Chapter 6 - Draco, meet the boy you thought was dead.
"Come on, Hermione. You'll go hyper on that amount of caffeine," Harry says. He's sitting across from her in The Leaky Cauldron, and his drink of preference - a B52. Orangey-yellow in colour, it made Hermione feel like she was going to puke. "No, Harry. I need to stay awake for Draco. I need to see him!" "'Mione, I care about you, OK? I just don't want you to go to sleep when he does wake up, because I know that'd hurt you. Now, let's get you an Ouzo, hmm?" Harry could see she was starting to give, but she still needed a little bit of a push. "Look, let's let the caffeine run its course, and you can have an Ouzo, and if you go to sleep, and Draco wakes up, I'll wake you." Hermione had to give in. "Lotto! Give us an Ouzo and Lemonade. Heavy on the lemonade," she said. Harry looked like he disapproved. He walked over to Lottie, and whispered in her ear. She giggled girlishly and nodded. Harry came back over and sat beside Hermione. A few seconds later, Hermione's Ouzo and lemonade appeared before her. Harry looked over at the bar, and when Lottie looked up, he stared at her questioningly, and cocked his head to one side. She simply nodded. Harry gave her a thumbs-up. "What was tat about?" Hermione paused to take a sip of the Ouzo and lemonade, then looked back up at him. "What type of Ouzo is this?" "Sertiko Ouzo, with a bit of Ouzo 12 in it, I believe. Lottie seems to think it amusing to mix Ouzos. Don't know why. Probably because." his voice drifted off. "Because what?" Hermione asked, her eyelids beginning to droop. "Because it cancels all the effects of caffeine, and puts the drinker to sleep." "What d'you me-" Hermione's head fell into her crossed arms on the table, and Lottie looked over at Harry and smiled.
* * *
"Who's your friend, Harry?" an American voice from behind him that he didn't recognise. "Who are you?" "Tommy. Tommy Virketi," the man stepped out of the doorway of Flourish and Blotts. "I come from New York, as you might have guessed by the accent." "Well, Tommy, what are you doing, hanging about here?" "Waiting for you, actually." "Why are you waiting for me?" "There's something you need to see." "Well, I've got to put Hermione to bed first." "Hermione? Hermione Granger?" "Wha's it to ya?" "She needs to see this, too." "Oh. Well, actually, now's not a good time." "Oh?" "Yeah. Um, her boyfriend just tried to kill himself. Slit his wrists, OD on drugs and OD on Vodka as well." "Oh," he began to think for a second. "I still think she needs to see it."
Hermione's PoV
I wake up somewhere that is definitely NOT my bed. I roll over and look out of my sleep-bleared eyes towards where a low conversational hum is coming from. "Harry? Draco? Wha-?" I murmur, not entirely sure. "She's awake, Harry," an unfamiliar American voice says to him. "Oh, OK. We'll meet you there, Tommy. See you later, then." "Right. See yus." The man stood up and walked out of the door. I sit up. "Harry? Where are we? Who was he? Why are we he-?" "Hermione, shut up," he walked over to me and sat beside me. "Hermione, now's not the best time to tell you, really." "Oh? Look Harry, I'm torn up as it is. I don't think that you could tear me up any more than this." "Well, you know that Tommy is American." "Yeah?" "Well, he's a lawyer. you remember that Albus went to America to retire." he drifted off, and left me to finish the sentence. "He's. dead?" "Yeah," he said, his eyes filling with tears. I could tell he'd been crying. My eyes also filled with tears, and I began to sob. "I can't believe it! I won't believe it! I just. no. it can't be. it can't be true!" "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione. Come on, Hermione. Look here's an owl." An owl had flown through the window. I look around the room for the first real time. I am surprised. I'm at Harry's house - I recognise the décor that is all the way around his house ("What? It's cheap? So what?" Harry had said), but I don't recognise the room we were in. Harry got up and held out his arm. I knew that that was Hedwig, but I had no idea what the owl was about. "Hmm." Harry pursed his lips. "What?" I ask, anxious that it might be about Draco. Harry looked at me and burst out laughing. "What?" I ask again, relieved that it's not bad news. "Well, Tommy's just sent this. It says." he was helpless with laughter. He hands me the piece of paper and promptly doubles up.
Harry, Here's another bit of Albus's will that I didn't show you. Thought it might upset you, seeing as he knew.
