Disclaimer: All characters presented in the fic are the property of J.K. Rowling. I just like to play with them on occasion
Author's Note: Written for elementaldeity for the dmhgficexchange on livejournal.
Special Thanks: Terri, Inell, Zephyr and especially nakhashmekashefah for the wonderful feed back especially in the eleventh hour.
Chapter Two - Awakenings
Once the battle had ended, and everyone had been transported back to Hogwarts, Hermione, along with Ron, set to keep vigil beside Harry's bed. One or the other had sat with him around the clock the first week, refusing to leave him alone. Professor McGonagall decided to be tolerant of their devotion to the young hero, knowing that it would be pointless to argue with them. Her only contingency was that they keep up with their assignments.
To no one's surprise, after one week, Ron was behind and, under duress, agreed to return to his classes. Hermione however, remained by Harry's side around the clock. Completing her revisions and essays in the hospital ward, only breaking for a few hours after dinner to brew any necessary potions, return or check out reference materials, and meet with the prefects.
Ron was worried about her; he didn't know when she took the time to rest; her eyes always looking glazed over yet wide open. He didn't know that Hermione could not sleep. Her dreams had been haunted for a while and she had begun taking the occasional wakefulness potion following her parents' deaths. But now, after being present at the raid of the Death Eaters' camp, seeing the horrors first hand that they had committed, even against their own, she refused to close her eyes whenever possible, not willing to submit again to the dreams. The echo of Harry's screams, they were all too much to bear, and so she didn't.
The nights that she spent alone in the hospital wing, she sat next to Harry's bed weeping. He had not woken and Severus's attempts to reach him through Legilimency were not promising. For once, she was at a loss for what to do. She hadn't been able to save her parents, and she had known what needed to be done then, how could she help her best friend. And so she wept, crying aloud, asking the gods why they only saw fit to take what was good from this world.
"In all these years, of all those I've tried to protect, I've only been able to save Malfoy," she spat in frustration.
Continuing in her questioning of the fates, Hermione didn't hear the other boy's breath catch, or his breathing increase. In fact, she hadn't noticed him at all for weeks, her only concern for Harry.
"He's awake, dearie?"
Hermione's breath caught at the sound of Madam Pomfrey's voice and she moved the back of her hand to wipe away her tears, looking over to Harry anxiously, 'Had he awoken and she been too engrossed in her own sorrow to notice?' Turning to look, Hermione was disappointed to see that his chest continued to rise and fall slowly.
As Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room past Harry's bed, Hermione felt as if someone had stepped on her chest. 'Of course he would be the one to heal,' she thought, resentment coursing through her veins. Turning back to Harry, Hermione knelt beside the bed, laying her head next to his as she whispered, "I'm sorry Harry. You are my best friend. I should have been with you instead of comforting him."
Kissing his temple lightly, she allowed the silent tears to fall freely as she watched her best friend. She had begged to stay by his side, but alas, her two best friends would not hear of her being in the center of danger. They masked their chivalry with the argument that it would do no good for everyone to face Voldemort. Hermione had finally acquiesced when Professor Snape rationalized that she was the only one present, aside from Dumbledore and himself, to tend to any injuries. Though his voice was condescending, Hermione knew that he was correct.
And so, as her friends charged off into battle, Hermione followed behind, checking as each room was cleared, her task to take care of any fallen Order members or prisoners that might be found. Draco had been blessed by fate. All other prisoners within the Death Eater camp had been killed in the crossfire of curses thrown in the siege. The only reason his life had been spared was because he had been left untended.
Hermione was shaken from her thoughts as she looked up through tear-stricken eyes at the kindly old witch who had placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know that you care for your friend, but there is nothing that we can do for him at this time. Albus has insisted that I allow you to stay here until he says otherwise, but I must insist that you make yourself useful. Stewing in your grief will do nothing to help anyone."
Taken aback by the stern words of Madam Pomfrey, the Head Girl rose to her feet, wiping her tears from her face and placing her hands on her hips defensively.
"Useful? Useful?" she questioned. "I would give anything to help him. How dare you suggest that I am doing nothing? I am doing the only thing I know to do for him and that is to stay at his side," she sobbed angrily, the resentment at feeling helpless having a living, breathing target for her rage.
Madam Pomfrey turned, ignoring Hermione's outburst as she strode out of the hospital wing, returning only when the young witch did not follow of her own volition. Sighing, Hermione placed a last kiss on her friend's forehead before following the nurse into her office.
