Chapter 18
To Recover
Draco POV
I caught Hannah before she fell to the floor, already too deep in sleep to wake up.
"She can't go to classes." Potter said as I lifted Hannah up, holding her to me as she slept.
"She has to." McGonagall told Potter. "Or she'll never pass her final exams, graduate or be able to get married."
"But, Professor," I spoke up. "with all due respect, surely you can't let her physically go to classes knowing that there is someone in the school who tried to kill her!"
"Mr Malfoy, I am the Headmistress of this school, I know that what befell Ms Potter has disturbed you greatly, but she must attend classes. We agreed this afternoon, Mr Malfoy, that in order to use the castle as your wedding venue, you both needed to pass your classes. In order for her to pass her classes, she will need to attend to attain the course work."
"I'll give her the work!" I protested. "Professor, please, she's not safe in the corridors knowing that any one person could be the one who tried to kill her tonight, that any person in school can easily break into her dorm and take what they please, kidnap her pets like whoever did this did with her owl. The last thing Hogwarts needs is having the death of the Girl Who Lived and Harley Quinn on its hands."
I could tell McGonagall wanted to lecture me a new one about how rude it was to talk to a Professor like that. But I wasn't a first year school boy anymore, I was a full grown eighteen year old man. It was still disrespectful to speak to the Headmistress like I did, but this was a life or death situation. If left to go to classes, Hannah could easily be kidnapped, tortured, raped (dear god, don't let her be raped!) or worse…murdered. All to obtain that God damned fucking Necromancer's Tome!
I knew McGonagall wanted to give me detention and a stern talking to, but I saw something waver in her eyes and she nodded. "I do see your point, Mr Malfoy. We don't want innocent students attacked so whoever is doing this can get to Ms Potter, if she feels it's safe enough to return to classes physically, she may, if not, she may stay in her dorm, provided you keep her caught up in her schoolwork."
"Of course, Professor." I said with a nod.
"For now, she shouldn't focus on schooling." Pomfrey chided, taking in her slowly healing neck. "Exhaustion, blood loss and trauma, she needs to focus on relaxing."
I nodded as the Professors left, carrying Hannah to my dorm and laying her in my bed, draping the blanket over her.
I wanted to crawl in with her, but decided against it. She could easily wake up when I slid in with her.
I took Nona and one of the many pillows and laid down on the floor, letting her sleep in my bed, holding her hand until I fell asleep, my hand slipping from hers.
…
Hannah POV
My scar was still stinging, but it wasn't burning with the force of a curse like it had been when I woke up.
I groaned, rolling over when I felt the sun in my face, not wanting to get up for classes. Not after what had happened late that night.
Then something instantly hit me. The scent I knew from anywhere.
Draco's scent.
At this I instantly opened my eyes and found Draco lying on the floor, covered in blood.
I gasped, almost screaming as I shot up, vertigo instantly hitting as I looked down.
First me, and then Draco? Why me!? I burst into silent tears at the thought of Draco dead on the floor as I slept.
Draco rolled over and sat up, stretching.
I practically collapsed again from the shock, quickly gathering myself and pretending to still be asleep.
I skilfully kept an eye partially open to watch Draco drape the blanket over me and kiss my forehead, getting a book.
"Malfoy," I heard Harry mutter from the door. "we have to go to class."
"I'm not leaving her alone." Draco told my brother, stroking the hair from my forehead as I continued to pretend to sleep.
"I have Kreacher checking in on her every few hours. She'll be fine on her own for a while." Harry said. "Come on, Malfoy, it's bad enough that Hannah's not able to go to classes at the moment, it'll help her if you go."
Draco huffed and got ready. "You twist my arm too much, Potter." he muttered.
"It's for your own good. That, and I don't want my sister marrying some deadbeat." Harry started laughing.
"Fuck off, Potter!" Draco shouted, running out the door and slamming it closed.
I sighed in relief, opening my eyes and slowly sitting up, ignoring the vertigo to brush my hair before remembering the After Ever After song that I had heard over that summer and personalized it, starting with Ariel:
"I loved being a princess, what a lucky fate I drew. But someone tried to kill me last night, I don't know what to do. I'm confused, I'm scared and helpless, now afraid to leave this room! She's after my head and neck, I turn my back and I'm doomed! Who is this Z? Who is this Z? The woman that's thrilling herself by killing others to get to me? Does she want revenge for one she lost? Does she want a perfect shot? Who's getting a thrill by letting me wonder who is this Z?"
