That's Why They Created Special ED!
(And Toast)
"Hermione!" someone with a femine voice whispered harshly. "Hermione, wake up!" Hermione rubbed her eyes open to find Madam Pomfrey next to her bed looking as frazzled as ever. "Come with me immediately! There's no time to get dressed!" she snapped when she saw Hermione head for her dresser. As the two left the silent and dark dorms Hermione caught sight of a clock... 2:50 in the morning.
All the way to the hospital she stared at what she was wearing, it wasn't really school appropriate, it was her night gowns after all! She had a very thin silk spaghetti strap style top that was a pale lavender and matching silk pants that dragged on the floor. Her feet were bare all together and she was freezing! As she started rubbing her arms to get rid of the goose bumps that had started appearing Madam Pomfery started talking.
"He seemed fine yesterday! But it seemed like exactly eight hours after you left he started getting worse. He's like a five year old know! He mumbles and is scared of everyone so we figured we'd get you because you're smaller, no offensive, and more child like than the professors. Every time we try to get close to him he throws a huge tantrum so loudly he starts turning blue from screaming almost instantly! Dumbledore can get next to him but as soon as he touches him he goes off like a bell!" she said in almost hysterics. She stopped talking to open the hospital wing doors.
"Who are we talking about?" Hermione asked, thoroughly confused.
"Why, Draco of course!" she said as she hustled Hermione in and toward the group of professors near the now uncurtained area.
"Miss Granger!" Dumbledore said happily. "Glad you could join us! I do hope we aren't keeping you up too late."
"Of course not Headmaster!" Hermione replied as happily as she could manage.
"Well?" Snape hissed angrily.
"Yes, um, we would appreciate it if you would try to get close to him. I dare say he won't let any of us a step closer!" McGonagol said quickly as she wrung her hands discreetly, but Hermione noticed it. She nodded and went to the front of the group and dropped to her knees. She inched slowly toward the big doe eyed boy who was shaking under the covers. Once she was a foot away from the bed she sat indian style on the floor and started talking softly.
"Hello Draco. I'm back. I dare say much earlier in the morning than I imagined but morning none the less." she said happily and gently in a smooth voice. He lowered the sheets to his lap but still held on to them. She smiled. "So, how have you been since I saw you last? Taking all of your potions?" Draco nodded. "How do they taste?"
"Yucky." Draco said, grimacing like a five-year-old. Hermione laughed. Draco smiled.
"Do you still remember my name?" she asked him. He nodded.
"Herminny." he said, scrunching up his face. Hermione laughed and got back on her knees before moving to sit on the floor right beside his bed. Draco just watched patiently.
"What do you say we shorten that to make it easier?" she said once she was seated. Draco nodded eagerly. "Now, my friend used to have a nickname for me that I actually like... what was it?" Hermione sat and thought for a moment as Draco watched eargerly before she smiled widely. "Mia! That's it. Mia. Can you say that?"
"Mia?" Draco asked quietly. Hermione nodded.
"Exactly!" Hermione said, smiling at him. She looked and saw his hands were just sitting on his lap and decided to try something. "What's that?" she asked suddenly, looking at his hand. He looked quickly at his hands to see nothing.
"What? Where?" Draco said a little frightened.
"That." she said, touching the tiniest of scars on his pointer finger, from pricking it, probably for a potion. He inspected it. Hermione took his hand from his in front of his face and kissed the scar. "All better!" she declared.
"But it didn't hurt." Draco said, puzzled.
"How was I supposed to know that?" she asked.
"I never said it hurt." he said, still confused.
"People get hurt all the time and they don't tell people, even if others can make it feel better. I was making sure." Hermione said, as if it was obvious. Draco nodded, looking at his finger. Hermione took his hand so he'd stop looking at it.
"Mia?" he asked, looking at his hand covered by hers.
"Hmm..." she said, looking at his face.
"Why can't I 'member anything that happened to me?" he said, still looking at their hands.
"Well, you got hurt really badly, you almost died, and your brain was so busy trying to make sure you lived it focused so hard on living, it forgot all of those memories you had." Hermione said, trying to explain it so he could understand it.
"Oh, but then how come I 'member how to speak, and you, and Madam Pomfrey?" he asked.
