Saving Miss Granger
Draco Malfoy, was convinced that his family had chosen the wrong side to be on, in the upcoming war, no matter what he did, he was going to lose. Pure Blood status or no. His world had been turned upside down and now it was a living nightmare.
He was going to die.
He took in deep heaving breaths. He needed to calm down. He had never had panic attacks until his crazy Aunt Bella and her stupid husband had manipulated their way into the Manor and made things worse. Now the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters were waltzing in and out without a by your leave. making themselves at home.
He leaned over the wash hand basin, his face dripping with both water and tears as he had dunked his head under the cold tap.
He had been glad to return to Hogwarts at first but now he had lost his way and did not know whom to trust. He had been given a task, one he did not want. His crazy bitch of an Aunt had been responsible for this whole situation.
If she had not disobeyed the Dark Lord, none of this would have occurred, but she had followed his father to the Ministry and destroyed everything. Including killing one of her own cousins and then had boasted about that too. His Aunt Bella was a maniac, dangerous and disturbed enough to kill off her own family to gain the Dark Lord’s notice.
He had hated being in classes, hated the looks he had got from his so called friends in Slytherin, the contempt and smirks he was receiving from fucking Potty and his pals. Even Professor Snape appeared to be angry with him and the batty old headmaster did not appear to be interested in helping. So much for the school being a sanctuary for keeping its students safe. No one fucking cared about him. He was the son of a Death Eater and it was common knowledge the Malfoy name was Mud. His father in Azkaban , his mother a shell of herself and under her crazy sister’s thumb.
He was on his own.
Draco was surprised when he lifted up his head and saw Granger looking back at him through the mirror. He snarled with anger and turned and swore at her.
"Fuck off Granger, get out of the boys toilets and keep your nosey beak out of my business."
Hermione stood her ground even when he bounded towards her. She stood up to him and barked back.
"I don’t know what you have to cry about Malfoy, you are heading back home to your mummy tomorrow, to your wealth and cosy manor. To a pile of Yule gifts and to all of your fancy yule parties.”
< hr > hr >
Hermione was angry with Harry and both he and Ron were not on speaking terms with her. She knew that Voldemort was playing games with Harry’s mind but Harry had ignored her warnings yet again. She was worried he was going to get someone else killed and not just Sirius.
She had nearly lost her own life in the Department Of Mysteries debacle. They had both scoffed at her complaining repeatedly about her cursed wound. They both believed that Magic cured everything.
Ron had blurted out in anger in late October when Hermione was in extreme pain after someone had bumped into her in the corridor.
“My mum said that you going on and on about your cursed wound all the time, is just you selfishly seeking attention, she said that you were jealous of Harry. she also said that you needed to grow up and stop lying and that you were not the important one.”
Apparently, if Molly Weasley said it it must be true! Since then she had kept out of their way and not let it be known how many potions she was taking that were brewed by Severus Snape helping to keep the curse at bay.
She had read the Magical newspapers, most of it claptrap but she had read between the lines and with her own eyes recognised an undercurrent that made her skin crawl. the Dark Lord had his nasty fingers poking and prodding around in the Magical world. He was clearly trying to take over the ministry.
She had done some despicable things and had already brainwashed her parents and sent them away. They had not liked her being a witch, her homelife had been shite since the age of eleven, when she had received the letter announcing she was a witch and her parent’s suspicions had become reality.
She had made up stories to tell her friends about her life at home in the Muggle world but it was all fake. She could manipulate images and had created her own fake life. Her parents never took her on holiday, they had avoided her and used their jobs as dentists to keep her at a distance.
The image of her home was not hers, not any longer. It had all been sold, lock stock and barrel, including the dentists businesses. The Poly Juice potion was a breeze to make and then disguised as her father at one appointment and her mother at the next, conducted all of the necessary paperwork to sell all of their assets and apply to live in Australia. .
Her new home now was a tiny cottage just outside a small village in the Highlands. Only one person knew of its location but she kept that secret.
< hr > hr >
Draco and Hermione were at a stand off inside the boys toilets
“You don’t know a fucking thing about my life Mudblood!” He was nearly nose to nose with her.
“You don’t know a thing about my life either - do you - you stuck up prick!”. She gave him a hard shove.
Draco lashed out and shoved her backwards with the flat of his palms.
She fell down hard onto her bum but it was the pain in her chest that had her struggling to breathe.
Draco looked down upon her with a sneer, then the sneer turned into shock as he watched blood bloom over the white of her school blouse.
He had heard she had been cursed and that Professor Snape was still treating her. He stood like an idiot staring at her as she stared down at her own shirt in shock, then turned up her confused face to him, that rapidly changed to one of fear in her eyes.
A fear he immediately recognised as it mirrored his own, the one he had seen in the mirror earlier.
