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Hermione sat there, eating breakfast when an owl appeared at her window. She opened the door.
"Hedwig?" The snowy owl hooted and nipped her fingers affectionatly, holding out a talon to let her take the note. Opening it she scanned it.
Get your ass over here now!
Harry
Hermoine stared at the paper. The aggresion of the writer could be seen through the scrawl. Harry was angry about something. She gathered her bag and disaparated. When she arrived at the door, she found herself faced with Harry. He had been waiting for her.
"Get in here, now!" She hurried in, frowning. He dragged her into the kitchen and forced her down onto a stool. Ron was standing there, waiting. Hermione was extremely confused.
"What are you so mad about?" Ron looked at her with disbelief.
"What am I so mad about? What am I so mad about?" He let out a cry of rage and continued to pace, muttering under his breath about sluts and traitors. Hermione turned to Harry. He looked angry also.
"What did I do?" Harry pulled out the paper and threw it on the counter in front of her. She picked it up and scaned the page. She froze, staring at the picture.
"Oh no..." There on the page, under the headline, Are Healers Getting too Close to Their Patients?, was a picture of her and Draco. A picture of her and Draco in a situation Hermione would have much rather liked to forget. In it, Draco had Hermione pinned against the wall. From the angle, she looked as if she was having trouble breathing as Draco pressed her against the wall. Draco was whispering something and then Hermione's eyes popped open in surprise. Hermione then tried to wriggle only to be thrusted harder by a smiling blonde. The picture then restrarted itself. Hermione couldn't help but read the article under it.
An article by Reeta Skeeter.
For weeks, the public has been wondering what has become of their little deatheater. Unfortunatly ladies, he's taken. This picture was taken yesterday, when an operative spotted Mr. Draco Malfoy and Ms. Hermione Granger at what appeared to be the start of a rather heated shagging. The Ministry has been keeping tabs on Mr. Malfoy, suspecting his recent visists to St. Mungos to be the cause of sickness. Well, now we all know the real reason. And Hermione Granger!
Once the most innocent of the Golden Trio, it seems this little girl has grown up to be quite the loose woman. It was known that after her one year fling with Quiddich Seeker Victor Krum after graduating, Granger was spotted around London shortly after with none other than Harry Potter, an ex-boyfriend and leader of the Trio. The couple was seen at more than one romantic areas, holding hands and whispering to each other. And just last week, we recieved knews from a woman at Granger's apartment building that she was sleeping with long time friend, Ronald Weasley, Minister of Magic's youngest son and the other member of the Golden Trio. We have no news on how Potter and Weasley are taking this latest blow. (more on pg. 3)
Hermione flipped to the page and scanned over the rest of the article. She only came up with more rubbish on how she and Draco had been shacking up in the St. Mungos examining rooms. Hermione couldn't believe it. Skeeter had done it again, this time going below the belt. She finally brought herself to look up into the flaming eyes of her best friends. She held up the paper.
"You don't believe this, do you?" The two just glared at her. Harry pointed to the picture.
"There's a picture, Hermione! A bloody picture that explains everything! Hell, Skeeter didn't have to write an article at all!" Hermione stood up.
"It's not what it looks like!" She tried to explain. Ron finally spoke, his voice shaking with anger.
"Not what it looks like! Malfoy has you up against a freaking wall, you're gasping like a bloody woman in labor and he's pressing himself against you and you're not doing a single thing! What the hell is that!" Hermione could feel the tears in her eyes.
"Ron, you don't understand," she whispered. He shook his head, disbelief and pain clouding his eyes.
"What's not to understand, Hermione? Tell me what's been going on." She shook her head.
"I can't..." Ron let out a sharp laugh.
"You really are a slut aren't you." With that he left the kitchen. Hermione turned to Harry, tears streaming down her face.
"Harry," she pleaded. Harry shook his head.
"I thought you knew better Hermione." He too, left the kitchen, leaving her to break down, sobbing on the floor.
"Ms. Granger."
"Yes, Jane."
"Mr. Malfoy's here to see you." Hermione looked up.
"Send him in." Jane disappeared and Draco appeared moments later, pale.
"I'm guessing you saw the paper," she muttered. He took in her desheveled look and the tear stains.
"I'm guessing Potter and Weasley didn't take it very well." Hermione flinched at the sarcasm in his voice. She wiped her eyes, suddenly remembering the reason why he was here. She stood up, collected his files and led him to a room. She turned around to face him.
"Look, in a few moments, I'm going to leave you here. You're going to be in a lot of pain. I can't explain to you the pain you're going to be in... The room will fill up with a gas and you're going to start to hallucinate. It's part of the process." Hermione, not waiting for a reply, took out her wand and began to wave it around, muttering under her breath. Suddenly the room became padded. Draco frowned.
"What's that for?" Hermione turned to him, fear in her eyes.
"The hallucinations." She then started to move to the door. Draco tried to follow her.
