-1Disclaimer: All of these wonderful characters belong to Rowling, not to me.
Hermione woke the next morning to find that Draco was already awake beside her. "Morning. How are you feeling?"
"Like I was run over by the Hogwarts express, and I'm hungry." Draco answered with a pout.
"I'm going to have a friend of mine bring you food today. You are to stay around the dorm. Don't leave, I'll tell the teachers that you are sick, and bring your homework up to you. Someone will also bring you lunch and dinner. Don't give me that look it won't be Ron or Harry or anything. Let me call him now actually. You'll find that you already know him." Hermione stood up and walked out of the room. "Dobby. Dobby." She heard a cracking noise and turned to look at the house elf. "Hello Dobby. I need to ask you to do a favor for me. The Head Boy is sick and he can't attend his classes today, and he won't be coming down for meals. If you could bring him a tray of breakfast right now, and a tray at lunch and supper time I would really appreciate it."
"Yes Miss Mynee. Anything for you. You have treated Dobby so well Miss Mynee." Dobby said with a bow. "Who is being the Head Boy?"
"You already know him Dobby. He's right through this door." Hermione led the house elf into the room where Draco was still in bed. "You remember Draco?"
"Master Draco sir. Dobby is hearing that you are ill. Dobby is to take care of you sir. If you are needing anything, you just call Dobby." Dobby bowed so low that his long nose and ears dragged the floor.
"Dobby? You're working at Hogwarts?" Draco was stunned.
"Yes Master Draco. Master Dumbledore is paying Dobby, Dobby is a free elf sir. Dobby is going to the kitchens to fetch master some breakfast. Dobby will be right back sir." With that Dobby snapped his fingers and was gone.
"You're friends with my family's old house elf? You really do pick odd friends Mia. Thank you for what you are doing though. I really don't think that I could make it through my classes today." Draco sat up higher in bed and flinched.
"Let me check on your ribs one last time and then I'm going to breakfast, then I'll be off to class. I'll come up and check on you at lunch. I'm sure you'll be fine. If not call Dobby, if you need me, he'll know how to get a hold of me. Don't worry about pulling me out of class if you need anything." Hermione walked over to Draco and pulled the covers back so she could look at his ribs. She sat him up and unwound the bandages. "Well, they seem to have healed properly, they're probably just a little tender still. The bones are surely bruised. I'll cast a spell for the pain, it should help ease it a bit. Would you like a book to read or anything before I go?"
"Yes, there is a leather bound book without a title in my trunk. If you could bring me that, as well as some parchment, ink, and a quill I would really appreciate it." Draco smiled at her, feeling bad for being such a pain, but he liked the idea of having someone take care of him.
"Of course." Hermione got him what he needed and brought it to him. She then kissed him on the top of his head and turned to go. "I'll see you later Draco." As she was leaving Dobby popped back in with the food. "Thank you Dobby. Take care. I'll see you around dinner time."
"Bye Miss Mynee." Dobby hurried in to give Draco the tray of food that he had prepared.
Hermione left and went down to the Great Hall. "Hello boys. I'll be back for breakfast in a moment. I need to speak with Malfoy's teachers about picking up homework for him."
"Why do you need to pick up homework for that stupid git?" Ron asked with his mouth full of porridge.
"Because he is sick. Why else?" She shook her head. "Listen I'll be back in a minute, try to save some food for me." She walked up to the teachers table to ask Draco's teachers to prepare his assignments so that she could pick them up later in the day. "Professor Flitwick, I was wondering if I could ask you to get together Draco's homework for the day. He's pretty sick and he won't be able to make it to his classes. I told him that I would pick up his work for him so he doesn't fall behind."
"Of course Miss Granger. Yes, I'll have it ready by the time that you arrive this afternoon. I do hope that it is nothing serious. Send my best wishes to Mr. Malfoy." Professor Flitwick responded.
"I will Professor, thank you." She got similar responses from all of Draco's teachers and went to eat her breakfast. She sat down at the table with Ron and Harry. "Gosh, I'm starving. Where's Ginny?"
"She's in the library. She has a report to do for ancient runes and she needed to get some books to help her out." Harry told her.
"I see." Hermione tried to stifle a yawn. "I'm so bloody tired. I don't feel like I slept at all last night."
"We didn't stay too late did we? I don't really remember." Seamus asked, joining the conversation.
