Prisoner's Cell
I called out to Draco, but he lie still, unmoving. "Open the cell!" I cried to the Auror. But he merely grunted and said "What for?" "He's hurt, and he's sick!" I retorted, my eyes wild with disbelief. "They all turn mental after a few months here, anyway……" he started to protest, but I cut him short. "Is that how the prisoners are treated? Left to die like that?"He shrugged. "Ms Granger, most of the prisoners here are sentenced to life in Azkaban. They have committed the most heinous crimes. That's why we have the Dementors to stand guard. They deserve to rot. It's their punishment" he finished in a very final of way.
"But he's only, only……" I started, but the Auror cut me short. "He's a convict, who murdered a Ministry Official. He's only getting what he deserved." His voice sounded impatient now.
"For goodness' sake, he needs a medi-wizard!" The Auror raised an eyebrow, and looked at me as if I've just suggested that he released all the prisoners in Azkaban. "Please……" I never thought I would beg on Malfoy's behalf, my arch-enemy, but Dumbledore's words echoed in my head at that moment "…my judgment tells me the boy is not a murderer."
The Auror looked at me exasperatedly. "No" he replied. I was indignant, but I know better than to argue with him. The Aurors are in command here, and it will not do to offend them. "At least let me tend to him, let me in the cell" I grabbed his arm and shook it. That worked. He looked at me for a good few seconds, snorted disapprovingly, before muttering a very complex spell which unlock the cell door with a loud "clang" and the door sprung open.
"Fifteen minutes!" he barked in a huff. I rushed inside the cell and kneel beside an unconscious Malfoy. The stench from the vomit was becoming unbearable. I muttered a powerful cleaning spell to remove the vomit on the floor, and lifted Malfoy's head, cradling him in my arms.
He looked death-pale. And his breathing was dangerously irregular. His skin felt cold and clammy, but when I touched his forehead, it was burning hot. His lips had turned blue.
"Malfoy……Draco……" I whispered to him. He stirred a bit, before slowly opening his eyes. "Draco, can you hear me?" I continued gently. A groan escaped from those blue lips, and his chest was heaving up and down.
"Mother?" he whispered. My heart went out to him. God, no one deserve this, not even Draco Malfoy. "I'm Hermione, Granger, from Hogwarts, remember?" He looked at me, in a daze. "Malfoy, you are very ill, and……I am going to clean you, and look at your wounds"
I conjured up a basin of water and towel and gently clean his dirt-streak face. I unbuttoned the coarse rags on his body and strip him down to his trousers. The bones of his rib cage was protruding from his skin, and there were faint bruises on the his chest. I was relieved to see that the bruises were not fresh ones. At least the prison Aurors are not beating him up too often, I grimaced. I rubbed the damp towel gently on his frail body, working upwards to his arms & down his hands. I lifted his hands up to examine the injury caused by the prison Auror just now, and muttered a simple healing charm on them.
I touched his forehead again. I hope the cold water used to clean him will bring down his temperature a little. Suddenly, Malfoy coughed. He sounded liked he was choking. I heaved him to an upright position, and saw a few specks of blood on his lips. More blood. This is bad. He opened his eyes and looked at me "Don't……leave" he croaked desperately. I felt as if my heart was breaking.
"Are you done?" The Auror came up and snapped at me. I turned and saw him standing outside, tapping his wand impatiently against the cell bars. "Five more minutes" I said firmly. "Draco," I said to Malfoy again. He opened his eyes again and blinked at me. "Hang on, you hear me? Hang on, we'll going to get help for you. Promise me you'll hang on."
"No, please…please……don't……leave me" he said, his voice breaking up. And he was clutching my sleeves liked a frightened child. "Draco, I am not leaving you. I know you are innocent. I have to go. I have to go to get help. But I will be back. You must hang on. I know you are innocent. I will come back. I promise. Promise me you'll hang on. Promise me."
Author's Note: Sorry for the short length. This is the best I could do for now. How is this chapter? Let me know.