'And finally, to Mr. Ron Weasley, I leave all of my remaining money - which, if my calculations are correct is 1,000,000 galleons. I hope he likes it!'
Tommy
"What's so funny about this?" "Well, he knew, didn't he? Poor bloke, must've gone delusional - something Ron accused me of, I seem to remember," his eyes dimmed. "I've got to go somewhere. I've got to go see. someone," but upon seeing Harry's face, I reassure him. "Not Draco, but I might pop in on him on the way back. I've got to go see someone, that's all. And no," I say interrupting Harry who had started to speak. "You can't come." I apparate to St. Mungo's and walk the familiar path to where Ron is, the piece of paper clutched in my hand. "Hello, Hermione!" he says when I enter. "Hiya, Ron. Um, I've got something to tell you," my eyes fill with tears.
* * *
"What is it, Hermione?" he looks at her in confusion. "Well, two things actually. Do you want the bad news or the worse? The bad news has some good news that comes with it." "Bad, in that case." "OK. Um, well. Albus retired to America after he left Hogwarts. He's just. oh, he's just gone!" "Oh. What's the good news that comes with it?" She hands him the piece of paper. "Oh. My. God." "Yep. It's all yours. He obviously knew that I'd do it." "Wow. Look, Hermione, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but when do I get to see my family and harry? It's not that I do 't like your company - on the contrary, I quite enjoy it - but when do I get out?" "Next week." "What's the worse news?" Her eyes fill with tears, and she begins to sob uncontrollably. "Draco." "What's happened? If he's hurt you in any way." "No! It's not like that. He. he tried to kill himself. Slit wrists, drugs and drink." "Oh," that shut him up. "Is he going to be OK?" "I don't know. I just don't know." "Is he here?" "Yeah." "Go see him. I need my daily 'walk', and you need some moral support." We get up, and a Mediwizard comes in. "Mrs. Malfoy?" "Yes," I say, and Ron looks at me quizzically. I mouth 'I'll tell you later' at him, and turn to face the girl. "Mr. Malfoy has come out of his coma, and is listed as stable. Can tell you that if you'd taken him to a Muggle hospital he'd be dead. He's listed as stable. Would you like to come and see him?" "Yes please. Can Ron come? Moral support." "Yes." We walk down the starched corridors, seeing an odd drip of blood, which the cleaner ion duty clears with her wand before (she thinks) we see it. "Here we are. Be careful with him, he's still very weak." "OK," I say, breathless with anticipation. We enter the room. Draco is sitting up in bed, the magical machinery still attached, but a lot less pale than last time either of the two visitors saw him. "'Mione!" "Draco! Oh my God! I'm so glad you're OK! How are you? What a silly question! Oh my God!" "Hermione!" Ron says sternly from the shadows. "Give the poor boy some breathing space!" "Sorry," she says, more to Ron than to Draco, but Draco thinks that there's something wrong. "Weasley?!?" "Which one?" Ron answers, knowing that Draco would have to say his name. After all this time. "Ron." "The one and only." "But I - I thought that - I - I." he looked helplessly at Hermione and then at Ron who had taken a seat by Draco's bed. "Now, now, Malfoy! Calm down! Wouldn't want you to get over-exited, now would we?" Draco turned to Hermione. "So... he's the one you've been spending all your free time with. That's why you've been so busy!" "Yeah. Look, Ron, I think the two of us need to talk. Could you?" "Yeah, I could. and I'm going to," he added after Hermione's worst glare. Pretty scary, actually, Ron thought. He left the room. "Draco, I need to kno-." "Hermione, I want to tell you, but I really don't think that this is a good time." "Why? I don't understand." "Did you hear? About Albus?" "Did you hear that from Harry or from Tommy?" "Tommy." "Well I was there when he told Harry - who I assume he old first." "Yeah, well." There was a silence. Uncomfortable around each other, they burst at the same time. "I love you." "I love you." They laughed. The ice had been broken as if a Ten Ton Polar Bear had sat on it. They chatted for a long time, before Hermione apparated back to the room in Harry's house. "Harry?" she asked the empty room. "No. No Harry," a frighteningly familiar voice answered. Clipped Queen's English, it was too familiar. Hermione shivered. "Just lil' ol' me."
THE END. FOR NOW.