"Because you saw me after you lost your memory. How you remembered how to speak, well, it's different then your memories, it's an ability. Like you can probably still walk." Hermione said, struggling to answer the question without an 'I don't know.'
"Are you my mommy?" Draco said, looking at her face.
"No sweety, I'm not. Your mommy isn't here right now, but I'm sure she'll come to see you soon." Hermione said, trying not to laugh at seeing Draco Malfoy say mommy.
"What if she's not as nice as you and hates me for forgetting?" he said, trembling. Hermione sat on the side of the bed and wrapped him in her arms.
"I'm sure she's wonderful and won't care that you forgot because she'll be so happy you lived." Hermione whispered into his ear. Draco snuggled closer to Hermione before closing his eyes.
"Promise not to leave me alone with those scary people who keep trying to poke me with sticks." Draco said, hugging one of Hermione's arms tight. Hermione looked toward the professors who were all nodding, except Snape.
"I promise." she said, listening as Draco's breath evened out. The professors sighed and smiled at her once they saw his muscles loosen.
"Thank goodness!" McGonagol muttered. "At least now we can see what caused his brain to lose all that knowledge before he's an infant that drools over everything! His parents would have a fit!"
"I get the feeling they'll have a fit no matter what." Snape said.
"You feel Severous? I'm shocked!" McGonagol mocked. The others laughed but Snape sneered.
"Now now," Dumbledore said, settling the crowd, "we should see to it that Mr. Malfoy doesn't get a lower IQ!" All the teachers watched Madam Pomfrey give Draco a sleeping drought before they started to test him with more spells than Hermione could believe that they knew.
"Hermione." someone whispered hours later as they set a hand on her shoulder to wake her. She stirred, blinking quickly because of the blinding white. "I think you should see this." McGonagol said sorrowfully. Hermione got up and stumbled sleepily over to Draco's bed, but instead of Draco, there was a three year old boy with the same hair sleeping soundly. "His body, all of a sudden, just, transformed!" she explained.
"That doesn't make any sense. It's like he's aging backwards. How's his IQ?" she asked, feeling little Draco's forehead instinctively to find it perfect temperature.
"The same since you've been here." Madam Pomfrey said, glancing at the clock. She looked at Dumbledore expectingly.
"The snake bites..." Draco mumbled into the pillow. Hermione smiled and bent next to him.
"Bites who?" she asked playfully.
"The wo- wombats are endangered in volcanoes." he switched the train of thoughts so quickly Hermione blinked once and burst out laughing. Draco shot into an upright position. "What?" he said.
"Nothing." Hermione said, settling down. "Except you just said, The wombats are endangered in volcanoes." Draco gave her a funny look before noticing all the professors.
"Mia," he said, frightened, tugging on her shirt, "who are those people?" he whispered loudly.
"Teachers." she said simply. "Your in a hospital in a school sweety. They just want to make sure you're okay."
"Oh. Can I go play now? I feel fine." he said, looking down to make sure he was intact.
"Absolutely no-" Madam Pomfrey started shrieking before Dumbledore gave her a warning glance.
"Play what?" Hermione asked suspiciously. Draco looked at her confused.
"Quidditch of course!" he said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Except I don't know where my broom is, or where to play."
"How about we play a less... scary game?" Hermione said hopefully.
"There more games besides Quidditch?" Draco in awe.
"Of course silly!" Hermione exclaimed, laughing. "What kind of game would you like to play?"
"What kinds are there?" he asked.
"Card games, board games, hand games, make believe games, sport games, and craft games." Hermione listed.
"Um. which one is the funniest?" Draco asked.
"How about we play a board game?" Hermione said, pulling a box out of thin air.
"Chutes and Ladders?" Draco said, reading the box fluently.
"Very good! Yes. First one to one hundred wins!" Hermione said. They played the game while the teachers watched, intrigued and as soon as Draco won, he grew instantly, in front of everybody's eyes.
"That's incredible!" Madam Pomfrey said, starting to prod him with her wand, taking the simplest of tests.
"What is?" said a ten year old Draco.
"You grew!" McGonagol said.
"Everyone always says that!" he complained, crossing his arms. "I don't like you!"
"For saying you grew?" she asked. As soon as he confirmed with a nod he shrunk back to his five year old self.
"When he learns he grows temporarily." Hermione stated. Everyone nodded.
