Love and Manipulation

Chapter 2. Pushing to Hard

"Miss Granger, you need to go get some food and rest." said Madame Pomfery. "I appreciated your help in making all these difficult potions, but really you've been up all day and I must insist you leave before you become one of my patients." The nurse said kindly but firmly, herding the student out of the Hospital room. Hermione tried to protest but could only mutely nod her head in submission. She was terribly exhausted and the strain of going without proper sleep was getting to her. Wearily she dragged her body into her common room and set about finding something to eat. Her eyes lit upon an apple that seemed rather appetizing, anything else would have made her feel sick at the moment. Hermione regarded the pile of homework she would need to do and decided that sleep was out of the question.

She had missed all her classes for nearly six days in a row. The first three days she had to attend a view and a funeral and comfort her grieving relatives. Her own grieving was done in silence. The next three days and nights she spent in the hospital wing, the first day she felt too sick to get out of be and she was a painting of Madame Pomfery. That night when Hermione felt better, she returned to her duties as Head Girl. While patrolling the halls she came across the bizarre on the head boy. From there she returned to the hospital wing, and all that night and well into the next Hermione worked side by side with Made Pomfery to create the potions that would cure Draco Malfoy. With a sigh of resignation Hermione grabbed a book on ancient runes and pulled it close to her. Rummaging in her messenger bag she produced a quill and parchment to write on.

It was going to be a long night

On the hospital bed Draco Malfoy cracked one eye open. How long had he been confined to the hospital bed? Why was he there? Frowning in concentration he scoured his memories but could not find an answer for either question. Draco spotted Madam Pomfery walking back to her store room; he growled and quick shut his eyes, pretending to be asleep lest she see him. He had been harboring a grudge against the nurse; she sniffed at his wound when he had been attacked by a Hippogriff in third year. "A scratch" is what she called it. Draco knew Madam Pomfery had mended his wound quickly and painlessly, but the woman insinuated that it was his fault he got hurt! Well... if memory served correctly, and it did, Draco had antagonized the great feathery beast. This, he admitted only to himself. But that wasn't the point, he thought. The nurse could have shown some actual concern...

Draco hadn't realized that, while deep in thought, he had forgotten to keep his eyes shut and was now scowling at the ceiling. "Good you're awake." Came the satisfied voice of Madame Pomfery. Draco looked at her surprise, he had forgotten about the nurse. She set a cup of sweet smelling potion in front of him to drink. He looked at it in suspicion, what was the nurse trying to do to him now? Madame Pomfery didn't seem to notice the young man's reluctance to take the strange potion she sat in front of him. "Oh yes you'll want to drink that up while it's still hot. And you be thankful Miss Granger made it. She's the one that got it to taste sweet. Most of the time that potion tastes like... well it isn't rather pleasant and all my pacients rather disliked it. You, however, get to try the new and improved Skele-Gro."

Draco raised and eyebrow with some confusion. "Skele-Gro? But why, I didn't... Ouch!" He cried. For the first time he had tried to sit up only to collapse back on the pillow at the stab of pain in his chest. Gently, Madame Pomfery restrained him from rising again. "You've broken a few ribs dear...Now, please drink this potion, it will help." Draco grudgingly drank the potion. Having broken his leg the summer before his first year, Draco had a strong dislike for the Skele-Gro which had tasted awful. To his genuine surprise, he found he almost liked the taste of it now... It was rather like drinking cider. Madame Pomfery smiled at the look of surprise on his face. "I told you that Miss Granger improved it's taste, did you doubt me?" She said a corner of her mouth turned up into the beginnings of a smile. She watched him shake his blond head sheepishly "Childhood memories..." He muttered. "Why was Granger helping you?" He wondered aloud, not really seeking an answer, but curious just the same. He was also curious as to how he had gotten in such a mess...

Madame Pomfery took the empty glass from his hands and gave him another to drink. "This one's for brining your blood level back to normal, you lost a fair amount." She said. He frowned and made a face at it, but downed it all in one gulp. The taste was something bitter and he nearly pat it back out. He sputtered in disgust and choked out an indigent reply. "This is disgusting." He accused. "I thought you said Granger made it taste better!" "No, Mr. Malfoy, I simply stated that the Skele-Gro tasted better, I said nothing of the other potion's you'll need to take." The nurse stated blandly "And Miss Granger was the one that brought you here." The nurse said while straightening his sheets. "She did...?" Draco asked, feeling a little confused. "Oh yes, she insisted on staying to help me make these potions and a few others that I've already given to you. You were in very bad shape dear, we we're afraid you might not wake up again. It was thanks to Miss Granger really, that you've made a successful recovery." The nurse said slyly, watching the slytherin boy grow uncomfortable. No doubt he was cringing inside at the thought of owing his life to Hermione Granger, the muggle-born witch and Head Girl.

Laying in between the white sheets of the bed Draco felt his bones healing. He also felt the return of his memories. He recalled Weasley attacking him. It was rather surprising, Draco never thought that the weasel had it in him. After taking a few punches and having his head slammed into the stone floor Draco had passed out. When he next woke he had been in the hospital wing... and Hermione Granger sat near his bed. Her shirt was bloody and her face was tearstained. Could that be a memory? More likely he was hallucinating, but if it was true then the blood on her shirt must have been his own. That meant Granger had found him bloody and unconscious and had taken him to the hospital. He groaned silently in despair. The insufferable bint would never let him live it down... Momentary hope flared within him, if she was crying over him maybe she wouldn't say anything... The hope died as he realized any crying on her part was probably a momentary lapse of self .

