Chapter Four

Hermione stopped by during lunch, and then that night as well. There was no change. She would just sit by Harry's bedside, hoping that he would wake up. It was painful to see him like this. Healer Brown said he was breathing okay, but the spells to keep him breathing and his heart beating was only a precaution in case something happened. His condition was still delicate, and the fact that he hadn't woken up yet… He said it could be a bad sign, but it wasn't necessarily. Only time would tell, and she just needed to be patient. He wasn't getting worse, and that was a good sign.

Hermione reached out and took Harry's hand. It felt normal like he should wake up at any moment. But he wasn't. She squeezed it, and ran her thumb over his fingers, hoping to prove some sort of reaction. She got nothing. She refused to believe that he would never wake up. She had no idea what she would do without him. It was then that she felt a hand on her shoulder and nearly jumped out her skin. She turned rapidly around to find Draco looking down at her.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked, honestly surprised to see him here in Harry's room. Her eyes quickly went back down to Harry.

"To see you, of course," Draco said with a wave of his hand. "I had a feeling you'd be here. Have you even gone home today?" Hermione knew that her silence would be answer enough. "Come on, come to dinner with me. You need to eat, and I bet you haven't eaten anything either." He held out his hand for her. "Potter will be here when you get back. Harry is not going anywhere."

Hermione looked up into his face, the use of Harry's first name coming out of Draco's mouth shocking her a bit. She wondered what she should do. Part of her felt like she should stay here with Harry. He needed her, but… She wanted to go to dinner with Draco. He was being so supportive. Besides, she knew he was right. Harry wasn't going anywhere.

Hermione took a deep breath, and reached over, putting her hand in Draco's. "You're right," she told him, tearing her eyes away from Harry. "I haven't eaten since this morning, and that was rushed."

Draco smirked. "I thought so," he said.

Within a few minutes, Draco had Apparated them to a beautiful, slightly upscale Wizarding restaurant in London. She gasped and turned her head quickly to look over at him. "Draco, I'm not dressed for this!"

He waved his hand in a nonchalant manner. "Nonsense, you look fine," he told her. "I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think so."

Hermione nodded, but she still felt out of place. Draco led her inside, and the Host looked up from the podium he was standing at. "Ah, Mr. Malfoy, a pleasure to see you," he said. "Right this way." The Host didn't hesitate, and quickly they were led to a nice table near the window. "I hope you find this table satisfactory." He set the menus in front of them.

"Of course, this is fine, Bernard, thank you," Draco said, not glancing at him.

Bernard nodded. "Charlie will be right with you." With that, the host swept off.

Hermione opened her menu and glanced at it. The prices were a bit on the high side, but she could still afford it. "You come here often, I take it?" She wished he would have told her they were going to a nice place. She knew that he had high tastes, and... "I could have gone home and changed real quick, you know? It doesn't take me that long."

Draco sighed. "I told you, Hermione, there's nothing wrong with how you look, at all. If I had thought so, I would have suggested you change. Obviously, I do not."

Hermione nodded. She appreciated that, but still. She also wished she would have known in advance because she wasn't used to going to places like this unless it was a very special occasion. That was about when their waiter, Charlie, came over.

He smiled at them. "Wonderful to see you again, Mr. Malfoy," he said. "And your lovely guest. What can I get to you two to drink tonight? Our special is a fillet of beef with a red wine reduction sauce, roasted potatoes, and grilled vegetables. Our soup of the night is a White Onion Soup."

"Er, I'll have a water, please," Hermione said.

"Nonsense," Draco said almost instantly. "Give her a Riesling. Have you tried it, Hermione? You should. I'll take a Merlot."

Charlie nodded. "Of course. Are you ready to order, or do you need a moment?" Hermione nodded. "Brilliant, what can I get for you, ma'am?" Hermione ordered the special with a house salad with vinaigrette dressing. Draco ordered the same but got soup instead. The waiter smiled, said he'd put that right in and walked off.

Draco asked Hermione about work. She told him about some of the changes she was trying to make working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but that there were other things that she wanted to do. She loved her job, but she was limited in what she could do and the changes that she could make because of her position in that department. She had to go through so many hoops to get things done. She just thought that some things could be streamlined a bit.

"Sounds like you should do that yourself," Draco told her as he sipped his wine, which had been delivered during her speech.

Hermione blinked at him. "Do it myself?"

