Chapter 19

"Me? I find it highly unlikely that you were looking for me. Unless you have some elaborate plan to try and hex me?" Hermione said doubtfully as she quirked an eyebrow and the pale blonde standing in front of her. Scratch that. Swaying in front of her. She studied the boy more carefully now, taking in his incredible pallor and slight trembling that shook throughout his body. She spoke again, this time in a gentle voice, "Malfoy, are you alright? Maybe I should go get Madam Pomphrey."

"No." Draco spoke suddenly in a startled voice. "No, no, that won't be necessary." He said, forcing calm into his words. "I was just hoping you could get me some uhm.." Draco uncharacteristically looked down sheepishly, his voice low. "some Blood Replenishing Potion."

"Blood Replenishing Potion?" Hermione parroted incredulously, "What on earth for?" She said, noting once more his pale complexion. "Are you hurt somewhere?" She asked seriously, her eyes unconsciously scanning for a wound.

"I, uhm, had a potions accident. Knife slipped while I was cutting some roots," He lied carefully pulling up his right sleeve to reveal a long, deepish cut across his forearm. He was very careful not to pull up his robes too far, of course, lest he unintentionally show her more of his recent cuts.

"Draco," She gasped slightly, reaching her hands out to more closely examine the wound. But as soon as she laid her fingertips on him he flinched and pulled away quickly. "Draco," she repeated. "You should let me heal that. It looks deep. Are you sure this was a potions accident?" She said eying him thoughtfully. Almost looks...self-inflicted.

"No." He said too sharply again. "No, just the potion will be fine. It's a clean cut, it'll heal soon anyways."

Hermione said nothing, staring back at him with an unreadable expression for a few minutes before she finally moved.

"I'll just grab that potion, then." She muttered heading to the potion stores to measure out a dose. Figures, everytime I'm about to leave. She thought miserably to herself. I should have just called Madam Pomphrey over to take care of the lousy git. I'm too nice for my own good. She shook her head at herself and headed back over to the wan boy. When her eyes fell upon his again in the harsh lights of the hospital wing, however, she mentally chided herself for being so childish. He looks really sick. This can't just be from one cut, however bad. Maybe I really should go get Madam Pomphrey. Then she remembered Draco's insistence that she didn't, so she just walked over and handed him the potion.

"I'll have you taking that right now, thank you." Hermione said in a curt voice, motioning for the Slytherin to drink the potion. He complied immediately.

When he was finished, he shocked Hermione once more by turning to her and saying in a soft tone, "Thank you, Hermione." But before she could say another word, he was already walking out the door, leaving her to stand there, stunned and speechless.

Xxx

Draco was headed down the hall toward his dorm room, in hopes of taking a nice nap. He couldn't believe how easily things had gone with Granger, despite all of the history. He was actually in a relatively good mood for the moment, lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps that was why he didn't notice the sounds of footsteps trailing him, at least not until it was too late.

"Not so fast, Drakey-poo." A cruel voice taunted as hands grabbed him from behind. Draco's attempts to cry out were immediately silenced with a quick charm as he was pulled into an empty room. "Were just going to have a little fun." The icy voice whispered into Draco's ear, just before the first blow connected hard with his stomach.

Xxx

Harry was just out for an evening stroll around the corridors when he heard a noise. He frequently liked taking these walks, finding them to be very helpful to clear his head. He had thought with so much certainty that this year would be different. Drama-free. So why was it that he always went chasing about these wild fantasies. Hermione was probably right. Professor Albatross a vampire? He had to admit it sounded fishy to him too. Hermione was usually right about these things. But if he didn't think about it other thoughts came rushing in. Those thoughts. The disturbingly vivid recollections of a certain blonde Slytherin, whining and moaning in ecstasy. And for some reason, Harry was starting to discover that he didn't really find them disturbing at all, with of course, brought him the most concern.

