**A/N: J.K. Rowling is and will always have soul ownership over the wizarding world of Harry Potter. Though I do so enjoy love writing this story and borrowing her characters and locations. As always please enjoy the chapter.**
Daphne saw Harry in the corridor, on her way to volunteer in the Hospital Wing as she did almost every other night. She wanted to become a mediwitch when she left Hogwarts, so she studied and learned all she could from Madame Pomfrey.
"Hey Harry, whatcha doing? You look blue? Anything the matter?" She asked.
"Nothing to be worried about. Where are you going?" Harry asked. When he went to change his shirt after Hermione bled on it, he decided to stay away from Hagrid's cabin since he was dealing with one of the pregnant Unicorns tonight, and Harry wanted no part of that. He was also worried that Hermione had not gone straight to the Hospital Wing.
"I'm headed to volunteer at the Hospital Wing. Want to come?" She asked him. She really wanted to figure out what was bothering him and maybe help him.
"Sure." He replied and fell in step with her and pushed back his raven colored hair.
She smiled as she brushed a lock of her blonde hair out of her face. She took his hand and they set off up to the Hospital Wing.
As they came up to the Hospital Wing, she noticed a familiar platinum blonde head sitting on a bench just outside the door. "Draco?" She asked him as they came up on him, still holding hands.
"Greengrass?! Potter?! Why are- Wait are you dating the Golden Boy?" Draco asked with a smirk as he noticed them holding hands before laughing, "This is rich!"
She rolled her eyes "Shut it, Draco!" She said in an irritated tone. "What on Earth are you doing here?"
"Oh, nothing really. I got tired of the dungeons, so I came here to relax. What are you doing here? Going to snog Potter's face off?" Draco asked sarcastically.
She sneered at him, and pulled Harry a bit as she walked away from Draco and into the infirmary.
Harry followed Daphne in before stumbling slightly over Malfoy's foot that was conveniently placed in his path as he walked by.
Daphne felt the pull of him stumble. And she whipped her head around to look at both boys. After giving Draco a dirty look, she looked at Harry. "Are you alright?" She asked calmly.
"Fine. Just fine." Harry replied, with aggravation evident in his voice as he caught himself.
"Come on." She said softly to Harry, closing the door, ignoring Draco as he sat there arrogantly smiling at them.
As Harry walked in, he noticed that one of the beds was covered by curtains but he thought nothing of it as he sat in an open chair and watched Daphne. He really hoped that Hermione made it to the Hospital Wing before she passed out.
Madam Pomfrey called Daphne, into the area that was closed off, to assist. "Granger!?" Daphne said in shock as she walked around the curtains.
Harry heard the name and walked quickly to the curtain, he knew what had happened to her, what he didn't know was how bad off she was. "When did she get here? Is she going to be okay?" Harry the elderly medi-witch before them.
"Do you know what happened to her Mr. Potter? Because, when she arrived with Mr. Malfoy, he had no idea. He said he found her wandering the halls delirious and talking nonsense, and he couldn't make any sense of the things she was saying." Madame Pomfrey responded as she used potions and her wand to help heal the wound. "Miss Greengrass, I need you to siphon the blood as I work, so I can keep both hands free please."
While they worked, Harry turned to the entrance at the very moment Draco had looked through the small window on the door, and the two boys made eye contact. Potter frowned as he mouthed "We will talk later," to the Malfoy heir, before turning back to his bleeding friend, "No, Ma'am,, I am sorry I have no idea." He lied to Madame Pomfrey, knowing that since magic could hide it, all that would happen to Ron would be detention, or he'd get off scot free.
The medi-witch managed, after 45 minutes or so, to seal up the wound on the back of Hermione's head. She then gave Hermione a potion to help her replenish the lost blood a little faster. And left the three forth years alone.
"I will deal with Malfoy later." Harry announced to Daphne as he sat back in his chair, his fingers wrapped together in frustration.
"He's still out there. Shouldn't we tell him she's going to be okay?" Daphne asked Harry.
"Why does he want to know anyway? He is one of the people who makes her life a living hell on an almost daily basis." He demanded.
She just looked at him incredulously, "Really Harry? You said she ran off to see someone and suddenly she turns up in the Hospital Wing, brought by Draco. I do not see this as a coincidence at all."
"Please, don't say that." He replied softly dreading the truth of her statement. If he lost his last friend to Draco sodding Malfoy of all people, he would jump off the Astronomy Tower.
"Listen Harry, it might not be as bad as you think." She said smiling. "He's really not that bad a person. He has his moments, but then who doesn't?" She smirked knowingly.
"The fucking tosser has had it out for me and for Hermione for years! I don't wanna lose anyone else." Harry replied a frown.
"Are you sure it was him? Not someone else working through him Harry? Maybe, someone like his father?" She reasoned.
Harry didn't respond as he stared at the floor. His will to deal with the world slowly fading.
"You never know Harry, Draco could be more of an asset than you think." She spoke quietly, as she walked to the entrance to the Hospital Wing to speak with Draco.
Draco sat outside in the corridor as he heard footsteps walking out of the Hospital Wing.
