DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter and all other characters and locations belong to J. K. Rowling
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter 7 - Healing and Books
Harry groaned and knocked Hermione's hands away from his throat. He winced as the collar of his shirt rubbed against one of the slowly healing gashes. The mirror over the bathroom counter reflected his image, showing the dark bruising circling his throat and the teeth marks marring his skin
. "I can't believe you. Seriously Harry, what were you thinking? We all know what type of creatures live in the Forbidden Forest and yet you go running off half-cocked." Hermione said angrily, hands pushing past his to apply a thick strip of gauze to a small puncture mark. Harry whimpered as Hermione glared down at him, fingers purposely rough against the tender flesh.
"You should have told Ron and I that you were planning on going out."
"How the hell was I supposed to know I'd be attacked?" Harry demanded, pushing her hands away again and jerking around to face her. "I'm a very big stag Hermione. Ron and I have been trying to get you to go out with us for the past week and you've been to busy. You may be able to ignore your animagus but I can't. I couldn't wait any longer."
"Still Harry-"
"No Hermione! Harry's right, we haven't gone out once since we've been here. Your animagus is smaller then both of ours and much easier to control. My wolf practically went nuts several days ago if you remember. Not only did I attack Zabini but I did it in Potions." Ron said with a shake of his head as he handed Harry back his school robes. Both wizards stood and glared at the witch standing before them, smirking when she sighed and gave in.
"Fine, but next time at least leave a note, one that's says more then 'I went out'." Hermione mumbled as she packed up her first aid kit. Ron chuckled and pulled the scrap of crumpled parchment from his pocket, handing the note back to Harry. "Are you sure it was the same tiger?"
"I can't really remember, it's vague." Harry murmured thoughtfully, pulling up several of Odin's memories. The flashes of memory were sparse and unconnected, from a patch of especially sweet grass to the jaws of a massive white tiger. The Stag grunted and tossed his head the thick ruff of fur around his neck hiding the wound. "I'm pretty sure it was. There can't be more then one white tiger running around."
"You believe it's Malfoy, don't you?" Hermione asked softly, ignoring Ron's snort of disgust at the mention of the Slytherin.
Harry nodded slowly, fingers brushing against the bandage encircling his throat. "He was the only person in the hall other then myself. Not to mention Odin acted the same with Draco as he did with the Tiger."
"It is possible." Hermione muttered, leading the way from the bathroom. "Draco shares a very close friendship with Pansy and Blaise. They're most likely animagi as well, that would explain Ron's fight with Blaise and my argument with Pansy."
Harry nodded and rubbed his eyes, beginning the slow climb up to the dorms. The Gryffindor dorms were almost completely empty, many of the students still out enjoying the warm weather and the day off. He pushed the door of the sixth year's boys' dorm open and trudged inside, shedding his robes and dropping them at the end of his bed.
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, watching in curiosity as Harry continued to pull his clothes off.
"I," Harry said, dragging his pajamas out from under his pillow, "am going back to bed."
Ron's mouth fell open and he turned to look at Hermione who had just walked into the room, gesturing at Harry. "Harry says he's going to bed." A door slammed in the distance and voices called from the Common Room.
Frowning, Hermione tucked Harry in before raising an eyebrow at the expression on Ron's face. "He had a hard day Ron. Not to mention his throat probably hurts and he's most likely hungry."
Harry rolled onto his stomach and buried his face beneath his pillow, ignoring the streak of pain racing up his spine from the bruises around his neck. "Hermione, how long will it take for these cuts to heal?"
"I'm not really sure. The wound was caused by an animagi, which is a magical creature, but the injury doesn't belong to you. It belongs to Odin, who is also a piece of magic. I'd say it should heal pretty quickly but I'd have to check several books before I could be sure." Hermione stated, chewing on her bottom lip in thought. Waving a hand she turned to Ron, "I think you should go and get Harry something to eat from the kitchen, and on your way back I need you to pick several books up from the library."
"Hermione! I couldn't possibly carry all the food Harry will need as well as those books. Think of how heavy that would be." Ron groaned, flopping onto the bed next to Harry. The dark haired wizard whimpered and dragged the red blankets up higher, ignoring the low growl Hermione made in her throat.
"Fine, you get the food and I'll go to the library and get the books. I'd rather do it myself anyway, at least I'll know it was done properly." Hermione mumbled, rubbing her hands together and looking around the messy room. Throwing the lid of Harry's trunk open, she began to paw through its contents, ignoring Ron's gasp of outrage. "Where's your cloak Harry?"
Grunting something unintelligible, Harry waved his hand around above his head before pointing down. Shaking her head, Hermione dropped to her knees and winced before extending a hand into the darkness beneath Harry's bed. She heaved a deep breath when her fingers closed around the cool fabric of the invisibility cloak on her first attempt. Flinging the cloak around her shoulders, she peered at Ron who was still seated on Harry's bed.