He knelt down removing his own shirt in one swift motion, wadding it up then he hesitated not wishing to push it into her chest.
Hermione understood his hesitation and nodded, giving him permission. She gasped with pain but gestured with her head urging him to continue. together they kept the material in place.
“Granger, its not working,” his eyes were wide with fear, “I need to get help.”
“P…P…Professor S… Snape.” She managed to blurt out, her voice weak and her lips trembling with shock. Her eyes overflowing with silent tears.
Draco pressed her own hands down harder onto the bloodied shirt.
“Press hard, then I can cast a message to Professor Snape.”
She nodded.
Draco knelt back and gathered up his strength in order to compose himself to cast a spell to send a message.
“Professor Snape, I need you urgently with blood replenishing potions now in the boys bathroom on the third floor.”
He returned to her and had fetched his school jumper from the counter top and wadded it over the top of the now soaked shirt. He held it with both hands as Hermione had become much weaker. She was now lying flat on the bathroom floor His blazer under her head. He swore under his breath for not keeping potions with him as Severus Snape had advised him too.
Then he heard running footsteps. He gulped hard and took in a deep breath. Granger was as white as a sheet and her eyes were half closed. He was scared she was going to die on this toilet floor.
Then he was shoved away, hands swiftly opening and pouring potions down into the unresponsive young woman’s throat. Then Snape had his wand out and was singing a spell across the bloodied area on her chest. He removed the soiled jumper and shirt and glared at Draco.
“Turn your head away boy, now!” He ordered.
Draco did as he heard the sound of tearing fabric. He realised that Professor Snape was checking out the curse wound on Hermione Granger’s chest. He had known it had been a bad curse but had not been aware it was life threatening.
It seemed like hours before he felt a warm hand on his cheek. and a cotton handkerchief pressed into his fingers.
“I am taking Miss Granger to the hospital Wing now.” Severus Snape said in a calm low voice, “change that handkerchief into a shirt and blazer and follow me.”
Draco knew he had done this deliberately to distract and it helped.
He returned to the sink and looked at his reflection in the mirror. He was covered in her blood. It was the same colour and flavour of his own. Somehow he had her blood smeared on his face and in his hair. He shivered. He was aware she was no longer a threat to him but in fact could be a life line.
By the time he had washed and rid himself of all of Granger’s blood he was ready to transfigure the cotton into a clean white shirt and blazer.
When he arrived at the Hospital wing, Snape had a potion waiting for him as he showed him into the private side room.
“Drink it up boy, you look terrible.”
The Pepper up did help but he felt dreadful. He was left to sit beside Granger’s bedside. He informed Severus what had happened and that it was all his fault. To his surprise Severus had snorted with laughter.
< hr > hr >
When Hermione woke she found herself in the side room of the hospital wing. She blinked as she turned her head to her left to see a slumbering Draco Malfoy asleep on a chair, his mouth open and him snoring softly.
She thought she was dreaming then felt like laughing. Laughing made her wince with pain. She placed her hand onto her chest and moaned.
Instantly her black shadow was at her side, pouring potions down her throat. The pain eased as she whispered her thanks, then she slept.
When she next woke it was to watch Severus Snape measure out more potions for her to take. Draco had gone.
“It’s not working, is it sir?” She asked.
She met the dark eyes of her Professor and without preamble he nodded back at her.
“No, Miss Granger, this curse is eluding all of my remedies to date. I am still working on it and may have a clue of how to fix this, but it will take a month to brew the potion.”
“Thank you and I hope I can last that long.”
She knew she was dying from the inside. the curse had been slowly killing her. She knew it, Snape knew it too.
“We still have been unable to reach your parents. It looks like you will be staying at school for Yule after all.”
Draco Malfoy had approached to visit with Hermione and had overheard their conversation. He slowly backed away.
Hermione had relaxed down into her bed after taking the potions, she was no longer in pain at least. She bit her lip wondering whom to trust. Not a soul knew where her parents were located but perhaps this was for the best, especially if she died. they would not miss her anyway. They could live their lives out happily in Australia.
< hr > hr >
Draco tried to stall from returning to the manor for Yule but professor Snape insisted he go home and had him under his watchful eye until he stepped aboard the Hogwarts express back to London.
The professor had informed him that Miss Granger was very ill and him attacking her did not help.
Draco had apologised to Hermione before he left Hogwarts and vowed to help her. He had arranged with a house elf to pop a Yule gift onto Granger’s bed on Christmas morning.
He had an idea about the curse but he will have to be nice to his Aunt Bella. He had witnessed an attack on his mother’s favourite house elf not long before he had returned to Hogwarts in September. He had watched the elf suffer and was barred from helping him. He now suspected it was the same curse that had hit Granger.
He smiled properly for the first time in months. He had a plan and did not fear going home as much as he had prior to the incident in the boys toilets. Hermione Granger perhaps could help him to save his own life.