Cradle the Enemy—Chapter 4
*~*~*~* I came to check on you *~*~*~
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Draco bolted up in his bed in the infirmary. Breathing hard, sweat dripping down his brow, and eyes wide, quite the rude awaking. "Just a dreab…it was just a dreab…ughhhh."
He lay back down, curling into a slight ball like position on his right side. No, that was a lie. It hadn't been a dream. Oh god … Mum …
Draco stifled a small sob with his hand. Squeezing his eyes shut at the memory.
His back turned to the door made it hard to tell who was entering when he heard it creek slowly open. In a daze from his nightmare, and not thinking correctly, the first person who came to mind was "Mum…?"
The person obviously didn't hear this, since they didn't answer, but Draco knew that it wasn't Narcissa. He wouldn't ever see her again.
Goodness, what is wrong with this person? Can't they speak? "What …cough… what do you want?" he growled roughly.
"I umm…just came to check on how you were doing, Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey said it was okay for me to come in here to see how you were and I thought—"
I know this voice, Draco drawled to himself. This was the…
"Mudbluhh…uhh … uuhh ... sniff … Mudblood! Why in Merlin's name would you need to check on be?!? Is this sobe sort of trick you, Pothead and Weasel are trying to pull on be? Well if it is I for one ab not falling for it! Get your big, fat arse and your frizzy hair outta of here and leave be in peace!" Draco yelled at her harshly. Hermione stepped back away from him, frightened by his outburst.
"I, Malfoy, I just was—" Hermione stumbled on her words.
"—Was the one, Mr. Malfoy, whom brought you here. I for one believe you should thank the young lady instead of yelling at her. Without her kindness, you would still be lying on the cold dungeon floors." Madam Pomfrey scolded Draco once again, as she walked into the room.
All Draco did was growl. There was no way he would ever thank that bucktooth good for nothing Mudblood! His thoughts soon turned to another, more important matter. His scowl soon faded. His eyes fluttered and his breathing was ragged. He wiggled his nose and brought back his head slightly, and began to lift one of his hands up to his face, which had now gone slack. "HuIShoooo! Ehhh…Hetch HeiShooo! Ughh!"
"Bless you," both ladies told him.
"Here, Draco." Hermione gave him a weak smile as she handed him the box of tissues.
"Umm…" Draco hesitantly took grasp of the box and pulled out a tissue and rubbed at his nose. Did the Mudblood just call me Draco? No, that makes no sense at all. It's probably my mind playing tricks on me. He looked up to see Granger watching him, and his cheeks began to burn slightly. His graze immediately went to his hands, and he quickly become interested in them.
Madam Pomfrey smiled at the two of them. "Miss Granger, you have five minutes then you must let Mister Malfoy get a little more rest so he can leave the hospital wing this afternoon.
Afternoon? Draco wondered. "Is it only mordnind right sniff now?" he asked Granger quietly.
"Yes, it is. You've been asleep for the whole week off and on and its already Friday morning," Hermione answered nervously, worried he might get mad at her once again and start yelling.
"Anyway, to more important matters. What were you doing in the dungeons?" Draco questioned her. HA! She was probably down there with Potty and Weasel trying to pull some prank on us Slytherins. This should be good!
"I should ask you the same thing! After all it was during the feast when you must have gone down there! Why were you there, instead of watching The Sorting like every other witch or wizard in Hogwarts?" Hermione retorted. He was so suspicious. He was probably down there with his cronies when those two monkeys probably lost him. They are all such morons.
"Why do you want to know so bad?" he smirked. Now I've got her!
"Why do you need to know that?" she asked giving him a weird look.
"It just seems somewhat odd that you would care in the first place."
"It's just that I found you there lying cold on the damp dungeon floor in the worst of conditions. I was worried that you were going to die… just because you're Harry's enemy doesn't mean I want you to die. I wouldn't wish death upon anyone. That's so terrible—"
"Hehh…HeiSHoooo!" Draco fumbled to pull out a tissue from the box that was situated in his lap. "Ehh EiShooo! Heptchmmmp! Heishh!" He had managed to slightly muffle the last two into his tissue, which he had finally got up to his nose.
