A/N: Well a complete and resounding thank you goes to everyone who has been reading this and who have reviewed :) It really is fun to write this. I hope people don't mind that it's taking some time to actually get to important points, but I've never been one to cut corners in stories. I don't like to just jump from major plot point to plot point (unless I'm writing fluff...heh) Anyway I hope you enjoy this chapter. And as always. Please Read and Review :)

RABailey: Ah. You were my first reviewer, and now you're my first flamer. :) I know you don't like Harry and Draco, but I'm sorry that it has decreased your like of the story. But it's not going to change... I try not to make such a big deal of them though. But if you dislike Malfoy, well there's nothing to do about that. Though it depresses me to hear you say the story has spiraled down into the depths of whatever. Is it really that bad? But I shall agree with you on one thing, I do love Sirius. And he is the reason I am writing this story. :)

Rheniel: Thank you :) I'm glad you like the relationship between Draco and Aine. I try quite hard on that. After all they're both strong characters. And Draco is never going to be NICE.

Inu-AngelZ: And as always I adore your reviews :) Thank you as always for the positive feedback

C.M Aeris Queen of Insanity: What a long name! Love it though :) Severus and Harry eh? Can't say I'm completely behind that, but it's an interesting idea. Not sure whether I shall bring the good old Potions Master into this story.. We shall see. I'm thrilled you like the story though.

Leeloo77: Thank you for ALL the reviews :) Happy some people don't hate the Harry and Draco thing. Heh. The ritual was an interesting idea to come up with, but I just took what I knew of other rituals and used that. As for Cairn, well I had to kill him off. Purely because in this story Voldemort isn't dead yet, and I had to make sure people realized that. It's not all fun and games... But I was sad to kill him. He was cute and squirrely. :) And I do like the idea of Rowling as a squib. The poor wizards, having their lives be made into a book. I know I wouldn't be happy about it. Especially if I got no royalties or nothing.

Chapter 8

I woke up, a scream just dying on my lips as I looked around me. Eyes flitting wildly around the room trying to identify everything in it. The old disused furniture, tattered heavy brocade curtains blocking out the sun, an overwhelmingly large armchair in the corner, the bed I was sitting in covered in the only new thing in the entire room; a modern cotton comforter with different shades of blue on it. It all took a moment to register after the horrors in my own mind. The endless stream of creatures in my head that had descended upon me from beyond the veil. The veil, which had hid in fact a horrifying world of half alive, half dead people all shuffling toward me, as the clag a' bhàis broke into a million pieces, hearing Harry's scream and I fell backwards into darkness.

A dream. It had all been a nightmare. A nightmare created by my feverish mind after the ritual. My imagination had gone full speed, preparing me for the worst, even as my body defeated me. I knew I had been sick, my body felt heavy, there was a soft thumping behind my eyes, and the sheets under me were wet from the sweat pouring off my naked body. My left arm was bandaged tightly, but I could still feel the wound beating under the wrappings, reminding me what I had done.

"Oh god..."

I covered my face with my hands, hoping to block out the realization that something might have gone wrong. Something probably had gone wrong. I had used blood magic, a ritual that involved blood was never safe. But to avenge Cairn I had gone blindly on, to help Harry I had thrown all my caution to the wind, to bring Sirius Black back to life I had turned my back on the horrible memories of what resurrections were.

Had Harry killed what had come out? Killing his own godfather, whatever shape or form he had come through as would have been hell for the poor boy. And it would have been my fault. All I could think was that if it had gone wrong, then it would have been my fault. My blood wasn't good enough, the ingredients I had found weren't the best, the words hadn't been said right, I hadn't lasted long enough. I just wasn't good enough. It was a debt I would owe Harry. I had promised to bring his godfather back, and it was something I was going to have to try and do. Even as my throbbing arm, and weak body reminded me of the end game of a blood ritual.

The opening of the door reminded me sharply that I was sitting in this old bed, naked, and my feminine pride brought my hand up quickly, grasping the sheet tightly over my nudity. I didn't wonder at why I was naked. Not with the sheets still wet from the sweat, clothes would have just been impractical and uncomfortable. The only question was who had done the stripping. Strange that even after horrifying nightmares I could still be worried about who had seen me naked.

Grey eyes looked over me with relief, before quickly being replaced with amusement at the tight clutch I was making at the sheets.

"Don't be a prude little muggle." Draco smirked as his eyes traveled all the way across my form. I didn't think he was looking in the way a normal man would, instead checking to make sure all of me was still there, still working. It was very clinical, but the blush still crossed my skin. "Someone had to take your clothes off. So I've seen it all. Believe me it did nothing for me."

Even knowing he played for the other team, it didn't help to hear he didn't find me attractive. Once again it amazed me that I could worry about such a silly thing after what had happened. I didn't care that the cold Draco didn't find me attractive, but really... why did he have to be the one to undress me? I just had a feeling that he was going to remind me of it constantly.

He entered the room, and walked over to the bed, placing the back of his hand over my forehead, telling my temperature. Satisfied that it was normal, he grabbed my left arm, leaving my right one still holding the sheet up, and checked the bandage to make sure the wound hadn't opened.

"You've been asleep for three weeks."

