Stormy Weather

Halfway up to the castle, Dumbledore, McGonnagal, and Madame Pomfrey came running towards them. It was a little odd to see them all moving so fast, but Draco wasn't really in any condition to argue about it right now. He was knocked a little off guard when his mother swept past them and wrapped him in her arms, kissing him rapidly. "Draco!"

"Mother, please..." Draco tried not to look at any of the others, knowing he wouldn't be able to live this down if the very Head of Gryffindor House saw this happening. He was slightly more grateful to his father, who acknowledged him with a light nod and an injunction to get them all inside.

Lucius took one arm and Snape the other as they helped Draco into the castle and towards the hospital wing. Since Hagrid had went on ahead with Hermione and Pomfrey, Draco saw a few of her injuries being exposed as the mediwitch started work on her. He barely had time to gasp in raw anger before he was settled onto a bed and swept down into deep bowels of sleep.

A few short feet away, Minerva stared in shock at the battered body of Hermione Granger. "What have they done to her?"

"This is going to take a while." Pomfrey murmured, looking over her assortment of potions and unguents. She nodded slightly at the Headmaster as he agreed to leave her to her work and headed out, Snape and McGonnagal in his wake.

"Gather the students in the Great Hall." Dumbledore ordered a small house-elf that peeked out of a corner. "As well as the teachers and anyone else here to help. Severus, you and Hagrid did very well in finding them. May I ask who put the Sleeping Charm on Miss Granger?"

Snape almost seemed approving with his reply. "Mr. Malfoy had that taken care of when we arrived."

"Smart young man. Much like his father, in some respects." The three of them hurried along the corridor leading to the Great Hall. "Your cloak, of course, will be returned after it has been cleaned."

The doors to the Hall swung open, and the three teachers swept in to see the school already assembled. House-elves did very good work in a very short amount of time, obviously. Dumbledore hurried up to the Head Table and looked out over the gathering. "I have good news. Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy have been found, and are currently in the hospital wing. However, I am afraid that I must insist that they be allowed to rest undisturbed. When Madam Pomfrey states that they are well enough for visitors, you shall be informed. Please return to your classes."

As the students scattered, Dumbledore could see Harry, Ron, and Ginny looking at each other, all three quite reluctant to leave. He wasn't surprised; they had to be in quite a froth over Hermione's condition. Perhaps I should tell them a little more. He knew they'd be asking him anyway, or sneaking into the hospital wing on their own to check on things. He started towards them, and was not at all surprised to hear Mr. Weasley murmuring a request for Harry's invisibility cloak as he strode up.

The young Potter didn't bother to answer, just looked at his Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, how is Hermione?"

Just like his father. Direct and to the point. "It wasn't good for a while. She had been beaten quite badly." The Headmaster told him. "However, thanks to Madame Pomfrey's care and Mr. Malfoy's quick thinking, she will recover." Ron made a small noise of confusion, and the elder wizard continued, "Mr. Malfoy cast the Sleeping Charm on her just prior to her rescue. That saved her life."

Ron blinked twice, confusion in every part of him. "Malfoy saved Hermione??"

"Indeed."

Ron fidgeted nervously for a few moments, then blurted out, "Can't we see her anyway? Please?"

Dumbledore considered for a few moments. "She won't be awake yet, but for five minutes." He'd barely finished speaking when all three of them ran by him as if a herd of hippogryphs were on their tails. He shook his head and chuckled. The wonders of youth.

The first thing that Harry noticed as they entered the Hospital Wing was Lucius Malfoy seated by his son's side. The second thing was that Lucius Malfoy looked just ever so slightly green, as if he was on the verge of throwing up. Harry had no idea what could make him look like that, until he followed Ron and Ginny a few more steps, and saw Hermione.

"What did they do to her?" Ginny gasped as she got a very good look at the figure of their friend. Most of it was hidden under bandages or her hospital gown, but the very existence of those things, and that Madame Pomfrey hadn't been able to heal them, showed just how deep they really were. Ginny turned to Harry, burying her face in his robe and crying softly.