"I will excuse you that outburst because I know how deeply you have come to care for Harry over the past years. Please realize that if it happens again, I will be forced to override the Headmaster's decision. The patients in this ward need a peaceful environment in which to recover from their maladies."
Hermione's eyes shone as she looked up at Madam Pomfrey apologetically. She opened her mouth to present her apology, but the words could not overcome the lump in her throat.
"Shhh, my dear, I know that you did not intend to cause problems. But this is precisely why I must insist that you begin to help me treat the other patients. Hermione, Harry has done a tremendous thing for us all. But his fate is now out of our hands. He knows that you are here with him, but he would not desire to see you wasting away at his side."
Madam Pomfrey smiled as she noted the slight bow of Hermione's head. "Very good," she smiled as she pulled the young witch into an embrace. "I would like for you to tend to the young Malfoy. His physical ailments are severe but quite treatable. I am concerned however as to his mental state. I think that you will be surprised to find that he is not the same young man that was taken from us months ago."
She had wanted to argue. She could feel her stomach retch at the thought of once again aiding the son of her parents' killer, but she did not have the energy left to argue. And so, Hermione begrudgingly accepted the charge given to her and set out to figure out what was troubling Draco Malfoy.
It had been two weeks since Hermione had begun tending to Draco Malfoy. She reluctantly acknowledged Madam Pomfrey's assessment that he had changed during his two months in captivity. He had always had a quiet nature about him when not lashing out at others or putting on a show of his status for his housemates. But the quiet that he now demonstrated was different. His eyes were haunted and, though he had not flinched from her touch since she discovered him during the final battle, she could still sense the fear about him.
After the first couple of days of tending to Draco, she discovered why Pomfrey had been so insistent that she care for him. As it turned out, hers was the only touch that he would accept and she often had to administer potions and charms to him under the observation of the Matron.
The anger she felt toward him slowly ebbed as she found it being replaced by pity. Although she had observed first-hand the wounds that had been inflicted upon the young wizard, she could not imagine what atrocities he had undergone to break his spirit so.
"All right, Malfoy, I don't know what they did to you, but it's time that we snap you out of this," she began one evening, after returning from meeting with the Head of Slytherin House. He had been speaking with Madam Pomfrey ever since his prized student's return to the castle, trying to ascertain what was wrong with him, before she had finally conceded that she didn't know what was troubling Draco.
Mumbling about the Matron's incompetence, Professor Snape had stormed into the hospital wing, despite her protests, to check on Draco's condition himself. As he neared the bed, his typically stony face fell when the blond-haired wizard recoiled at his approach. Hermione had leaned in close, whispering softly to Draco, placing her hand on his arm to reassure him of her presence before looking up at Professor Snape and inclining her head, inviting him to remove himself from the hospital wing.
Draco never cried out or hollered. He hadn't uttered a word, in fact, since their return to Hogwarts, but his distress was evident. His body curled into itself on the farthest side of the bed from the offending observer and his eyes clenched shut. After about fifteen minutes, once Hermione observed that his breathing had regulated itself and his body had relaxed enough for her to coax him to stretch back out in the bed, she rose and headed to Madam Pomfrey's office.
"What was the meaning of that," she asked, turning angrily to the Potions Master who was seated, his face devoid of the sneer that she had come to expect since her first year.
When her question went unanswered, she turned to Madam Pomfrey, "I thought that we had both agreed that if I were to try and assist you with Malfoy, he would be left to my care unless there was a potion or other treatment that required your supervision. You and I both know that he has not responded to anyone favorably since his return to Hogwarts."
Hermione looked at the Matron with understanding as she caught the look she gave to Professor Snape who sat dumb-founded. Of course he would not have accepted her warnings or protests when it came to seeing the favored Slytherin.
"Professor Snape, I can assure you that I did not choose to be the only one that Draco could tolerate in his presence. But as I am, I think it would be best if you arrange to speak with me before deciding to impose yourself upon us."
As the young witch addressed him, his head snapped up, and the icy veneer returned to his face. "And just what would lead you to believe that Draco Malfoy desires your presence any more than he does mine?"
Her anger rose as she turned to face her Professor. "I don't know why he desires my presence or even that he does. What I do know is that he wouldn't eat until I fed him; that he would not sleep soundly, until I sat with him; and that he will likely hurt himself fleeing from anyone else who dares approach him. I did not ask to tend to Malfoy, but as I have agreed, I will not allow anyone to interfere in a manner that will be detrimental to his recovery."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips as she observed the staring match that followed, her colleague glaring down upon the young witch who refused to look away. She had never seen anyone, colleague nor student, confront Professor Snape in that manner and had no idea of what to expect.
