Chapter 2: Clinicus Noctu
She put his arm over her shoulder and tried to stand up with him but he was a little too heavy for her and she stumbled. Luckily, Malfoy was feeling stronger now and could support himself. Slowly, they made their way into his room. It was the exact mirror-image of Hermione's room and she realized that she had never been inside his room before even though it was just on the other side of the wall. The furniture was similar except that the soft-furnishings were all in a deep green whereas in her room, it was all a warm burgundy.
Making it to the bed, she lowered the two of them down on it and swung Malfoy's legs under the covers.
"Ow, careful there." Malfoy winced again.
"Sorry. Er…Malfoy?"
"What?"
"I'm going to have to check you for broken bones and any serious cuts since you don't want to go to Madam Pomfrey."
"Damn you? Must you really?" said Malfoy, going a little red but not opening his eyes, which were closed. He was breathing more easily now that he was lying down in bed.
"I'm afraid so. Don't worry, I know how to do it, I've been doing an extra credit course in Mediwizardry over the last few years. This is easy."
He nodded. "Well, go ahead Granger."
She briskly stripped the covers off him and muttered a spell as she moved her wand over his body. A small blue light appeared at his feet and moved over his legs to his upper body. As it passed his torso, it turned red for a while then continued past to the top of his head and vanished.
"It looks like you've got a broken rib."
Malfoy groaned. "Well, fix it then! Don't just stand there."
"You're lucky tomorrow is Sunday. It's going to take at least a whole day to heal and you absolutely cannot move out from bed you understand?"
"You sound like Madam Pomfrey." Draco smiled opening his eyes.
"I take that as a compliment. Now lie back while I do the charm on you. It might pinch a bit."
Hermione deftly opened his shirt and placed her hands on his hurt rib.
"Whoah Granger, many girls would kill for that you know."
She blushed. "Don't distract me, or I might end up turning your lungs into stone or something." Draco felt warmth flow from her hand into his side as she muttered a strange spell over and over again with her eyes closed. It seemed to go on for a long time and the pain from his side began to fade away. He began to fall asleep.
He awoke with a start. Where was he? Oh, in his room. What had happened? The summons from his father…Hogsmeade and the beating…a nightmare journey home…the fireplace and Granger…Granger? What had she done? He noticed a few candles burning in his room. He felt safe and warm in bed. Amazingly, he felt no more pain, just a slight throbbing from lying on his bruised back. As he looked around, he was startled to see a girl sitting next to him in his armchair, her feet were curled up under her and she was asleep. It had been pulled right up to the bed from his fireplace.
Granger! She was still here! He studied her sleeping form carefully. She had changed into her white nightgown- he blushed when he realized that he had never seen her in her nightgown before- in the morning when they took turns for the joint bathroom, she was always in a dressing gown. Her hand was under her head and she had taken the clip from her hair so that it fell in chestnut waves over her shoulders, nearly to her waist. In the candlelight, it appeared nearly red. He noticed her pink lips slightly parted and beautiful white teeth just showing as her chest rose and fall with each breath she took. He smiled to himself as he remembered how she used to have buck-teeth when she was younger.
He thought with a shock that he had known her for nearly seven years and had never really looked at her! Until now… she was Beautiful. Oh my god, Malfoy! What are you thinking? She's a mudblood! God, but she was gorgeous. How could he not have noticed it before? Probably because she was always hidden behind that dratted Potter and Weasley.
He saw that grasped in her other hand was a white towel and a silver bowl lay filled with some blue water next to him on his nightstand. Only then did he notice that there was a cool towel on his shoulder, where his father had hit him the hard earlier. The clock behind the bowl said it was 5 am. That meant that Granger, no, Hermione had been by his side for the whole…the whole…Draco Malfoy took one look at the blue-stained white towel in her hand and began to cry. He tried to stop but it seemed that something had been unlocked in him because to his horror he could not stop! You're crying like a girl, Malfoy, stop it now! He reproached himself as he wept ever louder.
He must have given a particularly loud sob because she drowsily lifted her head and when she noticed he was crying, she sprang up and sat on the bed next to him, soothing him with her hands on his forehead and cheeks.
