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I don't have anything to do with Harry Potter he belongs to the rich and famous JK Rowling.
It all started with...
Chapter 13
An illness...
Draco watched from behind a marble pillar as they took Hermione into the Hospital Wing. He hid further back when he noticed Harry and co stay behind the closed doors. He had heard what Madame Pomfrey had called Hermione's infliction but he hadn't got a clue. It was a muggle disease he believed seeing as he had never heard of it. He noticed Ginny kissing Harry on the cheek before leaving the two males there. He followed Ginny and decided he'd find out what Hermione had.
"Oi Weasley!" He called out but not in his normal harsh tone more like a whisper. The red haired female whipped round and glared at him.
"What do you want Malfoy?" Each word was harsh and filled with hate for the blond haired guy.
"How is she doing? Hermione I mean? Is she ok? What was she like when you left her?" Draco asked sounding more like a worried patient rather than a schoolboy.
Ginny raised an eyebrow but kept her face grim. "Not so good." She said eventually. "She's got a high temperature and she's been coughing...a lot." Draco felt himself grow worried and he noticed how his knuckle had curled up into a tight fist, his knuckles pushing through the skin. "You're father caused this."
"I warned her! I didn't know when or what but I knew he was up to something! Did she listen?" Draco asked finding himself suddenly angry and less concerned. He had warned the girl and she still ended up getting hurt!
"She did listen." Ginny replied crossing her arms. "We got caught off guard." Draco frowned slightly his temper fading slightly.
"I took a great risk in telling you, tell her that when she wakes up." Draco said suddenly sounding all quiet. "What has she got?" Ginny looked confused. "What's pneumonia?" Draco said letting the word roll round his lips.
"It's an illness." Draco gave her a hard look.
"I know that!"
"It's when the lung gets infected. Then it spreads all over the chest if it gets worse. If it gets worse then she'll cough up blood. She's already got a high temperature and she shivers more than usual." Ginny explained annoyed at having this conversation with Malfoy.
"What does she need...to recover?"
"Madame Pomfrey will see to all that." Ginny said coldly. Draco gave her a quick nod. "I have to get back to my common room now. You should do the same." She turned back and stormed off heading north leaving Draco in the middle of the noisy crowd of students.
--
"Draco!" He winced at Pansy's voice and cringed when he felt her run into his arms. "I missed you!"
"Can't say the same about you." He muttered to himself. "Get off me Pansy!" He said louder pushing away her prying hands.
"Draco...whatever is the matter with you?" Pansy demanded glaring at him, her hands on her hips.
"Just leave me alone!" Draco hissed pushing past her.
"This is what happens when your plan gets to you!" Pansy shouted making him freeze in his steps. "You care for that Mudblood! You actually have feelings for her!" Draco swore under his breath, he took out his wand and for once glad that their cloaks were large. Suddenly Pansy stopped jeering at him instead she began to wail like a loud cat.
"CAN SOMEONE SHUT THAT BITCH UP?!" Blaise roared coming into the common room. Draco suppressed a grin and shrugged his shoulders to his coloured friend. Blaise whipped his wand out and aimed it at Pansy "Silencio!" Pansy's wail stopped and she stared shocked at the fact that no noise was coming out of her mouth, she grabbed her friends and made gestures to her throat.
"Defiantly a big improvement." Draco said patting his friend's shoulder and walked past him. Blaise grabbed his arm. "Yes?" He demanded, his voice sounding stressed. Blaise let out a sigh and released his grip on him. He shook his cloak and hurried into his dorm room.
--
"Will she be ok?" Harry asked Madame Pomfrey for the tenth time that day. Hermione had been in the Hospital Wing for a few days, she seemed to be in an unending sleep only waking up for a few moments before falling asleep again, she's mumble incoherent words and at one point she muttered. "Troll!" Obviously remembering when they were in their first year at Hogwarts and a Troll had been set loose.
"Mr Potter she will be fine." Poppy said opening the girls' mouth and putting down a green liquid down her throat. "She just needs to rest."
"She's been doing that the past few days. How much more rest does she need?" Ron muttered to Harry. They had been to her bedside before and after classes. She hadn't changed.
"Guys! Hermione will be fine! Look go and have a Quidditch practise or something!" Ginny ordered the moment she saw them standing before Hermione. "You have been here ever since she fell ill!"
"Ginny I love you to bits but Hermione is my best friend and I can't leave her for Quidditch." Harry said firmly giving his girlfriend a quick kiss.
"No buts! You will go out and do something boyish!" It scared them that she resembled Molly Weasley with each passing day. "For me."
"No."
"Not even for me?"
"..."
"Look I'll run straight to you if something happens."
"Fine. You win!" Harry said shaking his head. She kissed him on the cheek and took the empty seat besides the left of Hermione's bed. Ron gave a small sigh and waved goodbye.
"Be careful." He muttered. "Later Hermione."
Ginny watched as they disappeared round the corner and out of sight. She reached out and gave Hermione's hand a gentle squeeze. "Dra...co..." Ginny was suddenly startled by the girl's choice in words. Ginny watched as Hermione's face was completely serene. Then she frowned in her sleep. "Dra...co..."
"Hermione?" Ginny asked softly giving her friend a gentle nudge, Hermione's face softened again but then again she muttered Draco's name. She hated doing this. She hated writing him a note to come to the Hospital Ward. She hated the fact that Draco was the one that Hermione wanted.
