Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER - I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS OR SETTINGS ETC. MENTIONED IN THIS FAN FICTION!

Draco

"Ah! My friggen' head!" Yelled Draco.
"Uggghhh..." Replied Hermione groggily.
Clutching his head, he crawled over to her and mumbled;
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, sorry, I'm so clumsy..."
"Nah, it was my fault. Sorry."
"What are you doing!" Ron exclaimed, furious to see Draco comforting Hermione.
"I'm just looking her over to make sure she's okay Weasely. Don't get your knickers in a twist!" Snarled Draco impatiently. He was convinced Hermione was concussed.
"Looking her over, eh? You perv' Malfoy, get away from her or I'll... I'll..." Ron's face was about to match the colour of his hair.
"Or what Weasely? What could you possibly do that would intimidate me in any way, you incompetent fool!"
Ron went over the edge, and whipped out his wand menacingly. Draco had left his wand at his seat and was defenseless.

He could practically see his father now;
"What did I tell you boy? What have I drilled into your thick skull since you were able to hold a wand? Never, and I repeat, NEVER let it out of your sight! I sometimes wonder whether you are my son. I would not be caught dead doing such a stupid thing! Well, you got yourself into this mess. Let's see if you can get out with a shred of dignity."

Back to the here and now, and Weasley was inching forward. With a look of triumph he shouted;
"Nottish Blott! Nottish Blott!"
It had been Ron's hope, that in sending two spells, that at least one would then hit Draco. He was over the moon to see it hit home, and to see Draco spurt nasty boils all over.
However his spirits were quickly dampened when his second spell hit Hermione, and she too began to grow painful looking boils.

"You buffoon! Look what you've done! Hermione are you okay?"
"Ow... These hurt so much... My skin feels raw... Uh..." The only noises Hermione made after these were incoherent. Draco picked her up and carried her off the train, ignoring all the giggling and staring made by the other pupils because of his new... appearance.

Muffled noises of Ron's disapproving protests were in the background, but he just didn't care.

He ran to one of the carriages and set off up the hill, being pulled by thestrels.

He still couldn't see thestrels, and from what he heard about why some people could see them, he didn't really WANT to- to see a thestral, you had to witness someone die.

After an agonizing wait, they made it to the magnificent castle. He gently picked up Hermione, making sure she wasn't in too much pain before running off, through the halls covered in paintings. Some of the paintings seemed curious as to what was going on and demanded an explanation, but Draco was running too fast to answer. Plus he didn't really care, they were just pictures after all.

When he finally made it to the medical room, he was almost in a worst state than Hermione. Out-of-breath, he shakily put her down on a bed and clambered over to Madame Pomfrey's door and knocked hard.

Hermione

He was encroaching upon her. Moving from side-to-side in rhythmic motions like a snake about to strike.

She stumbled back, in a futile attempt to escape. With her pulse beating so hard, it was actually painful, she tried to scream. Not even a raspy noise left her lips. In fact, the only sound she could here was the insistent hissing of the snakes tongue.

"Hissssss...ssss...hisssss...ssss..." He droned on.

No, get back!

"Sssss...mud...blood...sssss..." His voice was dragged out.

"Ssss...YOU'RE NEXT!" He bellowed.

Noooo!

Hermione burst out of her nightmare violently. She jumped so hard, that she fell off the bed, onto the floor, where she lay with her skin covered in a cold sweat.

She just lay there whimpering pitifully because she had landed on her arm, which was now sending painful warning signals up to her shoulder. At that moment, Madame Pomfrey ran in from her office and tended to her.

"Wingardium Leviosa!"

Hermione was carefully lifted and placed back on the bed.

"Please try to calm down dear, you'll hurt yourself further! You were brought in after a stupid classmate hexed you, but you're fine now!" Madame Pomfrey informed her.

"My arm..." She whispered timidly.

"Ah... I'll tend to this... Episkey!" She pointed with her wand.

Hermione visibly relaxed but inside her mind was in turmoil. Harry had had dreams about Voldemort for years, but never had she personally had one. She could see why he didn't like to talk about them- they were terrifying.

"Here, take some Dreamless-Sleep potion."

She handed Hermione a small purple vial full of silvery, swirling liquid which weirdly reminded Hermione of memories when they are taken from the head.

"Who brought me in?" She asked.

"Oh, it was that nice Malfoy boy. He too was suffering from a grisly Boil-Covering spell."

"Really? That was nice of him."

The only time 'Draco' and 'nice' were in the same sentence, was when there was a 'is not' between the words. However it was kind of him to help her... oh and was she ever mad at Ron.

She guzzled down the potion and within seconds, her head hit the pillow.