Disclaimer: I do not own anything with the exception of Damien.
A/N: Ok, next chapter, as promised! I did something the other day that could get me in a load of trouble. So if my parents find out I might have my computer taken away for a while. I'm really sorry guys. So I'm gonna do my best to get this story as close to finished as possible.
Draco stayed up long into the night just staring at her. Over the hours he had recovered every single memory with the exception of the last twenty-four hours. All he could think of as he stared at her was how on earth did I get someone like her? I'm beneath her, and unworthy. How could I possibly have let anything happen to her?
"Young man, I think you should get to bed now. You can see her again in the morning. We want to make sure you have your strength tomorrow." Madame Pince escorted Draco back to his bed.
She left a candle by his table and blew out all the others. She straightened up a little bit before finally leaving.
Draco looked over at the corner. The curtains had been closed, and spells of protection had been placed all over the area, so there was no possible chance of him sneaking a glimpse of her at all during the night. He felt very lonely, and there was no one to talk to. Neville left around noon. Madame Pince went to bed. Hermione, well, there was no chance of anything happening there. He was all alone.
Draco spent another few minutes trying to sort out many thoughts, but soon he had become just to tired to think properly and decided to sleep on it. And as he slept he had a dream. A dream that seemed so familiar, and so real. Like he had lived it before.
There he was, trying to persuade Hermione onto a broom with him. She looked nervous and uneasy. Eventually he got her on it and he took her high up into the air. He showed her the beautiful scenery and smiled at her look of awe and amazement. They were talking when an all too familiar sound rang in his ears and came racing towards them. He recognized it as a bludger and his heart raced. He had to get her out of there! He tried continuously to dodge it but it kept coming and coming. Soon they were hit and she fell. He knew he had to save her, even if he had to die trying. He had assured her before that she was safe and he had broken his word. And just as his hand was a mere inch from hers he too was hit and they both tumbled to the ground. But as he fell, he did catch a glimpse of a hooded figure fleeing the area.
Draco woke up with sweat dripping down his face. He remembered. The entire dream, all of it, it was true. It was his fault. His fault Hermione was in such condition. Draco now felt even worse. He had hurt her.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry." Draco whispered in her direction.
He closed his eyes in pain and sadness, and then opened them once more. He sighed. Not a sigh of relief. No, he could not feel that way when he had been the cause of harm to his beloved. Yet it was a sigh of understanding. At least now he knew what had happened. At least now he may finally be able to help Hermione, or find the bastard who had attacked her.
"I will find him Hermione. I'll find him and show him just what he's done to you. I'm going to make that weasel pay for this." He clenched his fists.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next couple of days were hard for Draco. He was stuck in the hospital wing, able to move, but still treated as though he was paralyzed. His beloved was ill and unconscious in the bed now next to him. Very few of the other students were sent to the hospital wing, and the few that were there didn't seem to want to converse with him. Which was understandable. Many were scared of him, and most of those who didn't fear him hated him deeply. So he sat there bored and saddened, and he desperately needed to talk to Dumbledore, who was supposedly returning late in the afternoon.
So Draco had a few more hours of solitude. Now, he was normally a creature that generally preferred his privacy (with the exception of being around his girlfriend, which was not much of an option), but when he was forced into solitude he found he didn't care for it the slightest bit.
Madame Pince returned from lunch and brought Draco a tray of food and a few pills instead of the liquid form. He had asked for it his second day. The liquid form was far too much. The pill was small, easy to swallow, and pretty much flavorless.
"Don't worry now dear. You'll be out of here soon enough. Dumbledore reckons you'll be allowed back in classes in about a week or so. We'll decide that when the time comes. Now eat your lunch." She sat the tray down on the table beside him.
"Wait, did you just see Dumbledore? Is he back now?" Draco asked with eagerness.
"Why yes. I believe he returned about an hour or so ago. Why? Do you need to see him?" she wondered as she scrunched her face slightly.
