Disclaimer: Harry Potter still belongs to J.K Rowling -sigh-
Chapter Four: Time Flies
Time at Hogwarts was flying by for Adrian and the others. It was the day before Halloween and a saturday to boot. The youngest Malfoy was fitting in well at Hogwarts, particularly within his house. He was well liked by his teachers and his quiet manner often let him fly under the radar. His twin was still over protective, but since the incident with Ron Weasley he hadn't had another episode.
"Adrian!" Pansy's voice echoed in his ear as he glanced up from the chair he had been seated in.
"What?" He asked, looking mildly startled as he surveyed Pansy.
"C'mon its a Hogsmead weekend, which means we're going to Hogsmead" She said, grinning at the boy.
"Oh right" He blushed lightly, "I forgot" He admitted looking a bit ashamed of himself.
"No worries" Pansy reassured him, knowing that despite his apparent comfort, Adrian was still adjusting to Hogwarts.
"Where's Dray?" He asked, looking around as if he had just realized his twin and bodyguards were missing.
"Quidditch practice, they should be done any minute" She said and on cue, Blaise who played chaser, Drake, and Crabbe and Goyle-the Slytherin beaters-entered the common room with a proud Marcus Flint.
After the boys had showered and were more appropriately clothed, the group of Slytherins headed off down the path that lead to Hogsmead. Being the end of October, a light smattering of snow covered the ground, and the group was bundled up with hats, scarves and gloves.
Adrian shuddered inside his dragon-skin jacket which was the same as Drake's. "Its cold" He muttered, causing his twin to chuckle.
"You're not used to the cold I bet" He teased, at the Manor, they had heating charms on the place, and Adrian had always been far to sick to go out and play in the snow.
"No I'm not" Adrian muttered, "I always spent days like this inside, or if I had to go out, Mother and Father made sure I didn't feel the cold" He told his twin, though he smiled. He was enjoying being away from home, though he missed his parents a lot. It was nice not to have his family worrying about him constantly, and he got to spend time with Drake, who for the last four years he'd only seen during summer and on holidays.
"Where do you wanna go first?" Blaise asked, looking around at the others.
"Zonkos?" Vince suggested, though he and Greg didn't speak up often, the two 'thugs' as they were known to the other houses were not without intelligence.
"The joke shop?" Adrian asked, trying to clarify things.
"Yea, its pretty awesome, but its usually dominated by those pesky Weasley twins" Pansy said with a small shrug.
"How about we go to Zonkos, do some shopping, Three Broomsticks for lunch and hit Honey Dukes on our way back to school?" Blaise suggested.
"Sounds good, I need to pick up some Christmas Presents" Draco said, smiling at his twin.
"Christmas isn't for two months Dray" Pansy said, chuckling.
"Still doesn't hurt to shop early" Draco said primly.
"Either way, it sounds good" Adrian said, returning Draco's smile
As the group walked, they noted with some dismay the Golden Trio, flanked by the Weasley twins, in front of them. Laughter could be heard from the group though they did their best to ignore them.
"This could be interesting" Blaise drawled as they entered Zonkos behind the Gryffindor group.
"They better not try anything" Draco said, immediately heading to a specific side of the store. Of course in the process he bumped into Weasley.
"Oi Ferret" Ron bellowed, "Why don't you watch where you're bloody well going"
"Sorry Weasel, didn't mean to" Draco drawled.
"Ferret bugging you Ron?" Fred, or maybe George asked.
"Damn near ran me over, probably trying to contaminate me with Ferret germs"
"I wouldn't willingly touch you if you paid me. Which you couldn't afford anyway" Draco snapped.
Slowly the voices got louder and louder and an all out shouting match ensued between Ron and Draco, supplemented by Hermione and Pansy and Harry and Blaise. Crabbe and Goyle hung back, standing by Adrian who was watching the whole thing with wide eyes.
Of course the twins noticed the youngest Malfoy standing by himself and found this the perfect opportunity to play a prank.
While the others were distracted, they snuck up behind Adrian, Crabbe and Goyle and shoved one of their own inventions, A Weasley Rocket; a type of firework, into his hood.
"OUT" Roared a voice and both parties whirled, seeing the owner of the shop glowering at them.
"Get out" He snapped, shoving the group out into the street. In the commotion, no one noticed the lit fire work poking out of Adrian's hood. Both twins looked smug, but that could be due to the argument occurring at that moment.
-BANG- Suddenly Adrian was dragged from his place between Vince and Greg and shot backwards, dragged by the powerful explosive in his hood.
Yelping the boy's face paled, his heart began to race and he began to visibly gasp for air.
"Adrian!" Draco yelled, lunging after his twin, desperate to stop what was happening. The firework suddenly shot upwards, dragging Adrian who's face had gone almost blue as small lines opened up on his skin and blood began to pour from the wounds, up towards the sky. Suddenly the firework exploded and Adrian was dropped, terrifyingly quickly, towards the ground.
Hermione whipped out her wand and screamed a spell, slowing the boy's rapid fall, though he still struck the ground with a thud and was deathly pale and not moving.
"Adrian" Draco yelled, running to his twin, all pretense of dignity gone as he threw himself to his twin's side.
"Call Professor Snape" He yelled, his voice harsh as Blaise and Pansy took off running towards the nearest store while Crabbe and Goyle grabbed onto Fred and George so the twins couldn't get away with this.
Professor Snape barreled out of the fire place at the Hogs Head, racing after Pansy and Blaise as they led the way towards where Adrian was. A quick explanation was all it took and the normally reserved Professor was flying through Hogsmead.
"Bloody Hell" He gasped in an undignified manner as he fell beside Draco.
"Did you give him his potion?" He asked Draco, fighting to keep his voice steady.
