Phoenix

"Draco wait… I'll tell you everything." Hermione's voice froze me in my spot. It was time for answers.

I turned around staring into Hermione's beautiful brown eyes as they pleaded with me to listen to her. I felt a shake in my throbbing hand as the images of everything that had happened flashed through my burning mind. My heart was thumping ferociously in my chest, I needed this to make sense. There was a moment of silence as she reached forward, and her fingers gently traced my hand sending an electric feeling up my arm. I pulled my hand back watching as her heart sank and she looked down at the floor.

"Go on then, explain." I snapped trying to hide the crack in my voice. My heart was aching, and I just needed her to rip off the band-aid and let me walk away. Hermione's wide eyes stared at me once more before her eyes rolled back into her head and she flopped towards the floor. Jumping forward I caught her limp body just before she hit the ground. Lifting her bridal style, I made my way towards the hospital wing taking note of her pale skin as I carried her.

My mind whirred needing her to be ok. Was it my fault? Had she passed out because of the stress I caused her? She was still healing after everything. My mind was going round in circles, but my feet carried me where we needed to go. Before long I was resting her down on a bed in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey was checking her over.

"What happened to her?" She barked quickly as she performed a spell checking her for injuries.

"She just passed out." I mumbled stepping back from the bed and letting her work.

"Be careful with her." Blaise's voice caused fury to flood through me as I spun around to see him entering the hospital wing, still clutching his nose. Madam Pomfrey glanced up and looked shocked.

"And what happened to you?" She demanded waving him to sit down as she raised an eyebrow at me.

"Unfortunate case of a book falling in the library." Blaise muttered his eyes watching mine.

"I'll be along to fix you in a moment Mr Zabini." Blaise nodded still watching me.

"Is she going to be ok?" Blaise added and if I didn't know better I thought I saw a hint of a smile on his mouth. Anger boiled in me and I clenched my fists moving to take a step forward before Pomfrey's voice caused me to pause.

"She's just not been eating enough. A little rest and she'll be fine." Madam Pomfrey looked between Blaise and I as she spoke as if not sure which one of us she was talking to. The candles along the walls flickered through the tension that hung like a mist in the air.

"I guess she's taken care of" I replied feeling a strange dropping sensation in my heart as my breath caught in my throat. I turned to leave when Blaise stood and put a hand on my shoulder.

"Mate, wait, let me explain" I yanked my shoulder away from his touch as though he was made of red hot iron. He needed to back off before I did something that I would regret.

"We are not mates, sod off." I hissed before storming towards the door ignoring the scolding that Madam Pomfrey was giving me.

"We were going to explain everything!" Again Blaise's voice brought fury to my chest. I one swift movement I spun on my heel and marched towards him until we were nose to broken nose. He didn't back down as I knew he wouldn't. Shoving my wand under his chin I hissed so quietly I doubt anyone other than he would hear me.

"Say one more word and I will curse you so badly you won't even remember your name. Now I'm going to walk away and you will not even look in my direction, understood?" Blaise nodded slowly before turning away allowing me to storm out without a second thought. I went to the only place that had always provided me with some kind of solace to think.

*****Later that night Astronomy Tower****

"This is your favourite spot isn't it?" Harry's voice made me jump as the cold night air blew harshly through the tower. I couldn't help but role my eyes at how calm Potter's voice always sounded.

"How did you find me?" I grumbled guessing that Hermione had sent him, she would always send the cavalry when she couldn't come herself.

"I just thought of the spot you'd probably have the most to think about in." He replied sitting next to me sighing as he sat. It still felt strange having Harry as a friend after all the years of hatred between us. Maybe it would always feel strange but I couldn't deny I was happy to call him a mate.

"Harry don't expect me to go talk to her" I sighed putting my head back in my hands as Harry sighed again. Patting me on the back.

"I'm not expecting anything Draco, I actually came to check on you." He replied casually, he knew when not to push the subject and he seemed to know that right now was not time to push the issue.

"Well I haven't pitched myself off the astronomy tower yet" I replied bluntly causing Harry to snort with laughter. I couldn't help the smirk that rose onto my lips as I thought of my joke.

"What's happened?" Harry said after a few moments of silence and I knew his curiosity got the better of him.

"Blaise happened." I replied shortly feeling sick to my stomach as I spoke, part of me still couldn't believe it was true, part of me didn't want to believe.

"Hermione wouldn't do that" Harry said quickly without missing a beat, his voice defiant. Of course he'd stick up for her, I didn't expect anything else, it's what I would have expected him to do.

"That's what I thought too" I mumbled knowing the goodness that sat in her heart.

"Think you need to get an explanation of some sorts." Harry replied into the night air and his words hung loudly in the air.

"Don't tell anyone I said this Potter but I'm scared, what if it is true? What if I fought so hard just to end up hurt? I don't think I could handle that." I admitted refusing to look him in the eye as I spoke my darkest fears.

"Don't tell anyone that there's a genuinely sweet side to the terrifying Draco Malfoy?" Harry joked giving me a slight nudge as he spoke. I smirked.

"The world would go mad if they knew" I joked back to him. It felt good to have a bit of a joke and not take life so seriously.

"I wont tell anyone if you talk to her" Harry said smirking darkly, I stared at him wide eyed.

"You should've been a slytherin with your cunning" I growled standing and brushing my hands on my slacks.

"Funnily enough you're not the first to say that." Harry replied calmly before he patted me on the back and led the way down the staircase.

"Just remember, cool head listen to whatever they say, then react." Harry said calmly and he stepped behind me whilst I walked into the hospital wing. Part of me felt as if he was making sure there was no way I'd be able to turn and bolt if he stood the way he was.