The sound of voices had brought him out of his contemplation. He heard two things, a strange whining and a voice that said in a hushed, clipped tone "Hey, I think I heard something, Hurry up, let's get out of here!" That brought Harry back to reality. He was running now, running to find the source of that pitiful whimpering. He saw what appeared to be 2 Ravenclaws fleeing fast from one of the classrooms. Angrily Harry shot a few stunning spells at them, to no avail. He was seriously considering chasing them down when a stifled moan coming from the room reminded him there was still someone in there.

What he saw when he entered the classroom devastated him. "No..." He gasped breathlessly, looking down at the crumpled form of the battered waif, pale locks glinting in the light, stained with a crimson liquid. He was lying on his side, curling slightly into the fetal position on the ground, but it was clear by the way he held his arm that something was broken. Blood stained the floor and wall in random spatters, some of it pooling underneath Draco's broken wrist. More blood streaked his face, which was starting to turn a garish purple underneath his left eye and along his jaw bone. Silent gray eyes saw nothing, emptiness dulling the once enigmatic sterling.

"Draco?" Harry voice came out in barely a whisper. A flicker of light stirred in the mercury currents beneath him. "Draco? Draco? Can you hear me? Are you alright?" Harry crouched down over him, hands softly tracing the growing bruise on his chin. Draco shifted, turning his eyes on Harry.

"Of course I can bloody well hear you." Draco retorted tartly in a hoarse voice. "They broke my wrist not my ears." He coughed and winced several times as he slowly rose, propping his body up on the wall in a sitting position.

They boys were quiet for a minute, Draco's haggard breathes the only noise that passed between them as they stared at one another on the floor of the quiet classroom. Harry spoke first. "That doesn't even make sense, really. Break your ears? How would they do that?" He asked, a small smile tugging at his lips. This earned a scowl from the blonde.

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah." Harry started to rise, offering a hand to Draco as he did. "Can you walk? We should get you to Madam Pomphrey right away." Draco had moved to take Harry's had but his blood turned cold the instant the boy mentioned Pomphrey's name. I just bloody well CAME from there. WTF. I DO NOT want to SEE her. "Malfoy?" Harry had noticed after a few moments Draco's hesitation. "Well you can very well go 'round with a broken wrist now can you? You'll have to see her eventually, even if you don't like it, so just drop the Malfoy ego and come with me." Harry exclaimed more forcefully than he had intended.

Back to the last name, huh. Draco thought bitterly, not forgetting the concern-filled voice the raven haired boy had used when he called first name not ten minutes ago. Guess I'm still just the ex-Death Eater Slytherin scum that our poor hero feels obligated to save. Well fuck that! I don't need saving. Harry watched worriedly the blonde's stormy gray eyes that had whipped into a tempest of emotions.

"I don't need your help!" Draco finally bit back at Harry. "And I don't need your false pity, acting like you care. You DON'T. And you SHOULDN'T." Draco was shouting now, his words reverberating violently through the room. "I haven't forgotten. I haven't forgotten who I am! I haven't forgotten..." His voice plummeted in decibels dramatically as he choked out in a small voice, "I deserve this."

Draco was standing now, head turned away from those lustrous jade eyes that were boring into him now with so much worry. Stealing once last glare at Harry, Draco started for the door, hunching slightly holding his abdomen.

"No. Wait. I didn't mean it." Harry pleaded, grabbing the smaller blonde boy by his uninjured wrist. Draco winced, mentally kicking himself for being unable to stop himself. Harry's brow furrowed in confusion. "Did you hurt this one too?" He asked as he pulled at the sleeve with his free hand to examine the boy's wrist for injury. Draco immediately wrenched his arm away but it was too late. Harry was standing there gaping at him like he'd just sprouted a tail and fuzzy ears.

"What was that." Harry fired at him without hesitation, still staring down towards Draco's arm.

"Potions accident." Draco said with a rueful smile before resuming his departure. "Don't worry about my wrist, Potter." He said, putting as much venom into the boy's last name as he could, "I'll have Pansy fix it for me. I don't need your help." He repeated his earlier sentiment, though this time he only sounded hallow. This time Harry didn't try to stop him as the boy slipped away to lick his wounds.