Draco nodded. "You're an intelligent woman," he said. "I've told you before that you need to switch to another department. I know you like your job, but if you really want to do more change, you need to switch to a department with a bit more power, like… the Magical Law Enforcement Department. You may not like it, but it'll the best way to make yourself heard."

Hermione noticed that Draco didn't say he agreed with some of the things she had done - changes she initiated for House Elves, Werewolves, and the like. They had in-depth discussions, and the change was slow to come, of course. She understood to a point, at least now, where he was coming from. He had been raised in a strict, pureblood household and that made for a certain way of thinking. Ron actually would agree with him on some things, not that either would admit that.

"Yeah, you may have a point there," Hermione grudgingly admitted as she ate her salad, which had been served towards the beginning of her talk. "You're right; I don't have enough pull yet. I'm still rather new to the Ministry. I've only worked there two and a half years, and I've already done quite a bit for someone so young. It's just… I want to do more."

Draco nodded. "Then, do it, because although you can try to get things through to other departments to get them done, nothing will be done right if you don't do it yourself."

Hermione nodded and then asked about his work. He went on about the potions he was making, and the challenges of keeping up with the potion making he had to do. She knew he loved it and was simply over exaggerating. That was his style, of course. Their dinner was served about halfway through him talking about a new potion he was trying to do. She offered a couple of suggestions, which he took with a polite nod, saying that he'd keep them in mind.

As they ate and talked, Hermione was once again struck by how differently things were with him than with Ron. Yes, she knew that she and Ron had been dating for three years while she and Draco were merely friends, but… Draco always offered her suggestions, challenged her opinions. She couldn't count how many times they had gotten into in-depth discussions about the pros and cons of some new law the Ministry was implementing. As their dinner plates were taken away, she didn't want the night to end. Charlie asked if they'd like to order dessert.

"What do you think?" Draco asked her.

Hermione shook her head. "No, thank you, I couldn't eat another bite."

"You should take a piece of their Cheesecake home, it's delicious," he said. "Make that two please, both to go, and then we'll take the check."

Hermione was glad she'd only ordered one glass of wine because she didn't think she could have afforded this otherwise. Besides, she only needed one glass. It was then that she realized that Draco had asked for the check, without asking for it to be split. They always split things. Was it just because it was a fancier restaurant? She wasn't poor. "You know, you don't have to pay for me, Draco."

Draco smirked at her. "I typically pay for a woman when I take her out a date."

Hermione stared at him for a second before a deep blush crossed her cheeks. "Yes, of course," she said, her voice sounding rather embarrassed and small. A date? This was a date?She asked herself. Of course, it is. You two haven't gone out for drinks at a restaurant like this. Why didn't you see he was asking you out? She wouldn't have worn her work clothes out on a date though he said he didn't mind the way she looked.

Draco continued to smirk at her when Charlie brought the two boxes and then check. He asked if there was anything else he could do for them. Draco said no, and paid for the bill before escorting her outside. He took her back to St. Mungo's, and to Harry's room. "Visiting hours are nearly over, but I can talk to security to let you stay if you wish," he offered, his arm around her shoulders for comfort.

Hermione smiled up at him. She wanted to stay. "I should go home and sleep, right?"

Draco nodded. "Yes, you should. There's nothing you can do for him here. Potter will be here in the morning, and you'll be alerted if there's any change. He's a survivor. He won't be done in by some dumb spell by Dennis Creevey."

Hermione nodded, leaning into him a bit. "I know. You're right." She walked over, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek. After that, Draco offered to take her home. She agreed, and before long, they were standing outside the door to her and Harry's apartment. "This is me. I had a wonderful time tonight. I would have dressed nicer if I would have known ahead of time -"

Draco cut her off with a soft kiss on her lips. The kiss was brief, but it wiped all thoughts from her mind. She melted into him, and when he pulled away, she didn't want him to stop. "I told you. I have no problem with what you're wearing."

A blush crossed her cheeks again. "Yes, you mentioned that."

"You didn't realize I had asked you on a date, did you?"

Her blush deepened, and she averted her gaze. "No, sorry. I was distracted."

"Yes, I know," Draco said, waving off her comment. "Would you have turned me down?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I would have said yes." She knew that. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that she should have said yes if it had occurred to her he was asking her out a date. She had wanted him to, without really admitted it to herself.