"Come on, Hermione. You'll go hyper on that amount of caffeine," Harry says. He's sitting across from her in The Leaky Cauldron, and his drink of preference - a B52. Orangey-yellow in colour, it made Hermione feel like she was going to puke. "No, Harry. I need to stay awake for Draco. I need to see him!" "'Mione, I care about you, OK? I just don't want you to go to sleep when he does wake up, because I know that'd hurt you. Now, let's get you an Ouzo, hmm?" Harry could see she was starting to give, but she still needed a little bit of a push. "Look, let's let the caffeine run its course, and you can have an Ouzo, and if you go to sleep, and Draco wakes up, I'll wake you." Hermione had to give in. "Lotto! Give us an Ouzo and Lemonade. Heavy on the lemonade," she said. Harry looked like he disapproved. He walked over to Lottie, and whispered in her ear. She giggled girlishly and nodded. Harry came back over and sat beside Hermione. A few seconds later, Hermione's Ouzo and lemonade appeared before her. Harry looked over at the bar, and when Lottie looked up, he stared at her questioningly, and cocked his head to one side. She simply nodded. Harry gave her a thumbs-up. "What was tat about?" Hermione paused to take a sip of the Ouzo and lemonade, then looked back up at him. "What type of Ouzo is this?" "Sertiko Ouzo, with a bit of Ouzo 12 in it, I believe. Lottie seems to think it amusing to mix Ouzos. Don't know why. Probably because." his voice drifted off. "Because what?" Hermione asked, her eyelids beginning to droop. "Because it cancels all the effects of caffeine, and puts the drinker to sleep." "What d'you me-" Hermione's head fell into her crossed arms on the table, and Lottie looked over at Harry and smiled.
* * *
"Who's your friend, Harry?" an American voice from behind him that he didn't recognise. "Who are you?" "Tommy. Tommy Virketi," the man stepped out of the doorway of Flourish and Blotts. "I come from New York, as you might have guessed by the accent." "Well, Tommy, what are you doing, hanging about here?" "Waiting for you, actually." "Why are you waiting for me?" "There's something you need to see." "Well, I've got to put Hermione to bed first." "Hermione? Hermione Granger?" "Wha's it to ya?" "She needs to see this, too." "Oh. Well, actually, now's not a good time." "Oh?" "Yeah. Um, her boyfriend just tried to kill himself. Slit his wrists, OD on drugs and OD on Vodka as well." "Oh," he began to think for a second. "I still think she needs to see it."
Hermione's PoV
I wake up somewhere that is definitely NOT my bed. I roll over and look out of my sleep-bleared eyes towards where a low conversational hum is coming from. "Harry? Draco? Wha-?" I murmur, not entirely sure. "She's awake, Harry," an unfamiliar American voice says to him. "Oh, OK. We'll meet you there, Tommy. See you later, then." "Right. See yus." The man stood up and walked out of the door. I sit up. "Harry? Where are we? Who was he? Why are we he-?" "Hermione, shut up," he walked over to me and sat beside me. "Hermione, now's not the best time to tell you, really." "Oh? Look Harry, I'm torn up as it is. I don't think that you could tear me up any more than this." "Well, you know that Tommy is American." "Yeah?" "Well, he's a lawyer. you remember that Albus went to America to retire." he drifted off, and left me to finish the sentence. "He's. dead?" "Yeah," he said, his eyes filling with tears. I could tell he'd been crying. My eyes also filled with tears, and I began to sob. "I can't believe it! I won't believe it! I just. no. it can't be. it can't be true!" "Hermione, Hermione, Hermione. Come on, Hermione. Look here's an owl." An owl had flown through the window. I look around the room for the first real time. I am surprised. I'm at Harry's house - I recognise the décor that is all the way around his house ("What? It's cheap? So what?" Harry had said), but I don't recognise the room we were in. Harry got up and held out his arm. I knew that that was Hedwig, but I had no idea what the owl was about. "Hmm." Harry pursed his lips. "What?" I ask, anxious that it might be about Draco. Harry looked at me and burst out laughing. "What?" I ask again, relieved that it's not bad news. "Well, Tommy's just sent this. It says." he was helpless with laughter. He hands me the piece of paper and promptly doubles up.
Harry, Here's another bit of Albus's will that I didn't show you. Thought it might upset you, seeing as he knew.
