Driven

Acknowledgement: How many times do I have to type this? El, the author.

Hermione took a deep breath, stepping back for a while before approaching Ron's bed once more, and taking his hand, clutching it in her palm. It felt sweaty and heated against hers as she sat down on the little chair beside his bed, her head down on his shoulder.

"Two more days," she breathed. "Two more days until the doctors come. You'll be fine, won't you? Won't you?"

He gave no answer. The only thing that indicated that he was alive was his rapid pulse and his fading heartbeat.

"You're going to be fine," she assured him, might as well have been speaking to herself. "I won't let you die. Neither will Harry."

Ron shook as she said his name, and she jumped back a little, cautiously drawing closer again. "Ron?" she whispered.

No other movement.

"I've done some pretty stupid things in the past few days," she muttered, letting go of his hand. "But, see the thing is, I ...I didn't know what I was doing. Or who I was doing it for...I guess what I am trying to say, Ron...even though you're unconscious..." she laughed nervously. "I ...love you so much...and ...and I can't...I love you, but I can't..."

She stopped at mid-sentence when she saw that Ron was beginning to jerk back and forth, his eyes still tightly shut, but the pain radiating from him was both blunt and obvious.

"Ron? Ron! Madame Pomfrey!" she cried out, her horror at seeing at the condition Ron was.

"What is..." Madame Pomfrey had arrived, and looked shaken as she saw Ron in bed. "Oh, no, I was afraid of this."

"Afraid of what? Of what?" Hermione shrieked, but Madame Pomfrey only hung her head, aiding to Ron, and telling her to go notify Professor Dumbledore.

***

Draco Malfoy was whistling smugly to himself as he walked down the hallways, but stood frozen as he saw Hermione Granger run past him.

"Going somewhere, Granger?" he yelled after, raising his wand so that yellow and blue sparks flew out and hit her in the back profusely, leaving her to trip and fall on the floor, glaring at him, as he chuckled cold-heartedly.

"What are you playing at, Malfoy?"

"Nothing...is your little boyfriend dying?" he taunted. She brushed herself off and aimed to smack him, but he caught her hand.

"Now, you wouldn't want to do that to the only person that can undo the spell, can you?" he said, raising an eyebrow as she struggled against him.

"What?" Hermione questioned, then gasped. "You!" she accused in realization. "You were the one who did this! You son of a..."

"Now, now, Granger. The first degree Sleeping Drought cannot be undone unless by the same person who put it on him."

"I am going to tell the Headmaster!" she spat in his face, but he kept a tight grip on her as she tried to squirm out of reach. He reached inside her robes and pulled out her wand, putting it in his own robes.

"I'd like to see you try. You do that, I'll break your fucking wand in half so you can go back where you came from, mudblood. I can bind you to me with one spell."

She stopped struggling, liquid welling in her eyes of desperation. "You...you wouldn't!"

"Would you like to experiment?" he asked, his eyes steely and narrowed.

"Malfoy..."

He smirked.

"What do you want?" she said, falling limp in his arms. "I'll put a memory charm on Ron so he doesn't remember it was you, but you need to undo this spell before he dies. Please. I'll do anything," she pleaded.

"Really?"

"Yes," she said, her tone firm and final. She would do anything to save Ron's life.

His smirk widened to a victorious range. Victory was shining, glowering deeply in his eyes as he said his next few words. "Good, Granger, because I've already got something in mind..."

***

1) What was Hermione going to tell Ron?

2) Will Hermione really do ANYTHING to not risk Ron's life?

3) What the hell happened to Harry?

4) What exactly does Malfoy have in mind...? It's certainly not pretty.

I realize the last chapter sucked, and sorry for the late update but ff.net wasn't working for pretty much everyone for a while, but I think this was a bit better, so please remember to review!

Love,

-S.A. Court