Chapter Ten:

Draco Therapy

"You really didn't have to come help me." Hermione gave Draco a sideways glance as they headed back towards the carriage Dumbledore had generously provided.

"I know, but you understand why I would be cautious about paying in favors."

"Well you got to see for yourself that it was on the level." Hermione grinned at him smugly. He rolled his eyes.

"Yes, and I got to clean various trinkets for an entire day."

"It was your choice." She reminded him as she climbed into the carriage. He plopped down onto the seat next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.

"How could I pass up a day with you?" He kissed her cheek. She smiled to herself and glanced down at the ring on her left hand. She could remember it clearly. After the flour fight, after the taste test of their pasta primavera, he had asked her to marry him. She had never been more shocked, but at the same time, she had never been happier. Upon their return to Hogwarts, she had sent her parents an owl about the news. They had written back their congratulations and approval. It was a month since Draco had asked her, and Harry and Ron still didn't know. Hermione was unsure of how to approach them. She couldn't just go up to them and tell them that she was engaged to their archenemy. Draco could see that she was having trouble letting her friends know, and he felt bad that he couldn't do anything for her. As they drew closer to the castle, Hermione spotted Harry and Ron sitting by the lake, obviously waiting for her return. She sighed heavily, working on another excuse to feed them about why she was out with Draco.

"What's the lie this time?" Draco asked, noticing her dilemma.

"Head business."

"Are you sure that they're going to buy that one? You've used it quite a few times."

"This may come as a shock, but they're not that bright." Hermione replied, jumping out of the carriage and heading towards her friends. They looked up and grinned at her.

"Hey Hermione. How was Hogsmeade?"

"Boring. Malfoy and I had to listen to a lecture." She lied quickly. She was definitely getting better at lying to her friends. Not a skill she was particularly proud of, but one she was forced to frequently use.

"I'm starting to feel horribly for you, Hermione. You have to spend so much time with that fleabag." Ron glared at Draco's receding figure.

"It's not so bad. We mostly keep to ourselves now."

"You let us know if he does anything to you. Harry and I will-"

"Wait, what is that?" Harry interrupted Ron suddenly.

"What?" Hermione asked, looking at Harry. His gaze was fixed on her left hand. A sinking feeling developed in her stomach. Ron followed Harry's gaze and his mouth fell open.

"Hermione...are you engaged?" The back of her throat turned to sand. She glanced at Ron's bewildered face, then at Harry's. Sensing that it was finally time, she sighed. As she opened her mouth to reply, the clock in the courtyard rang out three chimes.

"Bloody hell, it's time for pre-game practice!" Harry exclaimed, jumping up. He grabbed Ron's arm and they muttered quick good-byes to Hermione before running off towards the Quidditch field. Hermione sighed with a mixture of relief and disappointment. The sooner they knew, the better, but she still didn't want to think of what their reactions would be like when they did. She sank onto the bench and looked up at the sky. It was an ominous gray and a brisk wind nipped at her cheeks. Shivering, she joined the throngs of students that were heading towards the Quidditch pitch. Spotting Ginny, Hermione dashed over to sit with her.

"Hey Hermione. How was Hogsmeade?"

"Boring. So what have you been up to?" Hermione asked, eager to change the subject. Ginny eyed her suspiciously.

"I know you, Hermione. When you change the subject quickly it means you don't want to tell me something. What happened in Hogsmeade?" The red head asked again, a sly grin gracing her lips. Hermione bit her lip, trying to conjure up an excuse, but she was running out of options. The excuses that satisfied Harry and Ron would never soothe Ginny. As Hermione was about to lie, Ginny gasped.

"Is that an engagement ring?" She squealed, pointing to the diamond ring on Hermione's left hand. Instinctively, Hermione pulled the sleeve of her cloak up to cover her hand.

"No." She lied. Ginny looked wounded.