"No you guys didn't stay past curfew, but I dosed off on the couch and then Malfoy came in and was sick and whining. I woke up and gave him some of my nausea potion and checked his temperature. He was burning up so I sent him to bed, but I couldn't really get back to sleep after that." Hermione explained.
"Why were you helping that ferret anyways?" Ron asked with a scowl.
"He was sick all over my common room floor Ronald. I wasn't just going to leave him like that." Hermione gave a look that clearly meant to drop it.
Ron however was horrible at picking up on cues and continued. "I would have left him like that. I would have hexed him along with it. Serves him right the way that he treats people. Rotten death eater in training."
"Ronald Weasley if you don't drop the subject right now, I'm going to take points from Gryffindor. He is the school's Head Boy and whether or not we like him, it is not right to leave him sick and helpless. You're no better than he is. I also think that it's rotten to go spreading rumors about someone when you don't have any proof. Just because his father is a death eater doesn't mean he is, and in case you've forgotten his father is in Azkaban now." Hermione was getting that look in her eye that was a sure warning to keep your mouth shut.
"I think that living with the stupid death eater is making you mental. He's obviously a death eater Hermione. You're just too blind to see it, you want to see the good in everyone." Ron retorted.
"That's it Ronald 10 points from Gryffindor. Say one more thing about Malfoy, or death eaters and it will be 50. I haven't gotten any sleep and I'm not in the mood for a debate on ethics with you at this time of the morning. I'm going to go to class. When you get there hopefully you will have dropped the attitude." Hermione stood up and stormed out of the Great Hall. She could hear footsteps following her, but she wasn't in the mood to turn around and find out who it was.
"Hermione wait up. I'll walk with you." Seamus called. "Ron doesn't mean to make you angry you know. He just doesn't know when to stop. None of us like Malfoy, I just think that he takes it a little harder than the rest of us because of his family."
"It's no excuse to make accusations about people. I don't like Malfoy anymore than he does, but that doesn't mean that he's evil. He just always knows how to push my buttons, it's awful. No wonder our relationship never worked out." Hermione was still blowing off steam. "Sorry. Anyways, I'm glad to see that you're feeling better. You were pretty drunk last night when you left."
"Yeah, I know. Hangover potion. Sorry about that. I didn't do anything awful did I? I don't remember much of anything after we finished truth or dare." Seamus said scratching his head trying to remember what had happened.
"No you didn't do anything awful, you mostly just participated in the drinking game. That's probably why you don't remember anything." Hermione laughed at him.
"That's probably it. Hey, have you and Malfoy decided when the first trip to Hogsmeade will be?"
"No, we haven't really discussed it yet. It will probably be soon. Why?"
"Well, I was just wondering if maybe you wanted to go together?" Seamus turned a slight shade of pink.
"I would like that. I wasn't even planning on going. Harry and Ron both have dates, and I didn't want to be the third wheel. Thanks for asking me." Hermione gave him a reassuring smile as they walked into History of Magic and took their seats together. Professor Binns was already there floating at the front of the classroom waiting for the chairs to fill. "Excuse me Professor Binns? I need to pick up homework for Draco Malfoy, he's sick and he won't be in class today. I was wondering if you could tell me what to have him do."
"He'll be missing out on all of the notes today, but tell him to write two rolls of parchment on the Salem Witch Trials." Professor Binns droned.
"I'll be taking notes for him professor, and I'll give him the assignment. Thank you." Hermione pulled out a couple pieces of parchment and charmed them so that whatever she wrote on the one would appear on the other as well. She then wrote 'Homework: Two rolls of parchment on the Salem Witch Trials,' at the top of one, and it appeared on the other.
"That is a neat trick 'Mione. It saves a lot of time. I would have had him copy the notes for himself when I was done." Seamus commented.
"I probably should, he would learn more that way, but this way saves me from listening to him whine all night long. He's such a big baby when he's sick." Hermione saw someone sit down in the chair next to her. "Hey Harry. Ronald." She glared at Ron and then turned her attention back to the front where Professor Binns was beginning class. She got her quill ready and began copying down all of the important names, dates, and everything else she would ever need to know. When class was finally over she had several sheets of full parchment. Next she was on her way to McGonagall's class for Transfiguration, then lunch.
When it came time for lunch Hermione had quite a bit of notes, and homework to hand over to Draco. She hadn't heard anything from Dobby so she assumed that he was doing well. She went to the Great Hall grabbed a quick sandwich and a glass of pumpkin juice and headed up to give Draco his assignments before her next class. When she got there Dobby was just giving Draco his lunch. "Hello Dobby. Thank you again for helping me." She smiled lovingly at the little elf who bowed and thanked her before snapping his fingers and disappearing. "How are you feeling now? I brought you your notes and assignments for Transfiguration and History of Magic. There is quite a bit."
