Title: Neither Good nor Evil
Rating: PG – 13
Pairing: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy; Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter series or any of its characters.
Summary: Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy have never been friends. They were happy to stay enemies until unwanted thoughts interrupted. Add one of Dumbledore's prophecies and shake well.
Chapter 14
Desperate
"You don't seem to understand. He's sick. He's getting worse!" Harry yelled. Dumbledore stared at him without a flicker of concern on his face.
"I do understand, Mr. Potter. But I cannot change my policy. Unless Madame Pomfrey deems it as something life threatening, I cannot send Mr. Malfoy to St. Mungo's." He said calmly.
"It doesn't matter if it's life threatening. There's something terribly wrong with him. I can feel it." Harry paced across the room, feeling like a caged animal even in Dumbledore's office. The last two weeks had been torture to him and his nerves were frayed.
After his father's visit, Draco had succumbed to the fever and was now in the midst of a sickness Madame Pomfrey could do nothing about. He twisted and turned in his bed, his skin heated. Sometimes he would cry out as though in the middle of some terrifying nightmare. There were even times when Madame Pomfrey would have to restrain him to the bed or at the worst, sedate him.
Harry refused to leave his side and because Dumbledore did not wish their relationship to reach the ears of the Death Eaters, Draco had been granted his own room. The nurse complained loudly that Harry had not slept since Draco had been brought in but Harry refused to leave his side, becoming violent towards anyone tried to force him.
Now, it seemed that every nerve ending in his body was standing at attention. He had to make Dumbledore understand that something terrible was about to happen to Draco if he didn't get help. Usually Dumbledore believed him even when his ideas seemed crazy but now the man meant to dismiss his suspicions. Harry tried to gather his thoughts into order but they resisted violently. Everything seemed hazy.
"Look, right before Draco got sick, his father came to visit him," He spoke slowly now, carefully, "I think Draco said something that upset his father, probably something bad about Voldemort and I think his father told Voldemort about it. I think Draco has been hexed or cursed or poisoned or something but Madame Pomfrey can't find anything. Can't we even send for a Mediwitch or –wizard?" Dumbledore didn't speak for a minute, considering Harry over his fingertips.
"Alright. We will send for a Mediwitch. Will that satisfy you, Mr. Potter?"
"Yes sir. Thank you sir." Harry bowed his head slightly.
"Will you get some rest, if only to quiet Madame Pomfrey?"
"I can't, sir. Until he wakes up, I can't sleep." Harry replied firmly, raising his bloodshot eyes to meet the Headmaster's with a firm, unwavering stare.
"I understand."
"Thank you sir." Harry nodded once and hurried back to Draco's room. Most of the school had already noticed both of the boy's absence. Many assumed they had cursed each other in a duel of sorts and were now confined to the Hospital Wing. Hermione and Ron found themselves at a loss to contain those rumors, especially since they were hardly speaking to each other. Hermione simply blushed whenever Ron was in the room and Ron stuttered uncontrollably when he tried to speak with her. They both busied themselves with Harry's issues, so as to forget theirs. Both were hovering in Draco's room when Harry burst through the door, waiting for the results of the discussion.
"What'd he say?" Ron inquired immediately, not expecting a response. Harry was at Draco's bedside in moments, snatching up the blonde's hand and holding it to his chest.
"Has there been any change?" He asked, quietly.
"Sorry, Harry. He's just been laying there." Hermione answered gently. Harry sighed and dropped into a chair.
"Dumbledore's going to call in a Mediwitch." He murmured.
"Finally." Ron muttered. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.
"Could you be anymore insensitive?" She demanded. Ron glared at her, forgetting their mutual silence in light of the insult.
"I could try. Would you like that?" He snapped. Before their argument could move into full swing, Harry sighed again bitterly and stood.
"Would you two just kiss already?" He growled. They stared at him.
"What?" Hermione gasped.
