DISCLAIMER: plot and O.C.s are mine

HIDDEN CHANGES

Chapter 17

Cassie screamed and twitched as she hit her head on the floor knocking her out. The Death Eater released the curse shooting a severing curse at Alex's abdomen hitting him and threw a hex at Bobby who dodged.

Hermione turned around, "What happened to the wards?"

"Only a Kanima can invite you onto this property!" Alex wheezed.

Out from behind the Death Eater stepped another man with Kanima tied in special ropes restraining its strength.

Xavier growled, "Carlos! You traitor!"

I am sorry Xavier I didn't know they would do this. They can't hear me now. Please release me and I will take care of them. The potion that clouds my mind has been slowly wearing off.

Bobby glared at Xavier and Hermione whipped around shooting the leashes confining the other Kanima.

The first Death Eater swore. "Damn it, Avery!" The Death Eater murmured something and fire shot out of his wand creating a large chimera. Bobby cursed and screamed as the Fiendfyre's tail grabbed his arm burning him. Xavier swung Tanya over his shoulder and whipped out his wand shooting out various extinguishing charms to help Bobby. Bobby ran for Alex as the Chimera headed towards the seriously wounded nineteen year old.

I'll take it from here. If that is cursed fire I will keep them here with the cost of my life.

Xavier nodded murmuring, "Good Luck."

Hermione grabbed Cassie as she saw Bobby grab Alex and fade away. Xavier was fading too so she followed suit as they reappeared in the Great Hall.

She heard ward alarms go off as the teachers from Hogwarts appeared around her in night robes. She paid these noises no mind as she screamed and cradled Cassie in her arms. "Cassandra! Cassie! Wake up please!"

Xavier landed near her holding a lifeless Tanya in his arms with glassy eyes. Bobby was laying Alex on a table and putting pressure on the wound tears streaming down his face with burn marks all up and down his left shoulder.

Snape approached the injured group and stared at his half-brother. Xavier looked to him with watery eyes. His voice shook as he said, "I need your help."

Snape sneered before yelling, "Get Pomfrey here NOW!"

Remus knelt beside Hermione and tried to take Cassandra from her. "Hermione let me take it from here."

Hermione clutched Cassandra closer sobbing, "It was supposed to be for me! The curse was supposed to be for me! It was my fault!"

Xavier watched as Hermione sobbed over Cassandra's body. Severus stared at his brother before taking Tanya from him saying, "Don't say anything to me," and carrying her towards the hospital wing.

Xavier walked towards the distraught girl on the floor. "Hermione, let them fix her." Hermione's hold loosened as Remus took small Cassandra out of her arms. Hermione sobbed on the floor of the Great Hall feeling guilt surge through her body. Her body was racked with sobs as she bawled on the floor. Xavier looked towards Professor McGonagall who was levitating Alex towards the hospital wing. Bobby looked over at Hermione and Xavier and followed the Professor leaving Hermione and Xavier alone in the dark Great Hall.

Xavier knelt down next to her and pulled her close, "It isn't your fault. Let's get you off the floor."

Hermione cried into his shoulder and shook her head not wanting to move at all. Xavier sighed and scooped her up gently carrying her. He brought her to the infirmary seeing Madame Pomfrey running around tending to the wounded.

Xavier stood there with the still hysterical Hermione in his arms still in quite a bit of shock. Xavier sat her down on one of the empty beds cupping her face in his hands, "Hermione please calm down. You are worrying me."

Severus glided by and placed a potion on the nightstand by the bed, "Calming Draught, I haven't finished the other potion yet."

Xavier looked at the potion suspiciously and sniffed it.

Severus sighed, "I haven't done anything to it!"

Xavier took a sip and felt himself calm down before her offered it to Hermione who took it gratefully. As she swallowed the potion she felt herself grow calmer and calmer. She looked over to Xavier apologizing for her foolish behavior and asking how everyone was doing.

Severus butted in saying, "The one with the black hair and a temper is fine. I am guessing fiendfyre is the only thing to inflict that bad a burn though. The woman is stable and the little girl should be waking up soon."

Hermione looked at her Professor waiting for more. When she got no response she asked quietly, "Alex?"

Snape looked to them, "It was a very dark curse that hit his internal organs. Madam Pomfrey is doing her best, he would be better off at St. Mungo's but…"

"He isn't a wizard, so they can't take him." Xavier mumbled as Hermione clung to his robes.

"I have an idea," Hermione looked up with a determined glint in her eyes saying, "I'll be right back," before she ran out towards the Gryffindor Common Rooms.

Harry woke up to being shaken away by a distressed Hermione. He squealed and covered himself with the blankets he had. "Hermione what are you doing?!"

"I need to get into the Slytherin's Common Rooms."

"Are you insane?!"

Ron woke up, "Blimey Harry what are you making all the noise… Eeep HERMIONE!" Ron squealed as he pulled the blankets closer to himself.

Hermione looked over and shushed them, "I need to get Draco Malfoy."

"Why the hell would you want that git!" Ron exclaimed in a loud whisper.

Hermione looked to Harry with pleading eyes. "Alright Alright!" Harry hopped out of his bed in only his sleeping pants and rummaged through his trunk.

"What is it with boys sleeping without a shirt on?"

Ron looked over, "What do you mean boys? We are the only boys you are allowed to hang out with!"

Hermione looked over, "I don't have time to argue with you. I promise to explain everything when I get back, we were attacked by death eaters and my friends were injured."