"Very well," the Potions Master relented. "Given your history, I do not imagine that you would choose to spend day and night with Draco if there were another alternative. As his Head of House, however, I must insist that you meet with me on a regular basis to keep me abreast of his progress."
Hermione nodded, her body relaxing as the stand-off came to an end. "I think that would be an excellent idea; I would be very interested in discussing possible alternative treatments to try and break through whatever mental barrier he has put up. Although he does not appear to feel threatened by my presence, I cannot seem to pull him out of himself either."
Professor Snape had actually provided some very useful insight. She had attempted to reach Draco by discussing the things they held in common; the goings- on of the castle, the latest troubles that she had addressed with the prefects; she had even attempted to bring him out of it by recounting Ron's latest tales of Potions class. Neville was failing miserably without her there to aid him, apparently. It was truly amazing that he had even made it into N.E.W.T.-level potions. And Ron, well he seemed to be spending most of his evenings with Professor Snape.
But Snape had suggested a different approach. Whatever reason Draco appeared to be comforted by her presence did not negate the years of animosity that they had shared. He had supposed that as she was the first to discover him, and Draco knew her to be good and honest, his subconscious, as a matter of survival, had decided that she was safe. The problem was that they were now trying to reach his conscious self and perhaps she should not sugar-coat her dealings with him.
"All right, Malfoy, I'm quite tired of taking up your slack. I've had to deal with every issue from a prefect since you disappeared, and let me assure you, your housemates are only slightly more pleasant to deal with than yourself."
Even as the words left her mouth, Hermione wished she could take them back. She was tired of performing the duty of both Head Boy and Head Girl but he had had little to do with his kidnapping.
She sighed and rose from her seat. While Professor Snape's suggested methods might work for Slytherin House, she was decidedly a Gryffindor and didn't wish to sink to their level. Looking at the time, Hermione decided that now was as good a time as any to go and sit with Harry. Although the majority of her day was now spent tending to Draco, she still made sure she spent at least a couple of hours at Harry's bedside.
When Madam Pomfrey peeked her head into the hospital wing to indicate that she had been called down to the dungeons to tend to a student, Hermione assured her that she would notify her if anyone showed up. Sighing as the Matron left, Hermione cast a charm on Harry's cot, causing it to double in size, and laid down next to him.
This was the only way she had come to sleep over the past couple of weeks; always sneaking out of her designated cot to lay next to her best friend. So it was of little surprise that Hermione dozed off as she whispered, to Harry, promises of the new life that awaited them all if he would just come back.
Her dreams, as she lay with Harry, were always pleasant. They were always unselfish thoughts of visiting him and Ron next year at their shared flat after they graduated; Harry smiling and truly happy for the first time since she'd known him, free from his obligation to humanity as well as from the family that he had been forced to live with. The dreams brought her such joy, to see the three of them enjoying life from under the dark cloud of Voldemort, that she always awoke reluctantly, responding only because she knew the charm she had set up in the hallway leading to the hospital wing was warning her that someone was approaching. As accommodating as the Headmaster had been, she did not think even he would allow for his students to share a bed so openly.
As she opened her eyes and rose, returning the bed to its original state, Hermione reached for her wand to end the charm that caused a low hum in the room. Although it was not loud enough to worry anyone outside of the ward, it was certainly noticeable and she did not wish for anyone to go seeking out the source of the sound. As she grasped her wand, her head fell to the side and she strained her ears. Oddly enough, the charm had not gone off but yet she had awoken.
She checked the time and not even twenty minutes had passed; it certainly was not long enough for her to have woken on her own. She walked out towards Madam Pomfrey's office to see if perhaps some other disturbance had roused her from her sleep, but there was no one near the hospital ward.
Convinced that perhaps her nerves simply would not allow her to rest properly, she walked back into the hospital wing. As she walked over to grab the study notes that Padma had provided her from Arithmancy, she let out a squeak as the light shone off of his eyes. Draco Malfoy was staring at her. His face still held the blank stare she had become familiar with, but behind his eyes there was something else.
Walking over, she sat on the side of his bed. "Malfoy," she questioned tentatively. He didn't respond, but she decided to continue, somewhat hopeful that the emptiness from his eyes had been replaced by something, though she wasn't quite sure what. "I was just about to begin my Arithmancy assignment. Professor Vector has been covering how emotion and intent can alter the efficacy of magic spells…" her voice trailed off as the silver eyes clouded over and once again returned to gaze at the ceiling overhead.
