Dream scenes of Draco's are in italics.
Disclaimer: If I were JKR, I wouldn't need a disclaimer, so I'm definitely not JKR. Simple, rite?
Abluo = to wash clean Sano = to heal Addus Fortitudus = to give strength
Then Draco went unconscious once more, and the fever raged on.
Harry, after recovering from the shock that somehow, Draco Malfoy, his 'arch-enemy' for so many years was suddenly under the same roof he was under, on a deserted island, stalked off.
It was the Final Battle all over again.
Fred and Ron both swore, and followed him.
So many dead, so many wounded, so much blood.
That left all of the girls, Draco, and Blaise, in the room.
As I lay there on the ground, I faked dead, but the knife that my father had stabbed me with was a Dark blade, and every breath I took was excruciatingly painful. I could barely grasp conciousness, and then I saw Blaise at Lucius' wandpoint, since he'd refused to join the Dark Side, as I had. I felt all my hatred to this man that had misled me, beat me, and refused me love suddenly well up inside me.
An uncomfortable silence had followed, after the three boys had left.
"Avada Kedavra," and my father was gone.
They all sat there, thinking to themselves. Hermione heard a gasping sound, and looked down to see Draco's torso bleeding, and he was having a coughing fit.
The knife buried itself further, but when my father was finally gone, the knife, too, was gone. The knife was gone, my father was gone, but the bleeding scars and memories remained.
She saw the blood spewing out in thick streams, and quickly forgot about her strong dislike of Draco Malfoy, all she could think of was that this person was bleeding and she needed to help him. She hurriedly took off his shirt and muttered a few spells at the huge gash on his chest. "Abluo" "Sano" "Addus fortitudus"
MEANWHILE
"Harry! Wait!"
"What now, Ron?"
"Harry, I know we all hate ferret-face, that git, but it can't be that bad!"
"Hermione is...is... she's taking care of that fucking git! It's like she's turned traitor!"
"Oh god, Harry. You're over-reacting. She's just good ol' Mione. She helps everybody! Even if it is Malfoy."
Fred, who had been silent up until now, decided to give a word of advice.
"You guys, you did know that Malfoy helped us in the final battle. He killed his own father to save Blaise. Maybe he does have a heart. Maybe... maybe Hermione's right to let him stay." He said softly.
The other guys stared at him, in disbelief, but then, by some mutual feeling, they all understood. They trudged back into the house.
LATER IN THE HOUSEHermione conjured up some bandages and salve, and was rubbing some healing salve into Draco's wound when they came back in.
Fred came in first, waltzing nonchalently over to Angelina and tossing a small box to her.
"Oooh!! Angelina, I wouldn't trust that if I were you..." Ginny warned.
But it was too late.
She'd already begun opening the box.
There was a bang, and a piece of paper floated out.
Using her Quidditch reflexes, Angelina caught it quickly and ran out of the room to read it before anybody else could.
It had a picture of a Canary Cream on there, and it said:
Angie,
Something of mine will find you tomorrow at 2. Keep guessing, you'll never know what it is until it flies in your face.
'Fred,' she thought. Ever since George had been killed in the Final Battle, Fred had been more serious, but he still enjoyed leading people on. She smiled at the thought. This was the old, less uptight, joking Fred that she'd grown to know and love. WAIT WAIT WAIT... love? Maybe, but as a friend. Nothing more, right? ... Or so she thought.
Harry and Ron came through the door again, and the first sight that met their eyes was that Hermione was apparently rubbing Draco Malfoy's chest. Ron immediately put his hand's over his eyes. "Do not... need to see... that..."
Harry was thinking something completely different.
'How could Hermione just go and help Malfoy like that? After all the years of teasing and being picked on by him, she could just throw it down the drain and HELP HIM!?!' Harry could barely contain his rage seeing Hermione and Malfoy there, not even arguing, well, they couldn't really since Malfoy was kinda unconscious...