"What is it Weasley?" Draco said standing by the doors that led to the ward. Ginny glared at him. "If you called me here to glare at me I really don't see the point of com-"
"Hermione called out for you in her sleep." Ginny snapped. "Why I have no idea. But I'm letting you talk to her for five minutes. Then I want you out." Draco nodded and said nothing. He took long strides to her bedside. He held his breath when he saw her, the way her dark brown hair was fanned out, the way her pale face had small beads of sweat running down her face, her hands were clasped together like she was in prayer.
"Hermione? It's me Draco." He said softly. Hermione's body seemed to react and let out a small moan. "Look...I'm really sorry...I don't know what else I can do..." He picked up her hand and held it tight.
"Dra...co..." She muttered again. Draco felt his pulse go haywire at the way she said his name so softly it was barely a whisper.
"Come on Hermione! Wake up!" Draco pleaded gripping her hand tighter, he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry about everything!" Hermione's hand gave a small twitch.
"I...know..." A feeble voice said making Draco open his eyes. Hermione's brown eyes met his light grey ones. Her voice seemed so weak it seemed bizarre compared to her normal loud bossy tone. "I...know..." She croaked again. Her face had a small flush in her cheeks. Yet she seemed so fragile that Draco loosened his grip on her, everything changed when she was awake.
"Hermione?" She gave a small weak nod. "You mentioned my name and Ginny got me here." He might as well tell her why he was here.
"I did?" She sounded confused yet her eyes were bright with excitement and something else that Draco didn't notice. "Oh..."
"Shall I get Ginny?" She shook her head. "Do you want a glass of water?" She nodded. He poured her a glass of water and passed it to her. He ran a hand through his now messy blond hair.
"I like your hair like that." The statement made Draco blush and he never blushed that much. He looked at her. "You look like Harry."
"Thank you for comparing me to Potter." He said not sounding like his normal snidely tones.
"Are you being sarcastic?" Hermione said giving him a weak glare.
"You should rest. I dunno how this muggle stuff works." He said pressing a cool hand to her warm forehead. "Well you've still got a temperature that I'm sure of."
"Are you a doctor now?" Hermione teased giving him a small smile. Draco gave her a lopsided smile and leaned away from the bed. "You still have to earn your forgiveness." Draco nodded numbly. He turned when he saw Ginny marching up to them. They glared at each other as they she came nearer.
"Time's up. You should leave before they find out." Ginny ordered. Draco frowned at her. Hermione lifted her head to see what was going to happen. Draco gave Hermione's hand a firm squeeze and got up. He had turned his back on her when she started coughing. Draco still walked on. "Hermione?" Ginny said her voice trembling when Hermione kept coughing. Hermione stopped coughing and lifted her face from her hand. Ginny let out a small scream.
Draco rushed back; he had only just reached the door when he had heard Ginny scream. "What's happened? Hermione..." He trailed off when he saw the small drops of blood in her hand; a small dribble of blood was coming out of her mouth. "Madame Pomfrey!" He shouted. "Madame Pomfrey!"
"You did something good...for once." Ginny muttered holding Hermione's hand tighter. The white clad healer rushed towards them, keeping one hand on her hat. "Madame Pomfrey!"
"You must leave now." The nurse said trying to keep her voice level. Hermione looked towards them. "Sweet Mary and Joseph!" She took out a small vial containing a dark blue liquid. She forced it down Hermione's throat. "You must leave now!" She said loudly. Draco nodded and took Ginny by the arm dragging her out of the ward. Ginny looked over her shoulder at the sleeping girl, even asleep her hands were clenched into tight fists.
--
Draco was used to doing this; he was used to sneaking out of his common room to either find his way to the kitchen or in the room or requirement. He knew how to step in and out of shadows. So his new detour was slightly difficult. The security was up a notch because of Voldemort returning. But Draco managed to get by.
The ward was empty, ok not empty but there were no nurses or teachers to catch Draco. He strode towards Hermione's bedside. She was asleep but Draco knew she wasn't a heavy sleeper. So after a few prods she opened her eyes and frowned at Draco.
"What are you doing here?" She hissed pushing herself up. Her brown locks tumbling down her back.
"I just wanted to see if you were ok...how are you feeling now?" Draco asked feeling very small in comparison to Hermione.
"I'm feeling better...Madame Pomfrey managed to stop the infection from spreading." Draco nodded. "Thank you for coming." Draco turned away to hide his blush.
"I care for you..." He mumbled in a quiet voice that Hermione had trouble understanding him. Hermione smiled and reached for his hand.
"I'm still mad at you." Draco looked up at her. "If you truly cared for me then...prove it. Do something that'll prove it." She challenged. Draco's face twisted into an angry frown.
"I'm sneaking out here." He whispered furiously. Hermione shook her head.
"Everyone else does the same thing." Draco let out a small growl. Hermione eyed him calmly; he had small dark rings under his eyes making her wonder if he had any sleep.
"You do throw a hard bargain Granger." He muttered making her chuckle slightly. "Ok then. What happens afterwards?"
"Well Malfoy...you'll be forgiven and we'll take it from there." She emphasised his surname making him wince slightly. She held out her hand. Draco stared at the hand; it looked so small in comparison to his. He shook it and gave her a cocky grin.
"This is going to be easy."
"No...it's going to be quite hard." Hermione replied dryly. Afterwards Draco talked about what happened in classes before he realised that it was coming on for three o'clock in the morning. Draco left the moment he was sure Hermione was fast asleep. He didn't know why but his heartbeat was racing and his hands were clammy and soaked with sweat. What is wrong with me? He had no idea how Hermione felt. She actually longed for Draco and that was bizarre. It's the cold. I'm ill that's all it's making me feel like a lunatic.
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