Hermione carried on her duties throughout the next week, continuing to administer Draco's treatment throughout the day as well as spend time working on her assignments. Much of her reading she would do aloud, hoping that her voice would stimulate the same shadow of existence she had caught in his eye after waking last week. But, much to her dismay, he showed no response, staring blankly at the ceiling above.
By the sixth week since Harry and Draco had been brought back to the Hogwarts hospital wing, Hermione was thoroughly frustrated with the task that had been presented to her.
"Surely the great know-it-all, Hermione Granger, has managed to find what is wrong with the boy," the Potions Master had sneered at her at their last meeting, not concealing his frustration that he was unable to tend to his student; yet, the one who could, had not made any progress. "Undoubtedly, you are neglecting his condition in favor of fawning over the half-dead body of Mr. Potter."
Unable to contain her rage, Hermione stood to excuse herself from his presence. As she opened the door to return to the sanctity of the warded off hospital wing, she thought better of it and turned to address Professor Snape.
"Undoubtedly, you are incorrect in your accusation, however, I can't help but wonder whether or not my time would be better spent tending to Harry. After all, your precious Malfoy is conscious; for all I know, he could be unwilling to lower himself to address a Mudblood, and too damn stupid to talk to anyone else. Harry, on the other hand, actually needs to know that someone is here for him."
Having heard quite enough from the Head of Slytherin House, and having nothing more to say, she slammed the door before going to sit with Harry.
Not bothering to pull up a chair, Hermione drew her wand and enlarged the bed slightly so that she could sit next to him without causing a disturbance.
"Harry," she whispered softly, bending over to kiss his cheek. "You have to come back to us. Ron, Ginny, all of Gryffindor, we miss you."
Letting her head fall to his chest, Hermione allowed herself to weep, blocking out the nagging voice in her head that reminded her that her duties were to watch over Malfoy.
Hermione had curled her feet up beneath her and fallen asleep on Harry's chest like that. She startled as her eyes opened to find the room barely lit by the setting sun from outside the hospital wing's windows and drew her wand to light the candles in the room. Sighing as she felt the urge to check on Draco, Hermione turned to look at the boy, nearly screaming as his silver eyes danced with the light of the sconces as he looked at her.
"Draco Malfoy, I know you're in there. Are you enjoying being spoiled too much? You like the idea of a filthy Mudblood tending to your needs, I'm sure," she spat out, frustrated to no end that he would not respond.
Yawning, Draco smirked. "I would hardly call being read the lecture notes from Professor Binn's History of Magic class an indulgence, Granger."
Fighting to command her jaw to close, Hermione sat down on Harry's still enlarged bed. "So the great Draco Malfoy has decided to grace us with his presence has he?" The self satisfied look that Hermione had set on her face faded as Draco's eyes seemed to dull. "Oh no Malfoy, not again, your Head of House has been absolutely dreadful and I will not allow you to slip back to wherever you have been for the past six weeks before you speak with him."
Draco looked up at her, his face definitely animated, but this time it was with fear. His eyes showed the same reaction that his body had each time someone other than herself had tried to approach him. Hermione had seen that whatever he had suffered had been bad, but she couldn't imagine just what they could have done to this once intense yet harsh young man, to leave him broken to the point of begging to be left for dead and flinching at the slightest indication of another human presence. 'Except mine,' she reminded herself silently.
"It's okay Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey has made it clear that no one will be permitted to see you until you are ready." Draco calmed at that, although the fit that Professor Snape threw the following day more than made up for the boy's short tantrum.
"How dare you? He is of my own House. It is my obligation to ensure that the boy is all right."
The Matron did not back down one inch. "Be that as it may, Severus, ALL of the students of this school are under my charge and I will not have you interfering in my treatment unless the Headmaster himself orders it. And I will have you know, that Albus has given his full support that Hermione, here, supervise his treatment ALONE except in extreme cases."
Hermione continued on, as Madam Pomfrey indicated that she should. Draco's physical wounds had long since healed; it was his mental and emotional state that was disconcerting. He had not shown any semblance of the snide and arrogant youth that he once was since Hermione had alluded to his eventual meeting with Professor Snape. Surprisingly, she found that Draco Malfoy, without his cutting remarks and sly commentary, was worse than every hateful remark he had ever given.
Review Responses:
HGDM lova: I'm glad that you're loving it. All of the chapters are somewhere around 3000 words save the prologue and epilogue. This fic has been completed and the first few chapters beta'ed. I'm working on getting the rest of the fic beta'ed before I post them here.
artemis1860: I'm glad that you're enjoying it. As I stated to HGDM lova, the fic is complete, I'm just trying to get it all beta'ed before posting it here. Updates should come rather quickly!
