Counter Dimensions

Draco and I were sitting in our last class of the day, Potions. The good thing was Snape wasn’t the teacher. The bad thing was who the teacher was. She was some old hag named Katrin Ulra, or Professor Ulra to the students. She was meaner than Snape and uglier too, but she was a good teacher. Draco and I were in the very back of the room working on an allusion potion (A/N: made it up) and talking quietly.

Draco looked at me and noticed how pale I was. “Baby are you ok?”

I simply nodded and kept working even through my lightheadedness. He continually asked me if I was ok ever five minutes. In which every time I nodded, though, every time I felt worse than the time before. It was about half-way through class when I felt really sick; I almost collapsed but grabbed the table.

Draco took my hand and made me sit down. He felt my forehead and suddenly jerked his hand back. “My god, you’re burning up.” He stepped away from me and ran over to Ulra.

“What is it Mr. Malfoy?”

“Rini’s sick ma’am. I was wondering, may I take her to the Hospital Wing?”

“Bring her to me first so I can make sure it’s not a trick. I will not have children tricking me and thinking they can get away with it.”

He rushed back over to me. “Rini do you think you can walk?” I slowly shook my head. He picked me up bridal style and carried me to Professor Ulra. She felt my forehead and quickly dismissed us. Draco practically ran out of the room, but he didn’t carry me to the Hospital Wing.

“Draco?” I said barely a whisper. He looked down at me. “Where are you taking me?”

“Back to our room.”

“But-”

“No, Rini, no buts.” He kept going. “Parlay.” he said as he got to the common room entrance. (A/N: I got the password from POTC ) He rushed through the common room and through the portrait of the castle hallway. He laid me down on the bed and ran to the bathroom.

I felt like my head was going to explode and like my body was on fire. I watched the bathroom door impatiently waiting for Draco to re-emerge. He came back in and picked me back up carrying me to the bathroom.

“Draco what are you doing?” I cried.

He sighed. “You have a very high temperature, too high in fact, so I ran a cool bath for you and you’re going to relax in it.” He put me down and I nearly lost my balance but he grabbed my arm to steady me. “Do you want to take your clothes off or be put in with them on?”

“Are you staying in here?” I whispered. He nodded. “I guess I’ll undress down to my bra and knickers.” he nodded again. I could barely stand at this point and just sort of slumped into his arms. I tried my hardest to stand and to undress myself but I was shaking too much. “Draco?” I whispered.

“Yes?” he said in a soothing voice.

“Will you help me?”

He looked down at me. “Sure, baby.” He picked me up and put me on the counter and started unbuttoning my shirt. He pulled it off but left my bra, and then started untying my shoes and pulling them off. He slid off my skirt and socks, and then picked me up and put me down gently in the bathtub.

He sat beside the tub watching me. I felt like I was drifting to unconsciousness and he noticed.

“Baby, you have to stay awake.”

“I-I don’t know if I can.” I stuttered.

“Just keep talking.”

“About what?”

“It doesn’t matter. For all I care you can talk about rainbows and unicorns.”

I laughed slightly. “Rainbows and unicorns.” I whispered, barely slipping in and out of consciousness. “Draco.”

“What?”

He was becoming blurry and everything around me was turning dark. “I love you.” I said very softly before I passed out completely. I slipped under the water, but he grabbed me pulling me out.

“No! Rini, baby? Answer me.” He got a handful of water and threw it on my face, but I didn’t move. “No!” He felt for my pulse but couldn’t feel one. “No! You can’t die! I love you!” He lay his head on my chest crying; then heard the soft beat of my heart, however faint it was. “Ok what do I do?” he asked himself. “Do I take here to Pomfrey? Or put her in our bed? No it’s too far of a trip to make with her I’ll go get Pomfrey and bring her down here.” He picked me up and placed me in bed and covered me up. He kissed my forehead and turned to leave, but stopped before he got to the door. “Bigbe!”

There was a pop and he turned around to look at a house elf. “Yes Master Malfoy?”

“I want you to stay here until I return and keep an eye on Hermione. If anything,” he stepped closer to the whimpering house elf, “I mean anything, happens come get me right away.”

The house elf bowed. “Yes sir. Anything Master wants Bigbe does.”

Draco nodded curtly and walked out into the common room. Classes were over and the common room was starting to fill up. Blaise and Parker just walked through the door and walked over to Draco.”

“Hey is she ok?” Blaise asked.

Draco shook his head. “She’s unconscious.”

“Damn. What’s wrong with her?” Parker asked.

“I don’t know. I’m off to see Pomfrey to bring her here.”

“You mind if we come too.” Blaise asked.

