Dawn awoke slowly from her enchanted sleep. It took a while for her to remember where she was, but when she did, she rolled over quickly, to see Faith curled up in the next bed. Her face turned to Dawn's side, she was fast asleep, and still as white as the sheets that covered her. Bruises were now showing across her face, and Dawn couldn't help thinking how vulnerable and child like she seemed. Dawn looked past the slayer to the next bed, where Harry lay. Dawn craned her neck to see him better, but he was turned away, so she slipped silently out of the bed, noticing that everything ached less than it had before. She tiptoed round to Harry's bed, only now noticing his glasses were gone from the bedside table. Dawn smiled as he rolled over,
"Hey." She said quietly.
"Hey." He replied, frowning slightly.
"You ok?" she asked. He nodded, but seemed to be thinking hard.
"What happened?" He said finally. "I remember Voldemort… and then… a voice… he was gonna kill me, but…" His eyes cleared, and widened, "It was you."
"Me?"
"You saved me." He gasped. Dawn wrinkled her nose,
"O-k… that's wiggy."
He laughed,
"Sorry… but it was, wasn't it?"
Dawn nodded slowly,
"Yeah. It was lil ol' me." She shrugged.
"So… how?"
"Knew you'd ask that. Wicca- a spell Willow taught me ages ago."
"Wait… I thought you didn't know about magic before you came here?" Harry exclaimed. Dawn winced- she'd been scared that this would lead here.
"Not this kinda magic… but a bit about wicca."
"How? I thought you were bought up as a muggle? How come you never told us this?" Another wince.
"Did I ever tell you that you guys ask way too many questions?" She scolded, frowning.
"Sorry." He replied with a half smile. Dawn rolled her eyes.
"The town where I live- Sunnydale, is kinda like a demon hotspot, so I know about demons and vampires, and wicca- kinda hard to miss it unless you walk around with your eyes closed."
Harry laughed,
"An' I guess if you were magically inclined anyway, you'd notice it even more." Dawn nodded, trying to ignore the pang of guilt at steering round the full facts. "Wow…But I still don't get why you didn't tell us." Dawn gave him a major mock-evil.
"See, too many questions!" She sat on the edge of his bed, and he sat up more, as Dawn thought hard and fast. "It's… complicated, Harry…" She said. "An' don't think its cos I don't trust you or somethin', cos I do, you're a good friend an' all… but it's… complicated." She sighed, looking up at him to see if he was hurt. Harry was looking at her too, and their eyes met. Dawn swallowed, he had really nice eyes. He reached out, touching her hand,
"It's ok. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to. I can wait, or whatever… it doesn't matter."
"Harry…" Dawn sighed, pulling her hand back. "Thanks. That's cool." She couldn't meet his eyes, and the boy was suddenly flushing red. Dawn stood up quickly; too quickly, and felt a wave of dizziness consume her, "Oh crap." She gasped, reaching out for something to hold onto. She heard hasty footsteps, and felt strong arms supporting her moments before she hit the ground.
"Easy…" a voice cooed, "Come on." She was helped back to her bed as her vision began to clear once more. She looked up, seeing worried silvery eyes.
"Draco…" She smiled.
"Yeah, you ok?" He asked. Dawn nodded.
"Just a little dizzy- tired I guess." She said. Draco nodded, but still looked worried. She glanced over to Harry, who was also craning to see if she was ok.
"Malfoy?" He called over.
"She's ok." Draco answered without looking at him. Dawn smiled as he squeezed her hand.
"Did I thank you?" She whispered. Draco frowned in question. "For saving me." She confirmed. Draco snorted a laugh.
"I didn't save you." He said softly. "She did." He nodded to Faith. "…That's Faith, right?" Dawn nodded, looking over at the sleeping girl.
"That's Faith."
"But, Faith as in, went crazy, killed people, fought your sister, ended up in a coma Faith?" He asked. Dawn shh-ed him, glancing at Harry, and breathing a sigh of relief that he was turned away again. Draco grinned. "The super-trio still don't know, huh?" Dawn rolled her eyes.
"You're pathetic." He grinned wider, then winced,
"Except, well… Weasley and Granger know some of it. That damn boffin figured out about Buffy when they decided to bring her in."
"Oh… how much do they know?"
"That she's the slayer. A couple of big fights she did. No more than that. Don't worry." He sat gently beside her, letting her lean against him.
"I hate this." She breathed. "I hate that I keep lying… but I don't know how they'd… if they knew everything, knew what I'd been keeping from them…"
"Then unless they were totally blind and stupid, they'd love you anyway." Draco interrupted. "I know I do." The last was quiet, tentative, as if he wasn't sure it was the right way to say it, or maybe he'd simply never felt like this before, about anyone. Dawn looked up at him,
"You…?" He nodded nervously. Dawn smiled, and kissed him softly, cuddling in closer. Draco slipped his arm around her and held her protectively.
"Thank you." She whispered. For a few minutes, they just sat together, grateful to be together and safe once more. Then Dawn's brow wrinkled, "Were you saying something?" She wondered, remember snippits of conversation. Draco smiled,
"Yeah, about Faith..."
"Oh, right, yeah it's the same Faith."
"But then… Dawn from what you said…"
"It's hard to explain, Draco, but I know she's on the level. She turned herself in two years ago for starters, and then yesterday… was it yesterday?" Draco nodded, so she continued, "She saved my life, Draco. She was offered ultimate strength, ultimate power, and she turned it down. She risked her life to save mine. I think she's in a lot of pain, Draco. An' I don't know what I can do… god I hope Buffy isn't mean about it… have you seen Buffy?"
"Not since last night when I bought you up here. I think she's with Dumbledore. Dawn nodded, cuddling up to him again and sighing.
A while later, Madame Promfrey appeared again, and tutted.
"You should be getting to class, Mr. Malfoy. How's my patient?"
"Fine." Dawn said automatically. Draco scowled at her.
"She nearly fainted when she got up to see Potter." Dawn pinched him.
"Hey!"
"What? I don't want you to be ill. Let someone take care of you for once." He retorted. She frowned, but didn't argue. Madame Pomfrey thanked him, then made him leave, giving Dawn another dose of sleeping potion and forcing her into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Fluff fluff fluff, la-di-da… review please!!