Chapter 5- Fever!

~*~Hi! I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter up but I have been bombarded with school work and speedy fish finds it hard to go fast with books tied to her tail! Anyway here it is and it isn't too short which I'm relieved about! My lovely and faithful reviewers look for your names in the thankyous! And now, on with the story.

Disclaimer: Pointless, pointless, you all know it! If it took me so long to get a chapter up how long do you think it would take me to write a novel?

***

Draco and Hermione searched through their baggage but there was hardly anything that would be useful. 'This is ridiculous!' thought Hermione crossly staring at her belongings. 'How often do you pack to save the world?' she had a mad urge to laugh at their situation. 'Two young wizards stuck in the muggle world without magic. How the hell were they supposed to take on the most evil, not to mention powerful, wizard in the world? It was impossible!'

"But we have to try!" she said fiercely.

"What are you talking about, mudblood?" Draco sneered.

"Voldemort. We have to defeat him."

Draco turned away and busied himself with the clasp on his bag.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing.

"It's not that simple." He muttered.

"You've changed your tune!" she exclaimed.

"Don't you understand, Granger. I want to stop him but I'm almost one of them. My father clicks his fingers and I have to obey. Have to!" He looked at her pleadingly willing her to understand him but she was at a loss as what he was trying to say to her.

"Your father can't make you join them."

"But he can, you're not getting it. He has control over me…"seeing her uncomprehending face he broke off, frustrated. "Forget it!" he snapped. "Come on at this rate it'll be dark before we even set off." After a moments hesitation he decided he had sounded way too nice to her so he added:

"And don't lag behind mudblood, I won't wait for you!" and he turned on his heel and marched off.

***

They trudged along by the side of the road for several hours and Hermione began to feel steadily worse. Her head didn't simply spin anymore it also throbbed with pain at every step she took. She was sweating profusely and as the wind whipped at her wet skin her teeth began to chatter with cold. Soon her legs began to shake and she found it harder and harder to keep walking she wrapped her arms around her churning stomach and willed herself to keep going.

'Can't stop, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Dumbledore. Can't stop.' She whispered to herself over and over like a mantra. But it was no good, by midafternoon she couldn't keep going. She collapsed without even the strength to call out to Draco for help.

***

Draco had been discreetly checking on Hermione throughout the day. He had watched as her face turned from a flushed red to an ashen grey but his stupid pride had prevented him from calling a halt. He was amazed she had kept going as long as she had and felt ashamed he hadn't stopped for her. Draco was about to call for a rest on the pretence he was getting tired when he saw a glint up ahead.

"A car! Hermione, I see a car!" Draco forgot about her fatigue and rushed forward. However when he got closer he realised it was abandoned. He slapped his hand against the peeling paintwork in frustration then his heart lifted, it would be great as a place for Hermione to rest. Draco turned, expecting her to be right behind him but he couldn't see her. Scanning the countryside he caught a glimpse of red, suddenly his heart sank again 'Hermione had been wearing a red sweater!' he hurriedly shrugged off his back pack and pelted back to where she lay, crumpled, by the side of the road.

***

Draco struggled back to the car with Hermione's limp body just as thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Shit." He grumbled, "I hope this bloody thing doesn't leak." He propped her against the car as he wrestled the slightly rusted door open.

'Thank Merlin it wasn't locked!' he thought as he lay Hermione down on the back seat. He knelt on the floor by her head and gently brushed her hair away from her burning face. As he touched her he felt the collar of her shirt and realised that it was wet from her fall in the mud. The side she had fallen on was soaked and although Draco certainly wasn't a medi-witch he knew that someone who had collapsed from a fever shouldn't be wearing wet clothes. He sat for a minute wracked with indecision. Eventually he pushed away embarrassment and proceeded to remove them. He pulled her floppy limbs through the sleeves of her shirt and sweater and threw them onto the front seat. He slipped off his own shirt which was warm from his body heat and put it on her trying to avert his eyes from her chest area. He couldn't deny it was something he wanted to see but not now, not when she was sick and helpless. It would be like violating her somehow and he didn't want to give her yet another reason to hate him. Draco tugged off her skirt quickly, his face turning a crimson red as he did so, grabbed his muggle jeans from the top of his bag and gently put them on her. Then he emptied both her bag and his own of all clothes and spread them over her. When he was finished Hermione looked like a bundle of rags. The pile swayed slightly as she shook and Draco watched, terror stricken unsure of what else he could do. He sought for her hand under the clothes and gripped it, nearly crying when he felt how icy it still was.

"What do I do?" he whispered, "Come on, Granger, you're the know-it-all, help me out here."

But Hermione stayed silent.

***

All through the rainy and windswept night Draco stayed vigil by Hermione every now and then wiping her face with his clean handkerchief. In the middle of the night the storm grew unbelievably ferocious and Hermione tossed and turned even worse than before. Draco was desperate to warm her up and so, once again getting over his embarrassment in the face of an emergency, he unzipped his jacket, snuggled in beside her and zipped his jacket back up. She was now cuddled up against his bare chest held there by his jacket and enfolding arms. Soon he could feel his warmth spreading to her and, immeasurably relived and exhausted from worrying about her, he fell asleep.

***

Oh how cute! Please, please, please review. I need help. A lot of people have been so nice so far so follow their example and review!

Thankyou to all these stunningly fantastic people:

Blueberryfig: You are so very, very nice and your emails really encourage me!

Anastasia: Thankyou very much for your comment and advice. I agree whole-heartedly with you and I will try to slow down their relationship.

Hazeleyez: Yes you do have to read more. That is an order!

Mrs. Amanda Malfoy: Yes your Draco is very smart and cute and charming and all over great! Thanks for coming back.

Kattcy: Thankyou, the chapters are building up!

JudgeDP: Mwha, ha, ha! (my best impression of an evil laugh!) I obviously have a duty. If I don't write more then you won't! That's just mean, you can't give me that responsibility! I love Obedient Slave by the way!

Moggit: I will keep going, thankyou!

Caitlin Vermeer: Such nice manners! Yep I will go on. (No I'm not singing a Celine Dion song!)

Icy Stormz: Whoopee! A faithful follower! Thanks for saying it's unique, I am trying to make it a little different.

Natasha: I don't think it will get too dark. I like romance better any day! Thanks for your nice review!

VanillaLily: Another great reviewer! Don't you just love cliffhangers?!

Kristina: Nice hint. Here is the next chapter. (finally!) I'm glad you came back.

Aislinn: I'm adorable. You rock! Thanks so very, very much!

Snowball: So many questions, so little time! Wait and see what happens. I'm glad you like it!

Sucker For Romance: Oh I love leaving people in suspense!

Fairycat: I totally agree!