"I'm feeling much better. I think that I'll be back on my feet by tomorrow. You can set my homework here on the bed. I'll probably work on it while I lay here. There isn't much else to do. What reason did you give everybody?" Draco asked curiously.
"I told them that you came in last night, I was sleeping on the couch and you were sick and vomiting. I checked your temperature and you had a fever so I sent you to bed. You were still not feeling well this morning I gave you some anti-nausea potion and went to class."
"Wow, you're a good liar. You would have made a great Slytherin."
"That's probably true, but then I would have been stuck with you for all seven years and that would have been more than I could stand." She was trying really hard to keep a straight face, but she was failing miserably. She bent over with laughter and felt a pillow hit her in the head. "Hey! That's no way to treat the person who is taking time out to heal you and make you better. I ought to hex you for that." Hermione tossed the pillow back onto the bed. "I don't think I'll make you a copy of my notes for Charms and Ancient Runes, I think that I'll make you copy them yourself you slimy git." She was hit in the face by another pillow. "Oh this is war Malfoy, you wait til you're healed, I'm going to get you for that one." She took out her wand and vanished his lunch to the kitchens, picked up the pillow and threw it back in his face.
Draco ducked at the last minute, laughing when the pillow hit the wall above his head. "Great aim Granger, you should play quidditch. It might be an improvement for the Gryffindor team."
"Then why does the Gryffindor team beat Slytherin every year? It must just be that we have a better seeker." She grinned evilly.
"That hurts, that really hurts. You're not getting any from me for at least a week." Draco pretended to pout.
"You wouldn't be able to make it a week. I'm too irresistible." She walked over to him and kissed him passionately on the lips. Nibbling softly on his lower lip, asking for entrance. When he gave it willingly she slid her tongue into his mouth and deepened the kiss, massaging his tongue and the roof of his mouth. She could feel him groan into her mouth. She pulled back. "Well, I'm off, I have to go to class. I'll see you after Ancient Runes. Bye Draco." She turned with a smirk and left him laying there. She knew that he wanted more, and she loved being the one in control.
"That was evil, Mia. You're going to pay for that when you get back." Draco called after her shaking his head, and running his fingers through his hair. He hated the power that she seemed to have over him. He knew that it wasn't right, but she was like a drug. He couldn't wait until she came back.
Hermione laughed when the portrait hole closed. She knew that he was going to make her pay for that stunt when she returned, but she was looking forward to it. She went off to Charms with a huge smile on her face that still hadn't faded by dinner.
"What are you smiling about 'Mione? You look like a hungry hippogriff with a dead ferret." Ginny looked at her friend with a questioning look.
"I've just had a good day today. My classes all went well, and I don't have too much homework to work on. I should get a lot of it done tonight." Hermione answered piling her plate with food. "I'm so hungry, I didn't eat much for breakfast, and I only had a sandwich for lunch."
"Where were you at lunch 'Mione? You were here and gone so fast. Harry and I looked for you in the library figuring you were starting on that essay for History of Magic, but we didn't find you." Ron asked.
"I don't have to check my whereabouts with you Ronald. I was in my dorm. I took Malfoy his homework, and his notes. Is that ok with you?" Hermione's smile faded.
"Do what you want to do Hermione. Just remember that I warned you about him." Ron went back to his food sulking.
"Thank you Ronald, but I'm quite aware of who Draco is, and what his family is. I don't need you protecting me. He's the Head Boy, I'm stuck living with him. I'm dealing with that, maybe you should too. If you want to worry about someone, worry about your girlfriend. She's the one that deserves your attention." Hermione continued to eat her food at a faster rate. She just wanted to get away from Ron Weasley.
"Draco is it? What's next Drake, Drakie, Drakie Poo? What has gotten into you Hermione? You used to hate him too." Ron yelled.
"Draco is his name isn't it? Saying his name isn't a crime you know. And don't give me that nonsense you know that I don't like him anymore than you do. We do however have to work together, and calling him by his last name is becoming ridiculous. Now if you will please shut up and leave me alone, I'd like to finish my dinner without being attacked. If you can't handle that then I'll take my food up to my room and eat there." Hermione was close to tears. She hated fighting with Ron he was one of her best friends.