"Y-yea but it didn't work" He said, Adrian was breathing a bit better, but still very still, pale and bleeding profusely.
"I need to get him to the Hospital wing" Snape said, scooping Adrian up, noting with some dismay that his back was badly burnt. Extracting the firework as he saw it, he whirled on the visibly terrified Weasley twins and the Golden Trio.
"Come with me" He hissed, before heading towards the fire place, followed by an anxious Draco.
"Head back to the school" Snape said to the other Slytherins, "I will need you to tell me what happened once I've seen to Adrian"
Nodding in unison, Pansy, Blaise and the others began the long trek to the school.
"Better watch yourself Weasley" Blaise hissed at Ron as they walked past.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Draco asked Madame Pomfrey, sitting down in the chair next to Adrian's hospital bed.
"He will be, he'll need to stay for a day or two, should be out in time for the Feast tomorrow" She said as she applied some salve to Adrian's burnt back.
"It could have been worse Mr. Malfoy, you're quick thinking with his potion really helped" She reassured as she finished her job.
"You may stay the night as well, if it makes you feel better" She said softly, knowing Draco wouldn't want to leave his twin.
"Thanks" Draco said, his voice soft as he stared at Adrian.
"What happened?" Narcissa Malfoy demanded as she stepped out of the personal fire place in Snape's quarters closely followed by Lucius.
"It sounded urgent Severus" The head of the Malfoy house said, looking at his oldest friend worriedly.
"Well, yes it is urgent" Severus said, before quickly explaining what had happened to Adrian.
"They did WHAT?" Narcissa raged, her normally calm demeanor completely gone.
"My baby? My Adrian?" She demanded as Lucius laid a restraining arm on her.
"The Weasley's will pay love" He said softly.
"Come, Dumbledore would like to see you. He has Mr. and Mrs. Weasley in his office now as they decided what to do with the twins" Severus said, trying to keep his voice calm in order to keep Narcissa from having an all out screaming fit.
"I want them expelled" Lucius said, "And the whole family falling apart" Severus shuddered, he had no doubt the Weasley family would pay dearly for harming Adrian Malfoy.
Headmaster Albus Dumbledore sighed as he watched Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy sweep into his office. He was not looking forward to this, not at all. Already seated in front of him were Molly and Arthur Weasley and both looked downright terrified. Next to the well dressed and wealthy Malfoys, the Weasleys looked even poorer then they were, in frayed cloaks, second hand robes and too dirty shoes.
Elegantly sitting down in a chair, Narcissa Malfoy leveled her gaze on Albus, making the man flinch with the depth of emotion he saw there.
Standing behind her, Lucius put his hands on the chair, a sneer curled onto his face as he surveyed the Weasley family. Severus came and stood beside Dumbledore as they waited for Minerva to arrive. As heads of the houses involved, both needed to be their to enforce an punishment that occurred.
Once Minerva entered the room, taking the side opposite Severus, the meeting began.
"Well we all know why we are gathered here. We have heard the story from Mr. Zabini and Miss Parkinson as well as from Fred, George, Harry, Ron and Hermione" Albus began, blue eyes looking to both sides.
"Draco Malfoy is currently in the Hospital wing, seeing to his twin" He explained as Narcissa opened her mouth to ask.
"Adrian Malfoy has sustained serious burns on his back from his neck down, as well as having a reaction due to the stress of the incident. He also received a broken arm and three cracked ribs due to this incident" He said, looking at the worried parents.
"It is known to you that Adrian Malfoy suffers from a serious magical ailment which cause him to react very badly to certain stressful situations. The Malfoys do not want people knowing what this ailment is, so I will refrain from telling you. What I will tell you is that this is a very dangerous ailment and if he is exposed for prolonged periods of time he could die" Molly Weasley sucked in a harsh breath.
"Now the incident in question occurred this afternoon outside of Zonkos joke shop" Dumbledore continued, "I've already spoken to Mr. Nailen, the owner of Zonkos and he already told me what he saw occur"
"What's going to happen to Fred and George Albus?" Molly finally asked, "We all know what happened, but the boys were just playing a prank" She said, trying to keep the man on track.
"I know Molly" Albus said, watching as Narcissa Malfoy turned a glare on Molly that would have frozen a basilisk on a rampage.
"My son almost died because of that prank" She snapped, "If you think for one minute we're going to allow those monsters you call children to stay here after attacking our son you are sorely mistaken" Her silver-blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"Albus we can't expel the Weasley twins" Minerva said, her voice low, "You said for Adrian to be treated like any other child who came here. Well Mr and Mr. Weasley were only acting as they would to any other student" She said, shaking her head softly.
"Albus at the very least you have to suspend them, and I demand they do detention with me until the end of the year" Severus said.
"I want them gone" Lucius said, "Adrian's already in the Hospital because of these hooligans, he doesn't need to be exposed to them any more"
"Lucius I know you're worried for your son, but I promise you nothing like this will occur again' Albus said placatingly.
"My decision is for Mr. and Mr. Weasley to be suspend for two weeks and once returned to Hogwarts they will serve detention with Professor Snape for the remainder of the year. They also will have to return to their common room directly after dinner" He said.
"I want a Quidditch ban. Mr. Malfoy's twin brother plays as Seeker for Slytherin, I fear he may react badly to the twins" Severus said.
"Done' Albus said, sighing the paper work, "Now, Mr. Malfoy you and your wife requested to see Adrian?"
"Yes Dumbledore, and believe me, this will not be the last you hear of this" Lucius said, looking dangerously at the Weasley family.
"Don't threaten my family Malfoy" Arthur said, standing up and glowering at the man.
"Then do not threaten mine Weasley. But it appears you already have" Lucius said, gesturing for Snape to take them to the hospital wing.