"Yes. It's terribly important. Can I go and see him? I'll come right back." Draco pleaded.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go all that way alone, and I myself can't take you. How about I send for him? Will that due?" She offered.
"Sure." He nodded.
So he wouldn't have the complete privacy he wished for, but he desperately needed to see Dumbledore. It was urgent that he tell him the whole story. He was a very wise and experienced man. Surely he would be able to catch the being responsible for his dear lover's condition.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was about an hour later when Draco looked up to see Dumbledore entering the room. Draco sat up instantly, as he had been slouching before. Dumbledore looked first at the girl no more then three feet from him. His sadness was hard to see, yet still visible. A man of his stature could not let so much emotion show. He had to be strong, for others who needed it. Then he looked over at the boy before him.
Draco felt insecure under the old man's gaze. He felt small and fragile for some odd reason. Like he felt with his father before his days at Hogwarts. Only it wasn't a threatening feeling. Just an odd one.
"Madame Pince tells me you called for me. She said it was urgent." He raised an eyebrow as he pulled a chair up beside Draco's bed.
"It is, and I'm very sorry to have disturbed you sir. But it's about Hermione, and what happened." Draco whispered now, so no one else could hear.
"Really, Madame Pince says you don't remember any of it?" He seemed curious.
"Because I don't want the whole school knowing. We were attacked." Draco looked longingly over at Hermione.
"Ok, start from the beginning then." Dumbledore leaned back ready to listen.
So Draco spent the next five minutes explaining the whole ordeal to the old man in the chair beside him. Throughout Draco's story Dumbledore would pause any movement and it appeared to Draco that he had begun thinking. Thinking of what could have happened.
"And then I tried to save her, but just as I reached her I too was hit, and the next thing I knew I woke up here." Draco sighed, with that awful empty pit in his stomach.
"Do you remember anything at all about what this person looked like. Were they male or female?" He asked.
"Definitely male. He had the shape, and Hermione's heard his voice. And remember, she said it sounded familiar. So it must be someone we know. No one below their fifth year." Draco answered.
"Were you able to see hair color? Eye color perhaps?" He questioned.
"The hood flew off, but I was concentrating on getting Hermione. So I didn't catch the hair or eyes, but I did see glasses." Draco squinted, thinking of Harry.
"Now Draco, I know what you're thinking. There is a good possibility it could be Mr. Potter, but let me remind you that he is not the only student wearing glasses at this school." Dumbledore shook his head.
"But it has to be him! He's old enough. He wears glasses. He has reason for doing this, we all know he's practically in love with Hermione! And Hermione said she recognized the voice. Potter is the only one with an invisibility cloak, so he had to be the one who snuck into her room. It is him I'm telling you!" Draco rose above a whisper for a moment or two.
"Draco Malfoy! Do not accuse him of crimes you are not certain he committed. Do you know for a solid fact that he did it? Do you know exactly where he was at the moment all of these incidents happened? You are going off your suspicions. Now I know you and Harry haven't always been the best of friends. But let me remind you, that after all he has done to help out Hermione and Ron, he is the last person who would intentionally harm either of them. And Hermione especially!" Dumbledore boomed.
"I'm sorry sir. I was out of line. It might now be Potter. But all signs are leading to him. They have been leading to him since the get go." Draco sighed with frustration.
"Just calm down now." The old man patted his shoulder.
"I know. I just want Hermione back, and revenge on whomever did this to her. Is that so unreasonable? Is that so hard to understand?" Draco came close to tears once again, but forced them back
A/N: Good chapter or just an ok chapter? I promise Damien will appear again before the end. And just to let you all know, that if my parents do take my computer away, I'll do my best to update while I'm at my friends house. And if that's not a possibility I'll keep writing on paper and type it up and post it the moment I'm allowed back on. But for the while please continue reading and reviewing. Oh, and I was thinking of later starting a few other stories. What do you think of these pairings? Draco and Ginny? Ginny and Lupin? Lupin and Hermione? Hermione and Oliver? Oliver and Flint? Please choose two! That way I will try to pick one of the two preferred by you guys. Review please!
