Right then, I've decided to stat writing again, I really enjoyed writing this story even if some people didn't like it. But anyway I'll get going again, my style may have changed a bit since it has been a looong time since I've written anything for this fic, but I really really want to finish it. Anyway here goes. J

Waking

Raid lay in the hospital wing on the border of life and death for a good three weeks. The poison from the huge spider ripped its way through her body, draining her life force and giving her an almost translucent appearance. Then it was as if her body got sick of being ill and she began to quite suddenly recover. Though what little colour she usually had returned to her face and slowly her deep wounds from the curses began to heal themselves, she still did not wake.

Draco was at her bed side everyday, without fail. He did his homework on the side of her bed, and sat holding her hand for hours on end.

'Maybe there is a human under that arrogance and malice', Hermione thought as she walked in to the hospital wing, as she did everyday, to check on the process of her unconscious friend.

It seemed that she and Malfoy had come to an unspoken agreement, to not speak to each other. They glared at each other every now and then, almost challenging the others right to be there. Ginny also came frequently, she would sit silently with Hermione and Malfoy watching the injured girl they had known for barely two months.

Raid's attack had spread round the school in a matter of hours. Whispers in the corridors were frequent now, accompanying the rumours about Harry being a deranged lunatic they now talked about the quite random attack on Raid.

"Why was she in the forest anyway?"

"How did she get there?"

"Why did those people attack her?"

"I heard she was attacked by a huge spider"

"I heard she was with that Malfoy boy, maybe his father didn't like it."

Harry was almost glad that the talk was directed away from him. He did however begin to wonder that, in spite of her relationship to the miscreant, Malfoy, whether he had misjudged her. She had been attacked and barely got out of it alive, there didn't seem to be anything dark about it, if she really was evil wouldn't she have used some powerful dark magic to escape? And only dark and evil people hunt Unicorns, "only one who has nothing to lose, and everything to gain". Firenze's words echoed in his head. So she obviously wasn't in league with them. Harry was sure there wasn't another branch of evil wizards, they were all connected to Voldemort. And they had attacked Raid, maybe she wasn't one of them. He let it drop though, he didn't want to apologise. Not yet anyway.

On the 25th November, in the hospital wing, a young girls eyes fluttered open. A sliver of moonlight was sliced across her face illuminating her dark eyes. She smiled. Sitting up, she looked at a strand of her hair, which had returned to its original shade, dark blond, almost brown. She scowled. Concentrating hard, she turned it black. Gasping from the effort of using her own magic she lay back down for a minute. She was still magically weak.

Once her breath had returned and her heart had stopped beating twenty to the dozen, she swung her legs out of bed and got up. Finding that physically she had enough energy to run miles she began to examine the extensive damage done her body. There were two ping pong ball sized scars on the right, lower part of neck, where it joins the shoulder. Thin white scars, barely noticeable sliced down her side, her left arm and both her legs. Slowly she walked to a mirror at the end of the ward, closing her eyes she stepped in front of it. Carefully opening them she scrutinised her face, she knew she had been struck there. As with the other scars, the one that curved down her right cheek was very thin and almost imperceptible. But Raid scowled, knowing it was there. Other than that, she analysed, she looked just as she did before the attack. Her expression softened as she realised that she could hide the scars when she wanted. When her power came back, but she didn't know when that would happen. It was something to do with Acromantula poison, she was sure she'd read somewhere about it affecting magic.

She poked her head round Madam Pomfrey's office.

"Umm, I'm better, can I have some clothes? Please" Raid asked.

"Oh my! When did you wake up? My, my. That is quite miraculous. Here, these are yours. But you will have to stay here a couple of days so I can keep an eye on you. You can't be too careful." Madam Pomfrey said, looking quite surprised that Raid was on her feet and wandering around.

"Why won't my magic work?" Raid asked as she took her clothes.

"That would be the remnants of the poison, now you're awake though, that will go away quickly, you'll be fine within a week."

"Oh, good. Thanks"

Raid got changed and sat on her bed. It seemed to be about 5 in the morning. She decided that she wasn't staying in here longer than lunch, she wanted to surprise people by being at lunch. What day is it she wondered?

The day it turned out, was Saturday. Draco arose early, as he had done everyday Raid had been in a coma. She was the only person he'd ever actually felt something for, except his father, who he did not love but respected greatly, Draco was proud to be a Malfoy. He loved where he came from and what he represented. The continuation of a pure blood line. He dressed and wandered to the Great Hall for breakfast with Crabbe and Goyle, threatening a few Gryfindor first years as he passed them. He would go and see Raid after breakfast he decided, just to check on her. Then he would go flying.

He made his way to the hospital wing, expecting to see Raid's limp form still lying in the bed, but hoping that she would in fact be sitting up, healed and smiling at him when he went in. However, when he got there, neither sight met his eyes. He saw the bed empty and Madam Pomfrey standing by it shaking her head.

"Where… where is she?" He stammered. The colour draining from his face. He felt the bottom of his stomach drop about 3 feet.

"Well, Mr Malfoy, your guess is probably as good as any." Madam Pomfrey replied.

"You mean she's not… She's better?" Refusing to voice what he had thought, hoping there wasn't too much relief showing in his voice. Emotion was not something he enjoyed showing to teachers.

"Yes Mr Malfoy, she is better. Well she believes she is well enough to leave my ward." Madam Pomfrey said with immense disdain showing through her voice.

But Malfoy was gone. He searched the castle, high and low for Raid, but found nothing. Where was she? His stomach growled as he walked along a 4th floor corridor, it was lunch time. Disappointed he had not found Raid he trudged back to Great Hall for some food. As he walked in, he glanced absently at the Gryfindor table and stopped. She was there, sitting with Hermione and Ginny, chatting animatedly and laughing with the two girls. He felt a pang of jealously that she had gone to find them before him, but whilst thinking this, as if she felt his eyes on her, Raid turned in her chair to look directly at him. She smiled at got up and began to walk over to him. He felt his legs take him closer to her although he didn't remember telling himself to move. Raid threw her arms around his neck when she got to him and looked in to his face and his eyes.

"Surprise." She whispered.

All thoughts of envy left him as she kissed him, right there in the Great Hall with the students watching them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smiled one of his rare full smiles at Raid when she pulled out of the kiss.

Their relationship had now become, well and truly public. The students in the Great Hall cheered and wolf whistled whilst Raid looked around at them sheepishly.

"Hungry?" She asked Draco.

Ok I really think that, that chapter was a bit crap. To put it mildly. Sorry its short. But I am ill. What do you think anyway? I've got some more chapters planned, they should be veeeery interesting. Review plleeeeese