A/N: 5th chapter is here…thanks to the reviewers…and to The Black Pearl is Freedom, no, I don't have a beta. I used to but some stuff happened and now I don't have a beta so I'm writing solo. Yarr…anyways, on with the story.
Of Help and Perverts
Draco Malfoy didn't want to be put to sleep that afternoon. Professor Nazri and the two Head students had to return back to classes, which had begun 20 minutes earlier, leaving Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey to attend to young Mr. Malfoy. Professor McGonagall went to get the house elves to send some food up to the Infirmary for him while Madam Pomfrey tended to his slowly healing wounds. Professor McGonagall returned a short while after, a house elf with a tray full of food in tow. Professor McGonagall entered the makeshift room Draco Malfoy was housed in and allowed the house elf to place the tray on the bedside table. Draco Malfoy swallowed the last bit of some potion that Madam Pomfrey was feeding him before cautiously taking a bowl of soup from the tray. Every move he made seemed to send shots of pain throughout his body. His entire body was aching and throbbing from all the curses, cuts and what not that he had received from that day.
That day.
Draco sat up straighter and began eating his soup. It was hot and he ate slowly. Every time he swallowed burned his throat. He had screamed a lot and god knows what was poured down his throat, causing it to turn to raw flesh. He knew it would take a long time to heal, so he rather deal with it and eat rather than not eat to safe himself the burning in his throat. The two other witches left Draco alone to finish up his food and left to carry on with their own activities. Draco thought about all that he had been through since he had ran away till the day that he had decided to come down to Hogwarts, in search of help.
Help.
That was something he never got, maybe aside from his mom and a little from Snape. Other than that, he lived his life fending from himself. He had to do everything himself. Whenever he fell as a child, he had to learn to heal himself. His mother helped to teach him and was prohibited to do anything more. Draco learned all the school material himself. He learnt how to fly himself. No help. He did his homework with no help. Whatever problems that he came across, he never asked anyone for help. As a child, his father had taught him to help himself and no one else. Had told him that no one would help him in the future and did everything in his power to make sure that Draco received as little help as possible. He found the idea of accepting others' help as a weakness.
Weakness.
Everything that required feeling was weakness. Anything that required a heart of ice to melt was weakness. Anything to do with any form of emotion was weakness. Draco was brought up to not show emotion and not to cry. In his entire life time, he had only cried up till the age of 4-years, where his father would punish him for shedding a single tear. He had cried when he was alone at night. He did. But it as oh so rare. He had stopped his crying when he turned 13. He had to. He had to prepare himself. He never told anyone why he cried, and he didn't wish to. For all his life, he had prepared himself for something he had no choice in. It was either that or death.
He'd rather not choose the latter.
Draco finished up his soup and placed it back on the tray, wincing slightly as the pain from his bruises and cuts shot through his functioning left arm. His right hand was 'out of order'. The fracture in his wrist was getting on his nerves, and it was only the first half hour of staying awake. He took a big gulp from the goblet of pumpkin juice before picking up the chicken drumstick. He had no other choice but to eat by hand. It wasn't something he was used to. Back at home, etiquette was drilled into him from the day he understood how to use the cutlery.
Etiquette.
A big thing back at home. He was taught proper table etiquette, how to treat respected and honourable guests, how to carry himself, manners, everything. He was all in all a well-mannered young man with a reputation that he didn't really relish. The attention fed his ego well, but he cant help but want something more sometimes. He wanted more than being a well-mannered young man with a bad attitude and relatively good looks. He didn't want what his father wanted for him. Something in him had changed. He didn't know what. But he no longer wanted those things. Somehow, however, that part of him would disappear and he would go back to being a pain in the rear end. His personality was, well, split, somehow. He has a strong suspicion why, but he can't be sure until he talked to Profesor Nazri. He finished up all the food on the tray and drunk the pumpkin juice slowly.
He didn't know where he was going to go once he is healed; he couldn't go back home and he can't go out to the open. 'But I could stay here…' he though to himself. He contemplated this thought. It might just work, but it was risky with all the Slytherins around. He shook his head. He was lost. He didn't know where to go, what to do and who to be. Draco lay in his bed for the rest of the day, staring at the ceiling and letting his thoughts run wild. He would request to meet with Professor Nazri later on, but for now, he needed solitude…
Hermione Granger and Sedgewick Blythe returned to their classes after going down to the Infirmary to check on Malfoy. They discussed on the possible reasons for Draco Malfoy to come to Hogwarts and as to why he was in a screaming and sort of possessed state when he awoke. There were so many possibilities, some more ridiculous than others.