"Well, we can't put him in class." Snape spoke, for the first time in hours.
"Are you kidding!" McGonagol exclaimed. "That's what they created Special Ed for!"
All the Professors mouths fell, even Dumbledore looked shocked. "How dare you say such a thing!" Madam Pomfrey said, bursting into tears.
"He's not retarded though." Hermione said, looking up at her elders. Flitwick looked at her.
"Special Education in the wizarding world my dear, stands for suffering plainly extreme conditions in a lump." he explained.
"In a lump?" Hermione asked, confused with the ending.
"Not everyone in special Education looks like a human Miss Granger." Snape hissed from te back of the crowd. She made a shocked oh before looking at the five year old Draco starting to stir.
"I want my mommy, Lucy." he mumbled as he opened his eyes. "You aren't Lucy!" he hollered as he recognized her. "I don't like you! You're evil! Where's Lucy!"
"Calm down Draco, it's just Hermione. You can't expect Lucy to be here!" Hermione said, making sure to emphasis he wasn't home. He looked around and his mouth dropped.
"I'm in the sick people place. What happened?" he asked, looking to check he was in one piece.
"You lost your memory but I guess it's back." Hermione said happily.
"Of cou- What?" Draco said, all of a sudden his eyes flashing green before he looked confused.
"Do you remember anything?" Hermione asked patiently.
"Who are you?" he demanded, ignoring the question.
"I take that as a know. I'm Hermione Granger but you can call me Mia." she said, trying not to sound exasperated.
"Hi!" Draco said suddenly, giving Hermione's stomach a hug, "I'm..."
"Draco Malfoy." Hermione supplied. Draco scooted away from her to see her face.
"You have big shiny eyes, like marbles." he said, completely changing the subject. Hermione blinked before fully registering the change.
"Thank you." she said with a smile. She glanced back at the professors with a worried look.
"Miss. Granger, come here a moment." Dumbledore said kindly, his eyes shinning. Hermione slowly walked away from Draco, completely aware of how quiet the wing was.
"Yes Professor?" she muttered once they were across the silent room.
"You see, we need a favor. Obviously, Draco can't stay here, but we can't send him home so we've got a cabin for him where he won't be disturbed." Dumbledore paused and Hermione nodded, waiting for him to continue. "But he'll need supervision."
"Who?" Hermione asked suspiciously.
"Well, we can't spare any of the teachers on such short notice so we were hoping you would..." Dumbledore trailed off seeing Hermione's understanding.
"What about classes?" Hermione asked, and Dumbledore laughed, causing the teachers to start talking.
"You are the brightest witch of your time Miss Granger! You can't expect me to believe you aren't all ready way ahead of the class. You read all of your books over summer and obviously understood it or else you would have done more research. You could pass a graduation test with flying colors!" Dumbleore said. "If you are really worried about them we can send you copies of lessons and you can send in your assignments."
"Let's go with that plan." Hermione said decisively.
"I take it you agree then?" Dumbledore asked happily.
"I don't think I've ever said no to you yet." Hermione replied, walking back to Draco who happily hugged her upon arrival.
"Can we go now?" he asked, staring at the teachers and happy Dumbledore.
"Yes," Dumbledore answered for her, "as soon as the house elves bring your things." Hermione sighed at how predictable he was when the house elves popped in and dropped of the trunks.
"Draco's things won't fit him though." Hermione stated. Dumbledore smiled.
"It's all taken care of." he responded, and with that, the two were flooed off to an abandon little cabin in the middle of the woods somewhere far away.
Far away in a little cabin...
Five year old Draco glared at the room around him. "It's a muggle house." he said, glaring at it.
"Draco, just because it's muggle doesn't mean it's bad." Hermione said ass indiffrently as she could. She picked up a bag of Draco's that looked small enough for him to carry and handed it to him. "Let's go find your room." Draco's eyes lit up and he smiled.
"I get my own room?" he asked, bouncing up and down. Hermione laughed as she nodded. "Thank you Mia!" he yelled as he snatched the bag and ran off up the stairs.
