Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.

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Hermione moaned unconsciously in pain, as the wrath raged through her body. She tried to numb it with her brain but nothing worked. She felt it grip her, and she twitched involuntarily.

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"So, you see Professor, we're worried!" Draco finished. Dumbledore looked at the pair and agreed he would mention it to the teachers that Hermione had disappeared again. Draco was slightly hurt and Harry annoyed that he hadn't done anything else.

"Potter, I'm going for a walk. You coming?" Draco offered. Harry looked at him and decided he would. He walked along side Draco for ages, neither saying anything.

The pair wandered down corridors and reached the doors leading outside. Harry wanted to go outside, but Draco almost avoided it. In the end, he relented and swung the doors open. For a fleeting moment, Harry considered going to Hagrid's, but decided not to.

Draco followed Harry and the pair walked around the lake and Draco was heading back in when Harry noticed at the bend of a tree a wheelchair. He gave a little yell and ran over, Draco right behind him. Harry gasped. Hermione was on the floor, moaning in pain and her wheelchair and wand were abandoned. Draco bent down to Hermione's small, frail body and scooped her up in his arms. Harry gathered up her wand and wheelchair and followed a short distance behind.

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Draco nearly ran the entire way down to the Hospital Wing. Hermione cried in her unconsciousness and Harry was as fast as he could, considering he was wheeling a wheelchair, (A/N: Wheeling a wheelchair? L.O.L.) Draco burst through the doors of the Wing, Dumbledore in deep conversation with Pomfrey. They both silenced at the appearance of Draco clutching Hermione. Madam Pomfrey rushed over and grasped the girl, silently crying at the person's appearance.

Dumbledore's eyes had lost their twinkle and he watched anxiously over Hermione. Harry had joined the room and tears started to trickle down his face. Madam Pomfrey let a few teas slip down her cheeks as she lay Hermione in a bed. She examined her and almost burst into tears.

"Poppy? A word, please?" Dumbledore whispered. Pomfrey nodded, ever so slightly and Dumbledore followed her out into her office. The door closed and the boys were left alone. Draco stumbled over to Hermione's bed, the white sheets blending in with her pale skin. Draco allowed streaks to appear on his strong face and Harry crept up behind him. Draco turned suddenly and hugged Harry. Harry stopped in shock at the thought of Draco hugging him but felt a wet patch forming on his shoulder. He realised that Hermione appearing in a Hospital Wing had shattered Draco's strong temperament. Harry loosely looped his arms around Draco, somewhat awkwardly.

The door reopened and Harry quickly pulled away. Draco looked up in shock, like he had only just realised what had happened. Madam Pomfrey had been crying and Dumbledore looked sad.

"What?" Harry yelled angrily. "What's the matter with her?"

"She.she.she's in a coma, possibly won't come out and both her legs have snapped again. It will take months before she can walk, even leave the Hospital Wing. It is more likely that she will die now than before and she.she.probably doesn't have much time." Madam Pomfrey whispered, barely audible. Draco and Harry took all of this in. Draco slumped to the floor in shock and Harry just caught him. But Harry almost hit the floor himself, had Dumbledore not sprinted over and grasped him under the armpits.

They were put into some beds and Dumbledore went off to tell teachers and Ronald Weasley, and the other friends of Hermione, what was happening.

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"WHAT!" screamed Ron. Ginny burst into tears, Lavender fell to the floor, crying and Padma and Parvati tried to calm the other two girls, tears streaming down their faces too. Neville, Seamus, Justin and Dean all paled and Ron was as white as paper.

"I.I'm sorry the news isn't better, Mr. Weasley. But she could pass any minute. You may go to the Hospital Wing and see her, but you must be careful. Please, students, be wary, mourn but please, please do not be shocked by what you may see."

Ron looked scared, but ran down to the Hospital Wing, Ginny close, Lavender still on the floor and Neville and Seamus jogging down, worried.

"None of them would cope," Hermione dreamed in her coma.

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When Ron arrived at the Hospital Wing, Harry and Draco were clutching Hermione's hands and crying.

Ron gasped at Hermione's colouring and Ginny began to cry again.

Harry looked at Ron sadly, shaking his head.

"She's not.dead, is she?" he murmured.

"No, but Pomfrey says there isn't much time," he replied. Ron bent down and kissed her on the lips, letting his tears fall onto her eyes. He remembered something.

"Hey, what about."

"Fawkes? No, that doesn't work because she suffered bad magic to begin with, really bad, so Fawkes doesn't work. Sorry," Harry interrupted. Neville and Seamus by this time had made their way to Hermione's bedside. Neville was pale, tears staining his face, Seamus was too shocked to cry.

"Students! Could you please vacate the room! Madam Pomfrey must do her examining!" Dumbledore cried over the throng of students by Hermione's bedside.

Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek then departed. Draco pressed his lips to hers and brushed her hair lightly with his fingers. He filed out and watched through the frosted glass as to what she was doing. He knew what the problem was. He thought that Hermione had been put under one of his fathers curses, probably the Imperius or Cruciatus, but a modified version, so that it never really died out of her system.

The only way it could was if the someone really loved the person enough that they defeated the problem.

Draco knew that even though they had been together for so long, he couldn't lift it. He couldn't explain to anyone why, they all saw him now as a caring person. But the reason was kept close to his heart, he really didn't want others to find out.

'The reason?' he asked himself. Because if his father found out he was in love with the 'Mudblood' he would be put under the Cruciatus so many times that his memory would be destroyed and he couldn't have that happen.

But if he could and couldn't lift it, who would?

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A/N: I know, I know. I'm cruel, but I can be defined better via reviews.

I tried to beg. Did it work?