I sat on Draco's bed, taking out my journal from my room and writing down what was happening to me, singing as I did, in Jasmine's perspective.
"Hey, I'm ok, but I'm slightly scared, I've become a mark for the Death Eaters, much to my terror, I'm being tracked down by a woman being kept at bay. They claimed that I sinned, because I'm Harley Quinn, the one who put them away! Who is Z, where could she be, waiting in water? Waiting to interrogate me to become free, should I take fall? claim I don't remember anything at all? I might go crazy if Draco continues to make a fuss, We're innocent, Harry can vouch for us. People were dying, I did my share of crying, I just want to be set free! Of this woman with no name but Z!"
I sighed, continuing to write, Belle's part in After Ever After ringing through my head.
"This world's gone wild since the war has ended, Z thinks Harley's going to hell! But the things she claimed I did, was a plea, a desperate bid, to keep me from the crypt or a prison cell! No, I'm surrounded by mad men! I fear Z plans to burn me at the stake! They legit believe I am Satan, and now I fear that the Death Eaters will take me or Draco away!"
I set my journal away and read my book before I dropped off.
…
Draco POV
I couldn't focus on classes that morning, all I wanted to do was check up on Hannah in the dorm and see if she was asleep still, calm her down from what happened.
When I went down for lunch, Mel ran to hug me.
"Dracy!" Mel squealed happily, looking up at me.
I grinned, picking her up and kissing her forehead. "Hi, Mel Bell." I said, hugging her.
Mel looked around, then to me raising an eyebrow. "Where's Hannah?" she asked me.
I sat with her in the corridor, giving her a piece of chocolate that I kept in my pocket. (Refrigeration Charm kept it all from melting.) "Mel, Hannah may not come out of the dorm for a while." I told her.
"Why?" Mel asked, looking up at me.
"Because last night…" I looked around before dropping my voice to a whisper. "last night Hannah was almost murdered in her bed."
Mel paled and looked at me wide eyed. "How?" she asked with a shaky voice.
"Whoever they were, they practically slit her throat." I muttered, looking down. "If her brother didn't wake me or sense she was in trouble, she'd definitely be dead."
Mel looked at me, wide eyed. "I thought Hogwarts was safe?" she asked, trembling.
I wrapped my cloak around her. "It is. McGonagall's going to put protection around the Head dorms to keep whoever did this out."
Mel relaxed. "Will I be safe in Ravenclaw Tower?" she asked.
I nodded. "Of course you will." I assured her. "But you have to do me a favour, ok?"
Mel nodded as I wrapped an arm around her. "Anything for my big brother."
I smirked at her and continued. "You have to keep this from Mother. Hannah is like a daughter to Mother and I don't want to worry her."
Mel bit her lip. "I don't think I can keep something like this from Mummy."
"Please, Mel?" I begged. "If Mother catches wind that my fiancée was almost murdered in her bed, she will make us come home instantly and make Hannah and I get married in the Manor, not at Hogwarts like we planned."
Mel creased her eyebrows together. "Ok. But you have to tell her yourself!"
I sighed before realizing that Hannah was alone in the dorm!
"Mel, come on!" Heather Jonson shouted, waving Mel over.
"Coming!" Mel shouted, giving me a hug before running off after her friends and leaving me to go check on Hannah.
…
Hannah POV
I jolted awake for what felt like the twenty third time that day with a pain I was starting to compare to an electric shock, being Tasered in the small of my back.
I clenched my teeth together, arching my back and flopping on my side to read my Tome, trying to stretch the muscles in my back as I read, the door opening.
"How long have you been awake?" Draco asked, sitting on the edge of the bed with me.
"Been in and out all day." I admitted, not taking my eyes off the Tome.
I felt Draco put his hand on the small of my back, making me look up at him.
"How long were you able to sleep?" Draco asked me.
"I'd drop off for five minutes," I murmured, sighing at the relief I felt from Draco's touch. "then I'd wake up with the feeling that I was Tasered."
Draco paled. "Where?" he asked.
"The small of my back." I muttered, looking down.
Draco instantly took his hand off my back. "Sorry." he muttered.
I sighed. "Don't be." I whispered, closing the book and tucking it back under the floorboard, taking the scrap of cloak I had ripped off of Z, staring at it as if it could give me some sort of clue to who she was.
I looked at the cloak, trying to figure out the scent of the cloth, any sort of clue as to who was after me.
Draco took the cloth from my hand. "Hannah, don't, that's the last thing you need. It'll spare you from the stress if you just stay oblivious to what's going on."