"Of course, you would have," Draco said, and Hermione knew that there was no doubt in his mind about that. With that, he leaned down and kissed her again, slipping his hand around her waist, and deepening the kiss from their first one. Hermione wrapped her arms around his neck, but again, the kiss ended too quickly. "I will see you tomorrow."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, you will," she said. "You know, your parents will hate this."

"I'm aware," Draco said. "What are they going to do? Disown me?" He scoffed. "And give the money to whom?" Hermione gave a light laugh. She knew he was right about that. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Draco," she said as she went into the flat, a smile on her face. As worried as she still was about Harry, she had a good feeling about her and Draco. Dealing with his parents would be a project, but… somehow, she had a feeling it would be worth it. If only Harry would wake up soon…

Hermione woke up the next morning, her good mood from her first date with Draco having worn off. She ate something quickly and headed back to the hospital. There had been no change overnight. Harry was still breathing on his own, his heartbeat was becoming more regular, but he was still unconscious. Ron arrived and said he'd wait with Harry. It made her feel better knowing that one of his friends were there. He told her that Dean and Seamus had showed up yesterday, as did Hannah. Neville couldn't get away from school but sent his best.

Hermione went to work, throwing herself into it before lunch came. She didn't bother with eating. It had been three days since Harry had lost consciousness. When was he going to wake up? She let Ron have a break to get some food and took his spot next to Harry. He came back a short time later, and the two just sat there for a few minutes until a familiar voice came from the doorway.

"Have you eaten today, Hermione?" Draco asked her.

Hermione turned back to him and smiled. "I ate this morning," she told him.

"Yes, but have you eaten lunch?"

Hermione got up to him, and he put his arms around her, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Nice to see you, too," she said, "and no, I haven't. I was going to just -"

"Not eat at all today," Draco said, finishing her sentence for her. "I can't take you out again tonight because I have to work late today."

She gave him a light slap on his arm. "I don't expect you to do that, you know," she told him. "It's just…" She looked back at Harry's unconscious form, catching a glimpse of Ron, who was glaring right at them. She ignored him and turned back to Draco as he began to speak again.

"Potter will be fine," he told her. "You need to take care of yourself, too." She nodded. "I have to get back to work." He gave her another kiss. "I'll talk to you later. Go eat something."

Hermione gave a sigh as he walked off. She knew it was right, but it was so hard to think about herself at all when Harry was… She turned back around, and the look on Ron's face was one of fury. She crossed her arms over her chest, just waiting for him to say what was on his mind - not that she needed him to, of course. She could read him like an open book.

"You - and him ?" He was practically seething, almost acting as if she was cheating him on him when they had been broken up for months now. "Are you that desperate? When your best friend is lying in the hospital, unconscious?"

Hermione walked over to him and slapped him across the face. "How dare you?" she said. "You should know me better than that. He and I have gotten close over the past few months, and yes, we went out on a date last night but not because I was desperate you bloody arse. He's charismatic, nice… in his own way. He challenges me. I like being around him. He was getting me to eat because I hadn't eaten all day. We are not getting back together, and I'm sorry if you've been waiting for that these past few months, but I moved on. You should, too." With that, Hermione turned and left, leaving Ron to stew.

Harry blinked, slowly opening up his eyes. He felt a bit groggy. Groaning, he looked around. The lights were bright, and he shielded his eyes. Where am I? he thought to himself. His memory felt a bit fuzzy. He felt like he had slept for a week. In what seemed like an instant, he was suddenly surrounded by Healers in their white robes. It took him a moment before he could concentrate enough to notice that one of them - a man - was speaking to him.

"Mr. Potter, I am Healer Brown, can you hear me?" said the man.

Harry nodded. "Yeah, what… what happened?"

"You were attacked in Diagon Alley four days ago," he explained, his wand waving up and down Harry's body. "Do you remember?"

Slowly, the memories of that morning started coming back to him. He had gotten his results back from his Healer's Entrance Exam, and had passed. He'd been happy and wanted to tell Severus about it, but he had run into Dennis Creevey. He nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Healer Brown nodded. "Good to hear," he said. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit," Harry responded. He tried to move, and suddenly, a strong hand pushed him back down on the bed, gently.

