Chapter 4

"Morning Malfoy," said Hermione as she walked into the guest room carrying a tray full of food. The lump of blankets in the middle of the bed groaned.

"Is it typical muggle behavior to wake people in the middle of the night?" the lump said.

"No," said Hermione as she set down the tray and went over to open the curtains on the window. Cheery sunlight streamed into the room. "But it's almost noon, Malfoy, not the middle of the night."

"It's the middle of the night if I say so," Malfoy said, poking his head out from under the blankets. His two black eyes made him look like a raccoon. "Now stop letting in light, it's making me awake."

"Oh, stop being such a vampire," Hermione said. She took the tray and sat it on the bed. "Can you sit up?"

"I am perfectly capable of sitting up, mudblood, now leave me alone," Malfoy growled.

"No," said Hermione, "I'm here to change the dressings on your wounds. Here, eat this," Hermione handed him a piece of toast.

"What's on it?" Malfoy asked in disgust.

"My mother's homemade peach jam. Now lie back and take off your shirt,"

"Not a chance on your life," said Malfoy.

"I need to change the dressings before the wounds get infected," Hermione said exasperatedly.

"I don't care," said Malfoy. He still hadn't taken a bite of the toast.

"You'll die if they get infected," Hermione said. "Not that I care, I just thought maybe you wanted to live to see your eighteenth birthday, but far be it for me to make such assumptions. After all, I am only the head of our class and most promising young student in a hundred years at Hogwarts. Why would I know anything?"

"And you're a filthy mudblood, you're right, why would you know anything?"

"If you really want to live Malfoy you had better do as I ask," Hermione was starting to get very angry.

"Or else what?"

"Or else nothing!" Hermione was really really mad. It was going to be a long rest of the summer. "I will simply let nature take its course."

Malfoy shot darts at her with his eyes, but slipped off his shirt and leaned back. "Bet you've always wanted too see me with my shirt off, huh, Granger?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and removed the blood-soaked bandages from Draco's body. She took a bowl of hot water and a sponge from the tray she had carried in with her and began to wash the blood from the wounds. "Eat, I said," said Hermione. It bothered her to have Draco just lying there.

"I detest peaches," said Malfoy.

"Then eat the bacon," said Hermione.

Malfoy obeyed. He liked bacon.

Hermione finished washing the blood away and began to bandage the wounds again. Malfoy's skin was scarred and callused. Not smooth and cream like she had expected. She figured it had been from the years of abuse he had received at home. She noticed a small scar on the right side of his stomach in the shape of a scull.

"Malfoy, what's this?" she asked pointing to it.

"None of your business, mudblood. Are you done yet?"

"Yes, actually, I am. Enjoy your breakfast, Malfoy," Hermione left the room and retreated to the living room. Maybe there was something good on TV. She flipped it on to a news report.

"An attack in a shopping mall today has left three dead and countless injured. Several unknown assailants all clothed in black cloaks attacked a group of people in the food court of a New York shopping mall today. Police say the suspects belonged to a world-wide gang that had been particularly active lately. This attack is said to be the latest in a rash of gang-related crime all over the world," Hermione turned the channel. Voldemort was still on the loose, going after muggles every chance he got. We must hurry and win this war if we ever hope to have even semi-normal lives again. I can't keep living in constant fear. Things had gone bad once the Dementors had gone over to Voldemort. The giants had, too. But most of the magical community had stayed loyal to Dumbledore and the Ministry. At least after the events of Hermione's fifth year. But Harry had been learning a lot and Hermione could feel the time drawing close when it would all be over. And Professor Trelawney said I didn't have an aura, Hermione smiled to herself.

Hermione went up to her room to owl Harry and Ron. Her parents had returned to work. They didn't want to leave her alone in house with Malfoy and make her take care of him, but what could they do about it? They'd both already taken a lot of time off for the vacation.

Hermione owled Harry and Ron, telling them what was up, and then she sent a letter to Dumbledore, asking what she should do with Malfoy now. She sent them off and went to do some homework when suddenly she heard a loud scream from Draco's room. Hermione raced down the stair and into the guest room. Malfoy was sitting bolt upright on the bed, a very difficult feat on account of his broken legs. His face was paler than Hermione had ever seen it and his eyes were wide with fear.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked. "I heard you scream."

Draco's face quickly returned to normal as he realized where he was. "Nothing, Granger, I just had a nightmare."

"Well, it must have been a most terrifying nightmare to make the great Draco Malfoy scream like that."

"I was asleep; I didn't know what I was doing. And if you breathe a word to anybody, I swear I will make your life a living hell. And you know I can," Malfoy was back to his normal self, no emotion showed in his icy gray eyes except anger.

"Don't worry, Malfoy, your secret is safe with me," said Hermione. She knew it was dangerous to tease a Malfoy, but what could he do to her now? He had two broken legs; he couldn't even get from his bed to the bathroom by himself. Besides, Hermione got a certain thrill from living dangerously.

Draco threw a full glass of orange juice at her. He missed and it hit the door frame, splattering everywhere and shattering the glass.

"Well," said Hermione, "no more breakables for you."

A ceramic plate full of scrambled eggs and toast with peach jam hit the wall on the other side of her head.

"Fine, fine, I get the message. I'm going to go get some supplies so I can clean this up. Back in a few minutes," Hermione went out the kitchen and got a rag and a trash bag and the vacuum cleaner for the broken glass. She went back to Draco's room and began to clean up the mess. She was just about to say something when she heard the front door knob rattling and clicking. Then the distinctive squeak of the front door opening. Suddenly, she heard a cold, rasping breath, and three Dementors swarmed into the room, trapping her and Draco.

A/N: Okay, there you go! You can stop freaking out now! If this chapter sounds forced, that's because it is. I know where I'm going, but I'm not quite sure how I'm going to get there. Don't worry, though, more excitement is to come. I also plan on starting another fic soon. I don't know what I'm going to call it, but it is not going to be a Hermione/Malfoy. It's going to be a Hermione/Snape. You don't have to read it if you don't like the pairing, but it will be good, believe me. I'm not sure when I'm going to have the next chapter up, but sometime soon, I hope. My teachers are starting to lay off on the projects, I think. I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can!