Chapter 12

The Following Morning

She was lying so still. He set down a bowl of warm water and a cloth. "Clean the blood up yourself, muggle lover," His aunt had spat at him before thrusting them into his hands. He took out his wand, but his hand was shaking too hard to bother with a scourgify. No mind. That often happened nowadays, and he was getting shockingly used to getting on without it. She whimpered and jerked under his hand as he pressed a warm cloth to the wound.

" Shh," He whispered, pressing her shoulder down with his free hand.

" Don't hurt me," she said in a tiny, tight voice, her eyes suddenly on his, wild and haunted. He wiped her tears with the cloth before setting back to the arm.

He didn't respond, trying to concentrate on his task. That was how he'd learned to get through these moments in between being locked in his rooms. The blood was pooled around her arm, so first he would wipe her arm clean, and then roll her away from the puddle. His aunt hadn't mentioned any spells that might have compromised Granger internally, but one never knew when a broken rib or arm might be discovered. The dark lord would want her as well as possible before torturing her himself.

She was crying, slow fat tears, but she choked on her sounds, " Don't hurt me."

" I'm going to lift up your arm and clean you up, okay, Granger," He said gruffly, noticing his throat was tight.

She whimpered, " Malfoy, please?"

He glanced at her face, " I won't hurt you, Granger, I couldn't."

" Why?" She whispered.

" The dark lord wants to question you," He responded, wiping around the wound. There were crisscrossing lines, it didn't seem to be a clean cut.

She sobbed, " Don't hurt me."
" If I couldn't kill Dumbledore, I'm too much of a coward to hurt you," He stated matter of factly, although the admitting of it felt like stabbing himself in the eye.

She cried, low keening sobs as he rinsed the blood from her arm. He felt sick when he saw what his aunt had cut into her, but there wasn't much he could do when he couldn't hold his wand properly.

" I'm so sorry, Granger, I need to move you. Can you-" He swallowed hard and realized belatedly that he was crying too, " Can you stand up?"

She was beyond reason, pressing her cheek hard against the cold marble floor and sobbing. He rolled her over on her side and mopped up the blood as best he could. As he washed, the water in the basin turned from pale pink to a violent translucent red.

He found numbly that he had been whispering "I'm sorry" in a mindless mantra, and now she was looking over her shoulder at him, her face a mask of fear and hatred. But there was nothing he could do, it kept coming out of him.

" Granger, I'm so sorry."

He woke with a gasp, pressing his hand to his throat. It was only a memory, a dream. A house elf stood with his hand frozen in midair.

" Ipsy was just going to wake Master Draco," She squeaked.

" I- I'm sorry Ipsy," He almost grimaced at having to say that again, " I was having a bad dream.

Ipsy set his breakfast tray down, " Forgotten already, Master Draco."

" What time is it?"

" Ten to eight," Ipsy spread a napkin on Draco's lap

" Stop fussing with me, I'm a grown man," Draco began spreading marmalade on his toast.

" Ispy will stop fussing over Master Draco when Master Draco has a child for Ipsy to fuss over," She began stoking the fireplace.

Draco almost told her not to hold her breath, " I'll take it into consideration. Don't start a fire, I'll only be here another minute or two."

" Mistress sent a note to the ministry telling them you needed to rest today."

Draco sat up, almost upturning his tray, " She did not! They'll think I'm at that bloody protest! Mother!" He called out, to no avail.

" She's gone to Azkaban to visit your father."

" Merlin, why?"

" It's their anniversary, Master Draco," Ipsy explained.

" No wonder I'm having such bad luck," He growled, " I'm to take the morning off for that bloody appointment, I can't afford to not go into work."

Ipsy would never have a condescending tone, but Draco knew when he was being spoken down to, " I believe she hoped you would consider it a day off to re-evaluate your choices."

" If she wanted me to go to the protest, she could have bloody well said," He set his tray aside and started for his wardrobe.

" Master, where are you going," Ipsy called.

" I am going to go to work. And maybe afterwards I'll go to Azkaban and spit in my father's face," He said through gritted teeth.

The lobby of the ministry was packed with workers and protesters alike. Draco tried to push his way through a gaggle of tittering girls with signs that read ' Marriage Law is Malicious' and 'Choices not Charms.' But they ignored him in favor of Potter, who was speaking from a makeshift platform.

" Making this a law, makes marrying a punishment!" His voice echoed through the hall, courtesy of a sonorous charm, "The day I married my beautiful wife was the happiest day of my life, and no one, no matter how much power they have, should have the right to take that from anyone!"

Draco growled at the back of a young woman's head and she startled, moving to the side.

"Draco!" Someone called. He whipped his head around. It was Blaise, with a cup of to-go coffee in his hand, " Glad you made it, Mate."

The young woman gave him a dirty look.

" I didn't I'm on my way to work."

" Oh come on, Mate," Blaise said with a grin, " It's the hottest spot in town. Birds and Blokes for miles. I'm like a kid in a candy shop."

" I have to take off work for the bloody charm appointment, I can't miss another day," He responded, narrowly missing the shoulder of an enormous man in a kilt who was looking down at him with a sneer.

" Granger's got you on a tight leash, eh?"

" Keep your bloody voice down, okay?" Draco growled, " No one knows about that. And if I was on a short leash, I'd be here wouldn't I?" He glanced up at the platform, where Granger was handing out flyers to Ministry workers walking by.

" My wife and I didn't get married because a law or a charm told us to, we got married because we loved each other! And the ministry can't tell us who to love!" Potter's voice rang out over the crowd and they roared in agreement.

Draco smirked up at Potter. Shows what you know.
" Draco!" Someone tapped gently on his shoulder. He spun around. Luna stood there in a hoodie and jeans, and earrings in the shape of two tiny globes, charmed to spin lazily.

" Lovegood! Don't tell me you took off work for this!" He exclaimed.

" Well how do you do," She responded airily, " Yes, of course I'm here, Draco! I'm interviewing Harry for the Quibbler. Do you need a sign?" She motioned over the Weaselette, who was handing out large posters emblazoned with a variety of slogans.

She looked over and frowned when she saw that it was him. You know, if people persist in doing that, I may consider taking it personally, He thought with a smirk.

" Luna, how are you!" She came over.

" I'm fine," Luna said breezily, " But Draco needs a sign."

" I don't!" He corrected.

" Malfoy. How are you," The redhead said with strained politeness.

" I'm well, Weasley," He nodded, " And you?"

" It's Potter now," She said with an overly sweet smile, glancing up at Blaise, " And I'm surprised you're so cheerful, considering how overwrought Hermione was last night because of your fight."

Luna gasped, " What did you do to Hermione?"

" She overreacts," He grunted.

" I'd appreciate if you would just leave her alone, Malfoy," the Weaselette said.

" I didn't do anything to her, Okay Potter," He said defensively, " And will you keep your voice down? I doubt Granger wants anyone to find out that she's even on speaking terms with me."

" I don't believe it was your fault, but I'm sure you did something to provoke the argument, Malfoy," She hissed.

" You want to know what I did?" He clenched his fist, " I made her laugh. I made her laugh and so the first thing I said that she didn't like put my head on the chopping block. She tell you that?"

The redhead was nonplussed. She looked at him with wide, confused blue eyes.

" Now if you'll excuse me, all of you, I have to get to work so I don't lose my job," He growled, turning on his heel and brushing past.