Everything was suddenly blindingly bright. I reached up to shield my eyes, but I couldn't. I tried again. Again, my arm was restrained. I looked down to slowly to see that my arms and legs were bound to my sides and I seemed to be hanging. I saw below my body was a terrifying drop. I quickly looked around me to find something to get me back to safer grounds...well any ground! Looking up, I saw that I was hanging from nothing at all; it's the man in a black cloak that is holding me up. I cannot see his face but by the way he held himself and by the way he was dressed, he doesn't look like a life-saver, more like a life-taker. I began to panic once I acknowledged the fact that my life is in the hands of this scary man. Not too good. Before and can even scream "No", the man dropped me and I was falling slowly, in a dream-like state, towards the cold looking water of the river below. But it was pleasant in a terrifying way, the wind blowing at me, the ground getting closer. It felt like I was flying, just flying...down. Just as I was to hit the water, the scene changed.

All the pain came back to me as I opened my eyes groggily but they were too heavy. My head seemed to be pounding and spinning at the same time. Not something I have felt before.

"Ugh..." I groaned. I felt like I had been trampled on by a herd of hippogriffs.

"You're awake!"

I heard a cry from somewhere to my right and I felt a slight pressure on my left hand. I tried again to open my eyes and this time I managed it. My little sister, Lizzie, was in the seat to the right of the hospital bed. She had tears in her eyes and I could see she hadn't been sleeping properly by the deep purple marks under her eyes. She was dressed scruffily in a big baggy jumper that I recognized was our favourite cousin's, Rick's. She was wearing a pair of light wash jeans and it made her look like she had been pulled through a hedge backwards. Not to mention her hair! So, all in all, Lizzie wasn't looking her best, my mixed up mind managed to decide. Which was odd for me to see as Lizzie usually prides herself on being well dressed and looking nice all the time.

"Lizzie, you worry too much..." I managed to mumble. But the words sounded slurred. I sighed in relief knowing that it was only me and my sister here to hear me make a fool of myself and slur like a drunk.

"Well, Malfoy told me briefly what happened but left out the details and you know me, my mind just conjured up the worst possible thing that could have happened and as you know, I'm quite dramatic and I worry a lot and when you didn't wake up for a week, I started getting really worried..." She rattled on and on. Lizzie often went into rants like this. But when she was worried, it was even worse. But even though there were several things in her long rant that I should have been worried about, there was one thing that was really bothering me.

"His name is Draco."

"What?" Lizzie asked, breathless still from her rant.

"I said his name is Draco, not Malfoy..." Then I groaned as my head seemed to worsen in pain. The pressure increased on my hand. I looked down at the hand between me and Lizzie. It took a minute to realise in my foggy brain that that one was my right. So I turned over onto my back and looked over at my left hand. I hadn't thought of looking my other side. And I should have considering it felt that there was something on it. I saw at pale long fingers grasping mine tightly. I followed the hand to the arm and up to the shoulder with my eyes. Whoever it was, was wearing a pale blue shirt with long sleeves that the person had tucked up to their elbows. Their arms were pale but strong. I presumed it was a boy because it would have to be one heck of a buff girl if it wasn't. It carried on my eyes' journey up over the boy's (or really buff girls') shoulder and up the neck and came across the person's face. Pointed chin, strong cheekbones and straight nose. Then I looked straight in stormy grey eyes partly covered by a bright blond fringe.

"Draco..." I mumbled and gave him a dazed and pain-filled smile.

I could feel every part of my body aching now. I could feel every kick, punch, slap as if Pansy was still beating me up now. I realized I didn't know what day it was, what time it was or even if Pansy and her followers got punished for what they did to me. I hope they did, they better have...

He smiled back and squeezed my hand gently. It felt as if my heart stopped and then started beating twice as fast as before.

"You gave me quite a fright there, Maya." He said gently as though even his words could cause me pain. I felt a fluttering in my tummy. Mmmm, he is so gorgeous and then I quickly shook my head to get rid of the indecent thoughts of Draco holding me in his arms, of him kissing me under a romantic full moon, of him presenting me with bouquet of red roses... Stop!

"How are you feeling, are you hurting any where?" He asked still in that soft voice that made me think of silk and honey and soft melted chocolate or smooth soft silk. I wish he talked to me like this all the time.

