Draco still wasn't eating.

Hermione began taking food to class with her. She would press it into his hand in the hall or leave it on his desk before the start of class. She would often see him surreptitiously chewing a few mouthfuls before stuffing the rest into his suspected that a pile of uneaten food was accumulating there.

Despite asking for help, Draco spoke to her very little in the following weeks. Hermione was surprised when, just a few days before Halloween and the first Hogsmeade trip, he appeared suddenly in the library and took a seat next to her.

Hermione glanced up from her essay. He looked as sick as ever- his skin too pale, his clothes too loose, his hair ruffled and uncombed. She doubted that he had slept in weeks; his eyes were sunken into deep shadows.

"Hungry?" Hermione asked almost automatically. She slid a granola bar across the table to him. After a moment of hesitation he picked it up and slowly peeled back the wrapper. "You really need to eat you know," she said as he took a large bite. "You're going to hurt yourself if you keep this up."

"I'm already hurt," he said carelessly as he threw the wrapper over his shoulder. Hermione sighed and summoned it back to her hand.

"You don't have to make yourself sick. Just- come to dinner later. It'll be good for you."

"Fine," Draco muttered reluctantly. He eyed the paper in front of her. "Only if you'll help me with my Potions essay first.

Hermione sighed and pushed a book towards him. "What do you have so far?"

Draco reached into his bag and pulled out a piece of parchment covered in scribbles. "Just some notes. Golpalott's Third Law, of course, and Bezoars. Couldn't forget those after Potter in sixth year."

Hermione frowned. "I was so mad at him for that. He was cheating all year, from an old book that used to be Snape's."

Draco's eyes brightened. "I knew he couldn't be doing that well on his own!"

Hermione chuckled as she pulled Draco's paper towards her. "It looks like you have everything I do. Interesting idea about the Murtlap essence. Are you sure it isn't counteracted by-"

"Ashwinder eggs. I know. But I've been over everything I can find and as long as the poison doesn't contain parnassus it's fine." He pulled his paper back towards himself. "What I'm most worried about is the antidote to magically enhanced snake venom."

Hermione lifted a book from the pile next to her and thumbed through the pages. "There's a section on it here, though it's not totally correct. I had to write Mr. Weasley to find out the last ingredient."

Draco skimmed his eyes over the page. "Why would he know?"

"He almost died when Voldemort's snake bit him in fifth year."

Draco paused, going as still as a statue. "Oh."

"Anyways," Hermione continued, "It was actually parnassus buds that they found to be effective, distilled with-"

There was a thump. Hermione looked up and Draco was gone. She bolted out of her seat and saw him lying on the floor, unconscious. She threw herself around the table and onto the floor next to him, scrabbling madly to feel for his pulse. It was faint but beat steady under her fingers.

Draco groaned and his eyes fluttered open. Hermione gazed down at him worriedly.

"What happened?"

"You collapsed," Hermione said as she helped him up. "I'm going to take you the hospital wing. Has this happened before?"
"I'm fine," Draco tried to wave her off. "I'll just go to my dormitory and.."
"Oh no you won't," Hermione interjected, her hand clasped firmly around his arm. "You're not eating, and I doubt you're sleeping either. You're going to to see Madam Pomfrey."

"I'm fine Granger," Draco growled. Her tried to pull his arm away.

"Draco Malfoy," Hermione's voice was firm, "I spent seven years convincing Harry and Ron to get help when they needed it. If you think you can get away, you are sorely mistaken." Her expression softened as Draco stopped struggling. "Besides, Madam Pomfrey is really great. In second year I turned myself into a cat with Polyjuice. I spent months in the hospital wing and she never once asked how it happened."

Draco gave her a curious look as he moved to sit up. He swayed slightly and Hermione tightened her grip around his arm.

"Come now." Hermione's voice was soft as she led Draco out of the library.. Many eyes stared in wonder as the friend of Harry Potter led the Death Eater down the long hallway to the infirmary.