A/N: Ok, next chapter, as promised! I did something the other day that could get me in a load of trouble. So if my parents find out I might have my computer taken away for a while. I'm really sorry guys. So I'm gonna do my best to get this story as close to finished as possible.
Draco stayed up long into the night just staring at her. Over the hours he had recovered every single memory with the exception of the last twenty-four hours. All he could think of as he stared at her was how on earth did I get someone like her? I'm beneath her, and unworthy. How could I possibly have let anything happen to her?
"Young man, I think you should get to bed now. You can see her again in the morning. We want to make sure you have your strength tomorrow." Madame Pince escorted Draco back to his bed.
She left a candle by his table and blew out all the others. She straightened up a little bit before finally leaving.
Draco looked over at the corner. The curtains had been closed, and spells of protection had been placed all over the area, so there was no possible chance of him sneaking a glimpse of her at all during the night. He felt very lonely, and there was no one to talk to. Neville left around noon. Madame Pince went to bed. Hermione, well, there was no chance of anything happening there. He was all alone.
Draco spent another few minutes trying to sort out many thoughts, but soon he had become just to tired to think properly and decided to sleep on it. And as he slept he had a dream. A dream that seemed so familiar, and so real. Like he had lived it before.
There he was, trying to persuade Hermione onto a broom with him. She looked nervous and uneasy. Eventually he got her on it and he took her high up into the air. He showed her the beautiful scenery and smiled at her look of awe and amazement. They were talking when an all too familiar sound rang in his ears and came racing towards them. He recognized it as a bludger and his heart raced. He had to get her out of there! He tried continuously to dodge it but it kept coming and coming. Soon they were hit and she fell. He knew he had to save her, even if he had to die trying. He had assured her before that she was safe and he had broken his word. And just as his hand was a mere inch from hers he too was hit and they both tumbled to the ground. But as he fell, he did catch a glimpse of a hooded figure fleeing the area.
Draco woke up with sweat dripping down his face. He remembered. The entire dream, all of it, it was true. It was his fault. His fault Hermione was in such condition. Draco now felt even worse. He had hurt her.
"Hermione, I'm so sorry." Draco whispered in her direction.
He closed his eyes in pain and sadness, and then opened them once more. He sighed. Not a sigh of relief. No, he could not feel that way when he had been the cause of harm to his beloved. Yet it was a sigh of understanding. At least now he knew what had happened. At least now he may finally be able to help Hermione, or find the bastard who had attacked her.
"I will find him Hermione. I'll find him and show him just what he's done to you. I'm going to make that weasel pay for this." He clenched his fists.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The next couple of days were hard for Draco. He was stuck in the hospital wing, able to move, but still treated as though he was paralyzed. His beloved was ill and unconscious in the bed now next to him. Very few of the other students were sent to the hospital wing, and the few that were there didn't seem to want to converse with him. Which was understandable. Many were scared of him, and most of those who didn't fear him hated him deeply. So he sat there bored and saddened, and he desperately needed to talk to Dumbledore, who was supposedly returning late in the afternoon.
So Draco had a few more hours of solitude. Now, he was normally a creature that generally preferred his privacy (with the exception of being around his girlfriend, which was not much of an option), but when he was forced into solitude he found he didn't care for it the slightest bit.
Madame Pince returned from lunch and brought Draco a tray of food and a few pills instead of the liquid form. He had asked for it his second day. The liquid form was far too much. The pill was small, easy to swallow, and pretty much flavorless.
"Don't worry now dear. You'll be out of here soon enough. Dumbledore reckons you'll be allowed back in classes in about a week or so. We'll decide that when the time comes. Now eat your lunch." She sat the tray down on the table beside him.
"Wait, did you just see Dumbledore? Is he back now?" Draco asked with eagerness.
"Why yes. I believe he returned about an hour or so ago. Why? Do you need to see him?" she wondered as she scrunched her face slightly.
"Yes. It's terribly important. Can I go and see him? I'll come right back." Draco pleaded.