"I'm just...aching a bit." I winced as I tried to shrug. Damn, that may just have gave away how hurt I am, I thought, I don't want them to worry.

"You are hurt! I'll go get Madam Pomfrey!" Lizzie exclaimed and once again I winced as her loud voice echoed through my head and seemed to amplify in volume each time round.

"No, Lizzie, don't..." I protested but she was too far away to hear me. I groaned again.

"What day is it?" I asked Draco after I'd cleared my throat.

"It's Sunday, you've been unconscious for a week," after seeing my shock at this, he hastily explained, " you lost a lot of blood and you were extremely weak from that and the curse, so it's only normal."

"What happened to Pansy?" I asked and noticed how his eyes tightened at her name. What was the matter?

"She got detention every weekend until the end of the year but after a letter from her parents, and I heard there was a long meeting, she's only got detention every Sunday, which I think is not enough. She should have been expelled..." He growled. He seemed to be really worked up about it so I gripped his hand tighter. I saw the frustration leave his eyes It was replaced by something that made his eyes light up and made them look all the more beautiful.

"When do you think I will be let out of here?" I asked to make conversation. Well, I always got tongue-tied around good-looking boys. I got the typical tongue-tied-and-say-something-stupid awkwardness. I was fully aware that Draco was still holding my hand. But I wasn't going to think about that otherwise I would start blushing.

"Well, hopefully in the next few days..." He paused. "Look, Maya, I just want to apologise for what happened to you..." He looked into my eyes and I could see that he was sincere.

"Why are you apologising? It wasn't you who beat me up, it was Pansy!" I exclaimed. Now that I had been awake for a while, I was gaining a bit of strength.

Before he could answer, Madam Pomfrey arrived with Lizzie at her heels.

"Miss Moore, nice to see those eyes open, quite a nasty ordeal that was! Now, how are you feeling? Any headaches, back pains?" She asked whilst bustling Draco out of her way. She leaned over and looked at the back of my head and started poking and prodding.

"I'm fine, Madam Pomfrey, really!" I lied. The truth was that I didn't want to stay in the Hospital Wing for another day.

"Hmmm, maybe..." She muttered, obviously distracted with what she was doing to the back of my head.

I didn't actually know the extent of my injuries but as soon as I was left alone with Draco next, I was going to find out.

"Miss Moore, I think that you can leave here this evening but you are not to go to classes tomorrow or the next day, if you wish, Mr Malfoy could keep you company. But you are going to be weak for a few days so you mustn't over exert yourself."

As Madam Pomfrey went back to her office, Lizzie also dismissed herself claiming that she had homework to finish before tomorrow. Draco was receiving the potions from Madam Pomfrey that I would need this week.

I carefully swivelled my legs round and off the bed. I steadily stood up and just stayed there trying to keep my balance. I was struggling to ignore the sharp pain in my ribs, the ache in all my limbs and the pounding in my head. After a couple of minutes, I managed to close the curtains around my bed so that I could get dressed in private. I noticed that Lizzie had brought me some clean clothes. It was my favourite lounging outfit: skinny jeans and a big baggy green jumper that was practically a dress on me. The sleeves came down so far that I had to turn them up three times so I could see my hands. After I got dressed I pulled back the curtain and sat on my bed to put on my scruffy converses. As I bent over to do up the laces, there was a sharp pain in my side that caused me to sit up and gasp. Tears sprung in my eyes.

"You shouldn't be leaving."

I jumped which caused another twinge in my ribs. I winced before I turned around. Draco was standing behind the chair on the other side of the bed. He had obviously only just got there, long enough to hear me gasp.

"Yeah, I agree, but I'm not staying here." I answered simply and decided to leave my laces undone.

I stood and grabbed the bag that had my clothes from last Saturday and the books I had been carrying to the Library. Swinging the bag over my shoulder caused pain to dart from the bottom of my spine up to the crown of my head. I dropped the bag quickly whilst keeping control of the unshed tears that were threatening to fall. I remained with my back to Draco, scared of his reaction.

"Could you carry my bag for me please?"

There was no answer but I heard my bag being picked up from by my feet. As we walked out the Hospital Wing, there was silence between us, but it was a comfortable one. I noticed how Draco was heading towards the Gryffindor common room. When we arrived at the portrait hole, after a silent journey, Draco spoke finally.

"Levitate your bags to your dorm then meet me back here, I have something to tell you."