"Hermione, I know you've been lying to me. I've let it go for now, but I can't let you lie about something as big as an engagement ring." Hermione bit her lip. She should have expected Ginny would be the first to figure it out.

"Ginny...I don't want to lie to you. I just don't think that Harry or Ron would accept the truth. I know you're dating Harry, and you're Ron's sister. I wasn't sure that you would be able to keep my secret. I'm sorry." Hermione apologized, looking down at her feet.

"I promise I won't tell them, Hermione! Please, just tell me who is your fiancé?" Ginny pleaded with Hermione. The little red head looked so eager and excited, Hermione couldn't turn her down.

"You swear you won't breathe a word to anyone?"

"I swear Hermione. Who is it?" Hermione bit her lip, knowing that it was now or never. And maybe if she told someone, she'd be stronger when she had to face Harry and Ron. Taking a deep breath, she uttered his name with a slight smile on her lips.

"Draco Malfoy."

"WHAT?" Ginny shrieked, attracting attention from surrounding Gryffindors. A blush crept into Hermione's cheeks as she elbowed Ginny sharply. Eventually, the other students returning to their socializing. Ginny took a few deep breaths and stared at Hermione.

"Did you say Draco Malfoy?" She asked, her eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"Yes. We've been getting to know each other for a while now. He asked me to marry him last month."

"You went an entire month without telling anyone?" Ginny exclaimed, furiously.

"Well I told my parents."

"I meant you didn't tell Harry or Ron for an entire month? Don't you think they deserve to know?"

"I know they deserve to know, but I haven't found the right time to tell them."

"I don't think there's going to be a right time. Whenever you tell them, they're not going to be happy about it."

"Ginny, you swore you wouldn't tell anyone."

"I know...I know." She muttered, staring into the stands adorned in green and silver.

"Gin...are you mad?" Hermione asked, softly. The red head continued staring silently across the pitch. Then she slowly turned to look at Hermione.

"So tell me...does he kiss as well as he's supposed to?" She grinned widely at Hermione, who smiled back.

"Even better."

It was a Gryffindor victory over Ravenclaw. Harry and Ron had been beaten up and rosy cheeked when the match was finally over, but they were happier than ever.

"Come celebrate with us, Hermione! We're having a party in the common room!" Ron exclaimed, wiping some blood away from his nose. He had taken a bludger to the face at the beginning of the match. Hermione was about to say yes, but a sudden dizziness came over her. Her insides went suddenly cold, but her skin was hot.

"Hermione? Are you all right? You're looking kind of pale." Harry's voice sounded miles away. The last thing she could remember before the blackness was Draco sweeping her into his arms as she fell. She awoke in her bed. Draco was sitting in a chair next to her, and when he saw her eyes flutter open, he jumped up.

"Are you all right?" He touched her forehead gently. "You're burning up."

"I feel horrible." She choked out.

"Madame Pomfrey thinks it's the flu. She said it usually catches you by surprise like that." Draco went on, dipping a washcloth into cool water and placing it on her forehead.

"One minute I was standing, and the next-"

"You were falling. I had fun explaining myself after I practically dove onto the ground to keep you from hitting your head." He chuckled softly and ran his fingers across her face. "Weasley was convinced I jinxed you from behind." Hermione managed a weak grin.

"That's Ron." She whispered. Without realizing, she began fiddling with the ring on her left hand. Draco watched her and smiled.

"I saw you tell Ginny about our engagement. How did it go?"

"As well as can be expected. Ron will be worse."

"I could talk to him if you want."

"That will only make it worse." Hermione sighed. This was something she had to do alone. She didn't know if she was strong enough, but it still had to be done.

"I'll let you get some rest now."

"No...stay." Hermione requested quickly. Draco settled onto the bed, placing her arm around her shoulders. She rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. The steady beating of his heart calmed her, and it almost made her forget that she was pushing a 103 fever. His fingers traced lazy circles on her arm and he let his head drop on top of hers.