"Maybe he was attacked by some weird creature while out killing people or something and he happened to be near Hogwarts," Sedgewick suggested, trying not to laugh at his own unreal suggestion.
"Yeah, sure. Your story is as real as those creatures Luna Lovegood keeps telling us about," Hermione said, laughing slightly.
"No harm in imagining, Granger," Sedgewick retorted playfully.
"As long as that wild imagination of yours doesn't get too carried away. Especially regarding you and another person,"
"Are you, Hermione Granger, accusing me, Sedgewick Blythe, of having dirty, peverted thoughts?" Sedgewick asked in mock hurt.
"No harm in that, now is there? Haha…listen, we've got class and I, unlike you, do not want to miss whatever that's left of it," Hermione said, heading towards her Arithmancy class.
"Forever the model student, aye?" Sedgewick joked, following Hermione towards Arithmancy. The two students entered the class and paid attention to whatever that the Professor had to say.
The day went by normally after that – more lessons, dinner and night patrol. Hermione can't complain about her life. Yes, it was hectic and she had relatively leisure time for herself and with her friends even, but she was resigned to the fact that she was Head Girl and had plenty of responsibilities, from planning patrol rosters, balls, and maintaining good grades and a clean record in school. She didn't mind it now. It was all part of being the school's best student and Head Girl.
After dinner, Professor Nazri went to check in on Draco, to make sure that he was doing fine and to talk about certain issues with him. He entered Draco's room to find him sitting on the bed with his legs crossed, elbows resting on his legs and resting his head in his hands. Professor Nazri knew Draco was stressed out due to the current situation he was in. He walked over to the bed and placed a hand on Draco's slouched shoulder. Draco looked up at the Professor, his eyes slowly changing back to its original blue-grey colour. Professor Nazri sat on the bed in front of him, looking worriedly at the slouching form in front of him.
"Draco, did he come again?" he asked lightly. He only received a slight nod from Draco, whose head was still in his hands. "I know it must be hard for you to deal with right now and you are probably too weak, but you have to fight him off. The more he enters your body and mind, the more weaker and the sort of, dark, you'll become.
"You can't allow him to take you like that. You know what will come out of it, don't you?" Professor Nazri asked worriedly. He knew what was happening to Draco and he didn't like it at all, but he knew that that was the consequences of Draco's actions.
"Yes, I do…I don't want it to happen. I really don't. Please help me, uncle, please…" Draco Malfoy practically begged, looking up at his uncle. The look on his face was one of worry, fear and desperation.
"I can only help you so much, Draco. You have to use your own strength. You mother would have loved you to get out of this on your own, given your childhood,"
"I know, but she wouldn't be able to see me when I do succeed, now would she?"
"She would, in her own way. Remember what I told you before you left for school last summer?" Draco only nodded, not able to trust his own voice.
"Listen, the wounds you have can only heal properly if he is out of you fully. Till than, your wounds would heal slowly. Your bones will grow back, bruises will fade, but all you cuts will stay…"
"I know that! But do think it's that easy when there's no one there to help you!" Draco screamed out defiantly. Professor Nazri remained silent.
"All my life I've been doing everything by myself…" Draco continued, shaking his head slightly, trying to clear his mind of all the memories. "Never have I gotten any help. My mother could only help me so much. My father was hopeless. He didn't even care! Is wrong for me to just want some help with something after 16 years of doing things independently! Is it so wrong for me to want someone with me when I happen to go through a rough patch? Is it so wrong for me to feel like I actually have someone…? Is it so wrong…" Draco trailed off after shouting at Professor Nazri. He hung his head and looked at the white sheets beneath him. He would not let his uncle see him hurt. He wouldn't.
Professor Nazri could only imagine how hurt Draco was. He knew that Draco didn't exactly live a happy life and he wanted to show that he did care, but he grew up not showing anything but hate and disgust towards those who were deemed to be inferior. He grew out of the prejudice life he led, but he still never learnt to show any form of love, care or affection. Yes, he did show it occassionaly – when Draco was first found at Hogwarts, for instance – but it was very rare. He did help Draco in the past, showing a little bit of affection, but the rest of his time was spent showing hardly any emotion. As a professor, he learnt to lighten up slightly and become a bit more open about life and became less cold hearted, but he still found it hard to show affection of any form to people, even Draco.