Harry sighed as he followed Daphne, but waited on the inside of the Hospital Wing in silence.
Daphne looked at Draco as she entered the corridor and stopped just short of him. "She's going to be fine." She arrogantly.
"I just found her, why do you think I care?" Draco asked snidely.
"And you think I believe that, why? You're still sitting here Draco. If the Draco I know had found someone hurt, he'd have taken them to the Hospital Wing and left them there without a second thought, especially the girl whom he seems to have made it his life's goal to torment. So let's try that again," she said her tone not wavering once.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned, before looking to the floor and said, "What's it going to take for this to not be the talk at dinner this evening?"
"I wasn't planning on telling anyone, however, her very upset and worried best friend, in there, may need you to talk to him." She explained calmly as she turned and walked back into the Hospital Wing, hoping Draco would follow suit.
Draco sighed once before he followed Daphne inside the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey wasn't in sight, so he took a breathe.
Daphne sat in a chair and smiled at both boys. She leaned over and pulled a book she'd been reading out of her bag. "I'll just be reading then. You two talk it out." She smirked waving between the two and opened her book.
"So, Potter, I" Draco began before being cut off mid-sentence.
"Shut the fuck up Malfoy, just answer one thing. What gives you the idea that you could possibly erase almost four years of racism and death threats to date my best friend?" Harry asked frowning fiercely.
Malfoy was taken aback, where was this fierceness coming from? This was not the Potter he was used to dealing with.
Daphne looked up from her book, and Hermione had woken and was now watching the boys in front of her. But neither girl said a word.
"I don't like you. At this point, you are on my shit list alongside Snape and most of Gryffindor, besides Neville and Hermione. In any case, I can't force her to dislike you. If Hermione trusts you, then I will let it stand. However, if you have the balls to treat her poorly, I swear you will wish that the Grim Reaper was at your doorstep by the time I am done with you." Harry threatened as he stared into Malfoy's eyes. His usually emerald green eyes turning into an inferno. Draco gulped slightly and nodded nervously.
"Harry! Stop! Why are you being so mean!?" Hermione shouted suddenly. She did not like the attitude that Harry was exhibiting. He wasn't even allowing Draco to speak.
"This is four years of frustration coming out at all once." Harry explained softly as he walked toward Hermione's bed. Draco followed Harry but sat down in the chair beside Hermione's bed.
She nodded at Harry. "I understand, Harry." She said as she reached her hand out to Draco for him to take. "But Harry, when you're upset and frustrated you cannot always dominate the conversation. Sometimes there's a reason for the things people do." She explained as she looked at him intently.
"Listen, I really like Hermione and there are many reasons why I have acted the way I have, but I do care for her. I have done what I have done to protect her, as crazy as that sounds." Draco explained, rubbing calming circles on Hermione's palm.
Harry sighed and said "Fine. I can't stop this, but I want her to be happy."
Daphne piped in finally after all this time, "Are you going to continue to speak to them as if they've just betrayed you? Harry, she has a right to like and date whomever she chooses. This is what you wanted for her. And now you are going to be angry because of who she chose? That doesn't seem right. Can't you just get over it and be happy for her? And be thankful it wasn't Weasley who she liked!" she asked.
"Fine, I support whatever this is." He said petulantly but with a soft smile because he knew this was a losing argument against Daphne. She just made too much sense.
Hermione watched him, and Daphne went back to reading. "I feel like I've missed something here." Hermione noted, as she thought about the argument she just witnessed.
"Yeah, we all did." Harry replied. Harry walked to sit next to Daphne.
She looked at him sheepishly. "Harry, I'm sorry for not telling you, but we really did have our reasons." She said quietly as she held onto Draco's hand.
"It's fine." He replied. Harry kept his hands in his lap instead of wrapping his arm around Daphne.
Daphne noticed how uncomfortable he seemed to feel, and grabbed his hand and leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry I yelled at you Harry, but you needed to hear what I said." She smiled at him.
"Yeah." He replied as he held her hand, his dark hair covered his eyes slightly.
"So are you two together?" Hermione paused and winced, "My head is absolutely killing me."
"Lay back down, you're still hurt." Harry and Draco said at the same time. The Boy-Who-Felt-Like-The-World-Was-Getting-Worse-By-The-Minute sighed at this strange world he living in.
She laid back on her pillow and closed her eyes.
Daphne looked at both the boys. "Harry, I think we all may have upset her and that's not good for her recovery. You and I should go and maybe talk with the two of them when she's better. Alright?" She said as she stood and closed her book. She smiled at both Draco and Hermione, still slightly in disbelief herself that the Slytherin Prince would ever think about dating the Gryffindor Princess. But she was prepared to accept it and to help Harry accept it as well.
"Ok,let's head upstairs, I need to talk to you, and we need somewhere private." Harry replied as he stood up next to Daphne.
She nodded got off the bed looking at Hermione. "I'm glad you're okay. And to answer your question, Harry and I are... friends." She told her.
"Thank you," Hermione replied back.
"You ready Harry?" She said looking at him.
Harry nodded as he took her hand and began walking her out of the Hospital Wing as a blush began to form on his face.