"Was it wise to let them see that?" Lucius murmured quietly to Dumbledore as the older wizard entered the Hospital Wing. Dumbledore raised one eyebrow slightly at the question. He had never thought Lucius Malfoy would care that much for the sensibilities of these children in particular. Perhaps age was mellowing him..

"What would it have benefited to keep it from them?" The Headmaster reminded him. "It is something that happened. Hiding it won't change that."

"'mione!" Dumbledore and Lucius looked down to see Draco sitting up in bed, his widely opened eyes filled with terror and fear-sweat sparkling all over him.

"She's over here." Ron's voice was gruff and reserved, but Dumbledore was quite glad just to see that he tried to reassure the white-haired wizard.

Draco tried to get out of his bed, obviously aiming for Hermione, but his father pushed him back down, a firm look in his pale eyes. "Stay where you are."

"Why?" Draco sounded slightly petulant. "I want to see her!"

Lucius shook his head. "You don't need to be moving around just yet."

"I agree with your father." Madame Pomfrey hustled over to check his temperature with the flat of her hand. "You are too weak to move right now. Rest, or you won't get a chance to see her at all!"

The younger Malfoy at once lay back down, obedient to the mediwitch. Dumbledore chuckled softly; he'd felt the same way in his own student days. Draco might be afraid of his father, but this was the school nurse!

Ron glanced back over slightly. "She's still asleep, anyway." There was a faint tone of reassurance in his voice. Dumbledore approved even more; if these two could move past their antagonism it could mean quite a bit for the future of wizardry.

"What did they do to her?" Harry wondered, his voice catching slightly as he kept on staring at Hermione.

Draco shook his head a little. "I only know what she told me. I don't think she told me everything, either."

"What did she say?" Pomfrey wondered, her quill hovering over a parchment in preparation to take it all down.

The Slytherin thought briefly. "They beat her. I know that for sure. There were also some spells. I'm not sure just which ones, I couldn't hear them, and she didn't tell me. She wouldn't tell me most of what they did, or said. She just kept trying to get me out of there and leave her behind." The next sentence fragment almost seemed to fight its way out of his mouth. "But I just couldn't do it."

"Why not?" Harry wondered, glancing over at his school nemesis. Draco didn't say anything at first, then finally murmured something quite softly.

"They told me that they'd kill her if I tried."

Ron looked at the other wizard, then looked away again. Dumbledore was almost certain he knew what the youngest Weasley male was thinking. Draco's care for her is quite plain. Young Ron may not like this, but he will accept it. I do not believe he has a choice.

Draco glanced over at his father for a moment, and was almost certain he saw a glint of approval in those pale eyes. He would have done the same for Mother, I know it. He might not know it, but I do.

Dumbledore cleared his throat lightly. "I believe it is time for class now? Herbology, I believe? and Care of Magical Creatures?" He looked at Ron and Harry, then Ginny, all three of whom nodded, then slipped out, talking quietly with each other.

"Albus?" Just as the three of them had left, someone else arrived: the Minister of Magic himself. Lucius refrained from rolling his eyes; Fudge was incompetent enough to be useful, but he was still a complete idiot to have to associate with.

"Ah, Cornelious." Dumbledore smiled brightly at him. "I've been expecting you."

The Minister hurried up to the Headmaster, nodding his head slightly at Lucius as he passed. "What's going on here? Is it true? They were found?" The elder Malfoy cudgelled his brain, but he couldn't really think of any logical reason not to hex Fudge into the next eon, except for the fact this was the Hospital Wing, and one didn't do that sort of thing here. The memories of the times he had spent here, and the mediwitch of his era, were still quite strong.

Dumbledore motioned briefly to the two students, and Lucius felt a smidgen of satisfaction at seeing Fudge turn a very bilious shade of green at the sight of Hermione Granger.

"Madame Pomfrey." Everyone looked to see Snape entering with three bottles in his hand. He ignored everyone else as he came over to the mediwitch. "The potions you requested for Miss Granger." He glanced to Dumbledore as he handed them over to her. "The Weasleys and the Grangers have been owled as well, Headmaster."

