"Well, it's not a disease," said Ron.
"Don't rule things out until we know for sure, Weasley," Malfoy sighed.
The Golden Trio had been shocked by Draco's change. Sure, he didn't treat them as well as he treated Kaitlin, but at least he was...normal Draco.
"How's your arm?" Hermione asked quietly.
"What's wrong with his arm? Why should you care?" Ron blurted and Hermione shot him daggers.
"Ron, he's the boyfriend of one of my best friends," Hermione said gently.
"And they same guy who called you a mudblood," Ron pointed out.
"Ron, stop it," Harry but in.
"Fine," Ron grumbled and went back to smashing herbs in a bowl.

"It's nice being outside, isn't it?" Harry said, but was filled with tension.
"Yeah," Draco muttered; hatred and gratefulness flowing off him in conflicted waves.
"How's your arm?" Hermione asked again.
"It's okay. I'll be fine," Draco said, but they were all thinking the same thing. Kaitlin wouldn't.
"Tell us something, Hermione," said Harry. "Something that will help…ease...the…tension."
"I can't think of anything. Ron?"
He snorted.
"Okay," Hermione sighed. "Draco?"
"Happy?" he said.
"Yes," Harry and Hermione nodded.
"What's there to be happy about?" he asked, dicing a plant into bits.
"Kaitlin loves you," Hermione said quietly.
Ron groaned, "Only Merlin knows why."
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed.

"What else?" Harry asked quietly. He still hated Draco. But at least he was willing to fess up, the weasel. At least, for Kaitlin's sake.
"I don't know," Draco said.
"How'd you meet her?" Hermione asked.
"First year, but I never approached her."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Hufflepuff, Granger."
"Oh, right," she mumbled and kept peeling leaves off a pile of special plants.
"Anyway, everyone soon realized she like me. I never paid that much attention to her. I had other things to think about."
Ron laughed. Harry cleared his throat.
"Go on," said Hermione.
"Then, this year I felt a pull towards her. I can't explain it. Just one moment, she was just like everyone else. The next, she's everything."
Ron gagged. Draco didn't care. Nothing really mattered anymore. Except, Kaitlin getting better.
"That's nice," Hermione murmured.
"At first, I didn't want her to know I liked her. Then, everything just...fell apart. Only a day together and...everything changed. I...I'm not good for her. Not at all. So I stayed away."
"And that's when Kaitlin started acting...not like Kaitlin," Hermione put in.
"Yes, she used to be all rays of sunshine and glory. Then, she was...a shadow of herself. I couldn't stand it. Hurting her like that. But I didn't know which was better or worse. So I decided to just give in and try to fix the problem I'd caused. That's when she became sick," his voice cracked.

"And we all know why," Ron exclaimed. "Because you got tangled in the mess with You-Know-Who and now, an innocent girl is going to die because of y-"
"Ron, stop it now!" Hermione exclaimed.
But Ron was right. It was because of Draco.
"But he's trying to fix it, Ron. Can't you see that?" Hermione asked him as she pulled him a few feet away outside.
"Are you defending him?" Ron asked.
"No, I'm defending my friend. Kaitlin would feel horrible if she heard you talking like this!"
"Well, she can't hear me."
"He's trying to find a cure, Ron. We all are. We can't let her," she swallowed, "die."
"I think it might be too-"
Hermione spun around and walked away.
"I'm going to Hagrid's," she called to Harry.
"Okay," he said back. Ron followed behind her.

***

"So, Draco," Harry said. Malfoy's first name felt weird in his mouth.
"Yes?"
"I'm...sorry."
"Me too. For everything," the words felt bitter, but he said them anyway.
"Really?" Harry raised an eyebrow as years of hate flowed between them.
"Don't get me wrong, Potter, I hate you. But I'll tolerate you. For now"
"Same here and since...Kaitlin's your...girlfriend..."
"Yeah, I use to think you liked her."
"I kind of did and I know it ticked you off," Harry laughed.
"Extremely," Draco smiled wanly. "I thought she liked you too and that just made it worse."
Harry chuckled. "I know the feeling."
"She'd love being out here in the sun," Draco said quietly.
"Kaitlin?"
"Yeah, all sunshine, flowers, and happiness."
"The opposite of you."
"Yes," Draco admitted with a smile.
"So why can't we bring her outside?"
"She's sick."
"But that doesn't mean... We can talk to Dumbledore about it. Maybe even have a picnic and give her the medicine we've been working on."
"Well," Draco sighed.
Harry held out his hand. "Truce for the next five minutes so we can finish this?"
"Truce." Draco took Harry's hand. The awkward moment of all time for these two.

