His only Need

“Are you awake, Mr. Malfoy?” Draco slowly opened his eyes. He looked into a pair of hazel brown eyes with a concerned glow in them; he mumbled in a hoarse voice something that sounded as a yes, surprised that his voice sounded so low.

“Do you remember anything, Mr. Malfoy?” Draco looked around the small room. A table in the corner, two chairs, on one of them a cloak and a backpack with the Hogwarts crest hung.

“Mr. Malfoy?” He looked at the healer trying to determine just how much he could tell him. “Are you in any pain?” “What do you think?” Draco answered with a sneer and then squished his eyes together as the pain started again. The healer went to his wagon to get some pain relief potion but

Draco just shook his head and trough his teeth hissed “Won't… work… tried… all ready,” fighting the urge scream the pain out. He knew it would be over in a couple more moments, telling him self not to give in “FIGHT THIS!”

As the pain got more intense the healer ran to the door calling for assisters, as the doctor moved back into the room, Draco catch a glimpse of a girl with uncontrollable brownish hair clasping her mouth of the sight of him being in that much pain. “Get… her… out!” he hissed and turned his head away… away from Granger!

Why of all people in this world, it had to be HER, whom he bumped into. And the look of pity in her eyes felt like stones was filling his stomach. How he hated her for that! Then the pain stopped and he could relax until next time.


Her heart felt like it was breaking. She knew the pain he felt wasn’t only because of the Cruciatus Curse; the healers had taken care for most of the after-curse pain it normally caused. Then why has he in this much pain? Her eyes burned with tears of anger and a wish that she could take the pain from him.

Over these last few hours she had seen a very different side of Malfoy. Vulnerable wasn’t the first thing she would name, if someone had asked her the day before, to pick a word to describe Draco Malfoy.

But now her thoughts were about what had happened to him after that night in the tower, what Harry and Ron would think of this twist of fate and on how he would react when he has fit enough to leave St. Mungo's.

She saw that Professor Lupin was heading her way and quickly dried her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Hermione,” he said with his soft voice taking her gently by the shoulders. “Hermione, you didn’t need to see this. I think it would be better if you went home and finished packing and then went back to Hogwarts. I’ll have Tonks escort you there and I bet McGonagall will be waiting to take good care of you and get you settled in as the new head girl.”

She didn’t want to go, but she knew he were right. She told him that her things were still in Malfoy’s room and she needed them before she could go. She walked to the door, knocked and waited for permission to enter. The healer opened the door and led her in.

Malfoy were lying in the bed, face away from the door. He is embarrassed she thought, “I’m just going to pick up my things, and then I’ll leave.” She hurried to the table and picked up her things, quickly turned around looking at the floor, almost running to the door. When she reached it she stopped, still with her back to him she said, “Thanks for saving me back there.” Not expecting an answer she jumped a little when he replied, “Anytime, Mudblood!”




It had been a week since the attack in Diagon Alley. Hermione had been helping Headmistress McGonagall prepare the dorms for the new students, not knowing if any would come or if the parents would keep their children at home fearing that Lord Voldemort was going to attack the school now that the only wizard he was afraid of was death.

Hermione had asked how Malfoy was doing and was told that he was doing fine, but that she had to keep the fact that he was alive a secret because if Voldemort got word that Malfoy was here in the hands of the Order of the Phoenix, he would stop at nothing to get to him.

McGonagall, knowing that Hermione would help in any way she could, told her that Malfoy was to be transported to the school and would be hidden there for as long as there was a price on his head and if Hermione would be willing to spend some time with him, so he didn’t lose his sanity by being a prisoner for his own safety. She wouldn’t be the only one to visit him, but the only one his age!

Hermione needed to think about that. She wouldn’t be able to tell Harry or Ron anything about it and she didn’t like to keep secrets for her best friends. On the other hand, if it was her locked away, she would hope that someone would care enough to visit her even if it had to be a secret.

So after a long discussion with herself she told the Headmistress that she would give it a try and that was why she now was heading to McGonagall’s office to meet up with her and go to the room where Malfoy was hidden.

“Good evening, Hermione. Are you ready?” Hermione felt her stomach fill with butterflies, nervous about how Malfoy would react when he saw it was her that entered his hiding place. “I’m as ready as I’m going to be, Headmistress.” And the two started to walk to the stairs and up to the third floor, then headed towards the corridor that had been forbidden in her first year.

Hermione didn’t believe it when McGonagall stopped right next to the door where Fluffy had been guarding the entrance to the secret room where the Philosopher's Stone was kept all those years ago.
“Yes, it is quite ironic that you’ll visit this place again after so many years, my dear. Remember how you get by the guardian?”


Fluffy was back, standing over the trapdoor, growling and snorting, looking at Hermione as she with her heart in her throat started to hum a lullaby her mum had sung for her when she had been a baby. Slowly the three headed dog curled up to a giant ball and she could get to the trapdoor. “Hope I don’t have to fly!” She thought as she opened the door to the next room.

To her delight no brooms were hovering anywhere in the room, instead there was a puzzle on the floor. Hermione smiled to herself, it was easy if you just thought outside the box.
“Reparo,” she said, smiling and the pieces of the puzzle slide into place. A mechanical sound was heard and the door across for her slid open. “Here we go,” she mumbled to herself.

