"Sorted Too Young"

Dumbledore tells Snape, "Sometimes, Snape, I think we sort them too young."

CHAPTER 14 – PLANS & PLANS

The next morning, Draco thought he was dying. He hurt all over. "M…mione?" He moaned out. He looked over to see her curled up in a huge reading chair. A book lay open in her lap with her hand limp on the pages. She was fast asleep. He would have left her thus, except he could not move for the pain. "Mione?" he called a little louder.

She stirred and woke. The morning prescription was to brew a fresh potion that he should take hot with breakfast and later cold with lunch. That would help with the pain while the salves eased swelling and increased healing. She started with the salving. They still blushed when he had to expose his hip. "You are such a prude," he commented quietly.

"Me? You are the one blushing enough to be visible all over your whole body," she countered.

That of course made him blush more. He pretended he heard nothing while she salved his wounds. He attempted to stand and she steadied him then gave him the cane. "Need a change of clothes. And… and my paperwork from my desk. And… gods… a bath." He tried to not sound like he was in agony, maybe if he pretended hard enough it would be true?

"Please," Hermione prompted. "I am not a house elf."

He winced. He remembered her SPEW club for the rights of house elves several years back. "Sorry… please. I must be ready for tomorrow."

"What is tomorrow? She called from his room while she collected what he needed. It took that whole time to get to the main floor bathroom and attend to the calls of nature. She waited till he opened the door again. He needed help setting up the bath and getting in. She just had to wait till he came to that realization and asked. The door opened after a little bit. She came in and set down his change of clothes and started the bath. "Well? What is tomorrow?"

"I… I took some… risks." He sounded nervous and she wondered what he could possibly have done. He sat on the toilet letting the bath fill. "I asked to return to Hogwarts to repeat my seventh year. MacGonegall agreed to accept me, though I need to do examinations for evaluation. I'd… I'd like to see you there too. I don't want to be there alone."

He had humbled himself and she had to appreciate the change and his courage to go back. She had already been considering it. "I was thinking of doing that. I was going to ask to take what NEWTS I could and then use the freed time to study other things." Because there was never enough to sate her need to learn.

Draco quirked a slight smile, not the usual sneering kind, but the kind she wanted to see on him more often. "I suppose that was the easier risk."

"Easier? There's more?"

"Tomorrow at 10 in the morning, the Malfoy family retainer will be here to help me sort the estate, finances, inheritances, etc.. Then at 11, Dr. Shmeiss is bringing Teddy to spend the full moon here with me."

"Are you crazy?"

"No… maybe… He listens to me. He listens to you too. It'll be fine. And well, if he bites me, he's not contagious." He was trying to be convincing but wished he sounded more so. "He needs more regular human contact than a few days a month. I am arranging that he gets a family environment every weekend. I know what it is like to be scared, alone, and not able to tell anyone. He shouldn't have to face it all alone, not at four years old."

Hermione gaped and then squeaked as the tub overflowed a little. She drained it some. "I'd do the same for him, but… I…"

"You don't have a home, or income to rely upon. You don't have anything to offer him… yet. I don't have much, but I do have money. And money can accomplish some things. Also, I have some sway due to the name of Malfoy, but I need to be very careful since…"

"Since in some cases, your name is quite mud. I know."

"At noon, Mr. Prescott from Child Social Services will be coming over to help me find or make some arrangement for Teddy, something legal so no one can turn him into their next knew study project. He isn't an animal." With Hermione just standing there listening to his plans, the bath water would be cold by the time he got into it. So he finished off, "And apparently someone tipped off the Daily Prophet about all that I have planned." He tried not to smirk, but failed.

"You… you didn't! Draco Malfoy! You will be all over the bloody papers! And so will Teddy!"

Draco nodded. She was ready to explode just as he suspected. Better now than tomorrow. "Exactly. Let the world know I am going back to Hogwarts. Let them rise to the challenge to also go back or send their kids back. Let the pure blood see what I am doing for reparations to help rebuild things. A dare them to match me. Let them see that Teddy is just a scared child, an animagus too young to understand what he is. Let them see that he is like many others in need of care. I dare them all to save one child. If I can try to help one… they can too. If everyone helped just one, then there would be fewer in need. I can't change the world, but I can change what I do in it and how I am and maybe… maybe…"

"Maybe change other by leading by example. Oh Draco! I am so proud of you!" She hugged him.

"OWE!" he cried out. She swiftly apologized and left him to bathe while she prepared the potion for him.

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