Author's Note: If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. No profit will be made from this, no copyright infringement is intended.
Please review if you like it!!!!
Spoilers for any Harry Potter book may be included. Don't read if you want to be surprised.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Two
Hermione had been laying in the hospital bed for two days now. Her ankle had been mended in a matter of hours, but her arm had required more extensive magic to fix properly. She hadn't seen Harry, but Ron was lying in the bed next to her. They had passed the boring wait by trying to figure out what Dumbledore had meant, for he hadn't been to see either of them since the time in the clearing.
They even discussed Draco's sudden change of sides. Again, they both came up short of ideas, and decided to drop that subject until they got a first hand account from Mr. Malfoy himself. Not too long after eating lunch, Madam Pomfrey busied in, and began fidgeting with Hermione's arm. "How does it feel dear?" She asked, bending it in all sorts of different directions.
"A lot better." Hermione answer truthfully, although she suppressed a wince when Madame Pomfrey twisted it a bit to far to the left. "How's Harry?" She asked.
"Oh he's a lot better than to be expected." Madam Pomfrey answered, walking over to Ron. She checked under his bandages, pushed his red hair back and tapped the small but still present lump, and nodded in satisfaction. "And I'm happy to report that you two seem to be in tip top shape." She jotted something down on her clipboard and pulled back the curtain, shielding them from each other. "Go ahead and get dressed and I'll you can go see Harry. Mind you, you can't stay long, but I don't think a quick visit will set him back any."
Hermione smiled, and reached for her clothes sitting on the side table. Someone had brought some of her own clean clothes, and she hoped her other's had been burned. She slipped into her jeans and t-shirt, and was lacing up her shoes when Ron called out to her. "Are you decent?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered back and Ron pulled back the curtain and sat beside her on the bed. He was definitely two shades paler than normal, but other than that Hermione thought he looked okay. His stubborn red hair was spiked up on top of his head, and sticking out in the back. Hermione smiled, suppressing the urge to smooth it down. Ron caught her looking at him and looked back questionly.
"Have I sprouted antlers?" He asked, running his hands over the top of his head.
Hermione laughed, "Of course not, I was just thinking." She said.
"About?"
She started to tell him of her crush. Let him know that she had liked him for quite a few years now, but she stopped. There was no point in embarrassing her self like that. If Ron liked her in return, surely he would have said something by now. 'Perhaps he's swallowing his feelings as much as you are.' She chided her self, tying the other shoe. 'Maybe not,' her cynical side retorted. 'I'll talk to him after we see Harry.' She decided with a nod of her head.
"Ready?" She asked him standing up and straightening her shirt. They stepped out in the hall and looked down at the rows of empty beds. There were only two occupied across from each other at the end of the hall.
Hermione led the way, stopping at the one on the right and peeking in through the curtain. Ron opened the other curtain and looked in at the other bed. Hermione held back a gasp of surprise as her eyes fell upon Draco. He looked no better than he had the other day. His skin was as pale as his hair. His unopened eyes had the darkest circles under them. The top of his head was bandaged, and the whole left side of his head was covered in a purplish bruise. A long scar ran down the other side, from below his cheekbone to his chin.
"He's over here, Hermione." Ron said quietly. He watched as she pulled her head back from the curtain, and blinked. She nodded slightly and joined him beside Harry.
"I was wondering when I'd see you again." Harry said, his eyes lighting up as they came in. "Madame Pomfrey isn't that much fun to talk to." He pulled himself into a sitting position. "Are you two doing alright?" He asked, concerned for his friends. After all, Harry knew that if it weren't for he being their friend, they would never get into the predicaments that they did.
"We're fine." Ron answered. Hermione just stared at the wall, sitting down at the foot of Harry's bed. "Has anyone told you anything?"
"No, nothing." Harry sighed. "I keep expecting Dumbledore to come in with an explanation, but so far the only other visitor I had was Ginny."
"She came to see you and not me?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Well, you don't possess my great personality, or my charming good looks." Harry told him with a smirk.
"Did she even ask about how I was doing?"
Harry pretended to ponder that for moment before shaking his head. "Didn't say a word about you." He reached for his glass of water and took a drink. "She did tell me that all the teachers that had been taken were all returned safely. They were being kept deep in the forbidden forest by a group of Death Eaters. They were too powerful to kill, but not strong enough to get away. They're all okay though."
"Why didn't they just apparate back to the school since they were so close." Ron asked, causing Hermione to sigh. "I know I know, they can't apparate on school grounds. But they still should have been able to do something."
Harry shook his head. "That's all Ginny told me. Oh, and you'll never guess who was one of the Death Eaters they captured was." He paused for the effect. "Lucius Malfoy."
"You're kidding." Hermione gasped. "He was supposed to be in Azkaban."
"Was." Harry pointed out. "Apparently Sirius wasn't the only one who could escape." His eyes clouded up a bit over the mention of his deceased Godfather's name, but he quickly shook it off. "Ginny said that when the Ministry of Magic came to collect them, the dementors preformed the death kiss on him immediately."