"You've been avoiding each other for two weeks as if that will make everything go away. Ron, you like Hermione. Hermione, you like Ron. Kiss each other already before I charm you together at the hips and make you walk like that for the rest of the year!" Harry glared at the two of them and then returned to his chair, eyes fixed on Draco's pale face. Hermione and Ron stared at him and then turned to each other simultaneously, blushing furiously.
"Well…" Hermione began. Ron took three long steps, swept her into his arms and kissed her fully on the lips. Harry looked up, tears tracing their way down his face and then laid his head on the bed. Eventually the two broke apart, gasping and blushing.
"Sorry." Ron said immediately releasing her. Hermione glanced at Harry, grabbed Ron's hand and pulled him out of the room.
"Nothing to be sorry about," She retorted shortly as she dragged him into a nearby supply closet, "Unless you don't do that again."
ZxZxZxZxZxZx
The Mediwitch arrived two days later in a whirl of color and noise. She immediately kicked all three students out of the room, pulled out her wand and began assessing the problem. Harry sank to the floor outside Draco's room and put his head on his knees. Hermione settled down next to him and wrapped her arms around him while Ron stood awkwardly next to them.
"Everything will work out, Harry. Draco's going to be fine." Hermione murmured soothingly. Harry took a deep shuddering breath and turned to her.
"If he isn't… I don't know what I'll do," He informed her, "I've never loved anyone before. It hurts so much. Why do people do this?"
"Because most of the time, it doesn't hurt." Hermione sighed. Ron scratched the side of his face and shifted awkwardly.
"Harry, mate, why don't we go get something from the kitchens? Madame Pomfrey said she'd call us when the Mediwitch was done." He suggested. Harry shook his head.
"Thanks, Ron but I can't leave." He forced a smile. Ron nodded and leaned back against the wall. Hermione pulled on his arm so he slid to the floor next to her and she leaned back against him.
"Everything's going to work out, Harry." She repeated. Harry stared at his two friends and felt envy rise in him at their comfortable closeness. He felt tears threatening to fall again and dropped his head onto his knees to hide them. But soon the stress of the situation and the lack of the sleep caught up with him and he was sobbing uncontrollably into his arms. Hermione pulled him into a hug and he wrapped his arms around her, looking for something to hang on to. He sobbed into her chest as she rubbed a hand up and down his back, making soothing noises into his ear. Ron rested a hand on her shoulder, watching the scene with sad eyes. After several minutes of crying, Harry calmed down and soon his breathing grew rhythmic.
"I think he's asleep." Hermione whispered.
"I'll get Madame Pomfrey. Maybe she can set him up in the extra bed in Draco's room." Ron kissed Hermione on the head and stood up, hurrying off. The nurse arrived quickly, levitating Harry's sleeping form and settling him in the extra bed as Ron predicted. The Mediwitch raised an eyebrow at the boy but continued her work without question. Madame Pomfrey stopped to talk to the two nervous friends on her way out.
"I'm so relieved he's finally asleep. I've been so afraid he'd just collapse and hurt himself." The nurse confessed.
"Do you think the Mediwitch will be able to figure out what's wrong?" Hermione asked urgently.
"I hope so but I don't know if there's much hope. I've had the same training as her except she's a specialist in outside culprits. Advanced hexes and spells and such. If Lucius Malfoy is behind his son's illness, she'll find it. Otherwise, Mr. Potter may end up in here as well." Madame Pomfrey hurried off to deal with her usual string of patients without easing the worry in either Ron or Hermione's minds.
"Maybe I can do some research." Hermione turned to look pleadingly at Ron.
"Don't, Hermione. You'll just make yourself sick too. I don't think I could handle that." Ron murmured, gathering her up into his arms. She leaned her head on his chest with a small sigh.
"Who ever thought we'd be worried about Draco Malfoy?" She shook her head.
"Not me." A voice said from behind them. They both jumped and turned to face Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson.
This one's actually new and not just backlogged… in case you were wondering…
Cheers,
Sarcastic Romantic