Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. I'm running out of funny disclaimers, just thinking about possums skydiving. HA! You laughed didn't you?
A/N: Hola everybody! Um I really don't know where this is going right now. I know what I want to happen I just need stuff to fill the space because I don't want everything happening really quickly. So yeah, I'm BSing my way through this chappy. So if you hate it, well I told you so, sorta. Whatever just read it and review. Go on flame me! SMITE ME WITH YOUR POWER! Man I need ease up on the sugar intake. Anyway REVIEW! And I wanted to let everyone know that I'm not going off of OOTP, it would just totally mess up the whole story so yeah. Oh I almost forgot, seriously I did, sorry. The Reviewer of the Chapter is umm wow all your reviews are so great it's really hard to choose just one! So from now on The Reviewer of the Chapter is going to be TOTALLY random! Ok so um Malferz is the winner! Yay! Your review was really funny, the whole Evil-Monkeys-Who-Dislike-Non-Updaters-And-Stick-Them-In-Pots yeah, actually I'm kinda scared…so on with the story ey? Right well Read and Review!
Whisper~Mad~Crazy Chapter 15-Cor Unum, Via Una
Hermione tapped her quill impatiently on the desk. It was the first class of the school year, double potions with Slytherin. Not that she minded though, she was actually waiting for Draco to show up, which he did just before Professor Snape. He walked casually to the front of the room and sat down at the table next to Hermione's. Harry and Ron who were sitting next to her stopped their chatter as soon as the Professor entered the room. Hermione glanced over at Draco; Crabbe was sitting at the table on the other side of him. He playfully punched Draco on his shoulder asking him why he was late. Hermione saw Draco wince in pain and mumble something to the other boy. She stared worriedly at him. He glanced up at her but shook his head and quickly looked towards the Professor as he started.
"Good morning class." Snape muttered as he hastily flicked his wand towards the black board where a set of instructions appeared. "Unfortunately I have some vital business to attended to this morning so I will not be teaching this class. You will follow the instructions on the board and read chapters 1-3 in Advanced Potions." The entire class seemed awestruck at the sudden turn of events. Usually the first potions class of the year was brutal. A few murmurs broke out, mostly concerning what was so important that Snape would miss the chance to punish Gryffindor and give points to Slytherin.
"Silence!" Snape yelled. "You will begin now and let me warn you, if anyone does anything they are not supposed to be doing I will know of it. Understood?"
"Yes Professor Snape." The class replied monotonously.
"That goes for all of you." He said glaring surprisingly towards the Slytherins. He then approached Draco's desk and bent his head low as they conversed. Hermione strained to hear what they were saying.
"Draco I need to get you to the Hospital Wing." Snape said harshly.
"No Professor I'm fine." Draco replied.
"Honestly Malfoy, forget your pride for once! Those curses your father put on you last night could easily render a fully-grown man incapacitated! It's a wonder you were able to make it down to the dungeons!" Snape's voice was growing angry. Draco furrowed his brow and stared pointedly at his desk.
"Draco." Snape snapped. He lifted his head and turned to spot Hermione staring at him worriedly. Her soft brown eyes were full of so much warmth he wished he could get lost in them forever. Suddenly he felt his proud façade leave him. All the exhaustion and pain that he had endured over the last 24 hours flooded through him. His eyes became heavy and the last thing he saw before he slumped to the ground was Hermione as she cried out in pain and fell to the floor next to him.
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Hermione watched with wonder. She could never imagine Snape would ever care for someone other than himself but here he was watching out for Draco. She saw Draco scowl and look down at the table before looking up and locking his gaze with hers. His eyes when he first looked up were hard and cold but she didn't look away. She smiled a bit to let him know that it was okay, that she cared. Suddenly it was if a curtain had been raised from his eyes. They become clear and bright. Hermione didn't have time to analyze the situation though, as soon as it happened a sharp pain shot through her hand with his ring on it but quickly spread through out her entire body. She cried out and fell to the floor as blackness enveloped her.
"Hermione!" Harry cried rushing to her side.
"Mr. Malfoy!" Snape snapped surprised. "What is the meaning of this Mr. Potter?"
"I…I don't know sir." Harry replied cradling Hermione's unconscious body in his arms.
Snape glared at him suspiciously.
"Very well then. Potter you carry Ms. Granger to the Hospital Wing while I take Mr. Malfoy." He turned to the class. "I expect all of the assigned work to be done by the time I return! If it is not, I guarantee detention for all those who did not take heed!" With that he levitated Draco and quickly stalked out of the room with Harry, carrying Hermione, in his wake.
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"Pomfrey!" Snape shouted as they burst into the infirmary.
"Yes, yes what is it Severus?" Madam Pomfrey called rushing out of her office. "Oh my." She said upon reaching them. She directed them to two beds. Snape levitated Draco onto one while Harry set Hermione on the other.
"What happened Severus?" Madam Pomfrey asked worriedly.
"I'm not sure. All I know is that last night…" he stopped suddenly and turned to Harry. "That will be all Potter, you may return to class." He said briskly.
"But sir I wish to stay with Hermione." Harry argued.
"Potter one more word and you will be cleaning out Mr. Malfoy's bedpan, now go!" Harry glared at Snape as he left the infirmary.
"As I was saying…" He continued. "Last night Mr. Malfoy attended a 'meeting' of sorts where his father used several curses on him. I'm not sure exactly which ones, there really were too many to count. I do know that he used the Cruciatus Curse."
"Oh dear." Madam Pomfrey said quietly. "Well I can give him some potion to ease the pain but until he wakes up I can't fully heal him." Snape nodded. "And what about Ms. Granger?" She asked. Snape turned his gaze to Hermione.