"Wow." Hermione whispered, looking over her shoulder at Draco's still closed curtain. As much as she hated Lucius, Draco had helped them in the end, and he was his father. If they had just returned him to Azkaban, that would be one thing, but knowing your father had no soul... Poor Draco...
She opened her eyes to see Harry and Ron staring at her. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for him." Ron asked, his voice accusing.
"No, not for Lucius. I do feel sorry for Draco though." She looked back accusingly. "Come on Harry, you know what it's like to lose a parent. Can you honestly say that Draco deserved to lose one of his?"
"I guess not." Harry admitted. He knew the pain it would bring, but his parents had been good. They had been killed for the wrong reasons, but he supposed Lucius had been killed for the wrong ones too. "It's all Voldemort's fault. If it weren't for him, there would have never been Death Eater's to begin with." Harry said angrily, hitting his palm with his other fist.
"It's alright now, though, Harry. He's gone. For good this time." Ron said patting his friend on the shoulder.
"Ahem." They all turned towards the hall when they heard Madame Pomfrey clear her throat. "I think that this visit has gone on long enough." She said, shooing Ron and Hermione away from the bed. "You two go on up to your common room, and you," She said scolding Harry, "were told not to get yourself so worked up."
"Bye Harry." Hermione said waving back at him before heading to the door. She was a few steps ahead of Ron, and when she stepped on the stairs leading to the Gryffindor common room, they immediately shifted and left Ron standing on the landing. "Slowpoke!" She called down to him. The excitement of being out of the hospital wing finally hit her. She ran up the rest of the stairs.
"Password?" The fat lady said, sitting in a chair and fanning herself.
"Unicorn Horn." Hermione answered and climbed in as the portrait swung open. As soon as she entered she was bombarded with students.
"Is it true?"
"Is he-who-must-not-be-named really dead?"
"Where are Ron and Harry?"
"I heard he killed Draco Malfoy."
Hermione held up her hand. "I know you are all curious about what happened." She said in her most authorative voice. "And I am sure that Professor Dumbledore will fill you in as soon as possible. Until then, I'm afraid that I cannot answer any questions." She started towards the stairs to her dormitory. "Except I will tell you this. Draco Malfoy was not killed. He is alive and alone in the hospital wing." She turned on her heel and left the students staring after her.
* * *
To be continued...
Please review if you like it!!!!
Spoilers for any Harry Potter book may be included. Don't read if you want to be surprised.
~*~*~*~
Chapter Two
Hermione had been laying in the hospital bed for two days now. Her ankle had been mended in a matter of hours, but her arm had required more extensive magic to fix properly. She hadn't seen Harry, but Ron was lying in the bed next to her. They had passed the boring wait by trying to figure out what Dumbledore had meant, for he hadn't been to see either of them since the time in the clearing.
They even discussed Draco's sudden change of sides. Again, they both came up short of ideas, and decided to drop that subject until they got a first hand account from Mr. Malfoy himself. Not too long after eating lunch, Madam Pomfrey busied in, and began fidgeting with Hermione's arm. "How does it feel dear?" She asked, bending it in all sorts of different directions.
"A lot better." Hermione answer truthfully, although she suppressed a wince when Madame Pomfrey twisted it a bit to far to the left. "How's Harry?" She asked.
"Oh he's a lot better than to be expected." Madam Pomfrey answered, walking over to Ron. She checked under his bandages, pushed his red hair back and tapped the small but still present lump, and nodded in satisfaction. "And I'm happy to report that you two seem to be in tip top shape." She jotted something down on her clipboard and pulled back the curtain, shielding them from each other. "Go ahead and get dressed and I'll you can go see Harry. Mind you, you can't stay long, but I don't think a quick visit will set him back any."
Hermione smiled, and reached for her clothes sitting on the side table. Someone had brought some of her own clean clothes, and she hoped her other's had been burned. She slipped into her jeans and t-shirt, and was lacing up her shoes when Ron called out to her. "Are you decent?" He asked.
"Yes." She answered back and Ron pulled back the curtain and sat beside her on the bed. He was definitely two shades paler than normal, but other than that Hermione thought he looked okay. His stubborn red hair was spiked up on top of his head, and sticking out in the back. Hermione smiled, suppressing the urge to smooth it down. Ron caught her looking at him and looked back questionly.
"Have I sprouted antlers?" He asked, running his hands over the top of his head.
Hermione laughed, "Of course not, I was just thinking." She said.
"About?"
She started to tell him of her crush. Let him know that she had liked him for quite a few years now, but she stopped. There was no point in embarrassing her self like that. If Ron liked her in return, surely he would have said something by now. 'Perhaps he's swallowing his feelings as much as you are.' She chided her self, tying the other shoe. 'Maybe not,' her cynical side retorted. 'I'll talk to him after we see Harry.' She decided with a nod of her head.