'And finally, to Mr. Ron Weasley, I leave all of my remaining money - which, if my calculations are correct is 1,000,000 galleons. I hope he likes it!'
Tommy
"What's so funny about this?" "Well, he knew, didn't he? Poor bloke, must've gone delusional - something Ron accused me of, I seem to remember," his eyes dimmed. "I've got to go somewhere. I've got to go see. someone," but upon seeing Harry's face, I reassure him. "Not Draco, but I might pop in on him on the way back. I've got to go see someone, that's all. And no," I say interrupting Harry who had started to speak. "You can't come." I apparate to St. Mungo's and walk the familiar path to where Ron is, the piece of paper clutched in my hand. "Hello, Hermione!" he says when I enter. "Hiya, Ron. Um, I've got something to tell you," my eyes fill with tears.
* * *
"What is it, Hermione?" he looks at her in confusion. "Well, two things actually. Do you want the bad news or the worse? The bad news has some good news that comes with it." "Bad, in that case." "OK. Um, well. Albus retired to America after he left Hogwarts. He's just. oh, he's just gone!" "Oh. What's the good news that comes with it?" She hands him the piece of paper. "Oh. My. God." "Yep. It's all yours. He obviously knew that I'd do it." "Wow. Look, Hermione, I don't mean to be rude or anything, but when do I get to see my family and harry? It's not that I do 't like your company - on the contrary, I quite enjoy it - but when do I get out?" "Next week." "What's the worse news?" Her eyes fill with tears, and she begins to sob uncontrollably. "Draco." "What's happened? If he's hurt you in any way." "No! It's not like that. He. he tried to kill himself. Slit wrists, drugs and drink." "Oh," that shut him up. "Is he going to be OK?" "I don't know. I just don't know." "Is he here?" "Yeah." "Go see him. I need my daily 'walk', and you need some moral support." We get up, and a Mediwizard comes in. "Mrs. Malfoy?" "Yes," I say, and Ron looks at me quizzically. I mouth 'I'll tell you later' at him, and turn to face the girl. "Mr. Malfoy has come out of his coma, and is listed as stable. Can tell you that if you'd taken him to a Muggle hospital he'd be dead. He's listed as stable. Would you like to come and see him?" "Yes please. Can Ron come? Moral support." "Yes." We walk down the starched corridors, seeing an odd drip of blood, which the cleaner ion duty clears with her wand before (she thinks) we see it. "Here we are. Be careful with him, he's still very weak." "OK," I say, breathless with anticipation. We enter the room. Draco is sitting up in bed, the magical machinery still attached, but a lot less pale than last time either of the two visitors saw him. "'Mione!" "Draco! Oh my God! I'm so glad you're OK! How are you? What a silly question! Oh my God!" "Hermione!" Ron says sternly from the shadows. "Give the poor boy some breathing space!" "Sorry," she says, more to Ron than to Draco, but Draco thinks that there's something wrong. "Weasley?!?" "Which one?" Ron answers, knowing that Draco would have to say his name. After all this time. "Ron." "The one and only." "But I - I thought that - I - I." he looked helplessly at Hermione and then at Ron who had taken a seat by Draco's bed. "Now, now, Malfoy! Calm down! Wouldn't want you to get over-exited, now would we?" Draco turned to Hermione. "So... he's the one you've been spending all your free time with. That's why you've been so busy!" "Yeah. Look, Ron, I think the two of us need to talk. Could you?" "Yeah, I could. and I'm going to," he added after Hermione's worst glare. Pretty scary, actually, Ron thought. He left the room. "Draco, I need to kno-." "Hermione, I want to tell you, but I really don't think that this is a good time." "Why? I don't understand." "Did you hear? About Albus?" "Did you hear that from Harry or from Tommy?" "Tommy." "Well I was there when he told Harry - who I assume he old first." "Yeah, well." There was a silence. Uncomfortable around each other, they burst at the same time. "I love you." "I love you." They laughed. The ice had been broken as if a Ten Ton Polar Bear had sat on it. They chatted for a long time, before Hermione apparated back to the room in Harry's house. "Harry?" she asked the empty room. "No. No Harry," a frighteningly familiar voice answered. Clipped Queen's English, it was too familiar. Hermione shivered. "Just lil' ol' me."
THE END. FOR NOW.