"Found it! Alright let me see… The password is… I love the Dark Lord… Just kidding… It is… oh how original… 'potter sucks' Don't you love Slytherins? I know there originality sparks my interest. You have to explain everything tomorrow. I don't have the capacity to understand anything at the moment." Harry drawled.

Hermione hugged Harry muttering a quick thanks as she ran out of the room and down the stairs.

Ron turned to Harry, "I worry about her sanity sometimes."

Hermione rushed down to the portrait of a man holding a snake and said, "Potter sucks!"

The portrait arched an eyebrow and swung open letting Hermione enter. She ran up the stairs praying that Slytherin had the same layout as Gryffindor. She sighed in relief when it was and she peeked into all of the bunks looking for the trademark blonde. When she came to the bed she crawled on the bed and shut the curtains casting a very strong silencing charm around the closed curtains. She had a feeling someone wasn't going to be too happy when she woke him up. Hermione took a deep breath before shaking the Slytherin 'prince,' "Malfoy! MALFOY! DRACO!"

Draco opened in eyes and screamed, "WHAT THE HELL! Granger! Why are you in my bed!? OH MERLIN DID I SLEEP WITH YOU!? I didn't get THAT trashed did I?"

Hermione flinched at the yelling and covered his mouth making him freak out even more. "Malfoy I need your help! STOP STRUGGLING!" Draco tried to squirm away from her, "I don't need your help, Alex does!"

Draco flipped her over angrily and pinned her down to the bed, "What is wrong with him? How do you know him!?"

Hermione stared up at him, "You do know if anyone were to open those curtains that you would have a lot of explaining to do."

Draco got off of her quickly looking at his hands in disgust.

"Alex is in the infirmary. He needs to go to St. Mungo's but he isn't a wizard so he won't get in. I figured you would have the right to know and that you might help." Hermione spat out quickly.

Draco gave her a glare before jumping out of the bed and rushing out of the room. Hermione ran to catch up with him. As they got out of the Common Room she yelled, "Aren't you going to put on a shirt?!"

Draco ignored her as he hurried to the Hospital Wing. Hermione had to quicken her regular walking to try and keep up with the hurrying boy. Draco skidded into the Hospital Wing to find Professor Snape talking quickly with the man who caused the commotion at lunch the day before. Hermione ran in behind him and pushed him aside running to a bed at the far end of the wing. Draco hurried behind her as she turned around a curtain. He stopped as he heard her gasp and let out a strangled sob. Draco took a deep breath and followed behind her to find his brother with a huge gash in his abdomen. Draco covered his mouth in horror as he saw Madam Pomfrey covered in blood from her hands to her elbows. She shooed them out and they stood outside the curtain.

Hermione turned to Draco, "I tried to put up a shield but I wasn't fast enough."

Draco looked at Hermione, "Why did you get me?"

"Do you think you could get him into St. Mungo's?"

Draco thought for a moment, "We do look a lot alike. I mean if I cut his hair perhaps, but that means my parents would be informed and I would have to hide until he was able to get out of the hospital."

Hermione looked to him, "Do you think they would realize it isn't you?"

Draco scoffed, "Yeah right, I doubt they would visit. Mungo's can fix this. If you mention my last name the best healer is assigned."

Professor McGonagall came out of another curtain, "Mister Malfoy what are you doing out of bed!" Draco pointed to Hermione quickly.

Hermione spoke up, "I got him Professor. I figure he needed to know."

Draco sat thinking and looked at Hermione with disdain, "You have to never speak of Alex to anyone other than Potty and Weasel because I am sure you have already told them. You also have to cut his hair if we are going to pull this off. He will be so pissed."

Hermione swallowed as she heard Bobby cursing, "Stop poking me with that shitty piece of wood you overgrown wolf!"

"LANGUAGE!" Tanya roared from the next curtain over.

"Teehee shitty!" giggled a groggy Cassandra.

Xavier looked over seeing Draco and walked down grabbing Hermione and shaking her, "What the hell are you thinking! Do you think he is really going to help?"

"Well they are related? I mean…"

Snape stormed down after his half-brother, "I wasn't finished speaking with you, and please give my godson a little credit!"

"Xavier!" Hermione called

Xavier spun around, "I don't even give you credit!"

"Hey Xavier!"

"Why would I give anyone you even speak to credit?!" Xavier spat.

Hermione popped Xavier upside the head, "Listen to me! I am going to cut Alex's hair and we are going to say he is Malfoy… I mean Draco… Draco says that he is willing to hide out for a few days."

Snape looked over at Draco, "You are willing to do that?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "He may be disowned but he is still my brother."

"More than my brother ever did for me." Xavier snorted.

Snape glared, "Don't give me that shit, Xavier!"

Dumbledore strolled into the infirmary wearing a light blue night robe with twinkling stars. "I believe Mister Malfoy that we are going to have to come up with a suitable cover story."

Draco shrugged, "Easy, me and my friends were drinking and decided to duel. It got a little serious and I got hit with a stray curse."

Hermione looked over, "Well you came up with that fast."

"I am a Slytherin what do you expect?" Draco smirked.

Hey guys now that school is back in session I will probably only update once a week and I am pretty sure I need a new keyboard because I spilt something on it an now my keys are sticking... But I will try to update soon even though it may be hard to tolerate. Please review! I need them... and YAY FOR GETTING TO 100 REVIEWS!!!!

love you all

Mousie

aka Meg