Draco shook his head and walked out of he common room with Blaise and Parker behind him. He felt like it took hours to get to the Hospital Wing, but in reality it only took about ten minutes. He burst through the doors. “Pomfrey!”

“Yes Mr. Malfoy?” she asked not looking up from the patient she was working with.

“Rini’s really sick and I need you to come down and see her.”

“I’m busy Mr. Malfoy. You will have to bring her up here.” she moved to another patient.

He stepped towards her prepared to draw his wand. “No! She’s too weak to move and besides she’s unconscious.”

Madam Pomfrey looked up quickly. “Let me call for my apprentice and I will come.” She walked into her office and a mere five minutes later she appeared with a young lady covered in little flecks of ash. “Kristen (A/N: that’s me), I need you to watch over these patients while I’m gone.”

Kristen nodded and walked over to a patient checking their sheet and occasionally looking up at Parker.

Madam Pomfrey grabbed a medicine bag from behind her desk as Draco walked out the door. She followed close behind him, Blaise and Parker bringing up the rear.

When they got to the common room Draco walked through the painting into his room waiting for his followers. “You may leave Bigbe.” there was a pop and the house elf disappeared.

Followed by a knock on the portrait. “Mr. Malfoy we can’t get through.”

He stepped back through. “Oh right sorry.” He turned to face the painting and waved his hand in front of it. “There. You can come in now.”

He walked back through this time trailed by Madam Pomfrey, Blaise, and Parker. He motioned to the bed where I lay unconscious and much paler.

“Oh my.” Pomfrey rushed to the bed. “For Merlin’s sake why didn’t you get me sooner?” she took my temperature 102.2.

“Because it was my responsibility.” Draco said.

“You could have at least brought her to me like you told Professor Ulra you would.”

“No! No one must know she is sick. Or that she doesn’t remember anything.” he paused. “Do you understand?”

“Yes of course.”

Draco sat down in the armchair next to the fire.

“Do you reckon she’ll be ok?” Blaise asked as he sat across from him.

Draco slumped over and put his head in his hands. “She better be. If she’s not her parents will kill me.”

Parker sat on the couch. “Have you been crying, man.”

“What?!” Draco’s head shot up, but he let it drop again. “Yes. When she first became unconscious I felt for a pulse and couldn’t feel one. I thought she was dead.”

“She might as well be.” Pomfrey said.

Draco spun around. “What do you mean?”

“If she doesn’t lose her temperature soon and wake up she could go into a coma or she could die.”

Draco stood up. “What?! No!” He walked over to the bed. “You are not leaving this room until she is awake.”

“But Mr. Malfoy I have other patients.”

He put his hand up. “Your apprentice can take care of them. Therefore you will stay here until she is awake or better. Or unless I tell you to leave.”

“I suppose.” she reached in her bag and pulled out a bottle of bright blue potion.

“What’s that for?”

“It’ll cool her down from the inside out.” She tilted my head back and opened my mouth to pour the liquid in, but Draco grabbed her arm. “Mr. Malfoy, you don’t have to worry I’m not going to poison Miss Granger.” he let her arm go and she poured the liquid in my mouth, and it slowly trickled down my throat. “Now,” she reached in her bag and pulled out a metal basin, “fill this with cold water.” she handed it to Draco who did as he was told. He returned with it and some rags. “Good I will need those too.” She put everything on the bedside table. Taking a rag she folded it and soaked it in the water before placing it on my forehead. “All we can do now is wait.” She conjured a chair beside the bed and sat down.

A few hours later and little talking Blaise stood up. “Come on, Draco, let’s go get something to eat.”

Parker stood up nodding. “Yea let’s go.”

Draco stood up solemnly following suit out of the Slytherin common room. As they stepped into the Great Hall Draco got some stares for his downhearted look, and then whispers broke out like ‘Rini might have broke up with him’ and ‘Serves him right, stupid prick’ the latter mainly from the Gryffindors. Draco just brushed it off and sat down.

Blaise clapped his hand on Draco’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, mate, she’ll pull through.”

“Yeah.” Parker agreed, throwing food on his plate. “I mean she knows that you’re here and that you love her.”

Draco just nodded and started eating. By the time they left the Great Hall and had reached the common room it was pretty late. They walked in and said their goodbyes.

“As much as I like your room more than mine, I don’t want to be stuck in there when Rini’s sick it’s sort of depressing.” Parker said walking into his dorm.

“Yeah what he said.” Blaise agreed.

“Alright see you in the morning.” Draco said with a yawn and walked through the portrait. As he walked in the room he noticed Pomfrey taking my temperature again. “Is she any better?”