"Thank you, Severus." Albus nodded slightly, and the Potions Master swept out, barely giving a look to either Fudge or Lucius. Fudge looked as if he were considering taking offence, but Lucius knew perfectly well even if he did, Dumbledore wouldn't care. When it came down to it, Hogwarts took care of its own, and Snape was most definitely one of Hogwarts' own.

As Pomfrey started to administer the potions, carefully pouring them down Hermione's throat and making certain she didn't choke on the, the cuts and injuries began to heal virtually before the eyes of the watchers. Lucius could see Draco staring over there with a craned neck, not letting a single moment pass without his attention on the Muggleborn witch. He made a note to talk to his son as soon as possible about this.

"She should be able to answer any questions you have tomorrow." Dumbledore decided. Pomfrey nodded slightly, then looked at the Minister with determined eyes.

"But only a few at a time!" The mediwitch declared. "She'll still need a lot of rest, as will young Mr. Malfoy!"

Both the Headmaster and the Minister looked to where Draco was trying to catch a better view of Hermione, and he glanced quickly back at them, a faint hint of reluctance in his eyes. Fudge must have noticed it, though.

"I'll return tomorrow to talk to them both, then." He hurried out of the room, muttering to himself about how many Aurors would be needed for this and a few other things no one else could hear.

Lucius looked back at Draco, then stood up. "Rest, Draco. I'll return later." His son nodded and watched first him, then Dumbledore and Pomfrey leave. He and Hermione were the only ones there now, and a deep silence settled on the Hospital Wing. Draco closed his eyes, keeping himself turned towards Hermione, and soon he too was lost in the depths of healing sleep.

Draco's eyes flew open suddenly, then slammed shut almost at once. Something had disturbed his sleep. What was it? Did someone come in? He listened intently for a few heartbeats, trying to hear anyone. If someone was there, he didn't want to open his eyes and let them know he was there? Where was his wand? He couldn't remember. He was defenceless without it...no, he could change if he had to. But would they know that? Would they be expecting it? No way to know for sure.

"N..no...d..don't..." That was what he'd heard. He opened his eyes again, this time knowing what it was. He carefully sat up and looked towards Hermione, seeing her toss and turn rapidly, struggling against bonds seen only in her dreaming mind. "No...don't...please stop..."

"Hermione." She had to wake up, the healing potions wouldn't work quite as well if she didn't rest her mind and body. He remembered what Snape had pounded into their heads repeatedly class after class.

Healing potions have to be more than just perfectly made to work. Though they will close wounds easily enough, if the patient does not want to be healed, or resists getting proper sleep, then the potions cannot fully integrate themselves with the wizard or witch's magic, and repair all of the damage. Then he had fixed them all with that steely glare. If any of you fail to properly rest or want to remain injured while you are in this school, you may be assured that you will regret it for the rest of your very long lives.

Draco slowly worked his way out of bed and stumbled to where she was laying. At the last second his knees gave out from under him and he collapsed in a small heap by her bed. Glad that no one else had been there to see that, he levered himself into the nearby chair and slowly took Hermione's hand in his. The second he did so; she began to relax. It's like she knows I'm here. He'd never been interested enough in medicine, wizarding or otherwise, to study on this sort of thing, but now he was almost beginning to regret it.

He tried not to look too much at her. The potions had healed a great deal of her injuries, but there were still so much more left to do. "'mione..."

"D..raco..."

Draco's eyes flicked up to her face, where she was looking back at him with a faint smile. "'mione. You're awake."

"That...was obvious." She snorted faintly, tears of pain wanting to choke their way out. "I must...look a sight."

He shrugged, honesty compelling him to say, "You've looked better."

"I bet." She closed her eyes and seemed to drift off again for a few minutes. He felt like doing the same when, "Did...I talk in my sleep?"

What did that matter? She was alive, he was alive, they were both free, and their captors had been taken into custody. That was what mattered. "'mione, I don't think you should really talk right now. You have to get better. Remember what Professor Snape said."