"Ron, just shut up and leave her alone. If she wants to call him Draco, and be friends with him it's none of your business. If she wants to date him it's none of your business. If she decides to marry him and have ten of his children it's none of your bloody business. Leave it alone." Ginny reprimanded. "You don't hear Harry attacking her do you? It's just you Ron. You don't know when to drop things. Hermione is stuck living with the arrogant prick, she can't help it if she has to be around him. Lay off."
"Stay out of it Ginny. Nobody asked for your opinion." Ron huffed.
"Ron, just back off mate. Ginny's right, you should just let it go. It's not like Hermione is doing anything wrong. She's taking his homework to him because he's sick and she lives with him. Let's not turn it into a big deal." Harry piped in.
"Thank you guys that's what I've been trying to say all along. Honestly Ron, you can be so thick." Hermione smiled at Harry and Ginny.
"Fine. I'm sorry 'Mione, but I don't trust him. Just be careful. I wish that you wouldn't spend so much time there with him. You can always come and do your homework in the tower with us." Ron conceded.
"Thank you for apologizing Ron. I'm fine. Draco isn't even there most of the time, and when he is, we just avoid each other. He has not once tried to hex me, or called me any names. I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl Ron, I don't need a bodyguard." Hermione gave him a small smile. "Listen I'm going to go up to my room, give Draco the rest of his assignments, take a bath, and work on my homework. I'll see you all tomorrow."
"Goodnight 'Mione. See you in the morning." Ginny said.
"Yeah, night 'Mione." Ron and Harry both called as she walked out of the hall.
Hermione walked into her common room to find Draco had gotten up and moved to the couch. "Good to see you up and moving around. You must really be feeling better. Has Dobby been here yet?"
"Not yet. I am feeling much better. It doesn't hurt when I walk or anything, only when I bend certain ways. I'll be back in class tomorrow." Draco stretched and yawned. "I feel like I have done nothing but homework all day. I can't wait to get back to my normal routine tomorrow." Just then there was a pop.
"Dobby is here with Master's dinner. Dobby brought Master's favorite. Pork roast, and mash potatoes. Dobby brought a special slice of pie for desert. Dobby knows how much Master is liking pie." Dobby rushed over and placed the tray down on the table next to the couch.
"Thank you Dobby. It was nice of you to remember my favorites." Draco smiled at the little creature, who bowed in thanks.
"Will Master be needing Dobby again tomorrow sir?" Dobby asked eagerly.
"No Dobby. I'm feeling better I'll be going back to class, and eating in the hall tomorrow. Thank you though."
"Your welcome Master Draco. Dobby is hearing about Master Lucius sir. Dobby is sorry to hear that Master is in prison. Dobby felt so bad when he heard that he punished himself by slamming his ears in the oven door."
"That's not necessary Dobby. We are no longer your master. You owe us nothing. My father was never good to you. You should not feel bad for his fate. He brought it on himself. I don't want you to punish yourself over him anymore."
"Yes Master Draco sir. Dobby will be going back to the kitchens now sir. It was good to be seeing you again Master."
"You too Dobby. Goodbye." Dobby was gone with a pop. "He was always one of my favorite house elves. I was so angry with my father for losing him. Please sit and stop looking at me as though I'm a blast ended skrewt. Yes, I'm nice to house elves. They are good and loyal creatures and they do not deserve to be mistreated."
"You never cease to surprise me. I'm going up to take a hot bath. Enjoy your dinner." Hermione began to walk towards the bathroom.
"If you'll wait, I'll join you. I bet a hot bath will sooth all of the remaining soreness away. Then I'll be good as new." Draco offered.
"I don't know if I should let you join me, after earlier." Hermione pretended to be considering the offer.
"Fine, fine, deny a poor sick man."
"You're not sick Draco. You never were, but I will let you join me under one condition."
"What condition is that?"
"Please don't ever scare me like that again. You came crashing into the dorm and I thought that you were dead."
"I can't promise that that won't happen again Mia. I can't promise anything. I don't know what is going to happen to me. We're in a war Mia. A war that the Dark Lord is determined to win, and he doesn't like it when things don't go his way."
Hermione came and sat down on the couch next to him. "If he keeps doing what he's doing Draco, he'll end up killing all of his followers until there are none left. At the rate he's going he has no shot at winning this war. Our side is going to out number his guys three to one. Death eaters are dying everyday, and it's not just the aurors who are killing them."