“A little. Her temperature has gone down to a 100 degrees.” she said pulling the covers tighter around me. He nodded and plopped down into an armchair and looked into the fire. “May I ask where am I supposed to sleep if I cannot leave this room?”

“You can leave. Just make a list of things I need to do for her.” he never looked away from the fire.

She nodded curtly and made a list leaving it on the coffee table in front of him and left. Draco waved his hand at the door again keeping anyone from coming through except him and me. He rested his head in his hands and silently cried. Moments later his head shot up at the sound of a loud pop he looked around the room and saw Bigbe standing by the dresser.

“What is it, Bigbe?”

“Bigbe was sent by Master Malfoy Senior, Bigbe is to tell you Master Malfoy would like to speak with you in the common room. Bigbe is sorry for interrupting you sir.”

“Thank you, Bigbe you can go.” another loud pop and the house elf was gone. Draco stood and composed himself before walking into the common room. “Yes Father?”

“Where is Rini?”

“In bed.”

Lucius nodded with a smirk clearly thinking something besides sleep was involved. “Sit.” he commanded pointing at the chair across from him. Draco sat down and looked at his father. “Your mother wanted me to tell you that this Christmas when you come home the house will be empty, except for the house elves.”

“Why?”

Lucius cleared his throat. “Your mother has decided she wants to go with Rini’s parents this vacation. So you two shall have the house to yourself for the holiday.” he stood to leave. Draco stood as well, out of respect. “I know that you won’t do anything foolish while I am away.”

“Yes sir.”

“Good.” he disappeared and Draco let out a sigh. He was glad there hadn't been any unusual questions that he wouldn't be able to answer.

He went back into the room and dressed for bed. Not wanting to disturb me he slept on the couch.

The next morning he was doing as the list said: 1. Give Hermione potion. 2. Place fresh rags(cool) on her forehead, chest, and wrists. 3. Keep covered. Well he was on the second task and was about to put a damp rag on my wrist. When he looked at it though he quickly dropped my hand and backed away. He bolted out of the room and to Blaise and Parker’s dorm.

“What the hell Draco?” Parker said as Draco shook him awake.

“Get up! Get up now!” he turned to Blaise and started shaking him. “Wake up!”

“It’s too early!” Blaise cried.

“Yeah and it’s a Saturday.” Parker said covering his head up.

Draco stood in between the two beds and raised his wand. “On the count of three if the both of you are not up I will curse you both to oblivion.” he paused. “1...” neither moved. “2...” this time they shot up.

“Ok, ok. We’re coming!” they both cried.

Draco looked at them smirking and put his wand away. “Now come on!” They were both so afraid of him because he was so close to the Dark Lord, they thought if he didn't hurt them the Dark Lord would.

“Where are we going?” Blaise asked yawning.

“My room.”

“Why?” Parker asked.

Blaise brightened up a bit. “Is Rini awake?”

“No but it has to do with her.” Draco said turning and walking out the door. Blaise and Parker quickly followed him still in their pajamas, and sleepily walked through the portrait behind him. Draco waved his hand at the door concealing it again, and walked over to the bed. “Look.” he should them my left arm.

“What it’s just the dark mark.” Blaise said yawning again.

“No stupid the dark mark is gone.” Draco said showing them again.

Both their jaws dropped and they ran over to the bed. “But how?” Parker asked. "It's impossible to remove the mark once the Dark Lord has placed it on your skin."

“I don’t know I found it like that a second ago.”

“Maybe she concealed it,” Blaise said, “you know she never liked it that much.”

“Maybe.” Draco agreed. “Wait! You can’t conceal the dark mark it’s impossible. I remember her trying after she first got it.” He could remember that day vividly, How she had cried and cried. Then begged for me to take her life.

“Maybe she figured out a way. She is the smartest witch here.” Parker stated.

“We’ll just have to wait till she wakes up.” Blaise said laying down on the couch.

Draco threw a pillow at him. “She has amnesia, she’s not going to remember.”

“True.” Blaise paused. “Does veritaserum work against amnesia?”

“I doubt it.” Parker said. "Do you think that she did something to remove it and that is why she can't remember anything?"

"I don't know." Draco answered honestly.

Draco and Parker sat down. “We need to figure this out. But first none of this is spoken outside of this room.” they nodded. They sat quietly for a minute. “What the hell are we supposed to do if the Dark Lord calls for us?” Draco screamed stirring me.

I moaned and the room fell silent. “Draco?” I whispered.

Draco, Blaise, and Parker ran over to the bed. “Rini?” Draco said. I opened my eyes and looked at him. “Are you ok?” I nodded. “Then you won’t mind me asking. Where the bloody hell is your dark mark?”