Recovery

Recovery -- Chapter Eleven

"Professor!" Snape looked up from his essays, frowning at Millicent Bulstrode who currently stood in his office's doorway. "There's trouble in the common room, sir."

"What kind of trouble?" Snape asked, aggitated at being interupted ocne again today. The first being Dumbledore of course. The man insisted on bugging him at least five times a day. "And how is it you are unable to deal with it yourself, Ms. Bulstrode?"

"Sir." Millicent said stiffly, fighting back the need to glare at her Head of House. "It's Draco and Goyle, sir. There's been... and incident. Goyle will defintiely need medical attention. And the Gryffindor Weasley is there! In our common room!"

"What?!" Snape roared, standing and sweeping around his desk. He looked Millicent straight in the eyes, though the glare didn't have the best effect since she was evidently taller than him. "How did he get inside?"

"Blaise let him in, sir. Draco was asking for him." She said, her voice not wavering under his stare. Snape took a deep breath, then sweeped past her. She followed him, walking quickly toward the Slytherin Common Room. They entered the room to be greeted by silence. The few students in the room were along the wall. Snape barely acknowledged them as he looked down at the center of the common room, were Goyle lay in a heap with Crabbe kneeling over him.

"What happened?" Snape asked coldly. Crabbe's head jerked up, his face covered in fear.

"W-Weasley cursed him, sir. There was too many spells for me to remember the counter-curses to." Crabbe said, his voice dry. "Half of them i've never even heard of."

"Where is he now?" Snape asked, hiding his suprise that a Weasley would know a curse that a son of a Death Eater wouldn't.

"They are comming." Another voice spoke up. Snape looked over to see Blaise Zabini entering through the hall leadingthe the showers and restrooms. Snape narrowed his eyes and stomped over to the Italian boy.

"Ms. Bulstrode has informed me that you allowed a Gryffindor to enter our common room, is this correct?" Snape asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Care to explain this to me, Mr. Zabini?" Snape regarded the brown-eyed boy carefully. Blaise looked just as calm under his stance as Millicent. This rather unnerved Snape.

"I think it's best for Draco to do the explaining, sir." Blaise replied softly. "But I would do it again."

"I-" Snape was cut off by the sight of Draco Malfoy, wrapped in a Gryffindor robe, and Ron Weasley exiting the hall behind Blaise. He looked at the stressed look on Draco's face, along with the sense of protectiveness Ron was giving off before responding to them. "What has happened here?"

"I think it's best we speak of this with the Headmaster, Professor." Ron replied. Snape blinked at the boy, amazed at the sudden Gryffindor courage he was actually showing in front of him.

"...Very well." Snape agreed, determined to find out what the hell was going on. He turned to Blaise. "Escort Mr. Goyle to the Infirmary."

"Yes, sir."

Professor Snape, Dumbledore, Ron, and Draco all sat in the Headmaster's office. A dead silence was covering them, no one wanting to speak the first word. Dumbledore, having already offered his usual lemon drops, calmly awaited for the others to speak. Ron kept shooting Draco comforting glances, not wanting to say anything without the pale blonde's approval. Snape was getting aggitated. Draco was nervous. He opened his mouth repeatedly to begin the conversation, only to close it again in cowardice.

"Draco?" He looked up at Ron's worried face. "Do you want me to start? Tell them about the incident a few months ago?"

"I... Please." Draco nodded reluctantly. Ron took a deep breath and turned toward Dumbledore, who smiled slightly at him in concern.

"Sir, a few months back, before Draco was approached by his father, I found him in the corridor next to the Great Hall." Ron started. "I found him in the closet... He had been attacked by Goyle."

"Attacked? How?" Snape asked. Ron looked over at him and gave him a pointed look. Snape looked at him a moment, until realization dawned on his face. "Oh... I see."

"I took him to the infirmary, but he promised me to silence." Ron explained. "Me and him... We;ve gotten closer becuase of it, as you saw the night I made him speak with you on a certain matter, Headmaster."

"Yes, I recall." Dumbledore said grimly.

"Goyle has approached me twice since then." Draco said, speaking up. He didn't look at anyone, training his eyes on a spot in the floor. "Once a few weeks ago. Ron and Potter showed up, so he let it go. And then... today. I was in the shower. Blaise came in."