Author's Note: Written for elementaldeity for the dmhgficexchange on livejournal.
Special Thanks: Terri, Inell, Zephyr and especially nakhashmekashefah for the wonderful feed back especially in the eleventh hour.
Chapter Two - Awakenings
Once the battle had ended, and everyone had been transported back to Hogwarts, Hermione, along with Ron, set to keep vigil beside Harry's bed. One or the other had sat with him around the clock the first week, refusing to leave him alone. Professor McGonagall decided to be tolerant of their devotion to the young hero, knowing that it would be pointless to argue with them. Her only contingency was that they keep up with their assignments.
To no one's surprise, after one week, Ron was behind and, under duress, agreed to return to his classes. Hermione however, remained by Harry's side around the clock. Completing her revisions and essays in the hospital ward, only breaking for a few hours after dinner to brew any necessary potions, return or check out reference materials, and meet with the prefects.
Ron was worried about her; he didn't know when she took the time to rest; her eyes always looking glazed over yet wide open. He didn't know that Hermione could not sleep. Her dreams had been haunted for a while and she had begun taking the occasional wakefulness potion following her parents' deaths. But now, after being present at the raid of the Death Eaters' camp, seeing the horrors first hand that they had committed, even against their own, she refused to close her eyes whenever possible, not willing to submit again to the dreams. The echo of Harry's screams, they were all too much to bear, and so she didn't.
The nights that she spent alone in the hospital wing, she sat next to Harry's bed weeping. He had not woken and Severus's attempts to reach him through Legilimency were not promising. For once, she was at a loss for what to do. She hadn't been able to save her parents, and she had known what needed to be done then, how could she help her best friend. And so she wept, crying aloud, asking the gods why they only saw fit to take what was good from this world.
"In all these years, of all those I've tried to protect, I've only been able to save Malfoy," she spat in frustration.
Continuing in her questioning of the fates, Hermione didn't hear the other boy's breath catch, or his breathing increase. In fact, she hadn't noticed him at all for weeks, her only concern for Harry.
"He's awake, dearie?"
Hermione's breath caught at the sound of Madam Pomfrey's voice and she moved the back of her hand to wipe away her tears, looking over to Harry anxiously, 'Had he awoken and she been too engrossed in her own sorrow to notice?' Turning to look, Hermione was disappointed to see that his chest continued to rise and fall slowly.
As Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room past Harry's bed, Hermione felt as if someone had stepped on her chest. 'Of course he would be the one to heal,' she thought, resentment coursing through her veins. Turning back to Harry, Hermione knelt beside the bed, laying her head next to his as she whispered, "I'm sorry Harry. You are my best friend. I should have been with you instead of comforting him."
Kissing his temple lightly, she allowed the silent tears to fall freely as she watched her best friend. She had begged to stay by his side, but alas, her two best friends would not hear of her being in the center of danger. They masked their chivalry with the argument that it would do no good for everyone to face Voldemort. Hermione had finally acquiesced when Professor Snape rationalized that she was the only one present, aside from Dumbledore and himself, to tend to any injuries. Though his voice was condescending, Hermione knew that he was correct.
And so, as her friends charged off into battle, Hermione followed behind, checking as each room was cleared, her task to take care of any fallen Order members or prisoners that might be found. Draco had been blessed by fate. All other prisoners within the Death Eater camp had been killed in the crossfire of curses thrown in the siege. The only reason his life had been spared was because he had been left untended.
Hermione was shaken from her thoughts as she looked up through tear-stricken eyes at the kindly old witch who had placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I know that you care for your friend, but there is nothing that we can do for him at this time. Albus has insisted that I allow you to stay here until he says otherwise, but I must insist that you make yourself useful. Stewing in your grief will do nothing to help anyone."
Taken aback by the stern words of Madam Pomfrey, the Head Girl rose to her feet, wiping her tears from her face and placing her hands on her hips defensively.
"Useful? Useful?" she questioned. "I would give anything to help him. How dare you suggest that I am doing nothing? I am doing the only thing I know to do for him and that is to stay at his side," she sobbed angrily, the resentment at feeling helpless having a living, breathing target for her rage.
Madam Pomfrey turned, ignoring Hermione's outburst as she strode out of the hospital wing, returning only when the young witch did not follow of her own volition. Sighing, Hermione placed a last kiss on her friend's forehead before following the nurse into her office.
"I will excuse you that outburst because I know how deeply you have come to care for Harry over the past years. Please realize that if it happens again, I will be forced to override the Headmaster's decision. The patients in this ward need a peaceful environment in which to recover from their maladies."
