Draco and Harry sat down and watched Isabelle sleep. She was actually just unconscious but they figured it was basically the same thing. The two had nothing else to do so Draco cast a silencing charm on the room before prompting Harry, "Why do you like her?"
Harry was a bit taken aback by Draco's straight forwardness but replied anyways, "Because I think she's a very nice person and she is the most mysteriously interesting person I know." Draco just blinked so Harry elaborated, "In other words.... it's not just because she's pretty."
'Yeah right....' Draco thought but instead he said, "Fine. Who has been sick lately that could've gotten Isabelle sick?" He asked it more to himself than Harry but they both came to the same conclusion, Hermione.
"She was sick all last week..... 105 fever until George carried her to Madame Pomfrey..... Ron just sat in the common room brooding because she was being nice to you and Isabelle as well as defending you two to him. He must think we're all insane..... Wait. Why are you friends with Hermione anyways? She is a muggle-born and George is a Weasley. Why are you associating with them?"
"I am friends with Hermione because Isabelle is and because she has a brilliant mind that, even my father must admit, is capable of more than most of the pure bloods ever. George is just cursed with the Weasley name.... Fred is a great big prat who I am going to kill and Ron can go sod off. George is the only reasonable one of the bunch." Draco sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "Now that we're being all chummy, Potter, why don't you tell me what you found in that little notebook Izzy lost."
"Just some potion notes and notes from you, Herm, and George..... er.... I mean... what notebook? Isabelle lost a notebook?" Harry blushed, not that Draco could see it. "I guess I set myself up for that one...."
"That you did. Just give it to me or Blaise later and we'll say we found it in the common room or something. Wouldn't want to scare her with the prospect of you stalking her." Draco smiled but Harry could see it because his potion was wearing off.
"Why are you smiling Draco? Yes I can see you...." Harry said
"Oh........ I was just thinking. I guess you'll have to share your invisibility cloak now that I have no way to get out...." Draco said. Harry gave him a look that could be deciphered plainly now that he'd taken the cloak off. The look clearly said 'You tell me what you were thinking about and I'll let you share.... maybe.' So, Draco explained, "I was thinking that if she stays like this that maybe she won't have to worry about going home for the holidays."
"Don't talk like that she wouldn't want to stay like this and there is no reason why she wouldn't want to go home....." Harry said
"You don't know her, do you? If you did you would know she'd rather be comatose. But anyways.... I'm glad we've had this opportunity to chat, Potter. I really must be going now." Draco said as he slid out of the room leaving Harry and the invisibility cloak to follow behind him.
As soon as Harry returned to the common room he told Hermione everything. Ron was off brooding by the window and hadn't heard anything. Fred was playing chess with Angeline and losing terribly. Lavender was trying to cheer Ron up but he would hear nothing of it.
"So he actually complemented George and I? I knew Isabelle would help him break free of his father...... I always thought that he might actually be on our side. He's got a lot of pressure from his father though........" Hermione started going on about that before harry nudged her and let her know that she was thinking out loud again.
"Well, I think I'm going to shower and then I'll go to sleep. Wake me up if Isabelle's condition changes. 'night Hermione." And harry went upstairs into the boys dorms.
Meanwhile, in the Slytherin dorms, Draco was just getting out of the shower when Blaise came bursting into the boys shower room. She turned around immediately and waited for Draco to get a towel on. "Blaise what was so urgent that you had to come into the boys showers? I mean, I know you want me but to become a peeping Tom....."
Blaise moaned, "Oh come on! You know it isn't like that. I figured that you'd want to know when Izzy woke up. I only know because I was in the Medical ward getting...er..... some things. I don't think anybody else knows. I have more of that invisibility potion if you want me to go get it while you dress......."
"You can keep your invisibility draught. Thank you Blaise..... this means a lot that you came and told me. Don't tell anybody else, please......" Draco said to her while moving towards the door that connected the bathrooms to his dorm.
"No problem Draco. Um..... go get dressed!" Blaise blushed and ran into the common room to write a note to her sister. They had a secret way to communicate..... nobody knew how but them. They had diaries that were joined together so you could see what the other one wrote but the girls only used those when they were in their dorms or common rooms. The other way was that Blaise and her sister would exchange notes through house elves, they were friends with all the elves even though they were still secret members of S.P.E.W.