"Come on, Ron." Hermione said, grabbing the red head and dragging him towards the door. She froze in the door way and turned back to Harry, looking at the small lump he made beneath the thick velvet covers. "We'll be back in thirty minutes or so." She smiled as Harry waved a hand lazily in the direction of the door. Sighing, she closed the door behind her and pushed Ron down the stairs ahead of her. "Don't dill-dally either Ron."
"Whatever." Ron grunted, opening the portrait and waiting for Hermione to exit before allowing the portal to bang closed behind them. Licking his lips, he trotted in the direction of the kitchen.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Draco lay on his back in the center of his large bed. He was clad in his favourite pale blue silk pajamas, the cloth cool against his skin. A wet cloth rested across his forehead and his feet were propped on a hot water bottle. The loud banging on his door had him lifting the cloth and glaring at the thick wooden portal, ignoring the insistent pounding he wiggled into a more comfortable position and dropped his head onto a pillow.
"Draco!" Pansy shrieked shrilly from the other side of the wood, her small fists rocking the door on its hinges. Draco growled softly but found his heart wasn't in the threatening sound. Frowning, he called out to his Tiger only to be consumed by a wave of guilt.
"Here Pansy, let me open it." Blaise's voice rumbled, seconds later the lock clicked and the door swung inward, revealing the pair standing in the middle of the doorway.
Draco whimpered at the looks on their faces, he wasn't in the mood to deal with them right now. "What can I do for you two?"
"You ran out of the Common Room earlier?" Blaise said as he glided into the room, his nose twitching in a wolfish manner. Draco curled his lip and hissed at Blaise, allowing his Tiger to creep from its hiding spot and flash its fangs. "You smell strange."
Pansy stalked forward and narrowed her eyes, reaching down and pulling one side of Draco's shirt up. The small puncture wound caused by the stag's antler was fiery red and surrounded by darkening bruises. "You were out in the Forbidden Forest, weren't you?"
"Yes." Draco muttered, tugging his shirt back into place and glaring at the witch. Blaise paced back to the door and closed it softly, turning and leaning against the wood as he raised an eyebrow at the blonde.
"Are you going to tell us what happened?" Pansy questioned, hands tugging the shirt back up so she could examine the gash.
"I wasn't planning on it." Draco mumbled, rolling his eyes and giving up keeping his shirt down. Crossing his arms over his chest, he met the fierce gaze of Blaise and hissed in annoyance.
Blaise tipped his head to the side and walked forward, one hand locking around the wooden frame of Draco's bed. "You smell of blood and the hunt. What gave you that wound Draco?"
Groaning, Draco dragged the cool cloth from his forehead down over his eyes, sighing at the soothing feeling. "A stag. A king stag with a black coat and emerald eyes."
"Something tells me you didn't win." Pansy whispered, one finger probing the puncture and withdrawing when Draco hissed in pain. Pulling the silk back down, she climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged at the bottom, peering at Draco thoughtfully.
"You should have been able to bring down a stag." Blaise stated, sliding onto the bed and folding his legs while waiting patiently for the blonde to explain what had occured.
"It was a big stag." Draco grumbled in his defense, "and you should both be glad I didn't kill that stag. It was wearing a silver band around one of its hind legs."
"A silver band?" Pansy whispered.
"Yes, like the gold ones we wear when we go out." Draco said, sitting up carefully and placing one hand on the wound. Reaching over to his night table, he rummaged around inside before pulling out the wooden box that had been buried beneath several trinkets. The gold gleamed in his hand, the two charms seeming to twist and writhe as if they had a life all their own. "It even had two charms attached to it."
"Another student probably." Blaise said quietly, sitting back and staring thoughtfully into the canopy of Draco's bed. The room was quiet as all three considered the meaning of this information. "Who else would have the guts and intelligence to pull something like this off?"
"Potter would have the guts but Granger would have the brains." Pansy muttered, tossing her hair at the mention of the Gryffindor witch. "Who do you think it was Draco?"
"It could only have been Potter. When I attacked him that day in the hall, I got a taste of his blood. The stag tasted the same; like chocolate covered strawberries." Draco groaned before sliding back against the headboard, hand closing tightly around the gold bracelet he held. Pansy and Blaise exchanged a look of disbelief before turning their shocked gazes back to the blonde wizard.
"How badly was he injured?" Pansy asked, reaching out and catching Draco's hand in hers. She pulled the gold from his hand and returned it to the box, sliding it back into the drawer it had been dragged from.
"I had him by the throat. Beau seemed to recognize him and let go, I believe we trailed him to the edge of the forest but I can't remember." Draco said unhappily, biting his lip when Pansy gasped in shock at his words. A door slammed down the hall and brought all three back to reality.
"I need some books from the library." Pansy announced, turning her glittering gaze on Blaise who sighed and rolled off the bed. "Wounds to an animagus by an animagus will heal in a matter of hours so you should be okay, however, I'd prefer that you remain in bed. Blaise can pick you up something from the kitchen for dinner."
"I don't remember volunteering myself to play house elf." Blaise huffed as he shook his cloak out and plodded towards the door. He paused in the doorway and waited for Pansy to remove herself from Draco's bed, knowing that he if he wasn't given a list he'd never remember all the books she wanted.