"Draco, I want to help, believe me, but you know as well as I that I cannot help you,"
"I know that," Draco looked up at Professor Nazri, the hurt look in his eyes now gone, "But…never mind. I know that nobody would help me now," Draco sighed, lying back on his pillow, his legs still crossed.
"Actually, you may get a little help," Professor Nazri stood up and walked to the foot of the bed, his hands behind his back. Upon hearing this, Draco sat up straighter, looking curiously at the professor in front of him, urging him to continue. Taking it as a sign to continue, Professor Nazri carried on.
"You see, we have decided to house you here, at Hogwarts. Before you say anything, I will tell you exactly where and who will be watching over you. Arrangements have been made for you to stay here at Hogwarts in a room specially made for you by the Heads' common room, where the Head Students, Hermione Granger and Sedgewick Blythe, will look after you until you recover.
"We have placed charms on the room to make sure that nobody gets hurt and that no one, and I mean no one, will be able to find you there unless they see you in the room," Professor Nazri paused for awhile, letting the information sink in and allowing time for Draco to ask any questions.
Draco thought about it. He would be living in some far end of the castle with the head Students – a mudblood and a half-blood, unfortunately – and they would be the ones who would be cleaning his wounds and issuing him potions and food and what not. Two words came to his head: "Not appealing," he said out loud. "You want me to stay at some far end of the castle with people who are below me and let them care for me?"
"It was the best choice, since we know that they wont tell anyone else that you are in the castle and they have no links with any Death Eaters or the Dark Lord himself. Furthermore, they were the ones who found you," Professor Nazri explained to Draco, hoping that he would understand.
"But-"
"No buts, Draco. We, Professor McGonagall and I, have made up our minds and your room is ready for you to move in," Professor Nazri told Draco, his tone leaving no room for arguments.
"So I have no choice?" Draco confirmed, receiving a shake of the head from Professor Nazri. Draco let out an exasperated sigh and let himself fall backwards into his pillow and straightening out his legs. He stared up at the ceiling and tried to calm himself down.
Professor Nazri left shortly after that, not before informing Draco that he would be moving into his new room in two days time whether he liked it or not. Draco chose not to respond and just stared at the retreating back of his uncle. After the door was closed, he resumed staring at the ceiling and contemplating his new predicament.
Hermione Granger and Sedgewick Blythe had been sitting opposite each other and doing their homework silently when they heard a knock on their entrance. Hermione put down her quill and went to see who was at their entrance way. Hermione opened their door to find Professor Nazri standing on the other side.
"Oh. Good evening, Professor. Please, do come in. Sedgewick and I were just finishing our homework for the day," Hermione opened the door wider and allowed the professor to enter before shutting the door and following him to the common room. Sedgewick stood up and greeted the professor, asking him to take a seat on the loveseat by the fireplace.
"I apologize for our attire – we weren't expecting any company," Sedgewick apologized, pointing at Hermione's and his own attire – Hermioen was in a pair of pajama bottoms and an oversized t-shirt while Sedgewick was in his usual night attire of pajama pants only.
"No, it's okay. I should have informed you I was coming. Don't worry, Miss Granger, you don't have to change," he said, stopping Hermione from going up to her room to change into more appropriate attire.
"Please, do take a seat," The two Heads obliged and sat at the armchairs at either side of the loveseat. "Anyway, I'm here to inform both of you that young Mr. Malfoy is well and we will be moving him into his new room in two days time. I require your co-operation to tend to him carefully. He will not be himself at times, especially after one of his episodes," Professor Nazri pointed out, referring to the moments of possession, knowing that the two Heads understood. "And I need you to make sure he will be alright when he doesn't seem himself. He could be a raging teenage boy throwing things and venting out anger to a crying, depressed kid, so I need you to deal with his personality changes.
"Also, when his episodes do come, bind him to the bed and issue him the potion that Madam Pomfrey has prepared. I believe it's the purple one, yes, that's the one, and someone would have to stay by his side and try to calm him down while the potion acts on him. He will be a bit hard to deal with when he is himself as well. As you know, he was brought up to believe that anyone who is not fully a Pureblood is not worthy his attention or to be in the same room as him, let alone care for him, so I hope that you are mature enough to set this aside and not fight back when he throws an insult or threatens you. He has been through a rough patch and he is not so keen on the outcome of his actions…" Professor Nazri let that last bit hang, they didn't have to know.
