Chapter 7

Hermione was in the hospital wing again. Dumbledore seemed to be blind to what was happening, though it seemed that the whole school knew. He still insisted that Hermione should once again help Madame Pomfrey with curing her popular patient – Malfoy.

'Again. Again, again, again I'm put down. How can I stand to sit and tend to my enemy? To the one who betrayed me, who tricked and played me? I thought it was for real. But now, I realize that this is just like the beginning, we just can't stand each other. Then what was with that night?'

Just then, the blond stirred and mumbled something, then turned over and fell asleep again. She examined his bruises again, and though the minor ones where on his front, his back was severely damaged. Several bones were broken and there were long scratches and marks running up his spine. She wondered what had happened to him, yet again.

'He probably got hurt doing another dare for his great friends,' she thought in dismay. Her bushy hair swayed over his body as she worked hard to stop the pain of her greatest enemy. Draco's eyes flickered and then opened so suddenly that Hermione jumped back in surprise. He looked terrible; his eyes were red-rimmed and drooping slightly, a long scar was stretching across his cheek and he kept mumbling things between his phrases.

"Lavender! Lavender, tell her!" He exclaimed irritably. He was obviously taking Hermione for someone else. Hermione stared at him, not knowing exactly how to handle this situation. She hadn't covered hallucinations in class yet, and though she read things about them in muggle books, the wizard cure for them was still unknown to her.

"Tell the mudblood, she shouldn't be crying, tell her she's stupid for believing… believing everything. I did it because I wanted to. Yes, don't doubt it, GO DO IT!" Hermione continued to not believe what she was hearing, mudblood? Could that, could that possibly be her?

"Now go! Or I'll curse you. Go Lavender, you stupid Gryffindor!" Hermione decided to obey and quickly ran out. From there, her only course would be to Dumbledore's office, Madame Pomfrey was away.

She approached the office, just as Professor Trelawney had filed out and as she decided to swiftly pass her into the doorway, the woman peered at her through her spectacles and mumbled something indistinguishable. Hermione decided not to take notice.

Racing up the stairs, she realized that she had never been in the Headmaster's office before, slightly nervous and sweating she knocked on the door.

"Enter, coward but beware of dancing lemons," said a slightly muffled voice. Hermione knew Professor Dumbledore all too well to take any notice. As she entered she saw the teacher standing besides Fawkes' cage and tending to the bird with little nuts and dried fruits. Then he took a prune, bit into it and his face broke into a smile.

"The art of a dried fruit can never be appreciated fully," he gleamed.

'Maybe it's the old age," thought Hermione slyly.

"Hermione! Good to see you! What cometh thou here for my dearest?" He exclaimed as though noticing the slightly trembling girl for the first time.

"Umm… well you asked me to take care of Malfoy, and to call you if I need anything. Well I think there's something seriously wrong with him. He's hallucinating…" she mumbled embarrassedly, "he… thought I was Lavender Brown, and to get out, otherwise he's curse me…" She had turned a deep red color at these words.

Dumbledore's face suddenly grew very serious.

"What about his cuts? Did you heal them?" He asked with concern.

"Some I could, but mostly they just open up again. I don't know what to do."

"I'm going to the hospital wing. Lead the way Miss Granger," he said rather grimly. Hermione started walking towards the door, and as she turned around she saw Dumbledore take the object that she slightly suspected was a pensieve and wrap it in his cloak.

The hospital wing shone with daylight; however one corner of the room remained dark. The shutters were closed and the blinds were pulled shut over the bed of Draco Malfoy. When the headmaster entered, Malfoy have an involuntary shudder and turned if it was possible, even paler.

Professor Dumbledore's eyebrows sank with concern, his deep wrinkles formed an upside-down V on his forehead. He mumbled something to himself and then proceeded to sit on the chair next to the bed. Hermione hurriedly followed.