"Dra-Malfoy…don't cry. Does it still hurt? Oh dear, I did all I could. I'm sorry, maybe I should get Madam Pomfrey. I didn't have all the medicine in the Hospital Wing so I could only do some basic healing charms. Oh dear…I'm sorry…I'll go get Madam Pomfrey."
He reached out and grasped her hand tightly.
"No, Gra-Hermione…" she gasped. He had called her by her first name…then again, she had nearly called him by his twice this night. It had seemed impossible for her to call someone she was caring for by their surnames and she caught herself twice earlier.
"No Hermione…You are a really good healer. I feel fine. Really. I'm really impressed. It's just that…damnnit…I don't know why I can't stop cry-y-ying!" he choked as he dissolved into more sobs. "Is thi-i-is some s-s-side effect of your medicines?"
She shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure it isn't. The side effects are usually appetite loss and drowsiness. Not, erm, crying."
He began to laugh and she really was afraid that he would do himself some harm.
"Malfoy, you must stop shaking like that. I healed your rib but you mustn't move too much. There, there, don't tire yourself out. Stop crying. Blow your nose into this." She handed him the white towel and he blew his nose noisily.
"Uuugh. Malfoy snot!" she smiled.
He smiled weakly. "It's Draco snot, Hermione."
She looked confused.
"Call me Draco. And thank you, thanks very much, for- for everything."
She felt herself blushing crimson. Get a hold of yourself Hermione, she thought. This is still Draco-I'm-A-Pureblood-And-I-Eat-Mudbloods-For-Breakfast-Malfoy.
"Sure…Draco." She suddenly busied herself with the white towel on his shoulder, lifting it up and checking it very industriously. "Great! It worked! Your bruises are coming down and are nearly gone! Your cuts have healed too and there aren't any scars because I did an Anti-Keyloid spell as well. You should rest till morning., and tomorrow, no getting up. I'll bring you breakfast and say that you're busy studying for next week's Potion's test."
"Hey hey, slow down Hermione." Draco grasped her hand again. He felt her pull away from him then relax her hand in his. "Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere tomorrow, although if I feel well enough I may go for Quidditch practice in the evening…"
She looked horrified. "Malf-Draco! You are *not* going for Quidditch practice! How dare you when …" she stopped when she noticed the twinkle in his eye. Damn Slytherin had been teasing her. "Oh you!.." She slapped him on one of his smaller bruises and he yelped in pain and grinned.
"It's 5am, You better get some more sleep. I want that rib completely healed by Monday." She smiled at him and he smiled at her. Not a Malfoy sneer, a real genuine 100% smile. She turned to go but heard him call her back in a small voice. "Hermione?"
"What, Draco?"
"D-Don't go."
"What?" she could not believe her ears. "Draco, my back is killing me from sleeping in that chair next to you all night and changing your poultices!"
"I-I know. Thanks, but I don't want to be alone." She looked at him quizzically, then to her surprise, Draco said the one statement that she never thought she would ever, EVER, hear him say.
"I'm scared."
She looked at his face. My goodness, the poor guy was really scared. It showed in those blue-gray eyes of his. Blue-gray? Hermione, get a grip, she scolded herself. With an elaborate sigh, she sat down on the chair and prepared to spend the rest of the evening- no morning, next to him.
"Go to sleep Draco. I'll try to go black to sleep in this armchair."
"Hermione?"
"What?"
"If your back really hurts you could sleep…well, you could sleep on my bed you know. It *is* a king-sized bed. I promise I won't- I mean, after all, you know I wouldn't- I can't- being hurt and all- do-try anything funny." He blushed a deep tomato shade as did she.
"Well," she considered his offer carefully, "thanks Mal-Draco, but..erm well…"
"It's okay," he said and smiled. "Just wanted to offer to make you comfortable you know."
She smiled back. "Hey thanks." Then to his surprise, Miss Hermione-I'm-the-smartest-witch-in-school-and-head-girl-so-don't-push-it-Granger climbed into bed next to him and snuggled down under the sheets.
"Brr…It was cold out there!" she whispered into the darkness. The candles were burning down. She felt Draco considerately pull more of the sheets over her with one arm and pat her shoulder.
"Don't move your poultice!" she scolded the darkness, smiling.
"Yes, ma'am" she heard him drawl and though she couldn't see it, she knew he was smiling too.
And then, they both fell asleep, exhausted from the events of the night.