"Wait, Hermione!" She closed the door in his face, closing her eyes as he banged on the door, demanding to be let out. Suddenly silence. Hermione knew what that meant. It was starting. She could hear him moaning and she pulled away from the door.
"Ms. Granger?" She whirled around to see five people staring back at her. One portly old man, carrying some official papers, one young lady, who was glaring at Hermione and Mad-Eye Moody, Harry and Ron. She stared at them.
"What's going on?" The man stepped forward to speak.
"The Ministry's been informed that you are the Healer of a certian Mr. Draco Malfoy." Hermione's eyes traveled instantly to Ron and Harry. They ignored her. She turned back to the man.
"And who may I ask are you?" The man stood up straighter.
"Thomas Conway. I handle all business dealing with deatheaters and certian trials." Hermione crossed her arms.
"What makes you think that I know anything?" Conway sighed.
"Ms. Granger. We all know that you know more than you let on. We also know that you know about Malfoy's position with the Ministry. This isn't a pretty picture, Ms. Granger." Hermione glared at the man.
"Well then you must also know that I am bound by the Healer-patient contract. I'm not permitted to tell you anything." Conway turned to the woman next to him, holding out his hand. He was handed a paper in which he passed to Hermione.
"Well, you see. I have permission, by the Minister himself to have as much information as possible on Malfoy." Suddenly screaming sounded from the door. Hermione closed her eyes, trying to ignore the crys for mercy. Everyone else however seemed worried.
"What's that?" the woman asked. Moody spoke up.
"Malfoy. He's in pain." Hermione was disgusted by the way he smiled when he said that. Conway turned to Hermione.
"What are you doing to him?" Hermione straightened up.
"I'm treating my patient." was her curt reply. The man sighed and motioned for Harry and Ron.
"Potter, Weasley, please escort Ms. Granger to her office. We have several things to go over, including her career." Hermione's eyes widened as Harry and Ron stepped forward. She glared at them.
"I know my own way to my room, thank you." She led the way, trying to figure out how to get herself out of the perdicament she was in. Entering the room she sat down at her desk. The man sat at one seat and Moody sat at another. The rest remained standing.
"Look, if you came here to go on about what you saw in that crap some people call a paper, then you're wasting your time." Conway coughed, averting his eyes to the papers in his lap.
"That is one of the reasons we came." Hermione smiled disbelievingly.
"You think I sleep with my patients." She stood up, glaring at all of them. "Let's get something straight, I don't sleep with any of my patients, least of all Draco Malfoy. Besides, if I did Moody," she said, turning her gaze on the man. "You'd have a lot of smiling Aurors." Ron and Harry's eyes bulged at the innuendo. Moody couldn't help but smile at the girl's brass. The woman scribbled down some more. Hermione hated that girl. Conway looked surprised.
"Ms. Granger. I would seriously consider holding your tongue. You are in a very perilous situation. Now! Let's get back to the reason we came here." Hermione sat back down, her eyes glued on the redhead glaring back at her. When the man seemed satisfied he continued.
"Now... where is Malfoy's file?" Hermione shook her head, tearing her eyes from Ron.
"This isn't moral."
"Dammit Hermione, just give it to him." Hermione turned to Harry.
"How could you!"
"Ms. Granger!" She turned to Conway.
"What?" He held out his hand. She shook her head.
"No." The man gave one last try.
"If you don't hand over the files, you will lose your job." Hermione froze, her eyes tearing up. She looked down at her desk and found the file. With trembling hands she handed it over. The man looked if over, stopping at the latest additions. He frowned.
"What's the Caronas Curse?" Hermione closed her eyes, a lone tear breaking free, running a path down her cheek.
"Malfoy's dying..." She heard the woman gasp and more frantic scribbling. When she opened her eyes she looked over to Ron and Harry. Shock covered there features. She took a deep breath.
"I'm the only Healer who can help him..." Moody spoke up.
"How do you know that?" She wiped her eyes.
"Two years ago a little girl came in. Typical deatheater attack. For months I tried to help her... but she died. Since then I've lost twenty seven patients to that curse." She pointed to Conway. "I'm sure Mr. Conway has heard of me..." Harry couln't help it.
"What did you do?" Hermione looked around, her breathing labored. Suddenly her wand started glowing. She gulped.
"I've got to go." She rushed out the door, followed by Ron and Harry. She ran down the corridor stopping at the examining room. Opening the door, Hermione gasped and ran over to him. He was on the ground, convulsing violently.
"Draco, wake up," she whispered. He looked up at her, eyes filled with fear.
"I thought I was going to die..." She touched his face, tears flowing freely.
"For a minute so did I..."
A/N: I loved/hated this chapter.
Reader of Canon FF: For at least three guesses, 3 points!
ronandmion4ever: I'm crazy all the time! Neville and Hermione! HAHAHAHAHAHA! 1 point!
Wesker888: I just cant pull myself to do it right now. I'm sorry.
Quidditchplayersdoitbest: 10 points!!!!
KansasMac: 10 points!
Coconut Girl: 10 points!
Sorry, mum's pissed, have to go!