Behind the Cover

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Behind the cover
By CelticFox
Chapter Two

Blaise Zabini stepped out of his compartment and looked down the hall. "Now that's something I never thought I'd see. A Malfoy running." He smirked watching as Draco turned around quickly and narrowed his eyes at his friend.

"Malfoy's don't run-"

"Yes, yes I know. So you've told me. So then where are you 'walking quickly' to?"

"I was trying to find you, and Pansy." Draco walked back over to him and looked into the compartment, sure enough there was there she was as well.

"What's wrong Draco?" She asked sitting up strait in her seat. "I was wondering where you had got to. I didn't see you on the platform so I thought…"

"I would go the same way as my father? Not likely. No, I'm more likely to get myself killed this year." Draco sighed and shook his head indicating that he would not answer any question they had, at least not here. "Just come with me okay?" Looking at each other Blaise nodded to Pansy, standing up she followed the two boys out of the compartment and back down towards the front of the train. Draco walked quickly and glanced back every now and then to make sure that his two friends were still following him and hadn't stopped to talk, or torment someone.

"Are you at least going to give us a hint as to what you need from us?" Blaise asked.

"You both studied some form of healing magic. I know you both did, I found the book last year hidden under your bed." Draco said before either of them could protest. The mere thought of a Slytherin studying magic that could actually help someone was absurd, but contrary to what other people though, these three were like the dark version of 'the golden trio'. Crabbe and Goyle were good to have around for show, but Draco could never really talk to them, not the way he could Blaise and Pansy. Which was why they were the first one's he ran to.

"Okay, so you know our secret, now can you tell us yours?"

"Now what kind of Slytherin would I be if I went around trading secrets? And if I was going to trade a secret you would actually have to tell me one, but where as I found yours out on my own it doesn't count." Draco pointed out as they stopped in front of the locked compartment door and Draco began taking down the charms he had put on it to keep people out. He hesitated a moment with his hand on the door.

"You two are going to think I've gone mad." He said and opened the door making sure that they went in first before he followed and sealed the door again. Draco watched them out of the corner of his eye as he did the charms on the door once more, Pansy's hand flew to her mouth to hide the gasp as she stared down at Potter who's breathing seemed to have gotten worse in the short time Draco had been gone.

"Bloody hell Draco, what did you DO to him?" Blaise asked and was already kneeling next to Potter trying to get an idea of how bad his injuries were.

'Don't blame me! I found him like this!" Draco said placing a silencing charm on the compartment as well before turning to them. "I'll talk if you two just…I don't know, fix him. Do something healerish."

"First of all Draco, that isn't even a word. And second, you could have told us before you dragged us all the way down here. I'm going to need a couple of my books for this I think. I'm only studying to be a healer, doesn't mean I am one." Pansy said. "And I don't know how much of it Blaise read either."

"I read the whole book actually. I can remember a few of the spells, like the one to diagnose his injuries. But Pansy, why don't you go and get those books, while I do that. We can at least make him more comfortable until we can get to school and get him to the hospital wing." Blaise took out his wand and started murmuring some spell under his breath as he watched Potter closely. Draco let Pansy out then set down and watched silently.

"So?" Blaise asked still working with his wand. "you found him like this?"

"Kind of." Draco ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "I was getting on the train when he literally fell through the barrier onto the platform."

"And so you carried him onto the train and put him here instead of leaving him there, or alerting someone else's attention to the fact that The Boy who Lived-"

"Don't call him that." Draco said. "Not while he's like this, it just doesn't…seem right is all. I don't know why I just knew I didn't want to leave him there." Draco sank down in his seat arms folded over his chest. "I tried talking to him once I got him in here, but he collapsed before he could tell me anything, that's when I went to find you and Pansy." Draco said. "Damn Potter…always making my life difficult."

"You know, the only reason he makes your life difficult is because you let every single thing he does get to you. Every thing he does you take as some personal insult." Blaise looked at the door as it slid open again and Pansy squeezed in and closed it. Draco waved his wand sealing it for a third time.

"Did you get the books?" Pansy nodded to him and dumped them on the seat next to the blond boy.

'I got them all since I didn't know which one's we would be needing. What's the verdict so far Blaise?"

"Not good…" Blaise gave her a grave look flicking his wand, parchment appeared with a bunch of stuff written on it and he handed it to her. She looked it over and Draco watched silently as her face went white then slowly a green tinge crept in as if she was going to be sick before it finally turned red with anger and she looked at Blaise who just nodded.

