AN: Any of Meli's thoughts will be in bold. Draco's thoughts will be in italics.

Special thanks to my reviewer InvisibleLilacNights for reviewing this chapter. She has been the only one to review and I am thankful because I know someone likes this story.

Disclaimer: This will be the last disclaimer for the entire story. I obviously do not own HP or any on the characters. I never will.

Chapter 2- To Find A Former Slytherin Prince

Hermione and Meli had been doing their essay for hours before Meli yawned and slammed her book shut. She had an extra foot and a half but like that mattered when Hermione would have more than that. Exiting the library before Madame Pince would come to yell at her for slamming a book shut in the library she rounded the corner and dropped her things. Laying down the hall was someone she couldn't recognize from far away but she could tell that he or she was hurt. Leaving her books where they lay she ran down the hall quickly to help them. Falling to her knees beside Draco it wasn't him she saw, she only saw Fred the day he died. Confident that this couldn't be Fred she blinked her eyes trying to see who it truly was when she mentally kicked herself. She should want to save everyone so it shouldn't have mattered who it was.

"Oh my gosh Meli! Malfoy!" Hermione half-shouted as she approached them. Hermione's voice brought Meli back to reality and she looked down at the boy who had been a constant annoyance for six years. Hermione kneeled beside Meli and looked at her. "Meli what happened?" she asked clearly sure it had been Meli's fault.

"I don't know Hermione. He was like this when I came around the corner. Can you help me get him to the hospital wing?" she asked hoping that the grudge Hermione had for Malfoy wouldn't get in the way of her doing the right thing. Nodding slowly Hermione levitated Malfoy and Meli did the same. Slowly they made their way to the hospital wing with Malfoy levitating between them. Neither of them spoke because neither could put aside their feelings for helping someone who had tortured them for years.

Opening the door to the hospital wing Meli walked inside. "Madame Pompry. We need help." She said hoping the nurse was there. Helping Hermione lay him down on a bed gently as could be she tapped her foot impatiently. After what seemed like hours Madame Pompry came out of her office and gasped at the sight of Malfoy. "Meli what happened to Mr. Malfoy? Miss Granger perhaps you know?" she asked almost accusing Meli and Hermione of such a thing. With a look to Hermione she nodded her head. "Please go Hermione. You had no part of this so you should probably attend your head duties." Meli said.

"I will. Sorry Madame but I don't know what happened. If you need me please send for me." Hermione said politely before escaping through the door. Meli turned back to Madame and said, "I only found him like this. I was in the library with Hermione finishing my essay and when I rounded the corner Malfoy was laying there." She explained cursing the day she chose to leave the library at the exact time Malfoy was there.

Madame Pompry eyed Meli while she attended Draco and Meli stood by the end of the bed watching. She noticed the nurse's eyes on her but ignored it. Finally she straightened up and Meli saw that once again Malfoy looked almost like his old self. "Is he going to be alright?" she asked. What do I care if Malfoy is alright? He's never cared about me before. Ah but earlier he was expressing sorrow for your loss. Maybe he has changed. While Meli was lost in her thoughts Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Headmaster Albus Dumbledore entered the room. "I'm sure Mr. Malfoy will be quite alright. He will have some slight scarring where there were some knife wounds too deep for even me to heal." She explained not looking at anyone but Malfoy. "Poppy please excuse us but we have some questioning for Miss Potter. Could you leave us for awhile? I assure you no one will disturb Master Malfoy." Dumbledore said his eyes twinkling with the look of someone up to something. Poppy left in a huff and sat in her office while three sets of eyes turned to Meli. "Miss Potter please explain how Malfoy got his injuries." Dumbledore requested.

Sighing with frustration she eyed Professor Snape while she answered. She didn't put it past him to insist that she had caused the injuries. Snape was also another order member who was a spy for the light side. "Sir I was studying in the library with Hermione Granger when I finished and decided it was time to get going. As I rounded a corridor I saw someone laying in the middle of it. I ran over to discover it was Malfoy and Hermione came up right behind us. We brought him here and have no idea who caused his injuries." She explained still frustrated.

"Severus do you believe it is true?" Dumbledore asked conferring with the Slytherin Head of House.

Meli sighed and prepared herself for a month's worth of detentions when Snape's answer almost caused her to faint. "I believe Potter's story." He had said. Meli's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as she stared at the Potions Professor. "Well then that settles everything. It seems someone is not very happy with Malfoy so here is a plan for his protection and now yours as well Miss Potter. I will have a special common room of sorts made for you two. Your no longer allowed to sleep in your own dormitories. You will share a room that will be passworded and no one is allowed the password except for myself and you two. In the meantime I would appreciate it if you kept what happened to yourself. I have preparations to make so I will notify you as soon as your room is ready." Dumbledore said before leaving the room.