"Wake up... wake up... Mr. Malfoy." At the persistence of Madame Pomfery, Draco awoke nearly an hour later felling much better. "You can go now, though I'd advise you to take it easy for the next couple of days." Draco looked at her incredulously. "You mean my bones are healed? Already?" She smiled and patted his arm as if he were a simpleton. "Yes, it was a minor break, in only three of your ribs. You need rest to become a hundred percent, and I believe you can do that best in your own bed." Now that Draco thought of it, his bed sounded nice...better than the stiff one he was sitting on now. "Thanks" He mumbled before standing up. He felt a little light headed but the feeling passed quickly. Draco made his way out of the Hospital Wing, he felt the eyes of Madam Pomfery on his back. He turned back to look at her. "Mr. Malfoy, would you please tell Miss. Granger thanks for me?" Draco nodded mutely, deciding that there was no point in refusing. He would most likely "forget" to tell Granger. If he had looked back again he would have seen Madam Pomfery smiling at him.

Draco walked only a few steps out of the room before stopping. He still felt a little sore in the chest and did not fancy climbing up a flight of stairs just yet. "permoveo tractus" He muttered the charm that would take him right to the secret entrance of the Head's common room. It was gaurded by an enchanted suit of armor. A voice rose up from inside it's metal chest. "Password?" It asked in an unconcered and monotone voice. Draco leaned forward and muttered the password. "Snake's skin and lion's mane" The suit of armor raised its both hands over its head gripping the hilt of its sword. Walked past it to the end of the hall and dissapeared through the tapestry. The suit of armor lowered its blad and the wall behind the tapestry swung back into place. To his surprise Hermione was asleep on a table surrounded by a stack of books. He nudged her shoulder a little, shaking it until she woke up. Hermione rubbed her eyes and looked around at Draco.

"So you're out of the Hospital Wing..." She said after an akward moment or two. He nodded absently., "Yeah the nurse told me to get some sleep, but it looks like you need it even more than I do." He glanced down at the paper she had only just begun. It was for potions class. "You know Snape isn't likely to grade you any higher on this if you fall asleep in the middle of his class." He said smirking. Hermione sighed tugging the parchment closer to her and began writting again. Draco raised his eye brows in skepticisim. "You mean you plan to finish this, tonight when you can barely keep your bloody eyes open?" He said. "Well, you must be more of a fool than I thought." Hermione didn't seem to care much about what he thought but she replyed to him anyways. "I've got to have this done by tonight. And thank you," She said stiffly. "for waking me up."

Draco smirked again. "Well it was no problem, seeing as you saved my life." Hermione stopped writing and looked up at him in mortification. "Who told you that?"She sputtered. "I would never save you." She said quickly and was obviously lying. Draco laughed at her. "You probably fantasized about it, getting close to me, the great Draco Malfoy." He watched her cheekd glow red with anger. "See, you're blushing" He taunted her. Hermione stood up and advanced on him, hating the way he smiled at her as if it was just a game. "You're nothing to me!" She hissed. "I hate you! Why can't you understand that?" Draco grabbed her wrist tightly and draged her close to him. Her brown eyes gleamed with anger.

"If you hate me so damn much, then why the hell did you go and save me?" She made a futile atempt to shrug him off before her temper exploded into a stream of heated words. "Is your family so inbred that you can't figure it out? You stupid, spoiled prat. I'm not doing this for you! This is for me and my reputation. If you can get it past your thick skull to realize it, I'm using you." She paused to catch her breath not noticing that he had gone rather still. "I am Head Girl. My hatred of you will not infterfear with that. To the students I'll pretend that we're trying to get along. Promoting "unity" throughout the school." Draco cut in then, his voice cold and without feeling. "But it's not for them is it? It's for the teachers, and for Dumbledore." That was not surprising, however there was that nagging question of why... She stared at him with stuborn deffiance and let a depreciating sneer creep onto her face. "Of course. I do plan to go somewhere with my career. And if want to do that I need influencial people on my side. I'm taking it into my own hands Malfoy, and I don't want you getting in my way." He hated to admit it but it made sense, in fact it was damn smart. Draco let his grip tighten until he was sure to have left some bruises. Despite the pain he knew he caused her, Hermione did not look away. "I don't like being used Granger." He said, shoving her away from him in a gesture of barely controled anger. "I intend to make this year a living hell for you Mudblood. I promise you that." Draco turnned and walked the stairs to his room leaving Hermione in darkness.

Quietly she climbed the stairs into her room, inside her sanctuary she slid down the wall of a darkened corner and sat on the floor. Wrapping her arms around her knees she bowed her head and let the racking sobs shake her shoulders. When the tears would come no more, Hermione drifted into sleep, loving and hating the inensity of the silence

A/N: Thanks for the reviews DragonGirl81! . I've finished chapter 2.

The little astrisks mark the begining and the end of the paragraph or so
of my writing that inspired me to start this story. I appologize for any spelling errors in advance.
They should be relatively small in number. And now for my reviewers, I have a question for you.
Do you think Hermione is realy manipulative? Who's funeral was she at? Look to chapter 3 to see more!