Then a disturbing thought came to his mind.
'What if Hermione had secretly been friends with Malfoy? What if she was seeing him behind his back? Was she cheating on him?' He hated being taken advantage of. 'Did she have some kind of connection with him?' And the most disturbing thought of all. 'Did she LOVE him?'
"MIONE HOW COULD YOU? AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! NOW...NOW YOU'RE. YOU'RE WITH. HIM! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? DID YOU LIE TO ME THIS WHOLE TIME?" Harry cried out suddenly.
"Harry, I have no idea what you're talking about." She said, indignant. "I haven't been doing anything with him."
"HERMIONE! You're practically giving him a back rub, except on the front..." Ron cried, still not having removed his hands from his face.
"Ron! I found Blaise and Draco, and they were soaking wet. I let them in because I would never leave anybody, even Malfoy, out in the rain, AND MALFOY IS FUCKING BLEEDING SO LET ME HELP HIM! And Harry, I have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about!" she cried, exasperated.
Lavender, Alicia, and Ginny did get the gist of it, though.
"Mione, they think you are with him" Lavender pointed to Draco.
"What the fuck Harry?!? I'm just trying to heal him! And if you think it's easy to heal somebody with a Dark Saber wound, then you should do it, Mr. I- Saved-the-World. Do you think this means anything? He is HUMAN Harry. HUMAN!! May I remind you I had to do the same to you during the Final Battle!?! And now... now you claim that I lied or didn't tell you something. Is this how much you don't trust me now?!? What kind of relationship do we have if you can't even trust me?"
Harry felt a small pang of guilt or remorse, but then his anger kicked in again.
"Hermione, you are such a traitor!" "He's against us, don't you remember!?!"
"Ron! Harry! Draco was with us, against Voldemort!"
Harry sighed in disgust. All feelings of sympathy or helpfulness towards Hermione evaporated.
"See, you're even defending him."
Fred tried to stop the coming argument.
"Harry, all she's doing is healing him. You're jumping to conclusions. Just let her heal him."
"So this is how it is, eh? Maybe Malfoy was right about one thing. Mudbloods are worth nothing. Nothing!" Harry sneered.
Hermione tried to contain herself, and keep herself together, but she couldn't keep a lone tear from sliding down her cheek and onto Draco's chest.
Draco opened his eyes, bewildered. He quickly took in the situation, saw Hermione crying, Ron and Harry mad, salve in his wound. It all fit together.
Draco felt a sudden bout of gratitude towards Hermione. She'd taken him and Blaise in, and helped Draco to heal. She was one of the first to actually show him what being cared for felt like.
She didn't deserve this.
"Ron, Harry, leave her alone."
Hermione silently thanked Draco, even if he was the one that had caused all of this.
Ron just walked up to Draco, punched him in the face and stalked off.
Hermione immediately began to heal the damage that was done.
Harry just glared at them.
"Slut."
Ginny refused to watch Harry talk to one of her best friends like that.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER! DON'T YOU EVEN TRUST YOUR FRIEND ANYMORE? SHE WAS HELPING MALFOY, BECAUSE SHE'S JUST A NICE PERSON!! CANT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT? IF YOU CAN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HERMIONE, HOW CAN YOU EVEN BE HER BEST FRIENDS!! HOW.COULD.YOU? AND WORSE. HOW COULD YOU EVEN BE HER BOYFRIEND!?!"
"I'm no longer her boyfriend." Harry replied coldly.
Harry walked up to Hermione, and reached his hand to slap her, when a hand came up and grabbed his wrist.
Draco spoke in a calm, threatening whisper.
"Don't hurt her, Potter. All she's done is help me. She's saved countless people in the Final Battle with her medi-witch skills. Is this how you thank her? By slapping her? You're a disgrace, Potter."
Draco released his grip, and, with that, and sank back into unconsciousness as the fever took over again.
Harry left the room, and Hermione began to sob, as Ginny, Lavender, and Alicia comforted her.