"Sick bastards! Who would…do you think it was death eaters?" She asked still looking at Blaise.

"Was what death eaters?" Draco asked his attention more on the peace of parchment then the other two, but was promptly ignored as the two healers in training continued to talk.

"No, I don't think it was. He wouldn't be here if they had found him. Not only that, but he still has his wand. No, I think it was someone else, and I don't know enough about Potter to even guess at who would or COULD do this to him." Draco stood up and reached for the list but Pansy held it out of his reach.

"Draco, trust me when I say you do NOT want to read this."

"I found him! I have the right to know what's wrong with him. Maybe there's something I can do to help."

"Dray please." Blaise began as he reached to take the list from Pansy to keep it away from Draco, but the blond was faster, four years as a seeker had given him slightly better reflexes. Now in possession of the list he read it over as quick as he could before it was snatched away again. But he was able to catch a few key words such as 'internal bleeding'. 'scarring' 'broken bones' 'possible blindness'

"Blindness?" Draco asked as the list was ripped from his hand again.

"It's possible, I didn't do any spell on his eyes, but they're red and swollen and…" Blaise looked back at the unconscious boy. "There's blood around this eye, it could be from a cut on the forehead or something. But it looks like it's coming from the eye its self."

"…that would explain it…" Draco said thinking about when he saw Harry on the platform. "He was walking with his eyes closed before I dragged him in here."

"They could only be hurt, but we won't know anything until Madam Pomfrey looks at him. Come on Pan, let's get to work. Dray, I think if you can maybe try and find an owl somewhere you can borrow and send a letter on ahead to let Snape know so he can have some potions ready, and so he can let Madam Pomfrey know to have a space ready for Potter." Blaise said. Draco looked at him before nodding and was about to head out when he realized something else.

"Potter doesn't have any of his things with him." He said frowning. "When he came onto the platform, he didn't even have that stupid bird of his."

"I'd stop wondering about it Draco, chances are once we get to school and tell our side of the story and clear our name, we'll never find out any more about what happened to him, unless he wakes up and tells us himself before we get there and I can't see Potter telling us much of anything." Pansy flipped open one of her books reading over one of the sections. Draco shook his head and left the compartment to let those two work, and so he could find an owl he could steal for the day.

----

"I've been up and down this train a hundred times Hermione and I can't find him anywhere." Ron said as he flopped down in his seat and glared out the window.

"So he's not on the train?" Hermione asked looking at him with wide worried eyes.

"No, knowing him he probably decided it was time that he went off and tried to kill You Know Who all by himself to keep us out of danger and got himself killed in the process."

"Ron!"

"What? You were thinking the same thing, so don't go yellin' at me. You know what he's like," Ron continued to glare out the window and Hermione sighed leaning back also staring at the passing sensory. She was worried about Harry, but at the same time part of her also believed that he might have done just that.

"If he did do that Ron that's even more reason to worry about him."

"I'm done worrying about him, he's always doing dangerous stuff and getting all the attention. I'm supposed to be his best mate and he never tells either of us ANYTHING. So, I'm done. I'm done worrying about him, and maybe I'm done being his best mate as well."

"So the golden trio is finally coming to an end." Draco said from the doorway giving Ron an icy look. "You really are a weasel."

"Shut it ferret!" Ron snapped but didn't even look at Draco. Hermione did though.

"You should mind your own business Malfoy; this conversation had nothing to do with you." Draco rolled his eyes.

"your right, it has nothing to do with me. In fact, you're both just a waste of time." He slammed the door shut and stormed off down the train. It had been a spur of the moment thought that perhaps he should at least tell the mudblood and weasel about their supposed friend. He would want to be the first to know if something ever happened to Pansy or Blaise. But after what he had just over heard, he quickly came to the conclusion that those two didn't deserve Potter as their friend. Draco couldn't help the smirk that spread across his lips as he thought about what their reaction would be when they did finally find out what happened. But it didn't last long, knowing Dumbledork he would allow those two idiots to visit Harry before he was even awake and the charade would continue.

'not if I can help it.' Draco thought as he came upon a group of second year Slytherin's, one of whom he knew owned an owl. And who also owed him a favor from last year. Draco had been enjoying holding it over the young girls head that she owed him something and he hated to use it on something like borrowing an owl, but it was important. Once he had the owl and some parchment he went back to see how Pansy and Blaise were doing, and to write the letter where there was no risk of someone seeing what he wrote.

----

"That's all we can do for now Pansy.' Blaise said as he stopped his friend from once again trying to perform an advanced healing charm.