"The Dark Lord has many followers Mia. Ones that the aurors and the Order of the Phoenix know nothing about. He won't start this war Mia until he knows that he can win. When he gathers enough people, he will strike."
"I don't want to think about the war. I don't want to think about the time when we all have to put aside our adolescence and stand up and fight. I don't want to think about the day when I'll be standing up with my friends, and fighting the death eaters, and you'll be standing on the other side, pointing your wand back at me. All in the name of a man who is so scared that he has to hide behind a mask, and send his henchmen out to do the fighting for him. A man who treats his own followers worse than he treats his enemies. What is going to happen when the war begins? Are you honestly going to be able to stand up with your 'Master' and kill me, and the rest of the people that you have gone to school with for seven years?" Hermione turned her head and looked down, she could feel the tears building in her eyes and pour down her cheeks.
"Mia, stop crying and look at me. You knew when we started this who I was. You knew about the war we would all be fighting. You knew that when that time came we would stand on opposite sides of the war. What do you want me to say Mia? I don't know how to answer that. What do you want me to do?"
"Answer my question. When this war comes are you going to stand up with Voldemort, and kill me?" Hermione's whole body had begun to shake with the sobs that she was trying to suppress. She looked Draco right in the eyes and waited for his answer.
Draco didn't know what to say. This wasn't supposed to happen. Their relationship was supposed to be strictly about the sex, so that nobody would get emotionally involved and no one would get hurt. He wanted it to be that way still, but he knew that everything had changed. The moment that she took care of him and healed all of his wounds, and showed him the compassion that she had for someone who was her enemy, she had changed everything. "No Mia. I could never kill you. I should have never started this. I didn't want this to happen. I wasn't supposed to have feelings for you, but I can't help myself. You have shown me more compassion in the past 24 hours than I have known in my life. You have showed me what it feels like to have someone care about you and take care of you. I don't ever want you to experience any kind of pain. I will never hurt you Mia, I couldn't." Draco reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes.
"You're a death eater Draco. What if Voldemort makes it your mission to get rid of me? You can't go against him, he'll kill you. I don't want to see that happen. I wouldn't be able to stand it."
"I don't know what to do Mia. I won't hurt you, but I chose my path long ago. It was chosen for me by my father. I can't turn back now. I'm already a death eater. Can't things just go back to the way that they were and we'll worry about this when the time comes?"
"Go back to what Draco? Our secret relationship that is only sexual? Being able to see other people? Treating each other like dirt in front of other people? Is that really what you want? Does that stupid mark on your arm really mean that much to you? Do you want me to start seeing Seamus? He asked me to go to Hogsmeade with him and I said yes, is that what you want?"
"Of course not Mia. I don't want to see you with any other man. It's only been three days Mia, and I can't stop thinking about you. You're in my head constantly. I wish that we could be together, I wish that I could shout it from the rooftops, but it doesn't work that way. I've sold my soul to the Dark Lord. I can't just go to him and tell him that I quit. That I've found a girl that makes me want to change what I am and be a better person. I can't do that. I'm stuck. My life belongs to the Dark Lord. Unless you know a way to get rid of the dark mark, I don't see what I can do."
"We could go to Dumbledore. He can protect you, he can keep you safe. He's helping Snape."
"Don't be naive Hermione, Snape is still working for the Dark Lord. He's at every meeting."
"I know that, but he's still under Dumbledore's protection. He can help you Draco, all you need to do is want to be helped."
"I do, but I can't go running to Dumbledore and beg him to make it better. I got myself into this Mia."
"And he can help you get out. You can become a member of the Order, you can work as a spy. If you work for us, nothing that you have done in the past will ever be used against you. Think about it Draco, at least think about it."
"I will, I'll think about it Mia. For now, let's just go take a bath and get to bed. I'm exhausted." He stood up and reached out to help Hermione up. He wiped the tears off of her face and kissed her. He then led her into the bathroom and started the bath water.
"I'm sorry that I blew up at you. I didn't mean for any of that stuff to come out. I didn't even know that I was feeling half of it. Once I started it just all poured out. It was unfair of me. I know that I promised to never put you in a situation that made you choose. It was wrong of me."
"It was a choice that I would have to make sooner or later anyway Mia. Either way, I know that I would choose you. I can't stand the idea of anything happening to you."
They both climbed into the tub and had a nice relaxing bath. They then climbed into bed and were asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.
A/N: That's it for now. Hope you like. Don't forget to review. Don't worry I promise, Draco will still be a bad boy. Bad boys are, after all, the best.