"Bless you again. Hey, Malfoy, are you alright?"
She waited as he blew his stuffy nose. He didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of someone who could easily make it the joke of Hogwarts the very next day by telling his sworn enemy about how silly he sounded with his nose all stuffed up.
Once he was done she had to giggle at his newly slight pink nose that he immediately began to rub at with one of his wrists.
"Yeah … I'b fide. SNIFF!" Resistance was futile. He smirked at his own joke. Draco then decided to tell her. It wasn't like it was that big of a deal. "To answer your question I was id the dungeods because Dumbledore ask be to go grab some potion for Snape to use in the next day's lessods."
"Really?" Hermione was fairly confused at this point…
**~~** After the Feast and Sorting **~~**
"Ms. Granger could you please come over here for a moment?" Dumblerdore asked Hermione. She made her way towards him until they were facing each other pretty close. "Would you be kind enough," there was that twinkle in his eye, that looks like a shooting star, "to run a quick errand for me?"
Hermione, being the perfect student like always, was delighted to know that the headmaster had looked to her for a job. Maybe the Head Girl position is already got my name on it for next year. "Of course Professor. What can I do to help you?" she asked eagerly.
"Professor Snape here, is in need of a potion that he is going to be using in tomorrow's lessons." There it was again, that's glimmer in his eye, or maybe I am just imagining it, "It seems that he is slightly occupied for the time being. I was hoping you might be able to go down to the dungeons and bring it to him." He gave her a generously kind smile.
"Yes, of course I will go and get it for him," even though she really didn't like Professor Snape, it was Dumbledore asking her kindly…
"But, Malfoy…"
"What's wrong with you dow Granger?" Draco sniggered.
"It's just that Dumbledore also told me to go to the dungeons to fetch Snape a potion for tomorrow's lessons. Once I got down there, I got lost somehow. That's about when I heard you coughing and sneezing, and I went to you."
"You liar!"
"No really I'm not lying! Dumbledore told me that too. It's probably because you went first maybe, and when you didn't return he thought he should send me. You're actually lucky I found you."
Granger smiled at me. Stop smiling! I'll take that smile off your face. "Yeah, bad luck that is." I gave her my best smirk. Smirk… like that time when…
"You stupid bitch…I never liked your filthy, ugly face around this manor any way. Its about time I shut you up for good!" There was that smirk again. Eyes wide in shock and fear as I heard the words escape from his mouth, "Crucio!" Although, this time his wand wasn't pointing at me…it was toward her…
"NOOoooo!!" Draco screamed with his hands clawing at his hair. I don't want to see that happen anymore…why do I keep seeing it over and over? Draco thought to himself.
"Draco? Are you alright?" Oh no… he had forgotten about Granger being there. She saw the whole thing. Will she tell Potty and Weasel? WAIT! She did call me Draco! I know it for sure this time! "Are you ok Draco?" she repeated, not sure if I heard her the first time.
"Yeah I'b fide…sorry bout that I guehhh … Ehhh … Hehhh…hehh..it went away..sniff." Draco looked down at his hands again.
"It's not a problem. Don't worry about it ok." Hermione gave him a sweet smile. "I will leave you so you can rest some more, and Madam Pomfrey is probably going to kick me out soon. I hope you feel better." For some reason, the burning feeling in his cheeks began to return. Draco gave his nose a rub. "I'll see you in class some time. Let's try not to get any one in trouble this year ok?" At this remark Draco watched her grin.
She was right. Some how he was always making a bit of trouble no matter who it was for. He smiled at her joke, not a fake smile, or a forced one. It was a real, genuine smile. For a moment, he knew he was glad she had come by to talk with him. It's not like anyone else was going to check on him. Quickly, he pushed those thoughts aside.
Draco was about to reply when the sneeze that went away came back suddenly, "Ehh! EiiISHOOO!"
"Bless you."
"Umm … see you in class." Draco finally managed to answer.
They were both wrong. They would see each other sooner than they thought