"If you don't mind me asking, sir, but what happened to him over the summer?" Hermione ventured. She had wanted to know what had happened to Draco Malfoy between the time of Dumbledore's murder and his arrival here at Hogwarts since he disappeared – and him stumbling into the school late one night further intensified her curiosity.
"Mr. Malfoy has been through a lot since he fled Hogwarts with your former Potions Master. He wasn't exactly…safe…and he did some things that, in some people's eyes, was wrong and he was, punished, for it. Look, this is not my story therefore I have no right whatsoever in exposing the details of those recent events. You can ask Mr. Malfoy himself, if he is willing to share with you," Professor Nazri didn't want to expose Draco like that. He didn't have to tell them anything. It was Draco's story and it's Draco's choice whether he wants them to know or not.
"And before you ask, Miss Granger, you can tell the prefects that the Headmistress has decided to close down the other room as she finds that it is not necessary to have two meeting rooms," Professor Nazri added, giving a sly smile.
"How did you-"
"The question would pop up anyway, knowing you, Miss Granger," Hermione only smiled sweetly, unable to say anything.
After about another 15 minutes, Professor Nazri left and the two Heads completed their homework. By 10 o'clock, they had completed most of their homework and headed up to bed. Hermione dreaded the day Draco Malfoy would be moving in next door. She shuddered, crawled into bed and fell asleep only after tossing and turning for half an hour.
Tuesday went by with a breeze as Draco Malfoy didn't get into another one of his episodes the whole day and both the Head students and professors were able to carry on with their daily activities as per normal without any interruptions from Malfoy. Hermione was glad that Malfoy hadn't gotten into his episodes yet and dinner had just ended. She really hoped that he would not need any assistance until tomorrow, the day he moved in. She shuddered inwardly; she dreaded tomorrow and hoped that by some miracle he would disappear tonight and would never be found again, though she knew that is a little too farfetched. She walked up the stairs and down the corridor towards her common room. She gave the password and walked in, putting her bag on her desk, she went up to her room to get some stuff for the Prefects' meeting later on.
10 minutes after she entered, she heard Sedgewick enter with the rest of the Prefects of Hogwarts. Taking that as her cue, she tied her hair haphazardly into a ponytail before heading down to meet the prefects. They greeted each other and headed out of the common room again and down the corridor to the only meeting room available for their use.
"Why aren't we using the other one? The one closer to your room?" One of the sixth year Hufflepuff prefects asked, noticing the change in their meeting place.
"Well, the Headmistress felt that one meeting room was sufficient for our use, and closed the other room and used it for her own use," Hermione explained to the entire prefect body so that the others would not repeat the question. The prefects nodded in understanding and filed into the smaller meeting room. They settled themselves in their seats round the round table, Hermione and Sedgewick sitting beside each other of course.
"What is she going to use the room for?" another curious prefect by the name of Katie Nerva, from Slytherin, asked. She was the few Pureblood Slytherins who had a neutral perspective towards the differences between Purebloods and muggleborns.
"That is not our business and she may do whatever she pleases," Sedgewick answered politely.
"Alright, can we begin? Now, I have got some new patrol rosters. We have decided to reshuffle your partners so that you get to mix around more. Anyway…" Hermione began the meeting, giving the prefects their new rosters and patrol partners. Some were elated, some were mad but most were okay with the change. The meeting dragged on for another hour but they were far from done. They had to still discuss the increasing number of students who were sneaking out of their common rooms past their curfew times and the problem some of the girls' inappropriate uniforms.
"We can't do that!" Katie explained, not believing that a prefect could come out with such a punishment.
"Why not? If they can wear short skirts, than they can wear booty shorts, right?" Joe McQueen said.
"Guys and their perverted minds," Hermione said out loud, shaking her head.
"We're guys, Hermione. We can't help it!" Sedgewick stepped in, remembering their previous conversation about him being the pervert.
"Yes you can. If not try to control yourselves," Katie retorted.
"Easy for you to say," Joe fought back, looking accusingly at Yana Fields, sixth year Gryffindor prefect.
"What did I do?"
"Alright, alright. Before this turns into a full on wizard duel, we shall continue our discussion about –" however Hermione never got to finish. Her wand was glowing. Sedgewick looked at her knowingly. "I'll go," Hermione said before she left, apologizing to the prefects. They looked at her cuiriously as she left before turning to the Head Boy for an explanation. He refused to tell them anything.
