In sickness and in health

Any character or place you recognize belongs to J K Rowling


Hermione awoke still in the dungeon. She was bleeding everywhere and in horrible pain. She pulled aside part of her pajama top that used to be white but was now scarlet. On her collarbone was a wound in the shape of a dead flower. She knew what it meant. She was marked. She shivered although it was a warm night.

Suddenly the door of the dungeon burst open and Draco Malfoy strode in. Hermione flinched. He reached out to help her up but she backed even further into the corner avoiding touch. She wasn't ready for any sort of contact yet.

"Come on Granger I'm here to help you but we only have a limited amout of time." He reached out and grabbed her wrists. She cried out and he let go to find his hands covered in blood. He stunned her. He needed to get her out of there without sound and that wasn't going to happen if she was concious. Draco waved his wand and the wall blew outwards to reveal the night sky and Draco ran for his waiting broom.

As he flew into the sky Draco dodged numerous curses being thrown at him but he was soon out of range. He noticed that Hermione was shivering and wrapped her in his cloak. He couldn't feel any of his previous hate towards her right now. Only concern. He made a beeline for St. Mungos.


Everyone in the waiting room of St. Mungo's dodged aside at the sight of a running teenage boy carrying a bloody teenage girl. The witch at the desk directed him where to go. Draco didn't wait for the lifts but ran up the stairs. Soon she would be outside their help if she didn't get a blood replenishing potion. Medi witches ran to his aid as he reached the hidden sixth floor for serious injuries. The witches took her into a room next to him and he slid down the wall. All he could do now was wait.

Hermione was out for two days and when she awoke the first thing she thought was 'I blacked out again?!' She realized she was in St. Mungo's and breathed a sigh of releif. She was safe. She didn't remember getting there and she didn't remember Malfoy but she was glad to be somewhere familiar and friendly.

A mediwitch walked into the room and, upon seeing Hermione awake, called for the other healers. They tried to examine her but Hermione let out a shriek.
"Young lady we need to see what happened to you. You wouldn't even let us touch you in your sleep the most we could do for you is give you a blood replenishing potion." One of the healers said kindly. Hermione shook her head.

"I can't. I'm not ready." The head healer sighed.

"Can you tell us what happened then?" Hermione shook her head."Well tell us what needs to be fixed at least."

"I need clean clothes and something to fix my right arm. It's broken. Other than that I'm just sore." Hermione lied. The healer mended the broken arm with a flick of her wand and another brought her a hospital robe. They had a quick conference among themselves before turning back to her.

"If you insist that there is nothing else wrong with you despite the amount of blood on you then you may dress and leave on the condition that you drink two blood replenishing potions a day. The injuries on your face will heal with time" Hermione nodded. when the witches left she dressed under the covers wincing every time the cloth brushed one of her injuries. When she was done she got out of bed and walked gingerly out the door and started down the hall when a voice called after her.

"Hermione wait up!" Hermione stiffened at her name and turned to find Draco Malfoy running up to her. She tensed. "Are you leaving? I thought you were hurt really bad." Hermione just shook her head.

"It was you who brought me here? How did you find me?"

"You forget that I worked for Voldemort for a while to spy for Dumbledore. I know where their headquarters is but I couldn't apparate there because the wards for miles around it detect apparation so I came by broom."

"Why?" It was a simple question but not one that Draco had even answered for himself. He just shrugged.

"Let's get you to headquarters." he held out a hand so he could apparate her but she flinched away.

"I'll go the muggle way."

"Then I will too"

"Suit yourself" Hermione limped off and Draco followed. He didn't really want to travel by muggle transportation but he knew he had to make sure Hermione wasn't kidnapped again.

The subway was different from anything Draco had ever traveled in. The closest thing was the Hogwarts express but even that was different. Hermione seemed comfortable enought with it though. It took them an hour and a half to get to Grimmauld place and by the time they did Draco was tired and grumpy and Hermione was about to pass out. Draco knocked on the door and it was opened by Molly Weasley who gasped at the state of her surrogate daughter. Then she noticed Draco and motioned them both inside beofore letting loose.

"Draco Malfoy where have you been?! We were worried about Hermione already but we were worried about you when you dissapeared. Explain yourself." She yelled and motioned him to the living room. Hermione wandered aimlessly up the stairs and Draco watched her dissapear. "Well?!" Draco sighed and told his part of the story.

By the end Molly Weasley wasn't sure whether she should punish the boy or thank him. She just hugged him. Draco had never been hugged before even by his mother but it was a nice warm feeling and after a tense moment he relaxed. It was nice to know that they cared even if they didn't like him.

A/N please review