Meli rubbed her temples and looked at McGonagall and Snape hoping they could change the protection plan. Obviously no such luck because they both left the room together wondering who would live the longest. I know that he's been different lately but that doesn't mean that we can live together without killing each other. What had gotten into Dumbledore? While pondering this she sat down in a chair beside Draco's bed and soon fell asleep with her confused thoughts trying to sort themselves.

Ugh where am I? And what is that smell? Smells like a combination of cinnamon and ginger and I've never smelled that before. At least not at the same time. Slowly his eyes opened and saw a heap of jet black curly hair beside him. Sitting up without waking the sleeping form he saw that it was Potter who must have fallen asleep in the chair she was sitting in and had fallen forward. Examining the room they were in he came to the conclusion that he was in the hospital wing but had no idea why Potter was there beside him. It was dark outside so he guessed it was night. Smelling that strange smell again of mixed cinnamon and ginger he leaned forward cautiously and smelled Potter's hair. Sure enough she was the source of the smell which wasn't all that bad it was just a strange combination.

He didn't remember how he had gotten here and only after thinking about it did he remember why he must have come here. Blaise, Pansy, and a few other slytherins had stabbed and otherwise beat him up. Looking down he could see the blood was no longer there. From the angle he was looking he could not yet see the scars on his chest or his face. After all the years he had spent with his so called friends he couldn't believe that one little difference in beliefs that they would do this to him. But he should have known slytherins weren't as noble as gryffindors were.

Speaking of gryffindors he wanted some answers from Potter. Poking her shoulder lightly he whispered so as not to attract the attention of the crazy old nurse. "Oi Potter wake up." He whispered. Waiting a few minutes he realized she must be hard to wake up. Shaking her shoulders hard he said, "Potter get up." That seemed to do the trick. Her head slowly lifted and he found himself staring into her hazel eyes. "Oi Malfoy. Why'd you wake me?" she asked grumpily. It seemed that no one had warned him waking Meli Potter up wasn't a bright idea. "What do you think I want? A secret tryst? I want answers." He said rolling his eyes. Glaring at him and his arrogance she scoffed. "You wish Malfoy. What do you want answers from me for?"

He smirked at her glare and put some actual thought into his answer. "I think it is you who wishes I wanted a tryst with you. But that is a different conversation entirely. Where did you find me and why the hell did you help me?" he asked.

"I found you outside the library. And why wouldn't I help you? I help people when they need it it's just who I am. Now answer my question. Who did it to you?" she said.

"Unbelieveable. I'm the miserable ferret boy who has tortured you since the first day I met you and your idiotic brother. I wouldn't help me in your position." He said ignoring her question. As a Malfoy he was raised to show no emotion and to deal with your own problems yourself.

"That's the difference between you and me Malfoy. I can forget and do what's right. Now answer my question." She said.

Rolling his eyes he should have known Potter wouldn't let it go. "Blaise, Pansy, and a few other slytherins. I bet those dolts Crabbe and Goyle were in on it." He answered finally.

Putting her hands to her mouth she said softly, "I'm so sorry Malfoy. Though I can't believe those people are supposed to be your friends." She said. Looking at his scars she dropped her hazel eyes to the floor. He would find out in due time and she wouldn't want to be around him when he did.

"Oh I forgot. Dumbledore, Snape, and McGonagall stopped by. You better be prepared for what I need to tell you." She warned.

Not liking the tone of her voice he said, "Just come out with it. Dragging whatever it is won't help anything."

"Dumbledore seems to think that for our protection we should share a place to live in secret within the castle." She blurted out and then squeezed her eyes shut.

"What!!!!" Draco yelled. Madame Pompry came out of her office in a sleeping gown and glared at Meli. "Out! Out!" she screeched like an old bat.

Meli had no choice but to comply and she walked down the dark corridor alone. Unknowingly Blaise had witnessed her helping Malfoy and had told the others about it. A dark figure waited at the end of the corridor and as Meli passed them a hand snaked out and covered her mouth. She kicked and fought against what was she assumed a boy he carried her to the Slytherin common room.

AN: So here chapter two. This is longer than what I originally planned but I hope you liked it anyway. Also I believe I spelled Madame Pompry wrong so if you could help me with that spelling I would be grateful. Please Read and Review. I like hearing about how I am doing and so I can continue it would help to have some feedback to even know if anyone likes it. Peace out.

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