"I…I don't know." He said. "It was as if she was feeling the same thing as Draco." Madam Pomfrey shook her head.
"This isn't good Severus."
"I know, I know." He replied sighing heavily. "I suppose I'll go fetch Dumbledore then, shall I?" Madam Pomfrey nodded slowly still staring worriedly at the unconscious students as Professor Snape went to get Professor Dumbledore.
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"Come in Severus." Dumbledore said as Snape reached up to knock on the door.
"Albus we have a problem." He said quickly.
"Do we?" Dumbledore asked slowly, gazing at Snape over his spectacles. "And who does this problem encompass?"
"It's Draco and Hermione sir." He replied.
"Really well I wouldn't expect to hear those two names in the same sentence, that is not unless it was something concerning detention and if that was the case…" Dumbledore rambled on.
"Sir, please!" Snape interrupted. "I'm sorry sir, but it's urgent we need to get down to the Infirmary!"
"Quite right Severus!" Dumbledore said jovially. "Shall we then?" He said motioning towards the door. Snape nodded and dashed out and down the steps while Dumbledore tagged along casually behind him.
Snape rushed into the infirmary.
"Have they woken up yet?" He asked Madam Pomfrey. She simply shook her head. "Well there must be something you can do! A potion, a spell, a remedy!" He said panicky.
"Severus, really, you should calm down. As far as I can tell it's nothing serious." She replied taking a step back from him.
"Do not tell me it is not serious! You did not see the torture that boy had to endure last night! And if Ms. Granger really is experiencing the same as he…well she's not half a strong as Draco and…"
"Severus, Severus." Dumbledore said calmingly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Everything is going to be fine."
"How can you say that Albus?" Snape said whipping around to face him. "Do you not use your eyes? Do you not see what is in front of you?"
"I do Severus and actually it is I who should be asking you. Do you not use your eyes Severus? Do you not see what is right under that great nose of yours?" Dumbledore chuckled at his own joke. Snape glared at him and then stepped in between Draco's and Hermione's bed and carefully examined them both.
"What am I supposed to be looking for Albus?" Snape asked calming down a bit.
"Do you not find anything suspicious?" He replied. Snape took a closer look at Draco but shook his head.
"No, nothing."
"Try Ms. Granger, Severus."
Snape stepped towards Hermione, he squinted his eyes scrutinizing over every detail and that's when he saw it.
"What would Hermione Granger be doing wearing a ring in the form of a snake?" Snape said almost to himself. Dumbledore smiled but allowed the black haired wizard to continue. "A ring that I distinctly remember being on Draco's necklace less than a week ago?" Snape went to Draco and found that the snake off of his necklace was indeed missing. Then he went to examine the ring on Hermione's finger. He carefully lifted Hermione's hand and went to remove the ring but was greeted by a jolt of electricity. He dropped her hand, yelling in surprise.
"Mother of…"
"Severus." Dumbledore warned. Snape stopped his cursing and picked up Hermione's hand again careful not to touch the ring.
"There seems to be something written on it." He said analyzing the ring.
"Yes, go on." Dumbledore said watching intently.
"It looks like 'Cor Unum…' I'm not sure I can't read it all."
"Cor Unum, Via Una." Dumbledore said.
"One heart, one way?" Snape questioned.
"Yes. It seems that Ms. Granger here slipped Mr. Malfoy's ring on by mistake."
"What? How do you know this?" Snape asked raising an eyebrow.
"It was really quite amusing actually." Dumbledore started. "You see I was on my way to see the Head Boy and Girl. I was about to enter the Head Common Room when Mr. Malfoy exited. Ms. Granger quickly ran up to him showing him the ring. As you can imagine he was quite upset." Snape nodded. "Well after calming down he explained the ring and the spell to Hermione. She took is quite well I thought. After that Draco placed a concealment charm on the ring and they went their separate ways."
"And they didn't notice you just standing there?"
"I have my ways Severus, I have my ways." Dumbledore replied.
"Right, how could I forget? Well, this spell I've heard it before but I can't remember…" He trailed off.
"Severus?"
"Lucius. I should have known. The same thing happened with he and Narcissa. He must have passed the ring and necklace on to Draco, along with the spell."
"That is most unfortunate."
"Yes but we still have the issue of what happened to Draco last night."
"Ah right. Poppy?" Dumbledore called.
"Yes Albus?" She replied bustling up to them.
"Is there anything you can do for Mr. Malfoy?"
"Well I've already given him enough pain potion to calm a Hungarian Horntail, there's not really much else we can do till he wakes up."
"Right, thank you Poppy." Dumbledore said turning back to Severus. "So it was Lucius who did this to Draco?" He asked. Snape nodded. "It must have been quite horrible." "It was. But Albus I'd appreciate it if you could cause me to miss my next couple of meetings with Lucius." Snape said half-heartedly.
"And why is that Severus?" Dumbledore asked chuckling.
"Because if I see my brother anytime soon, I'm going to kill him."
A/N: Oh man!! Well how was that? Sorry there wasn't much Draco/Hermione stuff. Like I said I really was BSing my way through this chapter. Ok well read and review and do some other stuff. Like I dunno, eat ice cream with a fork. LoL sorry for the rambling I'm really tired. Oh if anyone wants to see my vision of Sir Erin of Lexult go to e sucks but I just wanted to get the picture up on the web. Ok well REVIEW cause you could be the next REVIEWER OF THE CHAPTER!! Or you could not; it's up to you. Right, well later.