"Don't worry Mione, boys can be gits sometimes, it'll be alright. Shh..." Ginny gave Hermione a hug, and she began to calm down.
Hermione sighed.
"They just don't get it. Argh, why can't they just put the past behind them, and see how Draco helped us. Even when he helped Harry to get to Voldemort, Harry didn't even thank him. What kind of people do Harry and Ron think they are anyways?"
"Mione, don't upset yourself over them. They're not worth it." Ginny said, soothingly.
"Why don't you go upstairs and relax a little, the dorms are the first staircase from the front door, you'll be able to find it. Don't worry, I'll take care of Draco for you, he's sleeping anyway."
Hermione was in her room. She needed something to get her through this. She looked to the foot of her bed, and found all her stuff there. 'That's strange,' she thought 'I didn't bring my stuff, but then again, I didn't choose for this to happen. So much has happened, just because of this stupid trip!' She took out her enchanted CD player, and turned it on. Black Magic, her favorite band, began playing.
Random thoughts, mostly depressing began flying around her head.
Ever since the Final Battle, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny had become even better friends, and much closer, after all the bloodshed and death.
Hermione's parents had been killed by none other than Lucius Malfoy. It had taken her weeks before she'd finally gotten over it, and Harry had been a big help.
But Harry was always the one in control. Ron was the one with the famous Weasley temper, who couldn't control himself. But Harry?
Harry was the level-headed one, wasn't he? Well, normally he was. But this wasn't normal. Probably those years of fighting Voldemort took its toll on him.
Harry had been wonderful towards her after her parents' death. He'd helped her talk about it, and she'd shared her pain with him. He'd been so understanding, but now he obviously wasn't. As she thought of all the times they'd shared, she began to sob.
Draco was on their side. She couldn't be a traitor if they were on the same side. Draco had probably been misled by his father, he obviously hated him if he'd killed him. And Harry still had the nerve to call him a traitor.
How could he and Ron be so stubborn. Draco had so obviously changed. If she, Ginny, and Fred could accept that, why couldn't they?
Hermione's thoughts had cleared up a little now, and she had a new resolve. She would show them. Harry and Ron, she would help them to see. She would help them understand. Draco was a good person. Deep down, he really was.
She checked her watch.
3 minutes 43 seconds she'd spent thinking about the situation and calming herself down.
Now, she was ready.
MEANWHILE
Harry and Ron had gone into their separate rooms to vent, to vent their anger, and their disappointment at Hermione.
Harry was intent on kicking the wall down.
He was obviously misleading her. He was going to hurt her, and Harry was just trying to protect her.
'But what if Hermione's right? What if Draco HAS changed?' That irritating voice started up in his head. 'I think you're just jealous of Draco.' '
Pssh. Jealous? Of Draco Malfoy? Never.'
'Well then why are you so intent on keeping them apart when Hermione and Draco obviously have no problem with being around each other? They aren't even fighting'
'Shouldn't they be fighting?'
'That's stupid. Nobody should be fighting.'
'Argh!! This island is so fucking annoying! I can't help anybody do anything. I can't cook. I can't help us get off this island, and I can't do anything. ANYTHING! I just get in people's way. And then Draco Malfoy, of all people, has to come.'
'You don't have to be helping all the time, you've done enough, don't you think?' the voice replied, coldly.
"ARGH!!" Harry shook his head violently. That voice was beginning to sound like Hermione, maybe from hanging around her too much. And you know what they always say. Talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity.
Hermione left her room. Her feeling of calm resolve was getting stronger by the minute.
'I'll find Draco's good side, and Blaise's, too. I'll show everyone. Slytherins can't be all that bad right?' She continued giving herself a pep talk on how everybody was good, deep down, somewhere, as she walked down the hallway to where Ginny was talking to Blaise.
