Chapter 17

At the Malfoy manor, the days running up to new years just seemed to get busier and busier. Jane had a lot on her mind and her plate. As well as trying to get the Malfoy family back on the society scene she also had to get ready for the first of her tests with Severus.

When she had begun to learn she had tried very much to keep her mind off of the fact she and her work was going to be examined.

But it was getting harder to do so. In days time she would be examined. She would have to show what she had leanrt.

"It is not easier knowing it is going to be a friend testing you?" Lucius mused.

"No – no, I think in a way it makes it worse," Jane mused. At least when she had been at school she had the comfort of not knowing the person she was making herself look a fool in front of.

"You are such a worrier."

"I have a lot to worry about."

The two of them shared a wry smile.

"You'll be wonderful."

She shook her head as she shifted through her notes. "It has been that king since I have had to do any revision I have forgotten how too. I am going to write to Draco to get a bit of advice as to how too."

"I'm sure the little brain box will have some tips for you."

Nudging her playfully as he got up, he crossed to the drinks cabinet. "Just because my nerves can't be steady by anything now, it does not mean yours can't. Shall I go down stairs and see if I can find anything for you in the cellar?"

"It is a kind offer but I think it is better for me of I keep a clear head."

XXX

In the wake of the Yule ball, Draco spent more time with Luna then he had done in the past and as a result Harry, Hermione and Ron saw more of her as well. They, just like the rest of the school, had always been of the opinion she was slightly mad.

The truth that she was just a bit an eccentric.

And if he heard anyone say any different then he was going to make sure to put them right...

But more important than trying to defend the honour of one of his best friends was trying to get another of them through the second task of the triwazrd tournament. Over Christmas, he had had such a good time that he had nearly forgotten when he had been having fun that in the end they were going to in the end have to return to real life.

"How are you doing with the egg?" asked Draco as he and Harry sat in the library.

Harry was yet to tackle his Christmas home work. His pleading with the Ravenclaw to help him with the work had finally paid off.

"Do you know what your uncle wants out of this essay or am I just going to wing it?"

"You can but instead it might be a better idea if you actually think about what the question is asking you."

"Once again you seem to be mistaking me with someone who has time to do a bit of research."

It is not as if we have just had two weeks off to do it.

"Give it here."

Draco took up the quill and Harry slide the parchment over to him. It was unlikely to fool his uncle but he supposed of he charmed the writing to look as if it was Harry's handwriting, it might just work.

He was not very comfortable with it but a friend in need was a friend indeed.

"So far have you got with the egg?" asked Draco again as he tried to think how to reword his own essay.

"I wrote to Sirius to ask what he thought and Hermione got a couple of book out the library."

"Which if I'm right, you are yet to touch."

"You know me. I am a bit more up on the practical side."

"No idea then?" Draco said cheerily.

"Haven't the foggiest."

"Great stuff."

XXX

"I tried talk to him earlier on he did not seem to be that –" Draco did not know how to put it to Hermione.

It was not as if he was uninterested. It was just... perhaps unpractical. "I feel as if I am being a nag."

"Well then the pair of us are," sighed Hermione. "There is a difference between being a nag and caring. Harry may have a hard time seeing it but he will when he looks back."

How was it she knew what to stay to make him feel better?

"So did you and Krum have a good night?" asked Draco.

"What at the Yule ball, - oh yes, it was a lovely evening," she said with a wry smile. She had seen him since and it had been ... she shook her head. He was lovely and he was kind, handsome to boot, but the thing was at the end of the day, he was not as interesting as she would like him to be.

He was a very physical being. He was just not very intelligent. And if she hadn't needed more than that, it wouldn't have been a problem.

"And how did you get on with Luna? The two of you seemed to get on with you. I did not think she was quite your type?"

"You know it is not like that between the two of us," he said as he threw her a knowing smile. "But she is a lot of fun to be with."

"I'm sure," she said with a nod.

"So what have you found out about the egg so far?" he asked knowing that she would have been researching it like crazy.

"Well, walk with me to Hagrids and I will let you know."

Ever since the article in the Daily Prophet, written by Rita Skeeter about the giant had barely been seen about the school. That woman seemed to be creating havoc since the tournament had begun.