The headmaster pulled out the basin, took a deep breath and applied his own wand to Malfoy's head. A silvery web-like strand started slowly pulling out of the Slytherin's white hair. Soon the basic was brimming with silver-like substance and the professor ceased his activity. Instead he prodded the contents with his wand and carefully gazed into the midst of it all.

"Are you ready miss Granger?" he asked seriously.

"Yes, professor," answered Hermione, with no idea of what she was agreeing to.

Dumbledore took her hand and soon she felt being tilted head forwards into the basin. They plunged into it, and soon, she was engulfed in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest.

When they finally returned to the hospital wing, Hermione was shaking.

"Well that certainly clears things up…yes, that's true… however the Ministry…abuse, yes…" Dumbledore was rapidly muttering something to himself, not even acknowledging Hermione's presence. She decided not to disturb him.

Instead she leaned over Malfoy to resume her post of healing him. She rolled up the sleeves of his robes and a gasp escaped her. A fully inked Dark Mark was etched into his skin. As she touched it, Malfoy shuddered and a pain shot through Hermione. She withdrew her hand quickly. She looked back at Dumbledore, only to see that the man was lost in thought and didn't seem to know she was there. She returned her gaze to the mark and curiously peered at it, and then at Malfoy's suffering face disbelievingly. When she once again looked at the mark, the curiously seemed to find that a part of it had been erased. Just a tiny line, but as time passed – she seemed to find that some lines were erasing and disappearing.

"P…Professor?" She called Dumbledore unsurely and not daring to lift her gaze of the mark.

"Professor!" She tapped him on the shoulder for he was not answering.

"Yes, yes miss Granger," he looked where she was looking, and as Hermione pointed to the disappearing lines, Dumbledore slowly nodded his head.

"Yes, I thought that was going to happen. See miss Granger, I believe that the Dark Lord is rejecting him for he was brought the news that Draco…ahem…associated, with a muggle."

Hermione blushed a deep crimson and these words. Just then, Draco started mumbling something and turning in jagged movements as though in great pain.

"All we can do for now, is give him a sleeping draught," Dumbledore said simply at the pleading look Hermione gave him. "I will tell Madame Pomfrey to brew him a draught, and please don't leave his side incase his status worsens. Call Fawkes in case of an emergency."

The girl simply nodded sadly to the Headmasters retreating back.

She looked at the blonde carefully and an immense feeling of sorrow and pity came upon her. He was unstill and turning in quite the same way as before, and his skin was as pale as pale gets. His silvery hair was stuck unevenly across his sweating face and his eyes, though closed, were obviously not calm.

Hermione brushed back his hair, noticing a wound that she neglected and smothered it in the healing substance she made while still tending to him the first time he was here. So close to him, she could smell the distinct smell of blood mixed with dirt and a piercing smell of fresh cologne that didn't wear off yet.

And then she just couldn't resist the temptation –

Her soft lips touched his cold ones, and her eyes fluttered shut…

He tricked her, he betrayed her…

And now she was kissing her enemy.

Where was there justice in this world?

It was lost, erasing itself just as the Dark Mark did.

She wasn't thinking about justice at the time,

She was going with her instincts.

And for once they proved to be right.

As she withdrew, she saw his face was not as pale, however lets not forget – this is still Draco Malfoy. He stopped turning and lay still, and for once seemed calm and at ease.

And then she knew she had to leave him. To let him sleep, even if he did so for ever. She didn't know what she felt towards him right there and then, she only knew that she couldn't feel it any longer because her heart would break and shatter and she wouldn't find the pieces ever ever again.

And so she said goodbye to Draco Malfoy for the last time.

And so I tell myself...
Never again will I cry.
You were once everything to me,
That I can't deny.

But I couldn't keep my promise
And broke out in tears.
The hours I've cried feel like days,
The days feel like years.

As I bury my face in the pillow,
And cry my heart out and grieve,
I've learned to never give away love
If love I don't receive.