"...so you say Draco killed his father to save you?!?" Ginny's voice was clearly heard throughout the house. Blaise's answer was so quiet that only Ginny could hear. "I thought I was going to die. I saw my life flashing before me. Lucius was about to kill me and then Draco Avadaed him. I owe him so much. We've been through so much together." Ginny was amazed. Sure, she'd heard stories from Ron, Harry, and of course, Hermione, about how Draco was a "spoiled prat," and a "horrid little ferret." But she'd never heard of Draco's bravery, friendship, or loyalty to his friends. Maybe Mione had a point when she'd said everybody had a good side to them, even if you didn't know about it.
FLASHBACK
"Gin, everybody's got to have a nice, human side to them. Nobody can be completely cruel and heartless."
"Not even Voldemort?"
"Well, he may be evil now, but remember the diary, Gin?" Ginny nodded, sheepishly.
"He was a nicer person when he was younger, I guess. Maybe his thirst for power took over his kindness."
"What about that pug-faced Parkinson?"
"Err... maybe she's just nice to Slytherins or something. You know, we really have no idea what really goes on in the Slytherin house. "
"Meh, that might be true."
"You know how sickeningly nice she is to Malfoy. Maybe she's only nice to evil little ferrets." Hermione said, smirking.
Ginny laughed.
"Well, what about Mr. Ferret himself? You don't think the point of his living is to make all our lives miserable?"
"Well, he can't be all that bad right? It's not like his father is that great an influence either. I swear he gets it beaten into him or something. I don't think he even knows what it's like to have a loving family. I actually don't hate him, I pity him. "
"Maybe we all do, Mione."
END FLASHBACK
Hermione walked into the room. Blaise looked up at her entrance.
Ginny had an idea.
"Hermione, I'll take care of Mal-- errr--- Draco for a bit ok? Don't worry about it. Why don't you find out where Blaise can sleep and give him a tour of the house?" This was the perfect chance to execute her plan. And, in a flash of genius, she decided she'd take the job of matchmaker in the process. She grinned evilly and cackled...
"Sure, Gin." [hehehe...]
She figured she might as well start the tour from the front of the house. So then went around the house, to the front door. She led him in and they were standing in a well-furnished, cozy living room.
"This is the living room."
She pointed to their left, to a staircase. "That leads up to the bedrooms, we'll go up there later."
She pointed to the right. "That hallway leads to the kitchen and dining room. Let's go that way first."
They walked down the corridor and ended up in the dining room.
"Ok, the door on the left is a closet, and on the right it leads to the basement. Straight ahead is the kitchen, but Ali, Angie, and Lav are probably busy getting dinner together right now. Past the kitchen is the room Draco and Ginny are in, which leads to the back door. Let's go in the basement."
They trudged down the stairs but when they heard voices they trod stealthily, making sure the stairs didn't creak.
"Oh come on, Ron. Mione didn't mean any harm by it." "She was helping Malfoy, you know, the one that made our lives horrible?" "Well, personally Ron, I think everybody deserves a second chance." "Lav." He whined. "Everybody is against me, I swear." "Don't worry about it, Ron. Oh, and you had better apologize to Hermione soon, or else I definitely won't go out with you," she answered, playfully. "Fine.... Lemme go talk to Harry first. He was really mad at Hermione. Personally Lav, I think he's just jealous, or he feels useless. Maybe he has one of those psychological complexes people get when they save the world too much."
They walked up the staircase on the other side of the basement rec room, and as they went up, Hermione and Blaise went down into the room.
"That was, umm, a strange conversation." Blaise commented. Hermione decided to get a head start on her 'plan.' She grinned.
"So, Blaise, waddya think of Ginny?" She asked, in an amused tone. "Gin's been really great to me and Draco, and so have you. Thanks for letting us in by the way." Hermione noticed that Blaise had changed the subject pretty quickly. Maybe her matchmaking actually stood a chance.