"Thank you for saying yes." He whispered after a moment.

"Did you think I wouldn't?" She asked in surprise. He shrugged gently.

"There was always a chance that you'd say no. I don't know what I would have done if that had happened."

"Speaking of me saying no, we haven't heard from Evelyn in awhile."

"I know...I don't like it." Draco narrowed his eyes, thinking dark thoughts about the dark haired Slytherin who was trying to take Hermione away from him. She couldn't do that. She couldn't take away anything that was his, and Hermione was definitely his. The diamond engagement ring on her finger was proof of that.

"I think she was bluffing, Draco."

"I don't. She's a Slytherin. She knows what she's doing."

"I didn't want to tell you before, but she has a strange fixation with seeing you die. I was trying to figure out why, but I can't begin to fathom why she would want something like that." Hermione said, quickly, feeling guilty about keeping it to herself for so long. Draco frowned. He didn't like this at all.

"What could she gain from my death?" Draco pondered aloud.

"I asked her the same thing."

"You did? Well what did she say?"

"She said something like, more than you think. It was really weird and vague." Draco ran a hand through his hair.

"Sounds like she's a psycho with a motive." He began to think more strenuously, and soon he was miles away, trying to come up with a logical explanation.

"Don't worry yourself about it, Draco. She hasn't approached either of us for a while, so she was probably trying to scare us. Maybe she realized what an awesome guy you are, and decided that she wanted you back." Hermione teased him, then started coughing.

"I'm really going to leave now. You need rest." Draco got up and helped her adjust her pillows so she'd be comfortable. With a gentle finger, he brushed strands of hair off of her face.

"If you want anything, just call. I'm not going anywhere." She nodded and snuggled underneath the covers. Draco took one more glance at her over his shoulder and smiled. Mrs. Hermione Malfoy. Well it wasn't the most flowing name, but it sounded beautiful to him all the same. He stayed in the common room for the rest of the day incase Hermione needed something. He didn't give Evelyn's threats another thought, spending all of his time thinking about Hermione. He was going to make sure that she got better, and he would give her anything she wanted so she could feel better. Hell, he'd give her whatever she wanted, period.

Hermione woke up with a sweeping wave of nausea. Although she was weak, she gathered the strength to stand up and hurry to the bathroom. Upon seeing her enter, Draco rushed into the bathroom after her. He got there in time to pull her hair back away from her face as she threw up into the toilet. When she had finished, she was shaking and ghostly pale. Draco carefully washed her face, whispering words of comfort as he went. He swept her into his arms and carried her back to her room.

"Next time just let me throw up. You're going to end up getting sick too." She murmured, faintly.

"Malfoys don't get sick." He grinned at her.

"I suppose I am the exception." She smiled back weakly. He felt a sudden pride, hearing her refer to herself as a part of the Malfoy family. The Malfoy family that was extinct, say for him. And as soon as she said 'I do', Hermione would officially be a part of that family.

"All that will change after June 21st." Draco reminded her. They had picked the twenty-first of June for their wedding because it was soon after they came back from Hogwarts. They wanted to tie the knot as soon as they could, but without all the gossip that would travel through the castle.

"And then I'll be immune to disease?" She grinned weakly.

"Of course. I've had perfect attendance all seven years at Hogwarts. How did you think I did it?"

"Well get out of here before you put a black mark on your record."

"Fine, I see how it is."

"Draco...you know I want you to stay, but I don't want you getting sick." He kissed her forehead gently and winked at her.

"I know, love. I'll see you in the morning." Draco left Hermione's room and headed for the couch. He wanted to be near by incase she woke up in the middle of the night. She'd yell at him for waiting on her, but it didn't matter. He liked caring for her. Marriage would be a snap for him. He didn't sleep well, but he wouldn't admit that it was Hermione who kept him up. She coughed hard most of the night, and finally Draco brewed a potion to relieve the cough. When he brought it to her, she had been so exhausted, she took it without acknowledging the foul stench and rancid taste. When she had stopped coughing, Draco slept rather well. But she woke him again at six as she rushed into the bathroom, pale faced.

