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All You Wanted Chapter 4: Waiting and Questions

"Madame Pomfrey she's hurt. Pansy Parkinson attacked her coming out of the Great Hall." Malfoy laid Hermione into a bed close to the door.

"What happened Mr. Malfoy?"

"Pansy Parkinson started beating her and pulled out her wand and did...I don't know I think she did the Crucio Curse. Will she be alright," Malfoy asked looking pleadingly at Madame Pomfrey.

"Of course, I'll have someone fetch the Headmaster," the nurse started checking on Hermione and her frown worsened.

Harry ran into the room with Dumbledore not far behind. Harry went to the other side of Malfoy and they watched. Neither one of them could do anything. They both waited for Hermione to revive. Malfoy was trying to tell himself that Pansy had just gone too far that it was just a side effect of the beating Hermione had gone through. He knew what the Crucio Curse could do. You could live through it. You didn't need to go to St. Mungo's for it. Then he paled, wasn't Longbottom's parents there? Hadn't Bellatrix Lestrange boasted about putting them there with that curse? I'm going to kill Pansy, Malfoy couldn't stand waiting for this. He barely realized that Harry was standing next to him. It was like two enemies on Christmas Day, there was no arguments, a temparay truce, just the two of them standing here waiting knowing that they would probably be where they were before the next day. Tonight, however, they were untied hoping that their worst fears would not come true.

"How did this happen, Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said from behind him.

Malfoy turned slowly not wanting to take his eyes off of Hermione, "You don't blame me do you? I wouldn't hurt her."

"No, I do not believe that you would hurt her. But you did see what happen. I am just asking for the facts before I give my punishment to the attacker."

"Hermione broke up a fight between myself and Weasley earlier today, she took my side, sir. I knew that most would find it strange and a few radicals might hate it. I didn't count on anyone hurting her. After dinner, I saw her get up from her seat and head toward the door. Pansy Parkinson, who was sitting not to far from me got up as soon as she saw Hermione do so. Pansy was walking awful fast to catch up with her. I know her well enough to know that she wouldn't have liked the idea of Hermione and I being on a civil level, let alone me actually listening when she told me to stand down to a fight. Pansy believes that Slytherins shouldn't show weakness and to let a—someone like Hermione tell you what to do that probably set her off. Anyhow, I didn't like the way that Pansy was hurrying to catch up with Hermione so I followed after her. I saw Hermione fall to the ground and Pansy started kicking her hard, it was painful just to watch, and then Pansy took out her wand. I don't know what curse she did honestly, probably the Crucio Curse; I didn't heard the incantation. The point is Hermione didn't take to it. I pushed Pansy away and took her wand. Hermione was unconscious when I got to her," Malfoy handed over Pansy's wand and turned back to Hermione.

Dumbledore nodded, "I believe then that I have the information that I need. Thank you Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore went to leave and said, "Mr. Malfoy if you would be so kind to stop by my office tonight," Dumbledore left.

Harry and Draco pulled up chairs and waited by Hermione's bed. Finally Madame Pomfrey looked at both of them and smiled faintly, "She'll be alright. She had some internal bleeding but I've stopped that. I do believe that it was the Crucio Curse she just couldn't take that pain on top of the fresh injuries that she had received. You did a very good thing Mr. Malfoy. It could have been a lot worse than that if you hadn't gotten her straight here. She'll wake up soon enough boys. When she wakes up I'll give you a few minutes but after that you both will have to go to your rooms and let her heal."

"I never felt this bad for someone," Malfoy said quietly. He pulled his chair closer to the bed. He took Hermione's hand in his.

Harry looked at him; this wasn't at all the same person that had tormented him and his friends for so long. This new person it was easy to see why Hermione had befriended him. Still hadn't it been partly his fault? What did he say to her earlier? Ron had started the fight? Ron wouldn't start a fight with Malfoy. Would he? The last few months Malfoy had been pretty much staying to himself, he didn't have same amount of evil seeping into everything he did. Ron had changed a lot too. He was more distant. Not that would make him start a fight. But then again he didn't know really what happened. He had been just as shocked to see Hermione tell him to stop, and to see Malfoy listen to her was the greatest shock.

