"Emma, quick, come in," Hermione said, ushering the short woman in her house.
Emma Dobbs had attended Hogwart's with Hermione. Though she had not known her well during her Hogwart's days, they had become friends at the Ministry. Emma always had to come over and fix something that Hermione had hurt when she was doing something she wasn't supposed to be.
"You look fine, Mia, a little tired maybe. What have you done this time?"
"No, not me for a change. Promise you won't scream?"
In spite of her promise, Emma let out a sharp squeal when she saw the wounded Draco Malfoy asleep in Hermione's den.
"Oh, shit, Mia! What did you do to him?"
It took a good hour from Hermione to catch Emma up on the goings on at the Malfoy Manor. Emma worked with the Ministry, but not on the same cases as the Aurors so she had no idea what Hermione had gotten herself into. Hermione was gotten to the part where she brought Draco to her house about the time that Emma finished healing the last of Draco's wounds.
"Well, that is as good as it gets," Emma sighed. "He had some broken ribs, which are repaired, but he will still be a little sore. The cut on his head is cleared up but you see it left a little scar because it was not treated at once. I am leaving you a potion, it will help him continue to heal as well as help him sleep. I will check in on him in a few days time. Until then, try to keep him off his feet."
"That will be easier said than done, once he wakes up."
"Then here, use this when he starts to regain consciousness." Emma handed Hermione a small packet of powder from her bag. "He will still regain consciousness, but he will not be able to move for another half hour after the potion is administered."
Hermione grabbed Emma in a big hug. "Thank you, for everything. One day I will pay you back!"
"I won't hold my breath. Take care of your patient, and yourself." And with that, Emma was gone.
For the next day and a half, Draco slept. Sometimes he was peaceful, other times he thrashed about like he was fighting for his life. Hermione slept in the chair beside him and watched over him day and night. Harry had called on her each day and even came to sit with Draco so she could take a shower and change clothes uninterrupted. Lupin had been furious with Hermione and put her on suspension from the Order for a week. But Hermione knew that he could never stay mad at her and he had sent her home so she could take care of Draco. The project at the Malfoy Manor had been put on hold while Lucious went berserk in the magic world. He left no stone unturned, no Death Eater unquestioned trying to find his son.
To the sympathetic public, he appeared to be a grieving father, but the Death Eaters knew that it was his own life he was trying to protect. The leader of the Death Eaters was furious. He accused Lucious of setting Draco, the pathetic traitor, loose to prevent him from being killed.
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Hermione had just taken her shower and kissed Harry goodbye when Draco began to stir. She immediately mixed the foul smelling concoction that Emma had given her and poured it into Draco's mouth.
Around him, the room slowly stopped spinning, but the world was not yet in focus. He felt warm sunlight on his face but he had an awful taste in his mouth. Surely this isn't heaven he thought. Off in the distance he heard a soft voice, it sounded like it was coming nearer to him. It was not the voice of his mother or father, yet it sounded familiar. He felt a soft touch on his arm and the voice continued to grow more clear, "Draco, please wake up. Come on, come back to me now."
He blinked again and made out the foggy outline of a woman. That voice, the eyes, he knew her. He tied to raise his arm to wipe the sleep from his eyes but he could not move a muscle. A million things fly to his mind, was he tied down, had he been kidnapped, tortured, he knew it was his fathers plan. But that voice was so sweet.
Slowly reality came into focus and the only thing he could see was a beautiful, young woman with honey brown eyes, and long auburn hair. "Who, what?" Draco tried to speak but he was horse. She inserted a draw into his mouth and cautiously he sucked. Water, crisp, cool water poured down his throat. He drank hungrily because he felt like his mouth was full of sand. He tried to speak again, but only a whisper would come. "Who are you and where am I?" he demanded. He didn't know the answer to those questions, but he was sure of one thing, wherever he was, it was infinitely better than his father's dungeon.
"Draco, thank gods. It's me, Hermione."
"Hermione? What in Merlin's name?"
"Draco, please stop. I will explain everything if you give me a chance. You can't move or holler now, so don't try. The spell will wear off in a bit and you can run or holler or curse me if you want then, but give me a chance to explain."
For what seemed like the hundredth time in the last week, Hermione told Draco the story of how she came to spy on the Malfoy's and how she found out that he was under the curse.
"Oh, you were the cat." Draco said, still barely above a whisper.
"Draco, please don't be mad," Hermione finished, "No one would believe me. I had to come in alone for you. If I hadn't taken you that night, your father would have killed you."
Hermione sat back and waited for the worst. She could imagine that Draco would hex her to oblivion as soon as he could sit up for saying such things.
"I know, Hermione. And thank you." Hermione was relived beyond belief. " I knew that I was going to die that night. That is why I had been fighting the curse. When I woke up a moment ago, I thought I had died. I thought you were my angel."
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