a/n sorry for the short chapter but I really felt that I needed to get an update up, school is in full swing again and as per usual grading is taking over my life. I sneak in typing whenever I can but it's slim right now. Hope you enjoy this little bit, I'm not sure where it came from as this wasn't my original intention. Back to e-mail exchanges next time, then on to more memories. The end is in sight at least for me. Thanks again to all those following, and as always reviews are welcomed and appreciated.
12/18/99
To: HJP80ATyahooDOTcom
From: dlm80ATyahooDOTcom
Draco,
Just a quick update, please don't worry her mind is in good hands but Hermion collapsed at the end of watching memories today. I took her straight to Hogwarts Madam Pomfrey is caring for her. She said she will be just fine but they laid out some new ground rules I agree with I'll share them with you next time. Oh they is Pomfrey and McGonagall. I'm going back to sit with her tonight so if you reply I won't be able to get back to you right away I'll message you again tomorrow.
Harry
Harry closed the laptop and headed to the door back to number 13, stopping at the connecting door and stepping back into 12 dialing his cell phone at the same time. He left the same message on Draco's voice mail then went ahead collecting things and flooing back to Hogwarts.
Draco stepped through the hedge into the garden separating magical and non magical New Orleans. As he left the garden he pulled out his cell phone and turned it on as was his daily routine. There was rarely any reason to have it on. He had just left the only people who might contact him that way other than Potter who hadn't texted him in months since they started using e-mail, still it was always good to have it on just in case. He had recently heard that the MACUSA Department of Magical Law Enforcement had set up a phone bank in the NoMaj world in case a witch or wizard ever needed their assistance and had no magical means of letting them know. It worked much the same was as 911 did for the NoMaj population. Not that he didn't feel he could take care of himself but it was always wise to be prepared which was why he was also taking self defense classes with Claire and her sister twice weekly.
As he stepped out onto the sidewalk his phone buzzed to notify him that he had a voicemail. Surprised, but sure it was simply a wrong number as he'd had several of them over the past month he dialed the number to retrieve his message and stood listening with a concern growing on his face. When the recording stopped he listened to it again and again.
Terry found Draco standing on the sidewalk staring at his phone, "What's up Dray?"
When Draco didn't respond Terry waved a hand in his face, "Draco?"
Draco looked up at him, "Hermione," was all he said.
Terry raised an eyebrow, "What about her?"
"She… I don't… it's all my fault…" Draco continued mumbling.
Seeing the phone in Draco's hand he gestured to it, "May I?"
Draco pushed the phone out towards him. Terry took it and replayed the message. Then pocketed Draco's phone to keep him from doing anything dumb with it, and took out his own dialing as he placed a hand on Draco's shoulder and began to direct him down the street.
"John, meet me at Draco's and bring a Calming Draught and a Dreamless Sleep. If we don't have one stop by and see Martha. Actually stop by there anyway and tell her we may need to use her Floo to call Scotland or England if we can get approval. I'll explain I promise but I have to get Draco home. Love you."
"Come on now Draco, let's go to your place and I'll make you some tea. You Brits do fancy your tea don't you? You can drink your tea and then we can talk. For now Hermione is being taken care of and will be just fine."
Terry continued to murmur reassurances to Draco as they walked. When they reached the blond's apartment he didn't bother to ask for the key simply cast a quick surreptitious Alohamora, then led Draco to sit on the futon, and set about making tea and locating cookies to go with it, thinking Draco might need some sugar. While the kettle sat on the stove heating he pulled two of the chairs from the closet that he and the others had managed to convince Draco to purchase so that they would have places to sit when they visited. Shaking his head and the uncomfortableness of the metal folding chair he transformed each into large recliners. Every minute or so he looked over at Draco who sat in a daze and would suddenly jump to his feet and begin pacing at which point Terry would go over and gently lead him back to the futon.
Shortly after Terry placed the tea tray on the low coffee table and placed a cup in Draco's hand there came a knock at the door. He rose and peered through the peephole. Seeing his husband and boss he slid out the door holding it just barely open so that he could keep an eye on his friend while explaining to them the situation. John accompanied Terry back into the apartment taking the other recliner as Martha apparated away promising to return shortly.
Draco still sat with the undrunk cup in his hand. John and Terry exchanged looks neither sure of what to say or where to start. Finally John leaned forward, "Draco do you trust the people taking care of Hermione?"
Draco's eyes seemed to come back into focus, he looked down at the cup in his hands, then up at John and Terry, shook his head and said, "What did you say?"
"Do you trust the people taking care of Hermione? We know that you and Harry have a sordid past as you've told us but you seem to trust him. Do you trust this Pomfrey and McGonagall? Do you trust that they will do their level best to care for her?"