And so the two of them walked off together down to the hut.

XXX

The day of her test, Jane woke up with nerves of the sort she had not done for a long time. As much as they were friends, all Severus was going to be to her that day was her examiner. Not that he had ever been one to let personal feeling get in the way of – well, anything.

Rising out of her bed, she stroked her hair back.

She had been going over her notes for days – she had even got Lucius to test her more than once.

"I know if I do not past today then I am going to get another go at it but - "

Jane sighed as she went in to the breakfast room to see Lucius at the table. "I just want to do thisand get it over with... What's this?" she asked.

She was not very accustomed to getting to the breakfast room to see breakfast was ready already.

"I thought I would lighten the load," he sighed as he poured her a cup of tea.

He had got up to ensure breakfast was ready.

Jane sighed as she thought about the conversations she had had with Lucius before Christmas. She was not entirely sure that she was comfortable with what was going on.

Part of her wished the two of them could go back to the way they had been before Draco had set the dinner up for the two of them in the summer. The effects of that for her were still being felt - unless it was her imagination.

And then she thought... would she really put it back to the way it was? Or did she enjoy the closeness.

It had been a long time since she had had this... if she had ever had it before.

And she did so long to be close to someone.

"Thank you," She said as she sat at his side.

"If you do not pass today than it is not going to be through lack of study. It is going to be bad luck." Lucius told her gently. "Just get today over. And then you can relax for a while ... and you can get round to planning that dinner for me."

"It is at the top of my to do list, I promise you that."

"Well good," sighed Lucius as he sat by her and ate his own breakfast. "I have to go to another meeting at the end of the week."

He had not meant to tell her before she had gone into the exam. But she had said that she wanted to know everything and he did not want secrets between them. And she had to get herself ready for that as well. He had said it casually. He just wanted her to be up to speed.

"Oh – well, is it going to be ok?" she wondered out loud. Even though she knew he was making progress with the other Death Eaters, she still was not sure if they trusted him entirely.

"It is not going to be as bad as it was last time that I promise you."

Jane nodded as she tried to take heart. "This is not going to be our lives forever, is it?" she asked him.

Lucius shock his head.

"No – there is going to come a day when peace is here once more." Even though the two of them had been through the last war, it dawned on him neither of them had appreciated the peace while it had had lasted.

"I don't know what is wrong with people. It feel as if everyone outside of this house is npot acknowledging what is going on when it is pretty clear." She sighed.

"But we are on the inside of both camps as is, my dear. We can't ignore it."

She knew he was right and she nodded. She wondered how happy she would be then if she had gone another way and she had no idea what was going on...

They were living in such dangerous times.

No, there was no way she was not going to pass that day for she knew she had to do it for herself to feel as if she was going to be any good to the family.

"Well," she said as she tucked in to her scrambled egg on toast, " here's goes nothing."

XXX

"So the two of you can now in fact calm down," said Harry as he walked down to Care of Magical creatures with his three best friends. He knew Ron had been concerned about him figuring out the golden egg as well but he had not been on his back as the other two had...

For which he had been very grateful.

The red head smiled at the two of them knowing that he was in favour for the moment.

"I know what the clue is – all I have to do now..."

"Is figure out how you are meant to breathe for a prolonged amount of time underwater?" asked Draco – he was pretty sure this school year was just getting more and more crazy.

For a moment he could see the worry in Harry's eyes. The lot of them seem to spend their life trying to be sarcastic to one another and keep each other's spirits up. But the reality of the situation was harder.

And that was why the lot of them had to laugh at it – for to think on it seriously was too much.

"It can be done," said Hermione.

"Read that some where did you?" asked Ron earning himself a scowl.

"Not – not yet, but I am going too. They would not set a task which cannot be done. They set them because they are hard but not impossible."

"The point of it is more than death."

"Oh yeah Harry, there is humiliation to... Ouch, Harry that hurt!"

"It was meant too."

The four of them found that the class was more subdued than it normally was. If there was one thing in the world you for Hagrid it was that he was never dull.

Still, at least the Blasted End Skrewts were there to liven things up a little.

