I'm glad everyone is happy with the way this story is developing. Thanks everyone for your reviews, you keep me going.

It was an irony of life that at the moment a dear one's life is in peril you find yourself being the most selfish person on the planet. All Draco could think about as he waited for Harry to return was how her illness would affect him. He had finally found the witch he wanted to spend his life with, yet the powers to be had seen fit to make her ill. He didn't want to think about the implications of living without her.

Two polished black shoes appeared in front of him, alerting him to Harry's return. Slowly he lifted his head and was grateful when he saw a confused look on Harry's face. There was no signs of grief at least.

"They don't know what's wrong with her yet, they need to examine her further" Harry informed him.

"With the entire cache of healing magic at their disposal and they don't know what's wrong?" Draco shook his head in disbelief.

"It might be a muggle affliction" Harry shrugged.

"What wizards don't get colds or food poisoning?" Draco scoffed.

"Look I'm only relaying what the healer told me" Harry pointed out.

"Sorry, it's just unbelievable" Draco sighed.

"We could always get a muggle doctor's opinion" Harry offered.

"I doubt with their limited talents they could do any better" Draco dismissed, his prejudices shining through.

Harry remained silent; it was no use citing the strides in medicine that the muggles had achieved many ahead of the so called superior Wizarding world.

"Harry, is she ok?" Ginny ran up to them, followed by Ron who looked just as concerned as his sister.

"She's stable they're running a few more tests" Harry informed, keeping the edge out of his voice.

"Blimey, what happened?" Ron asked, looking directly at Draco.

"She collapsed at home" Draco repeated, uneasy with the way the red head was looking at him.

"That's it?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Yes Weasely that's it, I didn't brew a potion in order to murder her" Draco sighed, reading Ron's thoughts.

"I didn't mean that, I was just wondering about Lucius" Ron shot back.

"Ron really this isn't the time or place" Ginny chastised.

"No he's right. I've thought about it too" Draco conceded.

"We need to know more before we go accusing anyone Malfoy" Harry warned.

"Here comes, Parkinson" Ron announced, staring in the direction of the entrance.

:"Fantastic, who told her?" Draco drawled, looking at the three of them.

"Draco, what happened?" Pansy asked, sitting down next to him.

"It's ok Pans they're looking her over" Draco replied.

"Who told you?" Ron asked rudely.

"Blaise was in the store this afternoon" She answered, ignoring his tone. "Do they have any idea what's wrong with her?"

"They've ruled out curses, but that doesn't mean other means were used" Draco felt like a recording.

"You don't think…" She asked horrified.

"We were just discussing that but there really hasn't been an opportunity for that" Harry cut in saving Draco from answering.

Pansy fell silent which did not go unnoticed especially by Draco who had never known his friend to be at a loss for words.

"What is it you know Pans?" He asked, a little more harshly then he had intended.

She swallowed hard well aware what affect her revelation would have on all those present.

"My mother told me Hermione went to see Lucius" She began.

"What?!" Harry asked in amazement, which mirrored everyone else's reaction.

"Apparently Lucius requested her presence at the manor" Pansy recited continuing before anyone could interrupt. "He asked her to sign some documents which forbade her from touching any of Draco's fortune. As far as I know she signed"

Draco sat in silence, his mind racing. Hermione hadn't said a thing, not one thing about meeting his father let alone signing documents.

"You don't think he did something to her?" Ron asked.

"What would that be Weasely?" Draco countered, looking at the red head impassively.

"I'm just saying what everyone is thinking" Ron shrugged.

"Do I know for certain if he did something? No I don't but I can't say for certain he didn't either." Draco replied. "The question is can you see her drinking anything he would offer her?"

"Draco's right, Hermione is a very smart witch she wouldn't just drink something at the manor of all places" Ginny agreed.

"But your company is renowned for its potion making skills what if he put something on the quill?" Ron persisted.

"Are we seriously doing this?" Draco narrowed his eyes at him.

"Let's all calm down, whatever this is the healers will find out" Pansy put in.

Draco knew what he had to do as much as he had wanted to ignore the rising anger inside of him; he knew he had to do it. If he didn't go and talk to his father, the uncertainty over his involvement would hang over Draco's head.

"I'll be back, let me know if her condition changes" Draco said to Potter, walking away from the group.

"Where are you going Draco?" Pansy asked, catching up to him.

"The Manor" He replied.

"You're not going to do anything rash are you?"

Draco smirked; it seemed everyone thought the Malfoy's were capable of anything.

"No Pansy, I'm not. Keep an eye on them while I'm gone." He ordered stepping out of St Mungos into the night.

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He had decided to apparate to the manor's doorstep, instead of directly inside. For all he knew the wards had been changed to restrict his access. Steadying himself he quickly knocked on the wooden door and waited.

Blinky opened the door, smiling widely when she saw him.

"Master Draco, how wonderful to see you" She gushed.

"Thanks Blinky is my father home?" He asked.

"Would you like to come in?" The house elf asked awkwardly, she wasn't used to asking a Malfoy if he wanted to walk into his own home.

"No Blinky, simply inform my father I'm waiting for him" Draco requested, stepping back from the doorway.

The elf disappeared quickly, eager to follow his instructions.

Draco waited for his father to appear, trying to calm himself with reciting the words he had prepared. It would be no use to anyone if he lost his cool at him.

"Draco?" Lucius interrupted his thoughts, a look of concern etched into his features.

Draco didn't know what made him angry at that point, whether it was the obvious concern on his father's face or the fact that this man had made Hermione sign away her rights, but all his careful planning went out the window.

"Did you do it?" He asked coldly.

"Do what Draco?" Lucius asked in confusion.

"I don't want lies Father. Tell me did you do something to her?" He ground out, his fists clenched by his sides.

"No son, whatever has happened to her I am not responsible" Lucius replied with a hint of anger.

"If I find out that you were responsible..." Draco began.

"I find it very offensive that you would believe me to be capable of harming the witch you love" Lucius barked.

"Oh really, after all I've witnessed do you think I can really be blamed for thinking you would harm her? Especially when I find out you had her come here" Draco shouted.

"I had her come to ensure your future Draco, what if it was all about the money, the contract that she signed does not exclude you from sharing your fortune with her, it simply forbids her from touching it if she walks away" Lucius explained.

"It would suit you better if she wasn't in the picture" Draco argued.

Lucius fell silent, looking blankly at his son.

"What's happened to her?" He asked softly.

"They don't know she's lying unconscious at St Mungos" Draco answered, his voice unsteady.

"It's probably nothing" Lucius said dismissively.

"Maybe" Draco nodded, he wasn't about to tell his father the growing fear inside of him.

Having nothing else to say Draco turned to leave, he still didn't have the answers he was looking for but a part of him needed to believe his father wasn't involved.

"Draco" Lucius called out.

Draco stopped in his tracks keeping his back to him.

"You're still welcome here"

Draco simply nodded then apparated back to St Mungos.