Chapter Nine
Draco had joined Hermione at the hospital on Saturday and actually enjoyed putting smiles on the children's faces. They returned to Hermione's flat five minutes before Blaise and Oliver arrived with dinner.
Draco left for his flat when Blaise and Oliver left, ridiculously early Sunday morning.
Hermione walked into the office on Monday morning, surprised that Draco wasn't already in. Poking her head out of the door,
"Is Mr Malfoy running late?" Hermione asked Alice,
"I'm not sure, there is nothing in his diary for this morning, maybe he's doing a half day?" the woman smiled back at her,
"Ok" Hermione said closing the door and moving back to her desk, unable to stop the feeling in the pit of her stomach.
When eleven o'clock rolled round and she hadn't heard anything, she couldn't hide the panic,
"Miss Granger" Her client asked again
"I'm so sorry, I would concentrate on the initial charge, because if the case is dropped are dropped we can come back at him with the second charge because of double Jeopardy" Hermione explained, "the hearing is due to start next Wednesday, we will give the defendant the chance to take the plea, if not we will be given the date for a full case" she smiled, "Do you have any further questions?" she smiled,
"No, thank you, and we will see you Wednesday" the client shook Hermione's hand before leaving.
Hermione returned to the office hoping that Draco may have shown up during her meeting. But the office was empty,
"Still no Draco?" Hermione asked Alice, who shook her head. Returning to her desk she pulled her mobile from her bag and called Blaise's number.
He answered after the second ring.
"Hello beautiful" she heard his voice,
"Blaise, Draco hasn't come to work" she said,
"Maybe he's playing Hookie" Blaise laughed,
"No, he tells me if he's taking a day off so I can have his appointments candled. Blaise I'm worried, have you heard from him since yesterday?" she asked,
"Hermione, I'm sure…" Blaise began,
"Please, just give me his address. I just want to make sure he's ok after what happened Friday"
"Ok Hermione, are you at the office?" he sighed,
"Yeah"
"I'll come and pick you up and take you to his flat" Blaise said hanging up.
Hermione grabbed her back and left the office asking Alice to cancel and rebook her last client and to cancel Draco's. Then told her she would update her on Draco's position before close of business.
Blaise met Hermione in the foyer before disapparating outside a tall building,
"Do you want me to come in with you" he asked,
"No I should be ok" she smiled, "Thanks Blaise" she said giving him a hub before stepping into the entrance and making her way to the lift,
When she entered she pressed the button to the pent-house,
"State your name and purpose of visit" the lift said as the doors closed,
"Um Hermione Granger, and a wellbeing check on Draco Malfoy" the lift began to move up. When the lift opened she stepped out into a large lounge, one that could probably fit her whole apartment in. "Draco" she called out as she kicked off her heals and ventured deeper into the apartment, "Draco, its Hermione" she called, pushing open one of the doors that lead to a bedroom, but it was empty. "Draco" she called again moving to another door along the hall "Draco"
Hermione pushed the door open to find Draco unconscious on the floor, running to his side she knelt down beside him,
"Oh my god Draco" she said brushing his hair from his face, his eyes flickering open revealing blood-shot eyes, "What happened" she said looking him over, his chest wounds were open again and weeping he was covered in even more bruises and cuts,
"Her" he mumbled,
"What happened to you?" she asked,
"He…was…" he tried to lift his arm to touch her, but let out a cry of pain
"Your father?" she asked placing a hand on his cheek, he nodded closing his eyes and turning into her palm, "its ok, I'm here I'll get you fixed up, do you have a first aid kit?" she asked,
"Bathroom" he whispered, "Two doors down" he groaned,
"I'll be right back don't move" she said getting to her feet and running to the bathroom, digging through the cabinet, she pulled out several potions and lotions placing them on a towel and scooping them all up and returning to Draco who was trying to sit up, "I said don't move" she sighed, "Where is your wand?" she asked,
"On the" he groaned out, "table "
Hermione got up and grabbed his wand,
"Draco, this may hurt" she said pointing his own wand at him, and with a flick of the wand Draco was levitated up and onto the bed, as he moved he let out a cry of pain, "I'm sorry" she kept repeating until she settled him on top of the blankets, "I'm going to spell your clothes away so I can see the damage" she explained. Draco nodded weakly,
Hermione spent the next hour checking Draco's body for every cut, bruise and broken bone and forcing potions down his throat.
"How are you feeling?" she asked pulling a blanket over his body,
"Like crap" he sighed, "how did you…" he asked,
"When you didn't show up I asked, Blaise to bring me here, just to make sure you were ok?"
"He was waiting for me" Draco said, the pain potions finally beginning to take the edge off,
"He tried to get me to give him your address" he sighed, reaching for her hand, "I wouldn't be surprised if he will be outside the office waiting for you this evening"
"Well, I'm glad I left early and with Blaise" she sighed letting him take her hand.
"Thank you for coming" he said giving her hand a squeeze
"When was the last time you ate" she smiled down at him.