Hermione's eyes shone as she looked up at Madam Pomfrey apologetically. She opened her mouth to present her apology, but the words could not overcome the lump in her throat.
"Shhh, my dear, I know that you did not intend to cause problems. But this is precisely why I must insist that you begin to help me treat the other patients. Hermione, Harry has done a tremendous thing for us all. But his fate is now out of our hands. He knows that you are here with him, but he would not desire to see you wasting away at his side."
Madam Pomfrey smiled as she noted the slight bow of Hermione's head. "Very good," she smiled as she pulled the young witch into an embrace. "I would like for you to tend to the young Malfoy. His physical ailments are severe but quite treatable. I am concerned however as to his mental state. I think that you will be surprised to find that he is not the same young man that was taken from us months ago."
She had wanted to argue. She could feel her stomach retch at the thought of once again aiding the son of her parents' killer, but she did not have the energy left to argue. And so, Hermione begrudgingly accepted the charge given to her and set out to figure out what was troubling Draco Malfoy.
It had been two weeks since Hermione had begun tending to Draco Malfoy. She reluctantly acknowledged Madam Pomfrey's assessment that he had changed during his two months in captivity. He had always had a quiet nature about him when not lashing out at others or putting on a show of his status for his housemates. But the quiet that he now demonstrated was different. His eyes were haunted and, though he had not flinched from her touch since she discovered him during the final battle, she could still sense the fear about him.
After the first couple of days of tending to Draco, she discovered why Pomfrey had been so insistent that she care for him. As it turned out, hers was the only touch that he would accept and she often had to administer potions and charms to him under the observation of the Matron.
The anger she felt toward him slowly ebbed as she found it being replaced by pity. Although she had observed first-hand the wounds that had been inflicted upon the young wizard, she could not imagine what atrocities he had undergone to break his spirit so.
"All right, Malfoy, I don't know what they did to you, but it's time that we snap you out of this," she began one evening, after returning from meeting with the Head of Slytherin House. He had been speaking with Madam Pomfrey ever since his prized student's return to the castle, trying to ascertain what was wrong with him, before she had finally conceded that she didn't know what was troubling Draco.
Mumbling about the Matron's incompetence, Professor Snape had stormed into the hospital wing, despite her protests, to check on Draco's condition himself. As he neared the bed, his typically stony face fell when the blond-haired wizard recoiled at his approach. Hermione had leaned in close, whispering softly to Draco, placing her hand on his arm to reassure him of her presence before looking up at Professor Snape and inclining her head, inviting him to remove himself from the hospital wing.
Draco never cried out or hollered. He hadn't uttered a word, in fact, since their return to Hogwarts, but his distress was evident. His body curled into itself on the farthest side of the bed from the offending observer and his eyes clenched shut. After about fifteen minutes, once Hermione observed that his breathing had regulated itself and his body had relaxed enough for her to coax him to stretch back out in the bed, she rose and headed to Madam Pomfrey's office.
"What was the meaning of that," she asked, turning angrily to the Potions Master who was seated, his face devoid of the sneer that she had come to expect since her first year.
When her question went unanswered, she turned to Madam Pomfrey, "I thought that we had both agreed that if I were to try and assist you with Malfoy, he would be left to my care unless there was a potion or other treatment that required your supervision. You and I both know that he has not responded to anyone favorably since his return to Hogwarts."
Hermione looked at the Matron with understanding as she caught the look she gave to Professor Snape who sat dumb-founded. Of course he would not have accepted her warnings or protests when it came to seeing the favored Slytherin.
"Professor Snape, I can assure you that I did not choose to be the only one that Draco could tolerate in his presence. But as I am, I think it would be best if you arrange to speak with me before deciding to impose yourself upon us."
As the young witch addressed him, his head snapped up, and the icy veneer returned to his face. "And just what would lead you to believe that Draco Malfoy desires your presence any more than he does mine?"
Her anger rose as she turned to face her Professor. "I don't know why he desires my presence or even that he does. What I do know is that he wouldn't eat until I fed him; that he would not sleep soundly, until I sat with him; and that he will likely hurt himself fleeing from anyone else who dares approach him. I did not ask to tend to Malfoy, but as I have agreed, I will not allow anyone to interfere in a manner that will be detrimental to his recovery."
Madam Pomfrey pursed her lips as she observed the staring match that followed, her colleague glaring down upon the young witch who refused to look away. She had never seen anyone, colleague nor student, confront Professor Snape in that manner and had no idea of what to expect.