"Yes. They both love her, she was a favorite of most of the teachers at Hogwarts. They'll do anything they can to take care ofher."
"Do you trust them to be honest with you? Would either of them or Harry lie to you about her condition?" seeing Draco shake his head at the second question John pressed a little further, "Would you trust them with your own life? Because if you would then you know that Hermione is in the best of hands and you can relax."
"But it's all my fault," he protested, "we should never have done this. I should have just left her alone. She would never have had to know. I can't ever live there again anyway. What was I thinking? Even if she did remember? Even if she didn't and still decided she cared we could never really be together. She'd have to move away from her family. It would damage her reputation. She wouldn't be able to stay there and make the changes she wants to make to the laws over there. This was horrible idea. I should have known something would go wrong."
As Draco rambled and ranted, Martha slid through the door. She walked over and sat next to him looking first to Terry who shrugged and then to John who shook his head slowly.
"She could have died. I've lost her once I can't lose her again. What if I lose her again? What if they're wrong? What if what happened has long lasting effects? What if she's never the same again? What if her mind...her brain is damaged? I have to tell her to stop. We can't keep doing this. I can't… I can't lose her," as he said the last tears streamed down his face.
Marth pulled him over into her arms, rubbing his back, and murmured to him. John uncapped a vial and poured some into Draco's tea cup. When Draco had calmed again she passed him the tea cup and encouraged him to drink.
A few moments later he looked out the window then back to his friends and his boss, "I apologize. I never meant to bring you all into this. I'm okay now you can go. Thank you for...well thank you."
"Draco," Martha said taking his hand, "I've just come from the shop where I spoke with Minerva McGonagall."
"McGongall? But it must be after midnight there. How were you able to call her?"
"It is after midnight but Minerva is a night owl it seems. I got approval for a Floo connection to her office when we were trying to decide if you should apprentice at the shop. We had a lovely conversation then and have kept in touch since. I believe I may have her convinced to come for a visit over the summer. I think she'd quite enjoy touring our lovely city and some of the rest of the country and it would be a perfect way for me to get Maury to take a break. Oh but I'm getting off the topic. I'm sorry my dear. She wasn't in when I called but one of the portraits kindly let her know and she came right up. Hermione is fine my dear, truly. Harry took her straight to Hogwarts and Poppy was able to assess and treat her immediately. She is in no danger. She has woken up and spoken with them, though she is sleeping again now. Poppy will check her again in the morning and then Minerva said we can call her from the shop so taht she can fill us in but they are both quite sure that she will be absolutely fine," she reassured him.
"We can talk to them tomorrow?"
"First thing in the morning, come to the shop. It will be afternoon there and Minerva has assured me that she will be in her office waiting and if she happens to be called away she will ask Poppy to wait. So dear, I think you should eat something and relax. Get some sleep and we'll talk tomorrow," she patted his knee, he took her hand and squeezed it.
"Thank you Martha. I can't thank you enough-"
"Nonesense dear," she waved her hand, "it was absolutely no trouble."
"But you didn't get to go home," he turned to look at Terry and John, "none of you got to go home and relax. You are all here taking care of me."
Terry leaned forward in his chair, "That's what friends do for one another."
"And we're more family than friends, besides John and Terry are both here so they're not missing out on seeing each other and," there came a knock at the door, "that will be Maury, he ran to our favorite Chinese place to get us all some dinner."
"Chinese?" Terry very nearly squealed, "Have I told you lately how much I adore you Martha?"
She laughed and let her husband in. They set the food out on the small coffee table, all of them settling onto the ground around it eating straight out of the containers with chopsticks and making a mess but laughing all the while. Draco even laughed a time or two though he was more than his usual reserved self obviously still preoccupied. Each person at some point in the evening found the chance to run a hand over his back, pat him on the shoulder, or in the case of Maurice ruffle his hair causing him to scowl but also fight back a grin. Though both Terry and Martha offered to stay with him, Draco shooed them all out of the apartment at eleven with promises to meet at the shop by nine the next morning.
After cleaning up the room and himself Draco lay on his now flat futon, staring at the ceiling, playing with his silver sickle, just wanting to make it through the night. At some point he finally drifted into a fitful sleep.
The next morning he was awakened by a circle of warmth on his chest. Opening his eyes he expected to see the sun peeking through the windows in a stream landing on him, rather the sun was shining on the floor. Bewildered he moved his hands to the warm spot, finding the sickle he looked at it carefully. Smiling he drifted tucked it tight in his hand and drifted back to sleep having seen all he needed to: I'm OK.
