Hey everyone! It's actually DominoTyler again. DracoLurver-MrsFelton apologises that she hasn't had the chance to write, but she did write the nine paragraphs of this chapter. She swears she'll write the next chapter!
For now, enjoy what I've written! ^^
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Hermione gasped. "Harry!" She called out behind her, shocked. "Sirius! Remus! Ron! Come here!"
She looked back down at Malfoy, her mouth hanging open and her eyes wide. Hadn't he just run away from home? How was he here, how did he know about Number 12? He was covered in blood from head to toe and was unconscious. She heard footsteps running down the corridor towards her.
"What? What is it, Hermione?" Remus said, breathless.
"Malfoy!" She said, pointing at him. "He just showed up!"
Ron's head appeared over the shoulder of Remus. "Did a unicorn do it?" He asked, grinning.
"This isn't exactly a brilliant time for jokes, Ron." Hermione glared at him. "A Death Eater just showed up at our doorstep."
"Sorry." Ron said, his grin fading.
"Yes, Hermione's quite right. This isn't good." Lupin said, frowning. "He could have told any one of the other Death Eaters about our location."
Ron's face dropped again. "So what do we do?"
"Take him inside. Interrogate him. Figure out why he's here." Lupin said, frowning. "Ron, help me carry him inside."
Ron nodded and grabbed Malfoy's feet, dragging him clumsily into Number 12. Hermione checked up and down the street before slamming the door closed and turning to glare at Ron. He grinned sheepishly and lifted Malfoy, throwing him over his shoulder. Hermione rolled her eyes and followed everyone up the stairs.
"Bring him in here, Ron," Remus called.
"Er, no!" Hermione exclaimed. "Why does he have to stay in my bedroom?"
"Because you found him," Remus replied, transfiguring Hermione's desk into a bed and a ball of yarn into a blanket, which he laid on top of Malfoy once Ron had set him down.
"That's not fair!" Hermione said.
"It's just for right now, 'Mione," Harry said, trying to console her.
Hermione crossed her arms and sat down on her own bed, staring across at her enemy, sleeping and bleeding in her bedroom.
Bleeding.
"I might as well prevent blood-stains on my floors," Hermione said, getting her medical kit from beneath her bed. She was a certified Healer now, but didn't work anywhere-she preferred working for the Order. She began working on removing Draco's clothing as the others planned what to do with him.
"One thing's for sure," Sirius said, glaring at Draco, his nose stuck up, as if Draco were some disgusting worm. "He can't stay here. I won't allow it."
"Where do you propose we send him, then?" Remus asked. "You've read the papers-however untrue they might be-he just left home. And he looks as though he hasn't eaten in days."
"Not only that," Hermione said after gauging the seriousness of the wounds he was covered in-deadly-and standing to hurriedly find something to cure him. "If we were to just leave him on the streets, he wouldn't last the night. He's going to need constant attention, and I'm not allowing anyone to die, enemy or not."
Sirius sighed.
"Come on, Sirius," Harry said. "I hate Malfoy as much as the next guy, but we can't just leave him to die. It wouldn't be right. He's still a person. Plus, he's left the Death Eaters, right?"
"We can't always trust the papers, Harry," Remus said. "But I agree. We should keep him here, at least until he's well again. Then we can decide what to do with him."
Sirius reluctantly gave in. For a few minutes they silently watched Hermione try and bring him back from the other side. She managed to close his wounds and pour a potion down his throat for his blood loss, internal bleeding and broken bones. Color began to return to his cheeks.
"He'll be your patient as well as your hostage, Hermione," Remus announced. "You keep him here until he's better again. You got that?"
Hermione nodded. "Whatever you say, Remus."
He nodded and he and Sirius left the room, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione to themselves.
Ron made a disgusted sound. "I wonder what he did to get beaten up like this. He probably tried robbing some poor innocent wizard."
Hermione shook her head. "It looks like a couple of wizards did this. There's no way only one wizard did this if Malfoy were able to defend himself. It was probably someone trying to bring him back to the Death Eaters."
"He is a Death Eater," Ron replied.
Hermione shrugged, still at work on the wound on his stomach. "Whatever you say, Ronald. Now, both of you, off to bed. I want to go to sleep as soon as he's not inches from death."
The two said goodnight and left, leaving Hermione with her thoughts. She wasn't sure who she'd trust once he woke up, but she told herself she'd be as open minded as possible. He could have changed, couldn't he have? She didn't see why not. He was evil and stupid and a pure blood, but he was still human, and he had a mind of his own.
She shook her head and got to her feet, washing her hands in the bathroom sink before she got into bed.
She was too conscious of the fact that Malfoy was in her bedroom to sleep.
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