"So that's why Mr. Weasley was asked into the Slytherin Common Room?" Dumbledore asked.

"I needed him." Draco whispered, his face flushing slightly at the words. Dumbledore watched him a moment, before turning to Snape.

"Under the circumstances, Severus, I believe we can overlook Weasley's intrusion of the Slytherin domain." Dumbledore said. Snape nodded his agreement and Dumbledore let his eyes, for once not twinkling, land on Ron. "However, there is the incident of Mr. Goyle's inflictions?"

"He deserved every one of them!" Ron fumed, rising from his seat. Draco stared up at him with wide eyes and Dumbledore smiled slightly at Ron's reaction. "I wont take them back and I wont apologize!"

"I can assure you an apology will not be required." Dumbledore said calmly. "However, a punishment must be made, even under these events. I think you writing a list of all the curses you used, along with their counter-curses should me efficent. It would help Madame Pomfrey immensley, after all. Severus, do you agree?"

"It sounds fine, Headmaster." Snape replied, for once not upset about a Gryffindor getting minimal punishment.

"Very well, sir." Ron nodded, sitting back down. Another moment of silence passed over the room and Ron looked over at Draco. The boy looked stricken, but held himself calmly. Probably from the way he was raised, Ron mused. Ron couldn't help the tiny smile trying to appear from noticing Draco still wore his robe, even after getting dressed he put it LettLetting out a sigh, Ron turned back to the Headmaster, who was watching him with a small smile on his face. Did the man find everything amusing?

"What about Draco?" Snape and Ron asked simultaneously. They looked at each other, eyes a little wide. A small chuckle was heard from Draco, resulting in Ron smiling.

"Ah, yes, Draco." Dumbledore gave the blonde a thoughtful look. Ron barely noticed how it often glanced over at him. "I believe, for the time being, due to the emotional support you obvious recieve from Mr. Weasley, we shall keep you together? I suggest a temporary transfer into the Gryffindor Tower." Draco looked up, eyes wide, at this. "Not to worry, it won't be permanent. Just a few weeks until we sort out what to do with Mr. Goyle. This way we can keep him, along with anyone else, away from you. After having a look at Mr. Goyle myself, I have no doubt Mr. Weasley will be enough protection. Don't worry, Draco. You'll still be a Slytherin, and will return there before you know it. This is just a precaution."

"I understand, sir." Draco said softly.

"Okay. Why don't you and Ron go back down to the Slytherin dorms and gather your things? I'll fetch Professor McGonogal to arrange another bed into the seventh year Gryffindor dorms." Dumbledore nodded to each other them as they stood and left the office, Draco looking nervous. Dumbledore slowly let his eyes travel toward Snape. "What do you suggest?"

"We'll have to alert both sets of parents of course... Though, I wish we didn't have to." Snape admitted. "Goyle will just be happy at the diea fo his son besting a Malfoy and Lucius... Well, I dread the thought fo what he will do to Draco for showing such weakness."

"Perhaps we can hold it off as long as possible." Dumbledore mused. "At least until we have counter-cursed Mr. Goyle?"

"No doubt Weasley will take his sweet time gathering that list." Snape snorted. He paused, then smiled grimly. "Though, that would be for the best. Let the idiot suffer."

"Now, now Severus." Dumbledore reprimanded playfully. "No need to insult the students."

"I find full need, Albus." Snape frowned. "To think Draco was raped by that... gorrilla! Oh, I hope we can get him charged for such an act."

"Sadly, he's under age." Dumbledore sighed and moved to stroke Fawkes. Snape noticed this was a movement the Headmaster made when troubled. "He wont get a very high charge. Probably a fine and a warning. Then there is the fact that his record will be cleared once he turned seventeen." Dumbledore shook his head. "It really isn't fair, considering Draco will have to live with this for the rest of his life. We'll just have to be there for the boy."

"Naturally." Snape responded. Dumbledore glanced up.

"And of course... We musn't show too much anger towards Mr. Goyle." Dumbledore raised one eyebrow at Snape, causing the Potions Master to smirk.

"Just the usual for rapists his age, of course." Dumbledore smiled at this and the two moved on to other topics.

A/N: muwahahah!!! now i have a reason for Draco and Ron to be near each other and in bed... soon, my lovelies, soon!!! *evil cackle*