"Ready?" She asked him standing up and straightening her shirt. They stepped out in the hall and looked down at the rows of empty beds. There were only two occupied across from each other at the end of the hall.
Hermione led the way, stopping at the one on the right and peeking in through the curtain. Ron opened the other curtain and looked in at the other bed. Hermione held back a gasp of surprise as her eyes fell upon Draco. He looked no better than he had the other day. His skin was as pale as his hair. His unopened eyes had the darkest circles under them. The top of his head was bandaged, and the whole left side of his head was covered in a purplish bruise. A long scar ran down the other side, from below his cheekbone to his chin.
"He's over here, Hermione." Ron said quietly. He watched as she pulled her head back from the curtain, and blinked. She nodded slightly and joined him beside Harry.
"I was wondering when I'd see you again." Harry said, his eyes lighting up as they came in. "Madame Pomfrey isn't that much fun to talk to." He pulled himself into a sitting position. "Are you two doing alright?" He asked, concerned for his friends. After all, Harry knew that if it weren't for he being their friend, they would never get into the predicaments that they did.
"We're fine." Ron answered. Hermione just stared at the wall, sitting down at the foot of Harry's bed. "Has anyone told you anything?"
"No, nothing." Harry sighed. "I keep expecting Dumbledore to come in with an explanation, but so far the only other visitor I had was Ginny."
"She came to see you and not me?" Ron asked incredulously.
"Well, you don't possess my great personality, or my charming good looks." Harry told him with a smirk.
"Did she even ask about how I was doing?"
Harry pretended to ponder that for moment before shaking his head. "Didn't say a word about you." He reached for his glass of water and took a drink. "She did tell me that all the teachers that had been taken were all returned safely. They were being kept deep in the forbidden forest by a group of Death Eaters. They were too powerful to kill, but not strong enough to get away. They're all okay though."
"Why didn't they just apparate back to the school since they were so close." Ron asked, causing Hermione to sigh. "I know I know, they can't apparate on school grounds. But they still should have been able to do something."
Harry shook his head. "That's all Ginny told me. Oh, and you'll never guess who was one of the Death Eaters they captured was." He paused for the effect. "Lucius Malfoy."
"You're kidding." Hermione gasped. "He was supposed to be in Azkaban."
"Was." Harry pointed out. "Apparently Sirius wasn't the only one who could escape." His eyes clouded up a bit over the mention of his deceased Godfather's name, but he quickly shook it off. "Ginny said that when the Ministry of Magic came to collect them, the dementors preformed the death kiss on him immediately."
"Wow." Hermione whispered, looking over her shoulder at Draco's still closed curtain. As much as she hated Lucius, Draco had helped them in the end, and he was his father. If they had just returned him to Azkaban, that would be one thing, but knowing your father had no soul... Poor Draco...
She opened her eyes to see Harry and Ron staring at her. "Don't tell me you feel sorry for him." Ron asked, his voice accusing.
"No, not for Lucius. I do feel sorry for Draco though." She looked back accusingly. "Come on Harry, you know what it's like to lose a parent. Can you honestly say that Draco deserved to lose one of his?"
"I guess not." Harry admitted. He knew the pain it would bring, but his parents had been good. They had been killed for the wrong reasons, but he supposed Lucius had been killed for the wrong ones too. "It's all Voldemort's fault. If it weren't for him, there would have never been Death Eater's to begin with." Harry said angrily, hitting his palm with his other fist.
"It's alright now, though, Harry. He's gone. For good this time." Ron said patting his friend on the shoulder.
"Ahem." They all turned towards the hall when they heard Madame Pomfrey clear her throat. "I think that this visit has gone on long enough." She said, shooing Ron and Hermione away from the bed. "You two go on up to your common room, and you," She said scolding Harry, "were told not to get yourself so worked up."
"Bye Harry." Hermione said waving back at him before heading to the door. She was a few steps ahead of Ron, and when she stepped on the stairs leading to the Gryffindor common room, they immediately shifted and left Ron standing on the landing. "Slowpoke!" She called down to him. The excitement of being out of the hospital wing finally hit her. She ran up the rest of the stairs.
"Password?" The fat lady said, sitting in a chair and fanning herself.
"Unicorn Horn." Hermione answered and climbed in as the portrait swung open. As soon as she entered she was bombarded with students.
"Is it true?"
"Is he-who-must-not-be-named really dead?"
"Where are Ron and Harry?"
"I heard he killed Draco Malfoy."
Hermione held up her hand. "I know you are all curious about what happened." She said in her most authorative voice. "And I am sure that Professor Dumbledore will fill you in as soon as possible. Until then, I'm afraid that I cannot answer any questions." She started towards the stairs to her dormitory. "Except I will tell you this. Draco Malfoy was not killed. He is alive and alone in the hospital wing." She turned on her heel and left the students staring after her.
* * *
To be continued...
