Chapter Twelve

A Tale of A Forbidden Love

Harry Potter

*starjade*

Rumours of Cursed Dragons

Draco stared at the limp from of Hermione. He had put her under the shelter of some trees, so the rain would not get to her, but she was still shivering with the cold.

He had transformed back, just a few minutes ago, and there were only one hour until dawn. He had to figure out what to do!

She was just a filthy mudblood, one half of his mind muttered. No one would miss her. It would probably make their pathetic lives a lot more easier.

Of course they'd miss her, one quarter of his mind yelled. She's the smartest witch in the whole school! Do you want to get yourself killed?? What happens when they find out about the....the curse? And then they lead everything back to you!! You'd be sent to Azkaban!!

And then the small, miniscule, pathetic part of his mind was feeling....something for her. Sympathy. She was sick. It was because of him too. Because she kept on coming out, night after night, keeping him company.

Not that he asked for it, of course.

Draco ran a hand through his dripping hair. Shit, he knew he should've told her to bugger off that first time she had come! Why had he revealed himself to her?? He was trying to give the all knowing mudblood a little scare. And it led to this!

Draco, against his better half, reached out and touched Hermione's forehead. It was burning hot and he wrenched his hand back quickly. Okay, so she was burning with a fever. Good riddance, he thought, his eyes still trained on her.

Good. Riddance.

He was going to walk away.

He got up and took a moment to fix a smirk on his face and started to walk away. Two steps and he groaned.

" Bloody human sympathy," He muttered as he turned back and grabbed her. Holding back a well trained shudder at the feel of mudblood flesh, he started to walk through the rain, carrying her in his arms. As he did, he felt the shivers run through her and he started to run.

When he finally did reach the entrance of Hogwarts, his mind began to hesitate.

What if somebody saw me, he thought. What if they...

Shoving all thoughts out of his mind, he raced to the infirmary and peeked in. Madame Pompfrey was still sleeping. The hag must have nightmares of everyone on earth being healthy, he thought and grinned, thinking about switching all the medicine with pumpkin juice.

Then he remembered the girl in his arms and raced in, dumping her unceremoniously on the bed.

" There," He muttered. " Pompfrey can handle her."

He stood there for a few seconds, glaring at her limp form. She was still shivering, the wet clothes clinging to her body.

Wasn't there something about taking off somebody's wet clothes when their sick?

Draco's eyes widened. " No, no. I am not going to do that!!"

But then, that damned human conscience built up on him and he took off her cloak, shuddering. What would his father say when he saw him?? He was honestly disgracing the Malfoy name.

He didn't go any further though, and stared at her for a few more seconds.

" Your my only friend, Drake. I trust you with my life..."


Growling, he stomped out of the door.

Bloody human heart.

***********************

Hermione groaned, her head pounding. She squeezed her eyes open and peered around herself with narrowed eyes. Where was she?

" Dr-Drake?" She croaked, but all her eyes met was a blinding whiteness.

" Hush, girl." A calming voice said.

Hermione tried to get up, but her head began to throb harder and her head whirled. She moaned loudly and fell back against the pillows.

" Wh-What's wrong with me?" She asked, her voice croaky and scratched. " Wh-Where am I?"

" Your in the hospital wing, Ms. Granger. You came down with a fever. No wonder, outside in the rain. I don't know who brought you here, but it was a shock to me to find you in the hospital bed!"

" Who brought me here..." Hermione trailed off as another headache pounded through her head. Then all was black once again.

**********

When Hermione came to, she met with what looked like a thousand worried faces. Half of them had glasses and the other half had red hair.

It was a scary sight.

Groaning, she buried deeper into the covers.

" Hermione?"

Hermione peeped over the covers. The heads were disintegrating until four were left. Finally, Hermione recognised them.

" Harry? Ron?" She said croakily.

Ron grinned. " It's us! In the flesh!"

" You've been in and out of that fever for two days," Harry said, worriedly. " The whole school is talking about it."

Two of the heads were finally disappearing and Hermione's head cleared up a bit. " What? What are you talking about? Why would they care if I have a fever?"

Ron opened his mouth and Harry jabbed him with his elbow. " Shh!" He growled at Ron and Ron held his hands up in defence.

" I wasn't going to say anything!" Ron protested.

