'Hermione, come quick, help me with this man', urged Dumbledor as he rushed
into the bedroom with a body heavily soaked in blood.
'Professor?' she asked, 'what's going on, what happened, who is he?'
Dumbledor busied himself with resting the body that seemed to be lying unconscious on the bed. He raised himself and turned to answer her question.
'I believe you know this man from your days at school, yes, I believe you know him very well.' He observed, looking at her piercingly, 'Come, we'll speak in the kitchen', leading her away.
Dumbledor made two cups of tea and placed them in front of Hermione. Looking up at her he sighed and began his explanation.
'The man in the next room, is no other that Mr Draco Malfoy, Harry's seeming arch enemy at school. No let me finish,' he said as Hermione tried to interrupt. 'He came to me earlier this evening in the state that you see him in now. He's hurt, Hermione, seriously and maybe fatally. I need you to look after him for me, I need you to keep him alive. He has risked so much to help me now that I cannot betray his faith. Please put aside your differences and do this for me. You may have been a little surprise when I asked you to meet me here this evening, you, Mr Malfoy and I are the only ones who knows of this islands existence and only we are able to see it and find it. Mr Malfoy here, as you may have guess, is a spy. Due to unforeseen and unexpected circumstances, Professor Snape is no longer useful as a spy in this war. Mr. Malfoy has taken his place dispite the constant dangers to his life; I am grateful to him for that. He had just escaped from a near exposure but he has paid dearly. He is weak, very weak, and I need you to restore him to his health. There are three things I must ensure that you take very seriously, you must never inform anyone of the whereabouts of Mr Malfoy, you must never use magic on this island and you must not, I repeat, must not fall in love with Mr Malfoy.'
Hermione looked at him shock, 'What?' she asked.
'Just listen to the instruction,' he said, 'heal him, for I am depending on you. You are the most able medic both magically and humanly. Mr. Malfoy would be suffering both mentally and physically. He would be caught up in rages and fits and I suggest you not to go near him when this happens. I will soon cut any magical influence in this island for I cannot allow the risk of Lord Voldermort knowing where he is, it is for this reason that you will be unable to use magic. Slowly he will recover and when he does I will know and will come to purge you of your burden. That all said I will leave now, goodbye and good luck Miss Granger.' And with that he was gone
'Right,' Hermione thought to herself, 'this was just great'. She had been left with a man who, as a boy, she had hated with a deep loathing. She peered into his room and watched his sleeping restlessly turning this way and that. She quickly fetched some cold water and a towel to clean his rather blood stained face. Immediately he calmed and she continued to cool him down with the water. As she got to work, she saw more wounds and scars on him than anyone she had ever seen. He had been hurt so badly the she was surprised he was still alive. She stripped him of his covers and removes he badly ripped shirt. Long gashed and deep bruises marked every inch of his flesh. Many of the wounds were still open and blood was running profusely out of them. Quickly she saw to the wound, cleaned and bounded them with fresh bandage. When she finished, she replaced his covers and stayed by his bed, watching over him, falling asleep next to his bed.
'Professor?' she asked, 'what's going on, what happened, who is he?'
Dumbledor busied himself with resting the body that seemed to be lying unconscious on the bed. He raised himself and turned to answer her question.
'I believe you know this man from your days at school, yes, I believe you know him very well.' He observed, looking at her piercingly, 'Come, we'll speak in the kitchen', leading her away.
Dumbledor made two cups of tea and placed them in front of Hermione. Looking up at her he sighed and began his explanation.
'The man in the next room, is no other that Mr Draco Malfoy, Harry's seeming arch enemy at school. No let me finish,' he said as Hermione tried to interrupt. 'He came to me earlier this evening in the state that you see him in now. He's hurt, Hermione, seriously and maybe fatally. I need you to look after him for me, I need you to keep him alive. He has risked so much to help me now that I cannot betray his faith. Please put aside your differences and do this for me. You may have been a little surprise when I asked you to meet me here this evening, you, Mr Malfoy and I are the only ones who knows of this islands existence and only we are able to see it and find it. Mr Malfoy here, as you may have guess, is a spy. Due to unforeseen and unexpected circumstances, Professor Snape is no longer useful as a spy in this war. Mr. Malfoy has taken his place dispite the constant dangers to his life; I am grateful to him for that. He had just escaped from a near exposure but he has paid dearly. He is weak, very weak, and I need you to restore him to his health. There are three things I must ensure that you take very seriously, you must never inform anyone of the whereabouts of Mr Malfoy, you must never use magic on this island and you must not, I repeat, must not fall in love with Mr Malfoy.'
Hermione looked at him shock, 'What?' she asked.
'Just listen to the instruction,' he said, 'heal him, for I am depending on you. You are the most able medic both magically and humanly. Mr. Malfoy would be suffering both mentally and physically. He would be caught up in rages and fits and I suggest you not to go near him when this happens. I will soon cut any magical influence in this island for I cannot allow the risk of Lord Voldermort knowing where he is, it is for this reason that you will be unable to use magic. Slowly he will recover and when he does I will know and will come to purge you of your burden. That all said I will leave now, goodbye and good luck Miss Granger.' And with that he was gone
'Right,' Hermione thought to herself, 'this was just great'. She had been left with a man who, as a boy, she had hated with a deep loathing. She peered into his room and watched his sleeping restlessly turning this way and that. She quickly fetched some cold water and a towel to clean his rather blood stained face. Immediately he calmed and she continued to cool him down with the water. As she got to work, she saw more wounds and scars on him than anyone she had ever seen. He had been hurt so badly the she was surprised he was still alive. She stripped him of his covers and removes he badly ripped shirt. Long gashed and deep bruises marked every inch of his flesh. Many of the wounds were still open and blood was running profusely out of them. Quickly she saw to the wound, cleaned and bounded them with fresh bandage. When she finished, she replaced his covers and stayed by his bed, watching over him, falling asleep next to his bed.