Pansy climbed off the bed and turned to face Draco, smiling as she flipped one of the blankets over his lap. Giving him a pat on the hand, she leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll make sure Blaise gets some chocolate. Chocolate always makes me feel better."
"Thank you Pansy" Draco mumbled., replacing the damp cloth across his face. Sinking back into the heap of pillows he kept on his bed, he listened as his friends left the room, arguing softly between themselves. When the door shut quietly behind the pair, he groaned and prayed that Blaise kept Pansy busy for a while.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ron sat on small stool in the corner of the large kitchen, the house elves skittered about as they cooked and cleaned. His mouth watered as a chicken was pulled out of an oven, the scent making him moan softly. One of the house elves tottered towards him carrying a large covered tray, a bright small plastered across its face.
"Thank you." Ron sputtered, as he accepted the steaming burden. Chuckling happily and looking forward to the feast he turned towards the door and froze when it swung open before him. Blaise Zabini stepped into the room and glanced around, his nose twitching and his eyes searching. "Damn."
"Weasley." Zabini muttered, eyes zoning in on the red head. The pair stood there, chins down and eyes locked.
"Zabini." Ron returned, unable to stop the slight curl of his upper lip. The kitchen went silent as all the house elves turned to watch the Gryffindor and Slytherin face off, mindful of past fights between the Houses.
"I need something for dinner and chocolate; lots of chocolate." Blaise said, breaking the staring contest and turning to the nearest house elf, watching as the creature leapt into action. Blaise prowled deeper into the room, circling widely around Ron and clearing the doorway. Ron shifted and eyed the other wizard before heading towards the door, back straight and eyes forward. His wolf growled softly and bared fangs, waiting impatiently for Blaise to accept the challenge. The Slytherin peered at Ron then grinned, nodding his head before returning his attention to the house elves gathering the requested items.
"Slytherins." Ron rumbled as he walked out the door, hot tray balanced carefully. His wolf still hadn't calmed and continued to growl softly. A low hiss had him halting and spinning on one heel, peering into the shadows around him. A flash of gold eyes and a long fur announced the arrival of Mrs. Norris. The cat hissed again and lashed its tail causing Ron to smile evilly. He took a measured step towards the cat and snarled, baring overly long white teeth. Fluffing its self up, the cat gave him an angered look before darting into the shadows, bawling loudly.
"Cats." Ron mumbled with a smile, sneaking a piece of chicken off the tray as he continued on his way back to Gryffindor House. His wolf laughed softly, slightly appeased by the cats fear.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Hermione glided down the hall, cloak draped completely over robes. Her vixen cooed happily, content to lend the witch several of her skills at maneuvering unseen through open areas. Hermione waited patiently outside the library doors, watching for some student to open the door as they entered or exited. She leaned against one of the walls and glanced at the list she held, finger trailing across her neat writing.
"Now, get me all the books on this list and come back here. Do it quickly or Draco will be very upset."
Hermione sighed as she turned in the direction of the voice, an eyebrow raised as Pansy dragged a first year student around the corner. The Slytherin witch pushed the younger student towards the door, tapping one toe as the wizard stopped with one hand on the door handle.
"Well?" Pansy growled, one eyebrow shooting up under her bangs as she tipped her head.
"What do I get out of this again?" The first year asked, waving the list Pansy had pushed into his hand.
"Too live." Pansy hissed, taking a step forward and drawing her wand. Hermione slipped a hand into her pocket and wrapped her fingers around her wand, grabbing the cloak as it started to slide over her head. The vixen growled and informed Hermione how bad it was of the other witch to use such a tone with a young pup. Smiling at the fox's words, Hermione darted through the door of the library after the young Slytherin.
"Now to get the books I need without being seen." Hermione mumbled, tiptoeing towards the books on transfiguration. Standing before the shelves, she ran a finger along the wood as she read the spines. Collecting three of the books she had wanted, she paused in mid reach as the Slytherin first year Pansy had been giving orders to wandered over to the shelf, reading a crumpled piece of paper and looking over the books. The vixen hissed as the other student pulled a book off the shelf and compared it with the note before nodding to himself.
"Damn." Hermione whispered, reading over the boys shoulder. Quickly glancing at the books piled in his arms, she noted several of them were ones she had written on her own list. Nodding to himself, the Slytherin headed towards the counter and checked the books out. Waiting by the doors, Hermione slunk out after the young wizard, stopping behind him as he handed the books over to Pansy.
"I got them all but these two." He said as he shoved the books into Pansy's hands. Pansy flipped through them before curling her lip as she figured out which books were missing from the pile.
"Granger!" She hissed, whipping around and charging down the hall, the younger student bumbling along in her wake. Frowning, Hermione clutched the books to her chest and headed back to Gryffindor House, eager to begin her research and see that Harry ate something.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A/N: Thank you to everyone who took the time to review! I'm glad everyone's enjoying it.
Manny 2003 – lol, question answered.
NinjaoftheDarkness – poor you! lol, I spend my weekends home fighting with my brother and use the week to recover.
rayama – yeah, that probably explains Draco's actions.