Hermione followed Draco to his room and watched from just inside the doorway as he pulled things out of his bag and put them all over the floor before starting to place each one in it's place. Draco was halfway done when he froze and looked at Hermione, fear evident in his eyes. He immediately dropped everything in his hands and stood up straight. Hermione felt someone staring at her and in a blink of an eye, spun around, whipped out her wand, and managed to spit out Perfectious Totalis, before they could finish saying the killing curse. She looked to find Blaise Zabini on the floor, eyes a strange glow in the dark green. Hermione sntacthed his wand and unfroze his head to talk to him.
"What happened?" he groaned trying to move. "Fuck!" he cursed when he noticed he was on the floor and couldn't move.
"Watch your language!" Hermione snapped automatically.
"It's okay Mia, I already know that word. It's naughty. Does he get his mouth washed out with soap too or is he a grown up?" Draco asked.
"He mostly certainly isn't grown up. I'll wash his mouth out later, now, we need to have an... older person talk. Would you mind terribly leaving us for a moment?" she said, pulling the old and much hated ploy.
"I get it, I'm gone." Draco said angrily and he stomped out the door and down the stairs. Hermione smiled at his pouting before glaring at Blaise.
"How did you get here?" she asked.
"I don't remember, but while we're on the matter, where exactly is here?" he said, looking around.
"What's the last thing you remember?" she hissed, making sure Draco was still downstairs by peeking out the door before closing it.
"It's not for virgin ears." he said with a smirk.
"Does everyone in the school sleep with Pansey?" Hermione said, rolling her eyes.
"Even a few girls." Blaise said a little too happily.
"Off topic, why were you trying to kill me?" Hermione asked seriously.
"Because you're a know it all mudblood-sheeeeek" a high pitch scream emitted from what looked like a paralyzed Blaise. Hermione instantly muted him before doing a revealing charm.
"Shit." she mumbled before hitting herself on the forehead as punishment. "I can't believe someone put an unforgivable on him. I mean, who would want to control a seventeen year old?" She quickly double checked Draco wasn't outside before breaking a very important rule of magic, don't try a stupid spell on humans.
Hermione recalled that if you rhymed something it sometimes overpowered a basic Latin spell. While the unforgivable wasn't simple, it could be undone, she hoped.
"Most of my power and most of my might, let him wake himself before night, take the curse and break it soon, break before today's noon!" Hermione said, taking the words from off the top of her head. A blue light left her wand and went straight for Blaise. He turned the shade of blue before suddenly going limp and returning to his normal skin tone.
She levitated him into the next room, making sure Draco didn't see, and put him on the bed before locking the window and on her way out, the door. As she shut the door, a tug on her robes caused her to jump.
Draco stood right by her leg looking up at her with a piece of very burnt toast. He was looking at her expectantly.
"Would you like something?" she asked, looking between Draco and the toast.
"I tried to cook bread with magic but it turned black instead of brown." Draco said. "Can you fix it?" Hermione had never made toast with magic, she had never made any food with magic except what they required at school which was changing liquids to other liquids.
"I have a better way, no magic what so ever." Hermione said, making the toast turn back into bread with a reversal charm before taking it and Draco downstairs.
She led him to the toaster and sat him on the counter next to it. He poked it with his wand sharply before recoiling. He looked at it with wide eyes. Hermione just smiled. She set the piece of bread in the toaster, made sure the dial wasn't too high, and pushed down the lever, causing Draco to jump.
"It just ate my bread!" Draco said, hitting the toaster to, Hermione assumed, get it back. She quickly scooped him off the counter and out of hitting range.
"It didn't eat it, it's turning it into toast for you." Hermione said. Draco glared at it before believing her. When it popped up a few seconds later (I guess it was a magic toaster with fast cooking) Draco saw that it was toast and happily gobbled it down. Hermione rolled her eyes before glancing at her watch. It was only six in the morning. She was really tired but Draco looked ready to bounce off the walls.
Once he had finished rubbing his hands and crumbs on his shirt he looked at Hermione, then outside, then back at Hermione. "Can we play Quidditch now?" he asked happily.
"Well..." Hermione said. She looked at him.
"Please? I promise not to hurt myself." he said, putting on a puppy dog face. Hermione remembered something, children who got what they wanted by turning on a sweet face turned out to be brats and shallow.
"No. Maybe later. Right now we should get you changed." she said, motioning to his crumb covered shirt. He pouted at her and she rolled her eyes. Malfoy or not, all boys hated the thought of putting on clean cloths.