I huffed, crossing my arms. "Draco, I need to know who's after me."
"Hannah, no!" Draco said sternly. "I'll figure it out. You're in no state to figure anything out. Know one thing too many and she'll be back, and Potter may not be able to save you a second time!"
I huffed, whipping around. "You're impossible!" I whined.
"I'm thinking about you." Draco told me, tucking a lock of hair behind my ear. "If you know too much, whoever Z is will return. They will find you."
I looked hopelessly up at him. "How the hell am I supposed to feel safe knowing that someone could break into my dorm at any time to slit my throat?" I asked, almost to the point of tears. "Knowing you, you'll keep the information I need to know from me 'to spare me from the stress.'" I quoted him. "If anything, it'll stress me out more not knowing who tried to kill me last night. It could be anyone, could even have been one of the Hufflepuffs!"
"One of the HUFFLEPUFFS!?" Draco asked. "Please, why would one of the Hufflepuffs want to do you in?"
"Because it's because of me that one of their own died! I helped kill Cedric that night in fourth year by luring him to that graveyard, and if I wasn't in that classroom, She-Cat wouldn't have jumped to save me. I killed two Hufflepuffs and they all probably resent me for it. You remember second year when I was accused of being Slytherin's Heir." I said, sobbing at this point. "Ernie MacMillan flat up accused me of attacking She-Cat and everyone else!"
Draco took hold of my upper back, drawing me to him and stroking my hair as I started sobbing uncontrollably.
"Hannah, Hannah, listen to me." Draco whispered. "I know you're scared and I know you're confused, but you can't know who Z is if I find out. But I swear on my life that I'll protect you to the death should need be."
I sighed, giving up. My mystery loving nature was doomed. Sherlock Potter was doomed to die if her fiancé had anything to say about it.
I let my head fall against Draco's chest as we laid down, his heartbeat familiar and gentle against my cheek, relaxing as Draco brushed the lingering tear from my other cheek, singing my lullaby as he rubbed the spot in my back that constantly felt like I was being Tasered in.
"I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go. When all those shadows almost killed your light. And I remember you said don't leave me here alone, but all that's dead and gone and past tonight.
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down, you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now, come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound."
I sighed, letting my eyes drift closed. So being held was all I needed that day? Why didn't I See this before?
Perfect. I thought, letting my mind start to drift.
"Don't you dare look out your window darling, everything's on fire, the war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold on to this lullaby, even when the music's gone. Gone.
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down, you'll be alright, no one can hurt you now, come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound."
I felt Draco wrap a blanket that overwhelmed my senses with the scent of him, warmth flooding my head.
"You know you're small when you fit in a baby blanket, right?" Draco murmured to me.
I never answered him, with a delicate smirk in place, I let myself drift off completely.
…
Meanwhile
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THE GIRL IS STILL ALIVE!?" Lucius screamed at the Death Eater agent, who had visited to deliver the news.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, but the girl is good." the hooded agent said, head bowed. "My ally wound up with a concussion with how hard the girl kicked them."
"I don't care if she's got the best kick outside of the Rockettes!" Cronus hissed. "I. Want. That. Tome! AND I WANT IT NOW!"
"Cronus, this may be harder than I thought." the cloaked figured person in the background thought aloud. "She is rare. Her kind are impossible to find."
"I know that, my dear." Cronus softened his expression and pressed a kiss to the background person's forehead. "But she has the Tome, we need the Tome to bring back Ravencroft and a Necromancer to perform the ritual!"
"She'll never do it." Traci Lestrange announced. "Knowing what we'll do."
"Unless…" Isabel Lockton smirked. "we blackmail her. Threaten her precious Draco's life in exchange, she performs the ritual."
"Malfoy has an Earth affinity." Cronus told Lockton with an angered huff. "He can protect himself."
Lucius stopped again, face clouded over. "Unless…we need her. Her blood in someone's veins will give them the Necromancer's Gift."
Cronus grinned. "Perfect!" he laughed. "PERFECT!" he roared. "We get the girl, drain her blood and put it into my veins, then I'll get her gift, bring back Ravencroft and a new age of magical life, and our sweet little Potter friend will be hopeless without her life force!"
The Death Eaters roared triumphantly. "YES!" they cackled.
"Wait, the Aurors will sound the alarm should Potter be brought in and not out." Amycus muttered.
Lucius smirked. "And that's why we must initiate stage one of our plan."
"And that would be?" everyone asked.
Lucius laughed. "Ladies and gentleman, we're going to break out of Azkaban."