"Do you want me to ask your posse for class assignments?" Draco asked, wiping her face gently with a washcloth. Her eyes widened.

"I can't miss class." She whispered.

"Yes you can. You have to."

"But we have N.E.W.T.S.-"

"At the end of the year. I'm sure you can get extra help before then. Now let's get you back to bed." Draco insisted, lifting her off the bathroom floor with ease. He settled her under the covers and brushed strands of hair out of her face.

"I'll stop in after lunch to make sure you're doing all right." She nodded and closed her eyes. Leaving quietly, Draco proceeded to class. He found his concentration wavering. He kept thinking about Hermione, hoping that she was feeling better. As everyone was going to the Great Hall for lunch, Draco bolted through the hallways to get back to the dormitory. Rounding a corner, he slammed into someone. He fell backwards and grabbed onto a statue of a phoenix to keep his balance. He started to glare at the person who had been in his way, but he froze when he recognized the violet eyes.

"Hello, Draco." Evelyn smirked at him. He steadied himself cautiously, wondering what she was up to.

"What do you want?" Draco muttered, not bothering to act civil.

"I want to know how you've been. I heard about your mother. I'm very sorry." She added, her voice holding no sympathy. Draco felt his blood boil, but he remained collected.

"Thank you for your sincere empathy." He replied sarcastically. She frowned at him.

"I was just trying to be nice."

"No you weren't."

"Fine. I wasn't. So I suppose you inherited everything? The entire Malfoy fortune."

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing. But I guess it makes up for the loss." Draco stared in disbelief. How could someone be so heartless?

"I'd give it all away to have my mother back." Draco felt his temper rising. Evelyn noticed and grinned maliciously.

"Well maybe you'll end up giving it away anyway." Her violet eyes sparkled in a 'I know something you don't know' way. Draco opened his mouth to ask her exactly what she meant, but she was already half way down the corridor. He stared after her, bothered and confused. His thoughts returned to Hermione, and he began running up the stairs faster. He burst into the dormitory to see Hermione sitting on the couch, sipping tea.

"Oh, Draco! I was wondering if you had forgotten about me." She smiled at him, her voice sounding stronger.

"How could I forget you? How are you feeling?"

"A lot better. Dumbledore came by to check up on me, and he felt so bad for me, he had Madame Pomfrey whip up a potion to speed up the recovery process."

"I didn't know that there was such a potion."

"Oh yes. But Pomfrey normally doesn't appreciate magical recovery for muggle diseases. She kept saying to Dumbledore that the best cure is to let the body fight off the disease itself."

"Well thank god you're feeling better. Professor Sprout yelled me at today because I was worrying about you." Hermione blushed and motioned for him to sit on the couch with her. "So are you going to afternoon classes?"

"I wanted to, but the potion doesn't allow me to walk. It takes the energy and strength from my legs and applies it to helping me get better. It's only temporary though." She poked her leg harshly. "See, it's numb. Dumbledore levitated me here."

"I see...well I better call in for some lunch. I'm starved."

"Are you all right Draco?"

"Of course. I told you, Malfoys never get sick-"

"I know, but you're looking shaken. Did something happen?" Draco froze as he remembered his encounter with Evelyn. He glanced at Hermione, intending to tell her about the conversation, but he saw the concern in her soft brown eyes and decided not to worry her about it. I'm probably just paranoid anyway. He thought. Then he smiled at her reassuringly.

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She smiled back, but Draco could see that she knew he was keeping something from her. He needed to get her mind off of it so he wouldn't feel so guilty. "Want a massage?" Hermione glanced at him in surprise.

"A massage?"

"Of course. A little Draco Therapy to make you better, perhaps?" He winked at her and she laughed.

"I'd like that."