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After dressing Draco had rushed right to the hospital wing. He didn't care if Pomfrey knew he was there. He slowed to a walk as he reached the entrance of one of the doors that lead the Izzy's room. After entering the hospital wing Pomfrey and McGonagal saw him and hurried him into the room saying she was asking for him.
Isabel was sitting up in her bed telling Professor Dumbledore that she hadn't felt ill and hadn't thought she had needed medical attention until now. As soon as she noticed Draco, which was immediately after he entered the room, she moved quickly towards him and hugged him. "Draco I'm so sorry if I worried you! It's all my fault that I didn't tell you that I was sick. Madame Pomfrey didn't know I was anemic so she thought I had some freaky magical sickness that wasn't treatable. I'm so sorry......." She said as Draco held her and rubbed her back a bit as he carried her back to bed. Dumbledore had since left the room to allow them privacy.
"It isn't your fault Izzy. Are you sure you feel alright? Did you hear any of the conversation Potter and I had earlier when we snuck in?" Draco asked in a low and soothing voice. He wiped her tears and covered her with her blanket.
"I'm sure I feel fine. You needn't worry about me! I didn't hear anything you said but for some reason I think I heard what he was thinking. I was having some strange dream where I was sitting in a black room where all I heard was him saying it was all his fault and maybe Voldemort was after me because of him...... I don't know why..... you really should tell him that me being sick had nothing to do with Voldemort. I'm sorry I made everyone worry. I really shouldn't play Quidditch if I'm just going to trouble everyone with an injury that people get all the time. I'm sure that games don't stop when anyone else gets hit with a bludger......." Isabelle couldn't stop rambling.
"Shhhhh..... Izzy..... I'm sure that if you hadn't been ill you could've dealt with the bludger hit. Don't give up on playing entirely. The game was unimportant. Don't you worry either, I'll tell Potter for you. You need to get some rest. Why don't you go back to sleep Iz...." Draco said, "I'll come back later....."
"Draco wait!" Isabelle called after him. He paused near the door and turned around, "Make sure my parents don't find out, please! And....... Draco.... do you think that maybe I could take you up on your offer..... that is if it still stands...... I'd love to go home with you for holiday."
"Sure thing. I'll let my mother know you'll be coming and have her alert your parents. They'll never know about this. Now please rest." Draco left. He had a quick conversation with Dumbledore about Isabelle's dream and about her parents.
When he returned to the common room Blaise was holding parchment and looking at Draco. He walked right to her, "Is that from her parents? Give it here." Blaise gave it up quickly. She'd read it of course because the owl had given it to her. It was written to Isabelle but she'd read it anyways because she knew Isabelle wouldn't mind. When Draco read it his face fell.
"Isabelle, When you come home on holiday you will meet your future husband. Congratulations darling, we've found a lovely young gentleman who will handle our money and business properly. We know you won't be too happy because it is an arranged marriage but just remember that our marriage was arranged too and your brother's marriage is doing great. Love always, Mum and Dad." Draco read that letter over and over. Who could her parents possibly be giving her to? Should he tell her? Would she still be able to escape to his house? At that moment and another owl knocked on the window and flew to him as soon as the window was opened.
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Now for the Author's note! For this authors note I have decided to include the FAQ of Tripping and Falling.
Q: Why are all of Isabelle's spells in French while all spells are supposed to be in Latin?
A: Because I speak French, not Latin. I'm working on it, though. Soon enough I'll have that fixed up and all spells will be in Latin. Perfect conjugation I cannot promise, sorry!
Q: What does Ron think of the D/I/Hr/H/G friendship?
A: he thinks they're insane hence this chapter's constant brooding.
Q: Why the heck are her parents arranging a marriage for her, especially when she's too young to marry?
A: Because that's just how her family does things. Her parents do love each other but they didn't start that way. Her Aunt didn't marry Lucius because she was promised to another. But, aren't we all glad that happened?
Q: What happened to the vote for amnesia or not thing?
A: I got tired of waiting for the vote and finally decided to throw the ideas out and use this instead. However, if you guys want I could always write alternate endings to go with those choices.
If you have any other questions feel free to ask them in your reviews and I'll answer them. Thanks for reviewing.