"No problem. Anyway, how long have you known Draco?" "Since we were little kids, because of pureblood family stuff. Around last year, we both had to attend a death eater convention, and they brought in these screaming Muggles, and just Crucioed them over and over. The screams still haunt me at night," he confided.
"Ever since then, though, we kinda stuck together, and decided that being a Death Eater was a cruel, stupid way to waste our lives. We had no intention of ever becoming a Death Eater." He sighed. "But then our fathers beat us. Both of us. They yelled at us and Crucioed us, and told us we'd better become Death Eaters or else. And that didn't leave us in a particularly good situation."
"We went to Dumbledore. Draco was really against going to him, but eventually I got him to listen to me and we became spies for the Order."
"You know about the Order?"
"Yeah, Dumbledore made us members, but some of the other members were kinda reluctant to let us go to the meetings, so it was just me Draco and Dumbledore most of the time."
Hermione sighed. This 'Slytherins are evil' thing really was stupid. She would've known about Draco and Blaise joining the order if it weren't for the stupid house rivalries and stereotypes.
They decided to go to their sleeping quarters. They went to the door, walked in, and Blaise wasn't surprised to see signs saying "girls" on the left and "boys" on the right, witih a common room in the middle. "Just like Hogwarts," he muttered. They went in, Blaise found a room that said 'Zabini' on it, and the door next to it said 'Malfoy.'
Hermione left Blaise to wander around and went to check on Draco. Draco was still asleep, but once she entered the room, he quickly opened his eyes. "Hermione? Are you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine, no damage done." "Gin, how are his wounds? They're just about healed, and but he's having a bit of trouble walking on his left leg. Seems like that Dark wound opening up again also triggered his leg to break or something. I don't know what to do for it, Mione," Ginny told her.
"Don't worry, Gin. Oh, and you better go find Blaise, he's probably in the common room."
Hermione muttered a charm and soon Draco's leg was in a cast. She transfigured some books into crutches and gave them to Draco.
"Since your leg wound was triggered by a Dark wound, I can't heal it completely, but I've given you crutches and a cast, and the pain should subside from your leg." She told him, in a professional way.
Alicia muttered a 'Sonorus' and yelled "DINNER!!!"
"Come on, Draco, let's go. Here, you can lean on me a little if you need to."
They went to the dining room, where everybody was sitting down at the table. There were 11 seats, and all the places were set.
Hermione sat down, with Draco next to her.
This is how they were sitting:
----Hermione-----Draco-------Blaise-----Ginny-----Lavender
Empty Seat
----Alicia--------Angelina------Fred-------Harry-----------Ron
"Lav, who's the extra chair for?" Hermione asked, curious to see if maybe there were more people on the island.
Just then there was a strange-sounding pop and their Potions Professor appeared. Everybody was surprised when he sat down in the empty seat and said "Let's eat." Conversation was subdued mainly due to Snape's arrival.
"All of you students, now listen to me. Dumbledore sent me to find you all when some of you 7th-years failed to attend class. I will be coming every few days to give you assignments and such." Groans emitted from all over the table.
"But, Professor, we don't even know where we are! How did you get here?" Hermione spoke up.
"Always on the quest for more knowledge aren't you, Granger," he spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Why don't you just look on the tour guide pamphlet."
He pointed to a blue, shimmery piece of paper on the table.
It had a picture of a Dumbledore-like wizard on there. He began to speak.
"Why, Hello! Welcome to the Isle of Containment. Hope you enjoy your stay! People are selected by the Fates to come to this island and stay for up to a happy five years. Professor Snape came because the Fates allowed him to, they owe him for something.... There are a lot of activities to do on this island, including, but not limited to, swimming, horseback riding, and Quidditch. Enclosed is a map, have fun!"
"Not bad," Harry commented.
'Happy?' thought Hermione. "Yeah right. Look at how we all are now."
Ron's eyes were bulging out of his face. "FIVE YEARS!?!?" he spluttered.
A/N: Waddya think? Read and review plz!!