Harry was convinced that Malfoy was genuinely concerned for Hermione's welfare. It was this that made him believe his story of events. He hadn't seen the attack Ron had started talking to him. When he heard a scream that sounded uncannily like Hermione he tore off and Ron didn't budge. That had pissed him off. Ron really changed since he started seeing Lavender. It wasn't even the same person.

Malfoy took his free hand and put it through Hermione's hair. He had caused this. If he could have just walked by Ron and not said a word, they wouldn't have fought and Hermione wouldn't have had to break them up. And she sure as hell wouldn't be here now. He was angry at Pansy. What was she getting at; they hadn't been a couple in a year. She had broken up with him. Not that he complained about it. Pansy was to clingy and lacked real class, she was also about as dumb as a board. She had no reason to attack Hermione. Just as long as she gets better he'll be alright. To lose his only real friend would be all he can take.

Hermione opened her eyes. They wouldn't focus at first. There was an angry pain in her abdomen. Then she remembered Pansy. She forgot about Pansy when she saw Malfoy. He looked so concerned. He lit up and smiled when he saw her wake up.

"I'm glad you woke up. I'm sorry, Hermione," Malfoy said.

"Why are you sorry?" Hermione said with difficultly.

"If I hadn't been fighting..."

"It's not your fault,"

"Harry is here too."

Hermione turned her head and smiled, "Thank you both, for staying with me."

"You scared me. You'll be okay now though," Harry said.

Draco bent down and kissed Hermione's cheek, it caught him as much off guard as it did the other two, "I've got to go see Dumbledore. Get some rest."

Draco made his way to the Headmaster's office. The office opened as he approached. Draco wondered why Dumbledore had called him to his office. Would he accuse him of the attack, and get punished for what Pansy did? After all he knew that his past record would give more than enough circumstantial evidence against him. He'd just have to deal with that when it came.

In Dumbledore's office Malfoy took a seat across from the Headmaster. The look from under the half-moon glasses was hard. Malfoy grew more uncomfortable; he knew that he was going to be blamed for this.

"Mr. Malfoy, relax. You aren't in any trouble. You have just proven to me that I had made the right decision in appointing you to Head Boy. You have bridged a very rocky relationship in this school. I must say that it wasn't only you. I witnessed the scene earlier this afternoon between you and Mr. Weasley. I believe that you and Miss Granger have saved this school.

"In order for the world of wizardry to survive, we all must unite, despite our differences. The best place to teach about unity is in school. The lessons that one learns in school stay with you forever. I'm not speaking of those that you learn in a classroom. I intended that my school become one, and not four separate Houses. Obviously there are going to be those that will not approve of an untied school, as Miss Parkinson has shown us tonight, but we have made a step toward that."

"Hold on, Professor, why did you think that Hermione and I could change anything?"

"You both are strong-willed. Strong-willed people attract and together they can make anything they want happen. I believed that you both would eventually see that there were things in the other that could overcome the past differences that have been forced upon you since you arrived at Hogwarts. This change will most likely be gradual, as with most drastic changes."

"So you have used us as little pawns in a chess game."

"No, I have only sped up the process of bridging the gap between houses, Mr. Malfoy."

"Why us? You could have chosen a Ravenclaw or a Hufflepuff."

"No I couldn't. Both those houses have a semi-comfortable relationship with Gryffindor. The major rift in the school is that with Slytherin and Gryffindor. The two houses that is just as stubborn as the other. Godric and Salaazar were both best friends before Hogwarts was founded. Godric wanted to have fun and would have set little in store of the rules had he attended as a student. Salaazar on the other hand would have been, well much like your father. Something of that came into the rift torn between the two, and the anger toward each other lived on through the school.

"The school and the whole Wizarding community have suffered for this. With the rise of Voldemort, we need to put these petty differences aside."

"Professor, given my family history, why have you told me this, I could easily tell my father. I don't doubt that even in Azkaban he isn't still in contact with the Dark Lord."

Dumbledore leaned back into his chair and studied Draco, "Very true. And you could just as easily tear the school apart even further now. However, I do not believe that you are your father, Draco. You have a chance to break from him."

Draco looked at the man with the controlled eyes of his father. He walked out of the office without a back ward glance.