Chapter 20. The Beetle

POV Draco

His eyes shot open and he sucked in a lungful of air, quickly turning over to check on Hermione. Her back was to him and at first he thought she might be asleep, but the gentle shaking of her shoulders told him that she was crying. Sliding up behind her he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her flush against his chest.

"Hermione, love its okay. It was just a nightmare." He whispered, hoping to offer her some comfort.

She shook her head, "This was different. We were stuck there. I never have to relive the whole memory. It's always just flashes of the worst parts. This time I really thought I was there, it felt so real. I mean… look at me."

She rolled over to face him and Draco's heart dropped. There was dried blood all over her face, like she had developed a nosebleed in her sleep. He reached for his wand, and cast several diagnostic charms, several popping up yellow.

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

He jumped out if bed and rushed down the stairs to the floo. It had to have been a seizure like he had suspected; could also possibly why they had been stuck there.

"Hogwarts. Headmistress Office." He shouted, and tossed the floo powder down.

Stumbling out if the fireplace, he had hoped McGonagall would already be here. He didn't want to leave Hermione alone long, and finding her could take hours. He paced back and forth.

Should I leave a note?

He was searching her desk for parchment and a quill, when a pop behind him started him.

"Mr. Malfoy! What are you doing here? Is everything all right?"

"No. I need Madam Pomfrey, we had an incident. She's not critical but it needs to be addresses immediately. We also need you as well."

"I will retrieve Poppy and be there shortly. Now you get back home."

--

Draco returned to the house, he climbed the stairs and found Hermione still curled up on the bed. He gently picked her up, carrying her downstairs to the living room. Once she was safely placed on the couch, he went to retrieve a damp cloth to clean her face. He could have used magic, but Draco himself understood that it never felt as good as the muggle way. He tenderly wiped the blood from her face and neck before moving to her hands.

The floo roared to life, and McGonagall and Pomfrey rushed through, their eyes immediately falling on the two of them.

"What happened?" Pomfrey asked, kneeling down at Hermione's side.

"I am still not quite sure exactly." He replied, glancing to McGonagall, "I was hoping you might be able to help us figure it out. We were asleep and I slipped into the nightmare I usually have of the night at the Manor when Hermione was tortured. This time, however, she was actually there, her mind I mean. She kept calling out to me. I tried to help but because it was a memory, it just continued on around us, even if we didn't play our roles. I tried to attack them but all my spells bounced off! We couldn't wake up. I think it's possible she had a seizure and that's why we were stuck. Her mind wasn't stable enough. It took a lot of my energy to get ahold of her and get us out. We have to figure out this bond, going through that again is not an option!"

"Take a breath Mr. Malfoy, we will figure it out. For now, let Pomfrey do her job and see what she can tell us."

Draco was on edge, the echos of her screams still fresh on his mind when the floo roared to life a second time. He spun around, drawing his wand.

"Now is that anyway to greet the greatest journalist in a century?" Rita spoke seemingly unbothered by Draco's threatening stance, "Relax darling, I am here on Hermio—"

He noticed her posture change as the reality of the scene settled in her mind. Her free hand shot up to her mouth and she shot glances back and forth between them.

"Miss Skeeter." McGonagall chimed, breaking the silence, "Were you invited?"

"I.. I was. Hermione had granted me an interview so I could get out her story before another journalist or, gods forbid, another paper took it and spun it who knows how many ways. I already interviewed the ginger cunts, and they told me they had spoke to someone else already. We need to be ahead of them."

"I agree Miss Skeeter, you may want to come back later today. Hermione had an incident last night and she might need rest."

Draco saw her eyes light up, and he hoped that it wasn't a malicious glance he was witnessing.

"Actually, it would give me time to talk to Mr. Malfoy and get his interview. If that's alright with you?"

He clenched his jaw. He didn't trust Skeeter, but Hermione vouched for the woman so he nodded his head and led her out into the sun room for privacy.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked, trying to be civil.

"That would be lovely, thank you."

"Leaf?"

"Yes brother?" he asked appeared beside him.

"Would you get Miss Skeeter and me some tea please?"

"Of course."

"Brother?" Skeeter asked cocking an eyebrow curiously.

"Yes, although I will not be getting into that now, this interview is for Hermione and therefore my relationship with my elves is not important."

"Fair enough."

Draco spent the next 40 minutes answering Rita's questions, periodically standing and glancing through the glass door and into the house to check that Hermione was alright.

"One final question and we will conclude your interview." He nodded his head, "This is off the record."

He shot her a warning look, "I'm not pandering to your gossip."

"This isn't gossip. It a genuine off the record question that I have about my.. well I guess you could call her my friend at this point."

"Would she call you that?"

"Maybe not, but it doesn't matter. She is a friend to me." She set her teacup down and adjusted her skirt, "She is going to lie about a lot when it comes to her suffering. How is she fairing, truly?"

"Well, you can see it for yourself, although, what we are dealing with today was a new development from last night. Its part of the bond, I know it, but we have yet to figure out how to utilize it by sheer will. It trapped us in a nightmare, caused her to have a seizure and now I've got to figure out how to make sure it never happens again."

"A bond? Like a soul bond?"

He nodded his head, "I first noticed it at the Quidditch World Cup, but it wasn't until I made it home that I started researching. She only found out that night at the Yule Ball last December."

"Why not tell her before?"

"Many reasons." He sighed, "One, I had Voldemort living in my home, with a bunch of crazed lunatics that wanted people like Hermione dead. I knew if they found out that they would target her even more than she already was, my father was always disappointing him and would use me as punishment. I did not want Hermione brought in to that as collateral damage. Two, what would I have even said? "Hey, Granger, look, I know we hate each other but I just thought you should know we have a soul bond." She would have thought I lost my marbles."

Skeeter nodded her head in understanding, and opened her mouth to speak, until the door opened slowly, revealing a tired Hermione standing behind it. Draco rushed to her side, supporting her against him.

"Hermione you should be resting." He said, leading her to the couch in the sunniest part of the room.

"I am resting Draco, but I need to do this interview. I can't let them get ahead."

He sighed and sat down beside her, pulling her up flush against his side. "Okay." He said, and kissed the top of her head.

"Okay. Let's start at the beginning."