She could hear the sound of a thousand tiny wings buzzing in the next room. Looking slowly around the corner of the door she saw small, vivid blue winged creatures buzzing around the room. Billywigs! Hmmm...Was this a joke? She stepped into the room and the buzzing intensified and small blue lighting bolts rushed at her.

“OW!” She cried out when one of the little bugs stung her. She felt kind of dizzy, searching her mind for information on Billywigs and a spell to get her through the room. A Freezing Charm, of course. The Billywigs froze in mid air, but not before a few more had stung Hermione. That wasn’t that bad she thought, but when she looked around she was floating in mid air herself.

“Oh nooo...” she looked around for a door and, obviously, the door was placed down by the floor and was more a hatch than a real door. Just how could she get down there, and why hadn’t she remembered that Billywigs stings made you not only dizzy, but levitated you too. She scanned the room for anything that could help her get down, when all of a sudden she drifted slowly to the ground.

She wend trough the hatch on hands and knees hearing someone turn around and then someone started laughing really hard, she looked up and saw Malfoy holding his stomach clinging to an armchair, just having a really good laugh at her expense.

“Thank you, McGonagall,” he laughed, “This has made my day.” Hermione looked at him with eyes darkened with anger.
“Is this your idea of fun, Malfoy?” she hissed. Still clucking with laughter he just nodded, then took a deep breath “Just didn’t think it would be you crawling in on you hands and knees down at MY feet! But I’m glad that it was. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life. Welcome to my prison, funny little Mudblood!”

“Stop calling me that, or I’ll leave!” She looked at him, already sorry that she’d agreed to visit him, he hadn’t changed a bit. He was still the same self-centred, little prick. And to think she’d been sorry for him, really wanting to be his friend. She was so angry her cheeks went red.

His eyes were dancing with amusement and her anger just poured gasoline on the fire. He had trouble controlling his urge to continue laughing, but he knew it was for the better that he didn’t made her leave in anger, ‘cause then he knew she wouldn’t be back and being alone was worse than being with her. “Sorry, Granger… But you should have seen yourself… It looked… Well…” he sent her a well intended grin, his eyes sparkling.

She looked like she couldn’t decide if he meant it or not so he tried once more. “I am really sorry that I laughed, Granger.” Why did he feel guilty all of a sudden? He looked away not wanting her to see it in his eyes. He sat down in the armchair, waiting for her next move.

“I’ve brought some books and games, so you have something to do when you are here alone,” she mumbled and walked over to the small 4 person dining table and started to stack games and books on it. A bit curious to see what she had brought, he rose from the chair and walked to the table.

Amongst the books there was Hogwarts: A History, Quidditch Through the Ages, Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century as the “easy” reading plus all of the textbooks for seventh years students including the N.E.W.T’s textbooks for potions and charms. And in a stack of three there where some books he had never heard of; Hans Christian Andersen - The Complete Stories, Count of Monte Cristo and Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Probably Muggle books, quite bold of her, he thought with a smile.

The games were the normal wizard’s games of wizard chess and exploding snap and some cards.

He turned towards her studying her as if he was seeing her for the first time. Why would she go to the trouble of finding all of that just for him? Especially after the way he’d treated her through the years… He couldn’t quite figure it out… What has she gaining out of this?

“Hope you like the selection, I didn’t know what your interests are… except the dark arts.” She looked at him with raised eyebrows to see a reaction, but it was not the one she expected. Instead of his normally snotty remarks or sneers he just looked at her raising his shoulders, tilted his head and said that what she had brought was okay.

They just stood there for a moment looking at each other, both trying to figure out what to make of the other. Then Draco coughed slightly and Hermione looked away. “Now this is quite awkward,” Draco thought, “Quite awkward, indeed.” To ease up the tense feeling in the room he asked if she wanted to play a round of exploding snap before she left and they sat down at the little table in front of the fireplace.

Still not trusting each other and still wondering about that moments silence they played a couple of rounds of cards till Hermione had to leave for Head girl duties.

“See you later then?” Draco asked, not confidant as to what she would answer. “If there is another way in I’ll think about it” she said and Draco again tried very hard not to laugh. “Well you could just floo. This fireplace is connected to the one in the Headmistress’ office.”

Hermione’s jaw dropped. “You mean to say that all that I went through to get here was meaningless? That it was only for your entertainment? AND that McGonagall was in on the joke?!?” She didn’t know if she should laugh or be very angry, but the smile in Malfoy’s eyes finally started a little giggle in her stomach that bubbled up inside her, bursting out in a joyful laugher, bringing tears into her eyes.

“Goodnight, Malfoy,” she said, shaking her head as she went to the fireplace, found the floo powder and threw it into the fire, stepping inside the fireplace still giggling and flooed to the Headmistress’ office, thinking that this was a joke worthy of Ron and Harry.

Back in the room Malfoy sat down in the armchair and gazed into the fire. She was quite nice… For a Muggleborn… And almost beautiful when she laughed… He smiled to himself and went to his bed, hoping that it was her and not Voldemort that visited his dreams that night!