"Kaitlin," said Dumbledore. Kaitlin jerked awake. She blinked until she could see him.
"Hello," the word felt weird in her mouth.
"I know you aren't feeling your best at the moment, but we will soon remedy that. All you have to do is follow my instruction. Professor Snape will also be helping. Draco and the others have no idea and I do not want you telling them. Is that clear?" he said gently.
Sleep fogged her thinking process, but she managed to nod.
"I will let you spend a little more time with them before the plan takes action."
She barely nodded.
Dumbledore left the room and sighed. Poor girl. Poor all of them.

***

"Kaitlin," Draco whispered. It was the third day and none of their remedies had worked. She sighed and opened her eyes. She tried to smile, but the effort was too much. His face was close to hers, so she softly touched her hand to his cheek. He held it there for a moment and stared into her beautiful green eyes.
"Would you like to go on a picnic today?" he asked quietly. She looked torn for a moment, but nodded.
"If it would hurt too much leaving, you don't have to," he said quickly. She barely shook her head no and it broke his heart. Why did this have to happen?
"I'll go tell Potter and we'll take you outside," he said gently. Her eyes widened and her breathing came quicker.

***

She knew this was the last time she'd see Draco. For a long time at least. This was a part of the plan. She sucked in a breath and squeezed her eyes shut. Draco took her hand in his and she gripped it with as much strength as she had. She didn't think she could speak. With her other hand, she pointed to her, then her heart, then at Draco. He understood and gently kissed her.
"I'll be right back," he whispered and left the room. Tears poured down her face as he left.

I love you

***

"No, no, no," Draco murmured. His eyes teared up. No way was he crying. No way Kaitlin was gone.
"I'm sorry, Draco," said Dumbledore as they looked at the lifeless Kaitlin on the bed. He didn't even get to say goodbye, or anything he'd wanted to say to her. The dark lord had won. And would win again. Hermione stood beside Ron and Harry, crying. Harry had tears in his eyes, but hid it well. Ron just looked at the floor.
Draco spun around and rushed out of the room. He couldn't take it. He'd lost her. He couldn't look at Kaitlin. He couldn't hope for what was no longer there. A sob caught in his throat. He wouldn't cry, he told himself. No Malfoy cried. Except his mother, but she's a girl. He ran to his dorm which was now unoccupied. He looked in the mirror to see pain etched across his face and tears streamed down his cheeks. It didn't even compare to the torture inside his chest. Where his heart used to be, but now a cold stone.

***

"Stop crying," Snape said harshly.
"I'm so sorry," she blubbered. "I'm so sorry for liking him," she sobbed.
Snape had apperated them to a cave in the mountains.
"No one will find you here. We're having Hagrid bring you food and anything you might need."
What did she need? Nothing she could be given.
"Thank you," Kaitlin whispered.
"It is for the best," Snape said gently, but then stood rigid. Snape couldn't have said that, Kaitlin thought. She must have been dreaming. She looked where Snape had just been, but he was gone. In the cave, it was just like a common room. A fireplace, chairs, but this had a bed, a table for food, a desk and a small trunk. She didn't have her wand or anything from her dorm at Hogwarts. The last solution Draco and the Golden Trio had concocted, had healed her, but to really keep her safe, they'd had to fake her death.

Kaitlin sunk to the ground and leaned against the wall. The fire didn't warm her. Nothing could. She had to live here as long as it took, and no company. No Draco. No nothing. She cried for days on end. The littlest thing set her off. For the first few weeks, she hugged her pillow to her test and thought of what she would do if she ever saw Draco again…