XXX

"Does she know it is going to be me she is trying to heal?" asked Draco.

He had got the note from Severus saying his uncle wished to see him. The days when Severus had had to put him into detention to see him were long gone be but he could not help but be a little suspicious when he was summoned.

And as it turned out, he was right to be.

"She is being tested, it is not for her to know what is coming up." said Severus as he poured his nephew some tea. "What would be the point of me setting a paper and allowing your class to see it before you did it?"

"Not much, but it would give Crabbe and Goyle a chance of actually passing." Part of Draco was dubious – it did seem slightly cruel to just turn up injured in Jane's exam.

Of course, it was all going to be superficial his uncle had assured him of that. He would feel no pain what so ever.

"Ok – I suppose," Said Draco with a shrug. He was proud of the work that Jane had been doing and he wanted to help if he could.

"I'm glad Draco," Severus nodded.

He had every faith in Jane's ability. Though she had had her moments when he had been teaching her, Jane had picked most things up quite easily. But if his instruction had not ensured her success, then Draco's willingness had.

XXX

Jane had to say she was quite happy with the way the written part of her exam had gone and it had thrown her right back to when she had been at Hogwarts herself as a student. Even though she had obviously not had to sit it in the Great Hall (she was in one of the dungeons rooms), she could still smell the same smell. She was sixteen again as she scribbled on the parchment.

But she found without the sound of a million other quills scratching in her ears, she was more able to think.

Now all she had to do was pass her practical. That had been the section of the examination she had really worried about.

Severus had said to her that she would have to heal someone.

Taking a deep breath standing outside of the door of the dungeon she calmed herself. Severus had said that he was going to call her in when he was ready for her and she was not to go in until then.

She supposed it was a bit like not turning the written paper over until the clock started.

Still she was half way there. It was not going to be very long until she was on her way back home to Lucius – hopefully to celebrate.

But by god did waiting outside make her stomach go.

The creaking of the door when he did open it she sure was for effect. She would not be surprised if he had put an enchantment on it.

"Inside this room is a body of a fifteen year old male. He has been beaten by a death eater, having been caught between a fight in Diagon alley between them and Aurors. As well as cuts, bruises and possible breakages, a curse has also been placed upon him. It is your task to identify the source of the curse. You have precisely fifty six minutes to do so; otherwise your patient will perish."

She nodded. She had known he was not going to make it easy for her.

Suddenly she wondered what poor Harry must feel when he had to go out and do a triwizard tournament – if it was something akin to what she felt right then.

"Then you may enter."

He observed her for a moment as she took a deep breathe and shut her eyes as she mentally prepared herself for what lay ahead.

He questioned his own ethics and morals at that moment, something he was not very prone to do for fear of what he might find. He could have used any one – one of his fellow professors or a seventh year Slytherin to aid him that day.

To send her in to that room to see her beloved boy hurt he knew was cruel. But at the same time he knew it was needed.

XXX

For just a moment, when Jane saw Draco on the floor, covered in bruises, she felt her heart shatter.

And she did not want to tend him but she wanted to cry. To hold him while someone with more experience aided him. Turning to Severus she was about to beg him to help Draco when she remembered that that was the reason he had sent her in to the room.

If something was really wrong with Draco then she knew Lucius would have been sent for and he was nowhere to be seen.

This was an examination– that was all it was, but by god was Severus testing her. As she knelt down by Draco, the first thing she did was smooth back his matted hair and kiss his forehead.

"You'll be fine." She said before she turned to Severus. He nodded for her to proceed.

"Were you with the patient when he was attacked?" she regained herself.

"I was."

"So you saw his attacker."

"I did."

"How long ago was this?"

"Not five minutes past."

"The age of the wizard who did this?"

"Not yet out of Hogwarts."

"So then the magic cannot be very powerful, no greater than what a seventh year could conjure, not yet wholly developed if it was an average wizard. First of all I need to establish whether there has indeed been any breakages... and then to work of the curse after healing the bruises. Can the patience speak?"

Severus confirmed he could at the same time that the 'patient' nodded. "I can."

"Draco, what hurts?"

"Nothing – I just can't see."

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