Harry glowered at him and Ron sighed. " Nothing, Hermione."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. " You're hiding something , Ron! I know you are, whenever your ears go all red. What are you hiding?"

Ron's blush travelled from his ears to his cheeks. " Nothing! I swear! What would I be hiding? I'm not hiding any rumours like the fact that the whole school thinks you were kidnapped by the monster! That would endanger your health-"

" Ron!!" Harry cried.

Hermione was paling, fast. " What? Th-They think I was kidnapped by the...m-monster? Who-Who started that rumour? Do people believe it? Tell me, Ronald Weasley!"

Harry muttered, " You've really done it this time!" As Ron gulped.

" Look, Hermione, I was joking-" Ron started.

Hermione got up, her hair poofy and her eyes fiery. " Ron, if you don't tell me, I'll-" But she couldn't finish her sentence as a headache ripped through her head and she groaned, falling back against the pillows.

" Hermione?" Harry asked, concerned. " Are you okay?"

" Out! I knew this would happen! Get out!!" Madame Pompfrey screeched as she raced towards Hermione's bed. Harry and Ron flashed Hermione an apologetic look as they raced out of the hospital wing. Hermione groaned as her head throbbed.

" I don't know why I let those kids in. Probably because they sounded all worried. They just got you worked up, that's the problem with children these days," Madame Pompfrey muttered. But all Hermione could think about was those words Ron had blurted out.

Kidnapped by a monster? What if they started searching for the monster? And found...Drake?

************

Hermione was trying to force down the atrocious hospital food when the curtains around her hospital bed were drawn open.

A smiling face grinned at her and Hermione looked up, surprised.

" Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione gasped. " What are you doing here?"

Professor Dumbledore laughed. " I've come to meet one of my students in the hospital wing. Is anything wrong with that?"

Hermione vehemently shook her head. " No, no, I was just wondering..."

Dumbledore laughed, his blue eyes twinkling as he took a seat beside her bed. " You do have a reason to be suspicious. As do I."

Hermione rose her eyebrows. " What do you mean?"

Dumbledore looked at her carefully. " You know what I mean. How did you get this fever?"

Hermione stared at him, uncomprehending at first, until the full meaning of his words hit her. " Oh no..." Hermione breathed. " I wasn't...I didn't mean..."

Dumbledore nodded, solemnly. " There are rumours around the school that this monster, spotted by a couple of our students in the forest kidnapped you. Could that be the reason you were gone in the middle of the night, dropped back into this bed with a raging fever?"

Hermione stared at him, her jaw open. She closed it and then opened it, trying to search for an answer. If she told him the truth, he would expel her! But if she didn't then they would start searching for this monster. What could she do?

" I-I-I can't remember..." Hermione said, her breathing coming hard and fast.

Dumbledore nodded, slowly. " Do you think it might have been the monster?"

Hermione shivered. " M-maybe."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, his eyes on her, calculating, knowing. " Remember, if you have anything you want to say to me, then come tell me. You know where I am."

Hermione nodded, feeling a sense of guilt flood through her as Professor Dumbledore got up. " If it is alright with you, we will proceed searches of this mystery monster that is kidnapping students in the forest."

His tone held a slight question to it and Hermione winced. She looked down and whispered, " It-It's alright with me."

Dumbledore let out his breath. " Get well soon, Hermione." And left the hospital wing.

Hermione sat in stilled silence and tried to ignore the foreboding sense that was rushing through her. What had she done?

*****************

Draco walked down the hallways, hands shoved in his pockets. Much as he did not want to admit it, the last two nights alone in the forest gave him the creeps. All through his years, he had been alone in the forest. In his first year, he had never been more scared of the creatures in the forest. He hated it.

Now, it was his second home.

He sighed. He couldn't get used to that mudblood's presence. What would his father say? Associating with such filthy bloods. It was disgracing.

He whirled around a corner, his robes flying out behind him, feet silent as he heard a cluster of third years talking loudly.

" Can you believe it! A monster! In the forest!" One of them cried.

" Kidnapping Hermione granger. That is unbelievable," Another said.

" I heard they're going to search for this monster. Kill it, I suppose. Kidnapping students. I knew there was something wrong with that forest!" Another said scornfully.

Draco felt a cold chill race along his spine. People now believed that a monster kidnapped Hermione? They were going to search for him?