"Very well," the Potions Master relented. "Given your history, I do not imagine that you would choose to spend day and night with Draco if there were another alternative. As his Head of House, however, I must insist that you meet with me on a regular basis to keep me abreast of his progress."
Hermione nodded, her body relaxing as the stand-off came to an end. "I think that would be an excellent idea; I would be very interested in discussing possible alternative treatments to try and break through whatever mental barrier he has put up. Although he does not appear to feel threatened by my presence, I cannot seem to pull him out of himself either."
Professor Snape had actually provided some very useful insight. She had attempted to reach Draco by discussing the things they held in common; the goings- on of the castle, the latest troubles that she had addressed with the prefects; she had even attempted to bring him out of it by recounting Ron's latest tales of Potions class. Neville was failing miserably without her there to aid him, apparently. It was truly amazing that he had even made it into N.E.W.T.-level potions. And Ron, well he seemed to be spending most of his evenings with Professor Snape.
But Snape had suggested a different approach. Whatever reason Draco appeared to be comforted by her presence did not negate the years of animosity that they had shared. He had supposed that as she was the first to discover him, and Draco knew her to be good and honest, his subconscious, as a matter of survival, had decided that she was safe. The problem was that they were now trying to reach his conscious self and perhaps she should not sugar-coat her dealings with him.
"All right, Malfoy, I'm quite tired of taking up your slack. I've had to deal with every issue from a prefect since you disappeared, and let me assure you, your housemates are only slightly more pleasant to deal with than yourself."
Even as the words left her mouth, Hermione wished she could take them back. She was tired of performing the duty of both Head Boy and Head Girl but he had had little to do with his kidnapping.
She sighed and rose from her seat. While Professor Snape's suggested methods might work for Slytherin House, she was decidedly a Gryffindor and didn't wish to sink to their level. Looking at the time, Hermione decided that now was as good a time as any to go and sit with Harry. Although the majority of her day was now spent tending to Draco, she still made sure she spent at least a couple of hours at Harry's bedside.
When Madam Pomfrey peeked her head into the hospital wing to indicate that she had been called down to the dungeons to tend to a student, Hermione assured her that she would notify her if anyone showed up. Sighing as the Matron left, Hermione cast a charm on Harry's cot, causing it to double in size, and laid down next to him.
This was the only way she had come to sleep over the past couple of weeks; always sneaking out of her designated cot to lay next to her best friend. So it was of little surprise that Hermione dozed off as she whispered, to Harry, promises of the new life that awaited them all if he would just come back.
Her dreams, as she lay with Harry, were always pleasant. They were always unselfish thoughts of visiting him and Ron next year at their shared flat after they graduated; Harry smiling and truly happy for the first time since she'd known him, free from his obligation to humanity as well as from the family that he had been forced to live with. The dreams brought her such joy, to see the three of them enjoying life from under the dark cloud of Voldemort, that she always awoke reluctantly, responding only because she knew the charm she had set up in the hallway leading to the hospital wing was warning her that someone was approaching. As accommodating as the Headmaster had been, she did not think even he would allow for his students to share a bed so openly.
As she opened her eyes and rose, returning the bed to its original state, Hermione reached for her wand to end the charm that caused a low hum in the room. Although it was not loud enough to worry anyone outside of the ward, it was certainly noticeable and she did not wish for anyone to go seeking out the source of the sound. As she grasped her wand, her head fell to the side and she strained her ears. Oddly enough, the charm had not gone off but yet she had awoken.
She checked the time and not even twenty minutes had passed; it certainly was not long enough for her to have woken on her own. She walked out towards Madam Pomfrey's office to see if perhaps some other disturbance had roused her from her sleep, but there was no one near the hospital ward.
Convinced that perhaps her nerves simply would not allow her to rest properly, she walked back into the hospital wing. As she walked over to grab the study notes that Padma had provided her from Arithmancy, she let out a squeak as the light shone off of his eyes. Draco Malfoy was staring at her. His face still held the blank stare she had become familiar with, but behind his eyes there was something else.
Walking over, she sat on the side of his bed. "Malfoy," she questioned tentatively. He didn't respond, but she decided to continue, somewhat hopeful that the emptiness from his eyes had been replaced by something, though she wasn't quite sure what. "I was just about to begin my Arithmancy assignment. Professor Vector has been covering how emotion and intent can alter the efficacy of magic spells…" her voice trailed off as the silver eyes clouded over and once again returned to gaze at the ceiling overhead.
Hermione carried on her duties throughout the next week, continuing to administer Draco's treatment throughout the day as well as spend time working on her assignments. Much of her reading she would do aloud, hoping that her voice would stimulate the same shadow of existence she had caught in his eye after waking last week. But, much to her dismay, he showed no response, staring blankly at the ceiling above.
