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CHAPTER 9.
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Hermione had monitored all vitals and everything seemed to be okay.
His sleep monitor showed all types REM and NREM patterns that a normal person would have while sleeping.
Only, whenever his cycle ended and a normal person would wake up, there Draco showed continuity of the cycle which essentially confirmed what Healer Frank had said.
He moved and spoke in his sleep sometimes, which thankfully ruled out the possibility of a magical coma. Hermione had enough tension on her head without worrying about Draco being in a coma.
Although his state seemed similar to a coma to a layman, in reality it was prognostically much better that his brain and bodily functions had not been compromised.
She had not tried the legilimency monitor on him yet. She wanted to speak with the coach and players before she tried it out.
Hermione was holding his hand all the while, and she felt his hand twitch and grip hers in an all too familiar manner.
Her heart soared for a moment, before she realised that he could move his body parts. This was not necessarily an improvement.
But logic left her mind soon as he gripped it tighter and it became more than just a grip. It seemed like a physical manifestation of the last day they had spent together.
Had it really been so long? 3 years since she had met him?
3 years since she had married Ron. And a year and a half since he had died of Spattergroit, ironically.
All this seemed too familiar.
Sitting in the hospital, holding the hand of a loved one, not knowing what would happen next and feeling so.. so.. Goddamn helpless.
No. Not this time. This isn't bad enough. He wakes up for 8 hours every cycle. It's a pattern. There has to be a reason. There has to be way to stop the manifestations of the charm gone wayward.
And she would find a cause. And the cure.
"Healer Weasley? A coach Ginklehertz and some Quidditch players are looking for you." Katherine said, entering the room quietly.
Hermione shut her eyes tight, steeled her resolve and drew in a deep breath.
Looking affectionately at the sleeping man in front of him, she gently pried her hand from his entwined fingers and stood up.
"I'll be right outside." She replied.
Hermione and Katherine stepped outside to see a hoard of people standing awkwardly in the waiting aisle outside the room.
A middle aged man stepped ahead and greeted Hermione. "Good evening Healer. I'm coach Ginklehertz and unfortunately the one responsible for Malfoy's condition. Healer Frank told us that he had been transferred here and you wanted to speak with us."
Hermione nodded. "Good evening. Yes, I have all the information from Healer Frank but I still think that maybe if I hear it from you'll I can come up with something that may help."
The coach nodded. "I understand. We are ready to help in any way."
"Okay. So I need you to tell me exactly what you did with that bludger that day." Hermione asked.
"Its something I use quite often when I need to alternate players and use different tactics. It's a personalised Animato Flourio. For that day, I had charmed it to circle around the pitch 8 times in random patterns before aiming itself whenever it sensed players from the opposing team. Everything was alright until Malfoy caught the snitch. Technically, the game should have ceased and the bludger should have de-animated itself. But I don't know what happened. Malfoy cheered and lost concentration and before he could react to the bludger making its way to him, he was hit and he plummeted into the sand while his broom was still airborne."
Hermione almost winced out loud. That had to hurt. Poor Draco.
She spoke to all the players and she heard varied versions of basically the same thing.
The only thing that kept bothering her was that clearly the charm had gone wrong. Why else would the bludger hit him even after the game had ended?
There had to be a reason. She asked to see the bludger.
The coach seemed uneasy and said. "We know you want to have a look at it, but you see Healer, the thing is that umm the bludger is still kind of umm animated."
Hermione's eyes went wide. "You mean to say that the charm hasn't worn off?"
The coach shuffled on his feet. "For lack of a better word, no."
Hermione was beginning to get angry now. This sounded so utterly irresponsible.
"Have you tried de-charming it?" She asked, trying to regain her patience.
"Several times. It has not worked. We had to send all our players chasing it and it took 2 of them to catch it. We've put it in a death grip chain hold lest it escapes again."
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose and breathed deeply.
Beside her, Katherine was making copious notes of all the new information.
"Bring me the bludger." She said with a tone of finality.
The coach nodded somewhat reluctantly and left, followed by the players.
Just then a patronus that belonged to the chief arrived, which said, "Hermione, I have received a call from the minister. His wife is ill. She is being transported to the hospital this very moment. I'd like you to personally see to her and report to Me."
"Great." Hermione thought. "Just what I need."
One of the players stopped suddenly and turned around.
"Your name is Hermione?" He asked.
"Yes" she said warily.
"Unusual name isn't it?"
"I suppose so. I've never come across another Hermione."
"Me neither. But I've heard of it."
"Oh yeah?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"I know it seems like a long shot, but say, do you know Malfoy?" He asked.
"He's asleep and my patient till I cure him." She said non commitedly.
The guy shook his head. "No. Not what I meant. Do you know him? Personally?"
"Look Mr... "
"Gaucher. Matt Gaucher." He extended his hand.
She ignored it and continued. "Look Mr. Gaucher, I have another emergency to attend. So please, if you don't mind I need to leave. Thank you for coming here."
Matt Gaucher nodded and turned to leave.
He turned back again and with a last thought he said, "Malfoy keeps writing to a Hermione. Very often. More than once he's had ex-girlfriends break up with him or screaming matches with them because of this Hermione." He said, searching her face.
Hermione tried to maintain her expression as neutral as she could professionally manage.
"I just thought maybe.. Never mind. He'll wake up in a few hours. I bet he'll be amused to know your name." Matt said and left.
Hermione was numb for a while. She had never thought that Draco would discuss her with his play buddies. But Draco was never the talkative, sharing types. Except with her.
He had written about his game, his fellow players and he may have mentioned Matt as one of his good friends, she couldn't remember. But she doubted he would talk about them to anyone.
Maybe he had observed Draco writing the letters. They stayed together for so many months on the end; surely someone was bound to stumble on the fact.
But what he had said about Draco's girlfriends was odd. Why in the world would they have a problem with an almost non-existent Hermione?
And just how many ex-girlfriends was he talking about? Hermione frowned at this thought.
Not that Draco's love life should have been any of her business. Just because she was the types to wait and preferred a single time, long term, real relationship, it didn't mean that everyone was the same.
Draco on the other hand, was no Casanova but he did believe in trying out what the world had to offer. How else would he know who was right for him?
Some random, idiotic muggle survey he had read a few years ago had said that an average man goes through at least 12 relationships before finding "the one" and settling down.
Draco at that time had taken this survey way too seriously and had morosely said that he'd been with only 2, so he had at least 10 more to go.
But that was years ago.
She had to ask him where his number had reached, when he woke up.
Wait! 3 years you hide from him and everyone. You're not even sure if you'll meet him when he's up and instead of being an adult and facing things maturely, you're thinking of asking him about his love life? Hermione thought mentally.
I need some air, some sense and probably a new patient. She thought as she made her way to the room that had been prepared for the minister's wife.
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A little background as to how Draco got himself into this mess!
I know you all want him to wake up soon! He will! Soon!
Thank you for all the reviews and comments!
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