheet from his head again. This time the burn was brief, and Draco too the opportunity to take in the room.
Oh great. I'm in the hospital wing. Did I...? Draco glanced down at this arms to find no trace of injury. Desperately he grasped at wisps of memory that faded in and out. That's right, Adrian healed me when we met up under my tree. But how did I end up here?
His hazy recollecting was interrupted however by the appearance of Madam Pomphrey.
"Good to see you awake," She said with such gentle warmth that it took Draco by surprise. "How are you feeling?"
"I … uhm," He replied, tongue tied and a bit confused.
"That's alright dear, I imagine you are a bit disoriented. Part of the after effects, I'm afraid." She went on as she ran some follow up diagnostic spells and prepared a few potions for the boy.
"After effects?" He mumbled as flashes of Adrian meeting him sometime at night flitted through his head. Had they gone somewhere?
"Of breaking the vampire's bond, mostly, although you took a nasty hit to the head, so I wouldn't be too surprised if you have a hard time remembering last night even after some time has passed. Open up." She instructed handing him a suspicious looking green vial. Dutifully he swallowed the concoction, surprised by the light honey flower taste of it.
"And this one," she said handing him another, this time a bright pink color.
"Vampire's bond? What do you mean by that?" Draco inquired, sitting up now, his interest piqued.
"Oh yes, unfortunately you seemed to be particularly...deeply bonded to out little intruder," She explained, raising her eyebrows towards the rapt teen. "I must be frank with you, the next few weeks will be difficult. Bonding with vampires is tricky business, even trickier business is breaking those bonds. The side effects will be unpleasant, much like the withdrawal that potions addicts experience when they quit." She said in that no-nonsense tone that teachers are so fond of. Softening her voice she lowered her eyes to meet his. "Draco, bonding with a vampire is very dangerous. What were you thinking! You could have been killed, or worse."
The flaxen haired boy stayed silent, averting his gaze to study the threads in his sheet.
"We'll get you through this, together." She comforted, putting her hand lightly over his own.
"Harry!" He practically shouted, a image of Harry crumpled by the trees suddenly invading his mind. "Is he ok? Is he here?"
"Shh, now, he's here, he will be fine. Rest now," she said, pushing one final potion towards him. This one he recognized; dreamless sleep.