Did that Granger girl finally spill the beans on him?

He knew she was going to rat him out!! Blood rushed to his face as he pounded the wall with a cry that sent the shocked third years scurrying. He couldn't believe it. Draco Malfoy had begun to trust a mudblood.

He would never make that mistake again. Silver eyes flashing, he raced back to his room, contemplating what he would do to fix this whole mess. Before the whole school found out.

****************

Hermione sat on the hospital bed, trying to sort out what had just happened. So now the whole school believes that she was kidnapped by a monster. Okay. Got that. Now they wanted to go hunt the monster down.

No.

She didn't get that.

Hermione groaned. This was all her fault! If she hadn't insisted on going out every night to meet Drake...now he was going to get killed or get sent to Azkaban because of her. What if he really was a dragon and not a cursed human like she suspected? Then he would die!

Hermione covered her face with her hands, moaning. Drake probably hated her right now, more than anything. What could she do? Dread was lying heavy on her heart and she knew that the health that she was in right now prevented her from getting up right now and warning Drake. So what could she do?

" Hermione!"


The cry jerked her from her worried thoughts and she looked up to see Harry and Ron running towards her.

" Oh, hey guys," She croaked out and coughed, trying to clear her sore throat.

Ron winced. " Hermione you don't sound too good."

Hermione shrugged, helplessly. " What can you do?"

Harry grabbed a stool and sat beside her. " Well, we hope you get better soon."

" Yah. Real soon." Ron added.

Hermione looked at them carefully. Both of them looked like they were about to burst. Hermione rolled her eyes and said huffily, " Just spit it out."

" What happened?"

" Did you really get kidnapped?"

" It was that monster Neville saw!!"

" We should have caught it before!"

" Did you see the monster? How did it look like?"

" Do you know where it lives?"

" OKAY, OKAY!" Hermione shouted, her voice broken but still loud. Both boys stopped immediately. " I know you guy's all want to know what happened.."

She took a deep breath and Harry and Ron leaned forward on their seats, their eyes excited. When Hermione didn't say anything, Ron complained, " Hermione!! Tell us!!"

Hermione grinned. " I didn't say I was going to tell you guys! I just stated a simple truth."

Harry groaned. " Hermione!!"

Hermione giggled, then turned sombre. " Seriously...I can't remember anything. I just remember it was raining...and that's it."

It was her fault. Now they believed that a monster kidnapped her. Could they not see that Hermione wasn't a goody goody as they all thought she was?

Harry and Ron looked put out. Ron piped up, " Not even...a little? No green flashes, no roars of flame, no gigantic claws and five thousand legs?"

Hermione shuddered. " No, Ron!! I can't remember. I think I hit my head or maybe it was the fever."

Harry looked cautiously at her. " You will remember soon, won't you?"

Hermione shrugged, avoiding his eyes. " That's what Madame Pompfrey says. Until then I have to remain calm."

Ron rolled his eyes. " Why can't she give advice that's useful?"

" That is useful!"

" With so much going on at this school," Ron said, " I hardly think you could remain calm."

Inwardly, Hermione agreed with Ron. With Drake in danger and rumours of a monster in the forbidden forest, kidnapping a Hogwarts student, she hardly thought there would be a minute that she would be calm.

" Well, we have to go," Harry said, reluctantly. " Potions."

Hermione shook her head sadly. " I'm going to miss so many lessons...tell me what they're teaching today!!"

Ron stared at her in belief and shook his head. " I swear, she doesn't appreciate what she's got!!" Ron grumbled as they turned to leave.

" I heard that!" Hermione cried after them as they left the hospital wing. Hermione smiled and looked back down, until the thoughts of Drake returned. All that was going through her head was images. Images of Drake, his beautiful silver form being hunted down by wizards, being shot down by one of the unforgivable, being tortured or worse, killed...

Someone walked into the hospital wing and came toward her and she looked up eagerly.

What met her eyes shocked her to the core.

" Malfoy."

a/n: Hey, everyone, sorry for the late update!! My computers all messed...grrr...but yah, I hope you people like dis chapta. Ppl are all, wow, this is a strange plot and im like, at least its original rite?? Right???

Aight, everyone, send me suggestions, comments, anythin! If ya like where dis story is headin or if ya want me to change it or somethin, review or email me, aight?

see ya latez,

*starjade*