"But."

"If you do the charm wrong you could do more harm then good, you know this." Blaise reminded her for the fifth time. "His breathing is better, his eye is no longer swollen, and we were even able to mend his broken wrist and cracked skull. That's something to be proud about at least." He pulled her back onto his lap as they watched the boy laying on the bench across from them.

"I just can't believe that's actually Potter. He's so pale and thin. It can't be healthy." She sighed resting her head on Blaise's shoulder. She didn't even look up when Draco entered the compartment again with the owl he had gone looking for.

"How is."

"He's as good as he's going to get for now. I think he still has some minter internal bleeding, but there's nothing we can do about it. We have to wait until we get to school." Draco stared at Harry for a long moment before sitting on the floor and beginning the letter to Snape explaining the current problem.

"You know, if we thought about this logically we would be sending this to that old fool, or Madam Pomfrey herself. After all Snape isn't very fond of Potter." Draco pointed out.

"that's true. But he's the best with potions, and Potter is going to need a lot of them. And I know some of them are not in stock in the hospital wing. And do you really want to tell the head master about his golden boy's current state?"

"I know your reasoning behind it. I just don't think Potter will."

"Well he's still uncontious-"

"…'m 'wake…' Harry said groggily as he shifted carefully onto his side, or tried to anyway but Pansy was next to him in a second making him lay still.

"You're still hurt Potter, you need to lay as still as possible. We're no where near Hogwarts and we don't know enough healing spells to help you. But you're awake, so that's a good thing."

"…I don't think it is…" Harry said as he shivered.

"and why is that?" Blaise asked and watched as Harry tensed.

"…because I'm in the same room as two people I don't even know...?"

"Three people." Malfoy corrected. "And you may not know us personally, but you DO know us." Malfoy said as he attached the letter to the owls leg, opened the window and let it fly out.

"m….malfoy?" Harry asked unsure as he turned his head in the direction of Draco's voice.

"And Pansy, and Blaise." Draco added. Harry swallowed hard and curled up as best he could; only now seeming to realize his shirt was missing, this caused him to start shaking; he didn't dare move since he wasn't sure exactly where everyone was, though every nerve in him was screaming that he needed to run. His ears were ringing and he was starting to feel dizzy again. And he was cold, he didn't want to be here, he wanted to be with his friends, but his throat seemed to be closing up and he couldn't breath right any more.

'Harry, Harry listen to me." Pansy was saying in a soothing voice. "You have to calm down. Deep breaths, no one will hurt you. I promise. I know it's hard for you to believe that, but you have to at least try and calm down. Deep breaths, that's it, another one." She was running her fingers through his hair gently and slowly he was calming down again.

"Good boy." Blaise said attempting to sound encouraging. But that one phrase seemed to have the opposite affect Harry's eyes shot open in surprise and the room was filled with a sudden scream of pain as Harry's hand flew up and covered his eyes. Pansy moved away quickly while Blaise and Draco both moved forward to hold Harry down so he wouldn't fall and hurt himself more.

"No! let me go! LET ME GO!" Harry screamed kicking out and flailing.

"Ow! Shit Potter cut it out!" Draco snapped as he was kicked in the stomach and shoved back into the wall.

"Harry! Harry it's alright! Where does it hurt? Blaise let him go!" Pansy yelled and moved forward once again running her fingers through his hair. "Where does it hurt?"

"…eyes…my eyes…" He whimpered out Pansy made calming noises.

"Alright, just try to keep them closed for now okay? Madam Pomfrey should be able to sort you out once we get to school. Does it hurt anywhere else?" Pansy figured she would try and get some answers now that Harry was awake. Harry shook his head slowly.

"…n-no…"

"Who did this to you?" Blaise asked earning a glare from Pansy. "What? It's something I think we should know. Pomfrey and Dumbledore will probably want to know as well once we get to Hogwarts."

"…y..you….you told them?"

"No." Draco reassured him. "We told them that we found you hurt, and that you would need medical attention as soon as we got to school." Harry whimpered again and this time did turn on his side and curled in on himself. His breathing evened out after a few moments.

"he's asleep again. He must be exhausted physically and mentally, he'll probably be in and out of consciousness through the whole trip." Blaise said as he took off his cloak and draped it over the raven haired boy.

TBC>>>

Yay, this chapter was slightly longer~. And yet again, I don't have a beta reader so. Until I do, please bare with me and my grammar mistakes. I do attempt to fix my spelling as I go though. So everything is HOPEFULLY spelled right at the very least ^-^