It was the answer to my silent question. It was said in such an offhand matter I almost didn't believe the man. But there was a small worry line between his brows, and his eyes were serious as they looked into mine. He wasn't playing around now.

"Harry has been worried sick about you." He said that crossly, as if it had been my fault that I had slept for almost a month. That perhaps next time I did a blood ritual I would have the decency to wake up quickly afterward. The nerve of some people. I opened my mouth to rebut that look, but my mouth was dry, my tongue heavy, and no sound could get past my throat. Draco looked too amused by half to see my floundering to speak.

"I think I prefer you quiet like this. If only all muggles would just learn to shut up..." He sighed longingly. I wondered briefly if the death look I was giving him was working at all. He still lived, pointed aristocratic features, pale blonde hair, amused grey eyes. So apparently I lacked that skill. There must have been a small flash of pity for me though, because the cold adonis sitting next to me on the bed brought out his wand and conjured up a glass of water for me.

"Drink this. Your throat is just sore after disuse." He pushed the glass into my hands, keeping them on mine for a moment to be sure that I didn't drop it.

I tilted the glass back, the cold liquid sliding down my throat. In only a matter of seconds the water was gone. Quickly enough Draco conjured more water into the glass, and I drank that just as quickly.

"You'd make an interesting doctor..." I croaked out, the throat still a little sore, but at least I could speak now. Amazingly enough a small real smile slid onto Draco's lips at my comment. Not his usual smirk at all, but a rather pleased expression.

"Actually, I am a mediwizard."

I eyed him for a moment, trying to tell if he was just joking, but there was no mocking expression in his eyes, and the genuine smile alone was proof of his honesty. A mediwizard was, in the books, a wizard equivalent to a doctor, so my comment had been spot on. The new information about the icy Slytherin put him into a new light. It was a profession that would likely have been beneath a Malfoy. I could imagine Daddy's thoughts on that matter. But then again when your son is shacked up with bloody Potter, can becoming a doctor really make matters worse? Other then the familial issues surrounding the career choice, it was something I don't think I would have chosen for the Draco Malfoy that I had read about in the books. Excepting that last book, he had been far too fond of hurting people.

"Surprised?" The smirk was back on his lips, likely amused at my expression.

"Not really from you. It's just that the Draco Malfoy in the book didn't seem particularly inclined to help people, especially as something so mundane as a doctor."

The look I was being given would have shriveled any plant, but I just tried to smile in apology.

"My dear muggle. Here is another lesson in not believing everything you read. That woman made me out to be far worse then I was. She did the same thing for my entire house." He drew himself up, looking every inch the lord he was. "I of course have not been the nicest person." The way his eyes were looking at me now suggested he still wasn't the nicest person. "But I was not nearly as vindictive or as evil as I was made out. You'll notice the sudden change I make in the last book to the other side. Rowling couldn't keep me evil, not when I was integral to bringing Voldemort down."

I snorted at that. Of course he would consider himself to be an all important factor to destroying the Dark Lord. Just ignore Harry's involvement completely. Rather calmly, he ignored my little amused outburst.

"Anyway, I was the best student at potions. And one thing that woman never got a hold of was the information that I spent a large amount of my free time up with Madame Pomfrey getting lessons. It was a secret, the lessons and my desire to learn, so she didn't find out about it. Even with the extensive sources she had." He muttered this, angry once again at the woman who had made money off his Harry. He shook his head, shaking the anger for the squib from his mind, going back to his original conversation. "Being a mediwizard was a natural choice, and I quite enjoy having people owe their lives to me."

Now THAT sounded like the Draco I knew and loved.

"Well as I said, you make a good doctor." I twisted and turned my left arm, appreciating the good job he had done on the bandage. "Though I do have to wonder... You're a wizard, why use muggle means to stop the bleeding?"

A frown had settled between the pale brows, and a heated look was in his eyes. Not directed at me, but instead at the wound.

"I tried actually. The damned thing wouldn't take." There was disgust in his voice. Whether it was for me, the bandaged arm, or his own skills I wasn't sure. But he certainly didn't look pleased that my injury had been beyond his abilities as a mediwizard. Using muggle means to stop the bleeding, probably hadn't sat well with him either. "Be careful of that. It's still not completely healed. I don't know why though."

Rituals could likely have side effects. Perhaps this was one of them, that the wound that had brought about the end result didn't heal naturally. The caster perhaps had to keep the pain as a reminder of what had occurred. The thought settled well in my brain. I liked the idea of holding a constant reminder of what I had done. It was too easy to forget sometimes what we don't like, what we want to put behind us. Well if I had to look forward to being unconscious for three weeks, and having a hard to heal wound, then I wasn't going to be performing any more blood rituals in the near future. In any future if I could help it.

Three weeks had gone by! Almost a month...

I had been asleep for most of August, which meant that it was almost Septemeber. And that meant school was starting soon... I had a class to teach, students to help, lesson plans to finalize, an aggressive department head to avoid. Not to mention people might have started to wonder where I had disappeared to. I'd love to stay here in bed for the rest of the month, another month besides, but as much as I would love to just sleep and let my body recover, there was no way I could do that.

Sigh...

Sometimes I really hate responsibility.