chapter 6: AGITATION - the cauldron bubbles

For a moment he was afraid she wasn't going to answer. The expression on her face was hard to read, though it maintained its base of kind concern. "Well," she finally began, "I don't know what happened but at about nine o'clock last night Mr. Malfoy showed up here with you slung across his shoulders. You were horribly white and there was blood everywhere. At first I didn't notice that Malfoy was also looking the worse for wear. By the time I made it over with the bandages, however, he was looking quite ghastly. He muttered something about the moon, which is strange because I don't think there was a moon last night, and then he just passed out. He was burning up and I've had quite a time of it trying to get the fever to go down." She scowled, looking vexed. "A few minutes after that, the Headmaster came down, though I had been too distracted to call him." Ron sat up at the metion of Dumbledore and did his best to look attentive. "Anyway," Madam Pomfrey continued, " he said that he had been afraid something like this might happen and that you two weren't to have visitors until you'd woken up." Ron looked at Crookshanks in confusion. "Yes, yes, your friends were here. And quite annoyed they couldn't see you, too. I let Hermione leave that demon cat of hers so that she would calm down, though lord ask me what good it could do. Oh, but that reminds me. Dumbledore asked to be informed when either of you awoke." She looked at Ron reprovingly. "Now, eat your spinach puffs. You need to get your strength back." And with that she bustled from the room.

Ron digested this new information as he munched on the rest of the spinach puffs. So it appeared that no one knew anything yet. Still, it would be difficult keeping it a secret. Explanations would definitely be in order. Ron groaned to himself at the thought of what that entailed and rubbed at his bandaged arm. It was throbbing annoyingly and he was getting that nagging feeling in the back of his head again. Before he could pin it down, however, a strange feeling of need washed over him, making him drop the last of the spinach puffs. Of course, it was after lunch time. How could he have forgotten again?! You'd think that the fact that he was in the hospital for their stupid forgetfullness would be enough of a reminder.

Ron swung his legs over the bed but had to pause to let his vision clear before standing up. Damn, he was feeling so weak. Another moan from Draco brought him to his feet however. No wonder Malfoy had been sounding worse. It didn't usually appear to affect him so strongly but after last night he was probably feeling about as good as Ron right now. Ron tottered the few steps over to the bed, drew the curtain aside and sat down next to the restless boy, thankful that Madam Pomfrey wasn't there to get in the way again.

Malfoy flinched at the shift of the bed but appeared to remain unconscious, muttering in his sleep. Ron frowned then started picking at the bandages on his arm, wincing as the wrappings came undone and the sensitive skin was exposed to the air. It really didn't look as bad as he had been afraid. It appeared to have mostly healed under Madam Pomfrey's care and now the area was mostly just red with a couple of fast healing scabs. It almost obscured the thin white scar from the first time but Ron knew that that would never completely go away.

Wincing and hissing through his teeth, Ron began picking at one of the scabs. He bit his lip and pulled it off quickly. It stung but a bright spot of blood welled up. That was what he had been going for. Quickly, he placed the wound against Draco's lips, hoping that he would wake up enough to taste it.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. The pale boy went completely still and his eyes flew open. For a minute the two boys just stared at eachother, creating a frozen tableau, but then Draco sighed and slipped his eyes shut, licking and sucking gently at the wound on Ron's arm. Ron had tensed up and now began to relax into routine and the familiar sensation. He didn't know why but he felt almost calm doing this, like some important purpose was being fulfilled. Of course, some important purpose was being fulfilled. Keeping the stupid demon a bay was probably pretty bloody important. It was just that he usually hated the way he was forced into it. But right now the hate wouldn't come and he just felt tired. The buzzing current running up his arm at Malfoy's touch was almost soothing.

"I'm glad to see you're taking care of him now, Mr. Weasley." Ron jumped at the sound of the Headmaster's voice. Did the man always have to sneak up on people like that? The pressure on his arm ceased. He took it back and began winding the bandages back around his arm before looking up at Dumbldore. He wasn't sure what to say so just kept his mouth shut.

Draco didn't seem to have any such problem, however. Appearing once again quite healthy, he sat up and scowled at the Headmaster. "Why didn't you tell us it was the new moon?" he spat angrily. "You knew the danger of it. Why didn't you warn us?" Ron winced at the angry tone and would have fled back to his own bed if he weren't still feeling so tottery. Draco did have a point though and Ron resisted adding his own scowl to Malfoy's as Dumbledor sat down on Ron's bed oposite the two boys.

"Now, now. I understand that you are both upset. But I felt that this was an important lesson you two needed to learn on your own." Dumbledore paused to look at them sternly. "This is not something you can ignore. Pretending that it does not exist will not make it go away, a fact which I am sure must be emminently clear to you now. Now, I know that neither of you has much liking for the other." At this both boys stiffened, reminded of their uncomfortable proximity but Dumbledore just continued blithely on. "However, it is of the utmost importance that you learn to get along. I had hoped that you two would be able to work it out for yourselves but I see that some interference on my part is going to be necessary. Therefore, I am going to instruct those professors for which the two of you have mutual classes, that you are to be partnered at all times..." This elisited an annoyed hiss from Draco and Ron dropped his jaw at the unfairness of it all. "...and," Dumbledore continued, "you are to meet for a full hour after lunch every day in order to become better aquainted. I know you already meet in Snape's offices at that time and that should do very well. Professor Snape shall be instructed that you are to remain there until the full hour is up. Is that very clear?" By this point both boys were just staring at him stonily, refusing to acknowledge eachother's presence and the Headmaster seemed to be repressing a smile at the identical looks on their faces.