Her eyes levered open again, with a hint of the spirit he remembered flaring in them. "Answer me, Draco. Did I talk in my sleep after you used the Sleeping Charm on me?"

The wispy tone to her voice did more to hurt him than anything else. If it was all that important to her. "Just a little. I wasn't close enough to hear you, though."

"Oh." Hermione tried to sit up a little, only to find her arms weren't strong enough yet to help her do so. "I thought I heard Ginny and Harry here...and Ron."

He nodded slightly. "They had to go to class." He wasn't surprised that none of his fellow Slytherins had shown up to talk to him. Crabbe and Goyle were probably still trying to remember what the password was to the dungeons, or at best trying to figure out how one got out of them in the first place.

"Do my parents know?" was the next question. Draco thought for a moment, trying to remember what he could of the conversation between the adults earlier.

"I think they were told." It sounded like something Dumbledore would do anyway. His parents had been obviously so it made sense hers had been as well.

She looked at him again, that fire still in her eyes. He refused to admit to himself just how nice he found it. Glad they didn't ruin her like that. He also refused to acknowledge he had just thought that. "Why did you use the charm on me?"

"So you wouldn't be in as much pain when we were getting out of there." Draco told her. I don't think she needs to know I was going to transfigure her into something. I know I wouldn't want to be anything but me, no matter what. He adjusted her pillow a little and pressed her gently back onto the bed when she tried to move off it again. "Stay there." He knew the next question he was going to ask without even having to think about it. "What did they do to you, 'mione?"

Utter silence reigned briefly, then she began to speak. "They...said if I didn't do what they wanted...they'd kill you. I was whipped so many times..." She shuddered briefly, her hands clenching in their bandages. "Kicked like I was some kind of animal. I don't even remember all the curses they used. The Cruciatus was one of them, I know."

She glanced beyond him for a moment as she paused her recitation. "We have company." Draco looked over to see his father standing in the doorway, with Minister Fudge there, holding a parchment and quill. Lucius bent a stern gaze upon his son.

"Why are you out of your bed, Draco?" The tone was one Draco had heard quite often before, and usually prefaced punishments of some kind, usually quite harsh ones.

Draco did what he could to defend himself. "'mione woke up." His father didn't seem to care if Merlin himself had appeared in the Hospital Wing; he simply pointed to the bed.

"You could've called Madame Pomfrey." He reminded his son, pointing once more when Draco refused to move. The younger Malfoy finally inched his way back over and curled up under the covers, watching Hermione like a hawk.

"Miss Granger, is that all that happened?" Minister Fudge asked, coming a little closer to her. Hermione nodded slightly.

"That's all I can remember. Did you really hear all of that?" Her cheeks flushed a little red at being so helpless. She was practically a heroine of the war, having helped Harry not only research how to defeat Voldemort once and for all, but she had taken out quite a few Death Eaters of her own. But this...

Fudge nodded as he put away the quill and parchment. "They will be properly charged and prosecuted. They'll most likely be stuck in Azkaban for the rest of their natural lives, or longer." He marched out briskly, as Hermione curled up a little, tears falling softly.

Madame Pomfrey hustled over and forced healing potions and a few other odds and ends the likes of which Draco had never seen or heard of down her throat. "I'm going to put the Sleeping Charm on you again, my dear." The mediwitch told her. "You need to rest a great deal to build up your strength."

Draco winced as he saw another tear slip down her cheek and started wriggling out of his bed again. His father's cane came down in front of him, with a cold look from Lucius' gray eyes to back it up. "You heard the mediwitch, Draco. You both require rest, and getting out of that bed is not allowed."

"Fine." Draco squirmed so his back was to his father and closed his eyes. He doesn't like her. I don't like her either, but it's different with him. I don't like her because she's a know-it-all pest who should never have come to Hogwarts...and made most of Slytherin House look bad by being smarter than all of us. He just hates her because she's her.

Something about that didn't quite feel right, but Draco wasn't in the mood to dice it up any farther. He closed his eyes and let sleep steal over him once more.