"You're really irritating when you're right." I muttered making him laugh as Hermione and Blaise's heads spun in our direction. Ginny was sat by Hermione but Scorpius wasn't in sight.

"Where's my son by the way?" I muttered quickly trying to keep myself feeling light.

"Believe it or not Ron asked to look after him. He's actually quite smitten." Harry said smirking as I raised my eyebrows. As long as my son was safe I didn't care and I knew he was safe because my ring would burn if ever he was hurt, a little update I'd thought of after the attack.

"Draco you came back" Hermione said softly, her voice sounding both feeble and hopeful at the same time. I felt a pang in my heart remembering her words as she came round at Harley and Aiden's house.

"I always do" I replied echoing the same statement I'd said that night.

"I'm not cheating on you" Hermione stated bluntly clearly needing to get that off her chest. I couldn't help the anger the burned through me wanting to just know the truth.

"I heard you both! The ' I don't want to keep secrets' and the 'he's going to hate us', I'm not dumb" I roared causing Harry to jab me slightly and I tried to control my anger once more, taking a few deep breaths.

"Something's wrong with me, Blaise has been helping me. Neither one of us would ever hurt you like that." Hermione snapped back her eyes burning into my soul pleading me to see reason. I felt guilt hook my heart like a fish on the line.

"What's wrong with you and why on earth would you need to keep that a secret?" I replied quietly, confusion and guilt mixing in my blood.

"I don't know that's what we've been trying to figure out, I didn't want to worry you until we knew more." It was as if Hermione and I were the only ones left in the room. The rest of the room faded away as I tried to make sense of it all. Why hadn't she told me something was up?

"So, there's nothing going on with you and Blaise? Why tell Blaise and not anyone else?" I had to make sure I was covering all of my bases, it was all I could do.

"I didn't tell him he figured it out, I know we're taking things slow, but I love you Draco, I don't want anyone else." My heart fluttered as she spoke but there were still a lot of questions in my mind.

"How do you know something's wrong?" I added, my mind whirring with questions.

"That fire, the explosion, I started it, I was it. I got burned badly but I knew I could survive. I don't know what happened to me and I was afraid that if magic touched me again I'd cause another explosion. That's why I went to Harley and Aiden's to ask for muggle help. I should've told you sooner, I was just scared." I gasped as a few of the piece's began to fall into place. She thought I'd be mad at her for something she couldn't even control. If anything, I had more to do with it than she did.

"I have to go" I replied running from the room leaving the others in the dust. As I hurried out the ward, I heard Hermione shout behind me her voice a little broken.

"Draco please!"

****Malfoy Manor****

"Mother!" I shouted sprinting through the door. I was soaking wet from the rain, I'd left Hogwarts grounds and apparated to the edge of the manor grounds. Out of breath and desperate I looked around desperately for her.

"Draco dear what's wrong?" My mother appeared looking panicked with a wine glass in hand.

"I need that book on dark magical curses and their causes." I blurted knowing full well we kept books in our house that couldn't be found anywhere else in the magical world and I knew these would hold the answers to my theory.

"What's wrong?" My mother repeated again leading me to the private library.

"Hermione, somethings wrong with Hermione and I think I know what it is" Trying not to fumble over my explanation.

"I'll get it right away, this doesn't have anything to do with, you know when you helped her…" My mother said unlocking the door with five different locks.

"I can't help thinking it does, I shouldn't have used dark magic to secure her memories down." I added helping flick through the various books searching desperately for the one I needed.

"We'll fix this." My mother said yanking through each book as quickly as I was.

"Here's the book" She said triumphantly pulling it by its spine and handing it to me watching over my shoulder as I shuffled through the chapters looking for the right page. Finally, I found what I was looking for and scanned the paragraph taking it all in.

"I should've known this would happen, its right here, I have to get back to school." I said slamming the book and turning to hurry back off to the front of the house.

"Send me an owl! We'll find a way to fix this!" My mother called off into the storm as I hurried off. I needed to tell her.

******Hogwarts*****

"Mr Malfoy, my office right now" I growled as Professor McGonagall stopped me in my tracks in the middle of the great hall.

"Professor I'm in a hurry," I snapped, regretting my words the moment her eyes widened in fury.

"NOW" She said menacingly, following me as I ducked my head and made my way to the office. I knew she would've been looking for me I'd just hoped I would make it back to Hermione before she found me.

Once we were in McGonagall's office she sat behind Dumbledore's old desk and tapped her fingers on the desk. "So you start a muggle fight and broke the nose of another student, end up taking a second knocked out student to the hospital wing and then feel free to leave school grounds without permission!" She demanded looking at me expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I'm sorry professor but it's an emergency." I replied desperate to leave.

"I don't want to here it. One month's detention every lunchtime and fifty points from Slytherin. One more wrong move and I'll take your badge" I nodded, not caring about the detention or the points. People would hate me once they realised how many points, I'd lost Slytherin but there were more important things.

"Great, can I go now?" McGonagall scowled but nodded and waved me out of her office. She wasn't so bad after all. Thanking her quickly I sprinted from her office and made my way to Hermione.

*****Hospital Wing****

"Draco…" Hermione said quickly, sitting up as I ran in panting.

"It's my fault Hermione." I replied trying to calm myself enough to explain everything to her. Placing the book on her lap she looked at me confused.

"What's your fault?" She said staring at the cover of the book.

"I know what's wrong with you" I said in a hurry, flicking to the right page in the book.

"What?" She said still sounding confused as she took the book and read the paragraph I was pointing at. Her face cleared with understanding as she read.

"It's called the curse of the phoenix."

*****END OF CHAPTER*****

Three quick releases! Might be about a week before the next chapter guys so I made this one a little longer! Hope you're enjoying the story! Stay safe and Well xoxo