Hermione quickly made her way down to the Infirmary and entered Malfoy's room. Only Madam Pomfrey was around and she was binding a screaming and struggling Malfoy to his bed. Hermione took the vial containing the thick purple liquid from the bedside table and forced it down Malfoy's throat. He screamed even more. His eyes were as before, almost fully black with red specks. She still hated, no, feared those eyes. She put the vial back on the bedside table and stepped back, watching Madam Pomfrey trying to calm down Malfoy and trying to make him come back.
After 5 minutes of struggling and screaming, Malfoys eyes turned back to its original colour and he had stopped struggling, only twitching slightly from time to time. Malfoy was slightly drenched slightly due to the beads of perspiration that began to form. He closed his eyes and clamped his mouth shut, as though trying to fight an internal force. His eyes shot open and were black again. He let out a scream and began struggling again, however for only a few seconds before going back to his original state. It went on that way for a few minutes. Hermione stood at the foot of the bed, not knowing what to do. Professor Nazri and Professor McGonagall entered just as Draco went into one last possession. They stood by the side of the bed and watched as Draco lay on the bed, eyes closed, teeth clenched and breathing ragged. Madam Pomfrey went out of the room and returned with a bowl of water and a towel to wipe off the perspiration from Malfoy's face. He did not struggle.
After checking his wounds, the binds were removed and Madam Pomfrey left the room, leaving the two Professors and Hermione in the room. Professor Nazri conjured up three chairs for them to sit on, Hermione sat on the other side of the bed. They sat there silently, waiting for Malfoy to recover fully and open his eyes. But he never woke up. Hermione had thought he died and was kind of glad that she did not have to take care of him, but her happiness was short-lived when she realized the slight rise and fall of her enemy's chest. She scowled inwardly. After nearly an hour of sitting around in silence, the two witches left the wizard alone with Malfoy.
Hermione walked out with Porfessor McGonagall and went her separate way towards her quarters. She went to the meeting room to see if the prefects were still around – they weren't – before heading back to her common room for some shut eye. Sedgewick was seated, more like asleep, on the loveseat, waiting for Hermione.
"Hey, Sedge, wake up," Hermione kneeled beside him and shook him lightly.
"Whaa'?" Sedgewick awoke, rubbing his eyes.
"Why'd you wait up?"
"Dunno. Just felt that I should," Sedgewick replied, smiling sheepishly at Hermione.
"You dolt. I'm fully capable of taking care of myself. You don't have to look out for me like that," Hermione said, standing up and walking towards the mini kitchen to get a drink. She tripped as her foot got caught behind one of the legs of the coffee table and fell on her knees and hands. Sedgewick laughed out loud.
"You were saying?" Sedgewick teased before laughing his head off and helping Hermioen up through fits of laughter.
"Meanie,"
"Klutz,"
"Dolt,"
"Goofball,"
"Pervert,"
"uh…"
"Ha! Cat got you tongue?"
"No," Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"You," Hermione was a little slow in understanding what he said, but when she did, she opened her eyes wide. She was used to slight physical contact with Ssedgewick – brushing of the hands, bumping into each other etc. – and they had grown very close, but she never thought that he thought of her that way. Tthey did behave like they were more than friends at times, but they were still friends. Just friends. Did Sedgewick really like her that way? Did she like him that way? She didn't know. All she knew was that Sedgewick was inching closer towards to her and she couldn't move. She stood rooted to the ground as Sedgewick inched closer to her. Sedgewick stepped towards Hermione until he was mere inches away from her. He leaned closer to her ear, breathing against her neck. Hermione shuddered.
"Gotcha," He whispered sensually before standing straighter, looking at her angry expression. He laughed out loud and ran up towards his room, an angry Hermione on his heel.
"I'm gonna kill you, Blythe," Hermione scolded as he entered his room, slamming his door. Hermione banged on the door, where Sedgewick was still laughing and rolling on his bed, tears coming out of his eyes due to laughing to hard. Hermione stomped her foot in anger and let out an angry growl. She stomped back into her room and got ready for bed, thoughts of revenge running through her head.
A/N: All done! A bit lame but still the longest chapter so far. What does this quarrel between Hermione and Sedgewick mean? Does it even mean anything? And Draco's moving in tomorrow! HaHa…wanna know what happened? Be patient, wait and check back once I've posted p. I actually realized that this chapter contains little to almost nothing to help with the plot. Oh wells, it's written already and I don't want to rewrite unless there's a huge protest about the lack of plot development. And I don't like the chapter title but I couldn't think of anything else so yarr… Review )