"I would be surprised if you didn't, now stay still, Mr. Potter, as I finish my spells," he said. After a few moments, he put his wand back his robes and the room emptied except for them. "Your status is not good, I'm afraid. The previous spell you were hit with has done a lot of damage, damage which the spell Mr. Creevey hit you with seems to have made worse. Before you ask, your friend, Ms. Granger, told me what happened. She thought that we might accidentally kill you if we didn't know."

"How bad is it?" Harry asked.

"I'm not going to lie to you, it's not good," Brown said. "The damage has spread from just your heart and lungs to your entire body. You are going to be very weak for quite a while. It's not going to be easy to get back to where you were."

"When can I go home?" Harry said. "I can recover there."

Brown shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. "If your condition doesn't worsen in a few days, maybe I'll release you under someone else's care. Not until then. For the meantime, you are not going anywhere. I'll get a set of potions brought down, and yes, I was told, Mr. Potter, so no, there will not be any sleeping potions - potions for pain, calming draughts, the potion for your chest, and the like. Get some rest, and I'll have some reading material brought in."

Harry spent the next few hours reading and eating. He hadn't touched the potions. Hermione came in around lunch. His bushy-haired friend came over and gave him a hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you're awake, you just can't imagine," she said, tears of happiness streaming down her face. "What did Healer Brown say?" Harry told her what Healer Brown had said, and she gasped. "How long do you think you'll be put on bed rest when they let you out?" she asked.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he said. It was going to be long enough. He was not looking forward to it. "How bad was the fallout from the article?"

Hermione shook her head. "There was no article," she said. "Lucius Malfoy stopped it."

Harry frowned at her. That was probably the strangest thing he'd ever heard, and it made no sense at all. "Malfoy did? Why?" He had no reason to do anything like that, and most certainly not for him.

"Because Snape asked him to," she said. Harry immediately became confused. Why would he stop the article if he didn't want him around? That was a clear sign that he must feel something or he wouldn't have bothered. "You haven't touched your potions!"

Harry shook his head. "I don't want any potions that aren't made by Severus." He knew he was being stubborn, and he was sure that the Potions Master here was very qualified, but... still, he couldn't do it.

Hermione stared at him for a second before she gasped in shock. "Harry…"

Harry was still confused, but this time by Hermione. "Yes, Hermione?"

"You're… with Snape…" Oh, she figured it out, he thought to himself. It only made sense that she would. After all, she was Hermione. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Harry wasn't ready to talk about it yet, especially considering Severus was refusing to even discuss anything. There was no point in telling Hermione anything because the fact of the matter was, there was nothing to tell. "Harry…" She was giving him that look, that look that said that she knew he was lying, and she wasn't buying it.

"Seriously," he told her, trying to get her off the subject. "So, how is everyone? Were they really worried? Are they okay?"

Hermione sighed. "Why don't you just admit it?"

"Admit what?" Harry figured that feigning ignorance was the better way to go. He knew that she wouldn't believe him, but maybe it would get her to let it go. "So, how's work?" That was about when Ron came in. Hermione excused herself, telling him to stop lying to himself. Ron was very confused, but Harry just blew off his question about what she had been talking about.

Hermione left St. Mungo's, but she didn't go straight to lunch or back to work. In fact, she went back to Diagon Alley. She made her way to the back door of Snape's shop, knowing that he'd want to know about this - regardless of whether the potions master would admit it or not. Her conversion that she had just had with Harry had made a lot of things clear for her. Snape had asked Lucius Malfoy to stop the article so Harry wouldn't have to deal with it. Harry had been overly frustrated lately and refused to take any potions that weren't made by Snape. They definitely had feelings for each other, at the very least.

Hermione knocked on the door, and a moment later, Snape answered, looking rather perturbed. "Ms. Granger, I'm not sure what gave you the impression that you could just drop by at a moment's notice, but -"

"Harry woke up."

Snape stopped mid-sentence. "What?"

"This morning. Harry woke up. He's weak, and he's not going to be moving around anytime soon, but he's awake," she said. She knew she had guessed right, or he would have just shut the door in her face.

"What gives you the impression that I care what happens to him?"

Hermione just looked at him for a moment. "Just a feeling," she said. "Also, you should know that Harry refuses to take any potions but yours." She shrugged her shoulders. "Thought you ought to know." Then she turned and left to get something to eat before heading back to work. She knew she was right. Harry deserved to be happy, and if Snape was what he wanted… well, that was none of her business. She had no room to talk, after all, since she was now going out with Draco. Things change.