By the sixth week since Harry and Draco had been brought back to the Hogwarts hospital wing, Hermione was thoroughly frustrated with the task that had been presented to her.
"Surely the great know-it-all, Hermione Granger, has managed to find what is wrong with the boy," the Potions Master had sneered at her at their last meeting, not concealing his frustration that he was unable to tend to his student; yet, the one who could, had not made any progress. "Undoubtedly, you are neglecting his condition in favor of fawning over the half-dead body of Mr. Potter."
Unable to contain her rage, Hermione stood to excuse herself from his presence. As she opened the door to return to the sanctity of the warded off hospital wing, she thought better of it and turned to address Professor Snape.
"Undoubtedly, you are incorrect in your accusation, however, I can't help but wonder whether or not my time would be better spent tending to Harry. After all, your precious Malfoy is conscious; for all I know, he could be unwilling to lower himself to address a Mudblood, and too damn stupid to talk to anyone else. Harry, on the other hand, actually needs to know that someone is here for him."
Having heard quite enough from the Head of Slytherin House, and having nothing more to say, she slammed the door before going to sit with Harry.
Not bothering to pull up a chair, Hermione drew her wand and enlarged the bed slightly so that she could sit next to him without causing a disturbance.
"Harry," she whispered softly, bending over to kiss his cheek. "You have to come back to us. Ron, Ginny, all of Gryffindor, we miss you."
Letting her head fall to his chest, Hermione allowed herself to weep, blocking out the nagging voice in her head that reminded her that her duties were to watch over Malfoy.
Hermione had curled her feet up beneath her and fallen asleep on Harry's chest like that. She startled as her eyes opened to find the room barely lit by the setting sun from outside the hospital wing's windows and drew her wand to light the candles in the room. Sighing as she felt the urge to check on Draco, Hermione turned to look at the boy, nearly screaming as his silver eyes danced with the light of the sconces as he looked at her.
"Draco Malfoy, I know you're in there. Are you enjoying being spoiled too much? You like the idea of a filthy Mudblood tending to your needs, I'm sure," she spat out, frustrated to no end that he would not respond.
Yawning, Draco smirked. "I would hardly call being read the lecture notes from Professor Binn's History of Magic class an indulgence, Granger."
Fighting to command her jaw to close, Hermione sat down on Harry's still enlarged bed. "So the great Draco Malfoy has decided to grace us with his presence has he?" The self satisfied look that Hermione had set on her face faded as Draco's eyes seemed to dull. "Oh no Malfoy, not again, your Head of House has been absolutely dreadful and I will not allow you to slip back to wherever you have been for the past six weeks before you speak with him."
Draco looked up at her, his face definitely animated, but this time it was with fear. His eyes showed the same reaction that his body had each time someone other than herself had tried to approach him. Hermione had seen that whatever he had suffered had been bad, but she couldn't imagine just what they could have done to this once intense yet harsh young man, to leave him broken to the point of begging to be left for dead and flinching at the slightest indication of another human presence. 'Except mine,' she reminded herself silently.
"It's okay Malfoy. Madam Pomfrey has made it clear that no one will be permitted to see you until you are ready." Draco calmed at that, although the fit that Professor Snape threw the following day more than made up for the boy's short tantrum.
"How dare you? He is of my own House. It is my obligation to ensure that the boy is all right."
The Matron did not back down one inch. "Be that as it may, Severus, ALL of the students of this school are under my charge and I will not have you interfering in my treatment unless the Headmaster himself orders it. And I will have you know, that Albus has given his full support that Hermione, here, supervise his treatment ALONE except in extreme cases."
Hermione continued on, as Madam Pomfrey indicated that she should. Draco's physical wounds had long since healed; it was his mental and emotional state that was disconcerting. He had not shown any semblance of the snide and arrogant youth that he once was since Hermione had alluded to his eventual meeting with Professor Snape. Surprisingly, she found that Draco Malfoy, without his cutting remarks and sly commentary, was worse than every hateful remark he had ever given.
Review Responses:
HGDM lova: I'm glad that you're loving it. All of the chapters are somewhere around 3000 words save the prologue and epilogue. This fic has been completed and the first few chapters beta'ed. I'm working on getting the rest of the fic beta'ed before I post them here.
artemis1860: I'm glad that you're enjoying it. As I stated to HGDM lova, the fic is complete, I'm just trying to get it all beta'ed before posting it here. Updates should come rather quickly!