"Um, what day is it" he asked,
"Monday" she said,
"Then it was the Chinese on Saturday" he said,
"Right I will go and make you some soup" she said "Try and get some sleep"
"Maybe" he mumbled closing his eyes as Hermione stepped out of the room.
Hermione lent against the counter fumbling with her mobile while the soup heated up.
Hermione: Can you and Oliver come over and stay with me at Draco's?
Blaise: No problem, I'm just at the shop, I'll swing past and get Oliver. IS Draco OK?
Hermione: Not really, I'll explain when you get here x Thanks
Hermione placed her phone on the counter and started exploring the cupboards in search of bowls and treys.
She was just scooping the soup into bowls when she heard the lift approaching. Holding her breath and freezing mid scoop she listened,
"Hermione? Draco?" she hear Oliver's voice,
"Thank god" she breathed out, "In the kitchen"
"Hey hun, what is going on?" Oliver asked putting an arm around her,
"His dad was waiting here when he got home" she said her whole body shaking,
"IS he ok?" Blaise asked,
"I've patched up what I can, but I'm not a healer and I don't know who I can trust if I take him to St. Mungo's. I even considered taking him to a muggle hospital but I don't know what Lucious used on him if the wounds are caused by curses they would never be able to stop the bleeding"
"It's ok Hermione, breath" Oliver said rubbing her back,
"Is this for him?" Blaise asked, Hermione nodded, "In his room?"
"I think so, the second door on the left" she whispered,
"Right I'll take this in to him," Blaise said,
"And we'll get you a bowl, it will make you feel better" Oliver smiled, taking the ladle and filling another bowl, "GO on go sit at the table I'll bring it over" Oliver smiled at the younger woman,
"Thanks Olli" she smiled weakly,
"Knock, Knock" Blaise called out as he pushed the door open,
"Blaise?" Draco lifted his head a little,
"Yeah it's me, Hermione asked us to come and stay, I think she is worried that your father will come back" he said placing the tray on the bed, "You need a hand sitting up"
"Please" Draco sighed, Blaise offered Draco a hand so he could pull himself up,
"Now tell me, what the hell happened, how did he get in?"
"I don't know, he surprised me, I tried to fight back, pretty sure I broke his fucking nose before he knocked me out" Draco sighed, "He wanted Hermione's address, I assume he didn't know that mum had been to her house already otherwise I think that Hermione would have disappeared sometime yesterday and I assume he's probably scoping the office out right now, waiting for Hermione to finish" Draco sighed, dipping the bread into the soup,
"Maybe I shouldn't have brought her into the company, I mean she has been brilliant and the clients love her but my father has it out for her" Draco winched as he reached for the spoon,
"Hermione wants to take you to the hospital" Blaise said, "She's worried you may have injuries that she can't see or heal"
"No, I'm fine here" Draco said, "And Hermione has to stay so I can look after her" Draco said,
"Really, you are in no state to look after anyone, but if it makes you feel better she intends to stay because she asked me and Olli to come and stay too"
"NO Orgies with my girl" Draco smirked
"Ollie would rather you join us than her" Blaise laughed
"Sorry far too many cocks in that party" Draco chuckled, "Ouch"
"Blaise," Oliver's voice came from the hall,
"Yes love," Blaise called as Oliver pushed the door open, "I'm gonna pop out and get more supplies, Hermione said she practically cleared his cabinets out and he is going to need more" he said,
"No I don't want you going out" Blaise said walking over to his lover,
"Well, either I go or Hermione does, and since his father has it out for Hermione, I think it must be me" Oliver reasoned, Blaise rolled his eyes,
"Oliver come here" Draco said "Give me your hand" Oliver did as he was told and took the blonds hand, there was a low glow around them and then it disappeared, "You can now Apparate in and out of here so you don't need to risk bumping into my father if he is waiting outside." Draco said, he looked a little paler than before but returned to his soup as if nothing happened,
"I'll get them to charge your fathers accounts" Oliver smirked,
"Too fucking right" Draco smirked back,
"What are you three up too, Draco is supposed to be resting" Hermione said as he joined Oliver in the door way
"Just talking about all the Orgies we're gonna have" Blaise laughed,
"Right I'll leave you too it" Oliver laughed turning on the spot and disappearing.
"You are stark raving mad Blaise" Hermione rolled her eyes,
"But you love me anyway" He smirked, "You feel better now you have eaten lunch" He asked, Hermione nodded,
"I just rang work and told Alice to cancel our meetings for the week and for her to take the rest of the week pain" she yawned,
"That's fine, thank you 'Mione," Draco smiled, "Right what shall we do? To kill time until Oliver comes back?"
"I told you Orgies" Blaise said waggling his eyebrows
"As I told you back in school Blaise, I don't share" Draco smirked as Hermione took the tray of his lap,
"You two have fun with that" Hermione laughed,
"You two are no fun" Blaise sulked,