Chapter 25

After his breakdown Aries focused on school like Albus said and time seemed to fly. Soon enough it was dinner and without the distraction of class his mind began to swirl back to finding and punishing the person who hurt his sister. Albus had already left to go work on his homework in the library but Aries wasn't ready to leave the great hall just yet. He thought of the girls and how they went out of their way to disgrace and humiliate Gemini or the guy she hit at the welcome banquet but beating her up to such extreme seemed unlikely for people so close to his age. He glared at the Slytherin table scanning their faces trying to get something. All of the students just acted normal as they talked with one another.

Aries tapped his fork against his plate as his mind whirled. Maybe it was an older student who had an issue with her. Like a 7th year or something but that didn't make sense either because they wouldn't even know her. His tapping increased as his frustration continued to rise. There had to be something that led to this. Some bigger plot that needed Gemini out of the way, hell maybe that other Slytherin girl as well but why? They were both first years but so were a lot of other students and so far it was just those two who had been injured. Could they be connected? But HOW?!

"ARIES! Seriously knock it off!" James bellowed grabbing the fork from Aries hand and slamming it down on the table.

Aries jumped slightly at the sudden re-emergence into the real world and shook his head to clear it.

"Sorry. I didn't realize…my mind ugh." Aries rested his head in his hands.

"It's alright. I know what happened to Gem has you on edge, but you need to relax already." James scoffed settling back into his seat.

"I need to relax?" Aries asked in a very calm and controlled voice.

"Yea. I mean she's in the hospital wing its not like anything else is going to happen or there's anything else you can do so just let Pomphrey do her job and focus on something else. It'll all work itself out," James responded nonchalantly.

"That is my sister you PRICK! I need to relax? She's in the hospital wing and they don't know when she's going to wake up. RELAX?! What if it was Lilly laying in that hospital bed? Would you just relax and go on living your everyday life like nothing was wrong? Would you just sit here cracking jokes and planning meaningless pranks with the person or people responsible were still out there? Please tell me, oh wise one, how am I supposed to act knowing someone could have killed my sister and I couldn't do anything to stop it or even find them now! So, you know what James, you can take your crap advice and shove it where the sun don't shine!" Aries bellowed and stormed of the suddenly silent great hall to go visit his sister.

James just stared after him with a complete loss for words. A lump had formed is his throat when Aries had asked him if it had been Lilly. The images those words stirred inside of James's minds were too horrifying to fully comprehend. Forcing himself to shove down the wave of sympathy that was building inside of him James scowled and directed all his frustration at the accusatory gazes that the rest of the student body were directing at him.

"Get a life gawkers!" He growled before storming out of the great hall himself.

Hermione busied herself with plumping Gemini's pillow and fretting about whether she had enough blankets. Anything was better than making this decision. Hermione gazed down at her daughter and brushed her hair away from Gemini's face as she had done countless times before.

"Ms. Granger? I need to come with me for a moment," McGonagall's voice calls from the entry way.

"Not right now Professor. I-I can't just leave her here alone. What if she wakes up?" Hermione responded with a small sob.

"I haven't been your professor for many many years Hermione. Now come along it's important and shouldn't take very long. Pomphrey needs to check her over anyway." McGonagall replied.

"Just for a few moments." Hermione conceded rising from her chair and striding out of the hospital wing.

There in the hallway stood a very nervous Draco. He ran his hand through his hair, ruffling its usual perfect order into messy disarray.

"Hey," He said sheepishly while avoiding her eyes.

"Why are you here Draco? Why is he here Professor," Hermione asked whirling on McGonagall.

"I'm here to see Gemini," Draco responded before McGonagall could even open her mouth.

"That's rich. You're here to see my daughter right as I have to make an impossible decision. Tell me again Draco how you are so different from your father. God! How do I know you didn't somehow manipulate this whole thing so you could just come swooping in as my white knight? Huh?" Hermione glared at him all her pain and frustration manifesting and launching itself straight at the easiest target as she stalked towards him, hurling her words in front of her like lightning bolts. "I mean it's not like you wanted anything to do with me or them for the past 11 years but now right after you find out about them MY DAUGHTER is laying in a hospital bed and the best option for finding out what happened to her could take her away from me forever. But wait this is the part where you step in and can miraculously fix everything right? Just a simple wave of your wand and you'll instantly know what monster would hurt an 11-year-old girl so badly that she may not wake up. Well go one tell me!"

Hermione shoved Draco as the last words left her lips and he took it. She pushed him again and then started to swing her fists against his chest over and over again. Draco just stood there silent and let her get it all out and after the pain started edge towards unbearable Hermione's fists stilled against his chest and her body began to shake. Knowing just what to do Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her more firmly against him.

"You have every right to be suspicious, but I have no idea what happened, and I unquestionably had nothing to do with it. I would never hurt either of our kids." Draco murmured into her hair. "All I want is to see her. There's no harm right now. She won't know anything you aren't ready to tell her. I'm not asking you to introduce me to her or her brother, but Hermione I do want to see for myself what happened. I need to so that maybe I can help. I can't even look at her medical file without your permission. I want to help. Please let me help."

Hermione found herself locked in an internal battle. Draco was one of the smartest men she had ever met in her life which meant there was a chance that he could, possibly, find a way to help her figure out what happened without risking Gemini's mind but on the other hand this whole thing reeked of a Malfoy plot. Could she really do this? Draco was offering to stay in the shadows for now but how long will that last? No, she couldn't risk having him in their lives right now. It was too dangerous with Lucius out.

"Draco I know you want to help but-no I'm sorry but not right now. Someday but not when she's laying in a hospital bed." Hermione replied pulling away from him and wiping away her tears as she headed back towards the hospital wing.

"Hermione you just said that right now you are stuck with a choice that could cost you Gemini. How can you look at my offer to help and throw it out the window? Maybe there is another option but if I don't at least see her records I can't get the full picture. You know how this research works! She's my daughter too! Yes, I wasn't there for 11 years, yes I left you to raise to kids all on your own, but you know what Hermione that isn't all on me! You never told me that they even existed! So please get off that high horse you think you have the right to and look at your options. Did I come here demanding to be a part of either of OUR children's lives? No! I asked to please see the daughter I didn't even know I had so that I can stop imagining the worst-case scenarios and HELP you!" Draco snapped grabbing Hermione's arm and forcing her to look at him.

"Mom?" At Aries's voice both Hermione whipped around.

Aries just stared at his mom and the guy, Draco, who was holding her in a shock. Their words swirled in his head. Our kids. The guy said our kids. Suddenly unfrozen all he could think was that he needed to get away, so he ran. He could hear his mother calling after him, but it only caused him to run faster. Our kids. Draco Malfoy was his father.

Aries knows. What will happen now? Also quick question: who is/are your favorite character/s so far? Want to get another chapter this weekend? Give me 3 reviews and I might be persuaded. Lots of love Jatzo girl