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to go all that way alone, and I myself can't take you. How about I send for him? Will that due?" She offered.
"Sure." He nodded.
So he wouldn't have the complete privacy he wished for, but he desperately needed to see Dumbledore. It was urgent that he tell him the whole story. He was a very wise and experienced man. Surely he would be able to catch the being responsible for his dear lover's condition.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was about an hour later when Draco looked up to see Dumbledore entering the room. Draco sat up instantly, as he had been slouching before. Dumbledore looked first at the girl no more then three feet from him. His sadness was hard to see, yet still visible. A man of his stature could not let so much emotion show. He had to be strong, for others who needed it. Then he looked over at the boy before him.
Draco felt insecure under the old man's gaze. He felt small and fragile for some odd reason. Like he felt with his father before his days at Hogwarts. Only it wasn't a threatening feeling. Just an odd one.
"Madame Pince tells me you called for me. She said it was urgent." He raised an eyebrow as he pulled a chair up beside Draco's bed.
"It is, and I'm very sorry to have disturbed you sir. But it's about Hermione, and what happened." Draco whispered now, so no one else could hear.
"Really, Madame Pince says you don't remember any of it?" He seemed curious.
"Because I don't want the whole school knowing. We were attacked." Draco looked longingly over at Hermione.
"Ok, start from the beginning then." Dumbledore leaned back ready to listen.
So Draco spent the next five minutes explaining the whole ordeal to the old man in the chair beside him. Throughout Draco's story Dumbledore would pause any movement and it appeared to Draco that he had begun thinking. Thinking of what could have happened.
"And then I tried to save her, but just as I reached her I too was hit, and the next thing I knew I woke up here." Draco sighed, with that awful empty pit in his stomach.
"Do you remember anything at all about what this person looked like. Were they male or female?" He asked.
"Definitely male. He had the shape, and Hermione's heard his voice. And remember, she said it sounded familiar. So it must be someone we know. No one below their fifth year." Draco answered.
"Were you able to see hair color? Eye color perhaps?" He questioned.
"The hood flew off, but I was concentrating on getting Hermione. So I didn't catch the hair or eyes, but I did see glasses." Draco squinted, thinking of Harry.
"Now Draco, I know what you're thinking. There is a good possibility it could be Mr. Potter, but let me remind you that he is not the only student wearing glasses at this school." Dumbledore shook his head.
"But it has to be him! He's old enough. He wears glasses. He has reason for doing this, we all know he's practically in love with Hermione! And Hermione said she recognized the voice. Potter is the only one with an invisibility cloak, so he had to be the one who snuck into her room. It is him I'm telling you!" Draco rose above a whisper for a moment or two.
"Draco Malfoy! Do not accuse him of crimes you are not certain he committed. Do you know for a solid fact that he did it? Do you know exactly where he was at the moment all of these incidents happened? You are going off your suspicions. Now I know you and Harry haven't always been the best of friends. But let me remind you, that after all he has done to help out Hermione and Ron, he is the last person who would intentionally harm either of them. And Hermione especially!" Dumbledore boomed.
"I'm sorry sir. I was out of line. It might now be Potter. But all signs are leading to him. They have been leading to him since the get go." Draco sighed with frustration.
"Just calm down now." The old man patted his shoulder.
"I know. I just want Hermione back, and revenge on whomever did this to her. Is that so unreasonable? Is that so hard to understand?" Draco came close to tears once again, but forced them back
A/N: Good chapter or just an ok chapter? I promise Damien will appear again before the end. And just to let you all know, that if my parents do take my computer away, I'll do my best to update while I'm at my friends house. And if that's not a possibility I'll keep writing on paper and type it up and post it the moment I'm allowed back on. But for the while please continue reading and reviewing. Oh, and I was thinking of later starting a few other stories. What do you think of these pairings? Draco and Ginny? Ginny and Lupin? Lupin and Hermione? Hermione and Oliver? Oliver and Flint? Please choose two! That way I will try to pick one of the two preferred by you guys. Review please!