Later that day, as Hermione made her way through the crowd of chattering students who had just been let out of their classes, she was stopped by the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"Hello Hermione," he said as he pulled her aside.
"Hi Professor Haymen," she said with a strained smile. "I'm sorry but this isn't the best time..."
"Oh, I know. I heard about what happened to Mr. Malfoy, and felt that I should stop by and offer my sincerest apologies and best wishes."
"Er..thanks, I suppose..." she said, wincing when she realized how rude she sounded.
He didn't seem to notice though, and continued to say, "Professor Dumbledore also requested that I do something. Once Mr Malfoy gets better, he wants me to teach you two how to shield and protect yourselves from any other...attackers that may get in."
Hermione blinked, and looked back at him in confusion. "Okay," she said slowly.
"Madam Pomfrey should have him mended up by Friday. Bring yourself and Mr Malfoy to my office - third floor, room across from the statue of the troll holding a Fwooper - no later than 7 PM." With that, he nodded at her, then disappeared back into the rush of students.
Frowning at the odd conversation she had just engaged in with the new teacher, Hermione continued back on her way to the hospital ward.
When she reached the ward, which was, although the school year has just started, already bustling with activity. She quickly located Draco, and asked Madam Pomfrey if she may have a few moments with him. Sighing as if she were doing Hermione a great favour, the head nurse retreated to take care of another patient, leaving the Head Girl and Boy alone.
Hermione settled herself on a wooden stool beside Draco's bed. Much to her happiness, she saw, as she looked down at his sleeping form, that most of his cuts and bruises were healing nicely. She felt a smile start to grow on her face as she noted the peacefulness that seemed to surround him as he slept on. It was another one of those rare moments in which she was able to catch the side of Draco no one ever saw.
He murmured something in his sleep, then shifted his position slightly. Frowning, Hermione leaned down to hear what he was saying. It sounded something like, "Get away from her".
"Malfoy?" she whispered quietly, touching his arm gently.
Draco awoke with a start and looked wildly around him. His frantic searching stopped when his eyes fell upon Hermione. "What're you doing here, Granger?" he said.
Shrugging, she replied, "I dunno. I just came to check up on you."
"Like I said earlier, I don't need your help."
"Oh really now?" she shot back. "I suppose you would have been fine lying in my room unconciously all day?"
Not being able to find a good comeback to this, he simply rolled his eyes and turned his face away.
"Tell me what happened," Hermione said softly.
"It's nothing you would understand."
"Try me."
"Granger, you've never had parents who are dark wizards," he replied icily.
"What do your parents being dark wizards have anything to do with this?" she said with a gesture at his bandaged left arm.
"Like I said, you wouldn't understand," he answered.
"I want to help you. Can you please tell me what happened...Draco?"
It seemed to be more the use of his first name than anything else that caused him to turn his face back to his companion and look her in the eye. "My father...my father knows everything. He has spies set up around Hogwarts to watch me constantly. I have to keep up the Malfoy image. You know that he is a proud pureblood wizard, and one who would not even think twice about killing his own son if he was found even being friendly with a Mudblood. He saw -" here, Draco's voice faltered as if he were struggling to force the next words to come out "- us kissing and sent someone to let me know that he didn't approve. That obviously resulted in this." He ended with a wave at his own bruised form and a hint of sarcasm in his tone.
Tears had welled up in Hermione's throughout his speech, and now she wiped these away as she said, "I'm so sorry. I had no idea..."
"Didn't I tell you that you wouldn't? Malfoys are always right."
Hermione smiled half-heartedly at this. How can he joke when he's talking about something like this? she thought in wonder to herself. He's so...strong. I never would have thought that he went through all of that and...and how can a father send someone to attack their own son? As this thought came to her, anger and disgust welled up inside her.
"So what happened?" she finally said.
"One of his 'friends', McCarthy, took me by surprise this morning. I spent last night walking around outside and didn't return until after you had left. When I walked into your room to see if you were there, he stepped out from behind your bed and charmed the door shut. Then he attacked me and left me." Draco said this rather carelessly, as if it happened to him everyday.
"But you have to tell someone!" she insisted.
"I'm not going to tell anyone, and you'd better not either," he said in a low, hard voice. "If anyone, and I mean anyone, finds out that I even let it slip to one person, then I'm as good as dead."
"You can't just let this happen though," she argued back. "If you told someone he could go to Azkaban and everything would be solved."
"Lord, Granger, I thought you were the smartest witch in the year. 'And everything would be solved'...hah! -" he said this with a snort of laughter "- Yeah right, like his friends wouldn't just gather together and kill me. There is nothing I can do to escape this. And there is nothing you can do about it."
Before Hermione could respond, Madam Pomfrey walked up to them and said in a stern voice, "Your time limit is up, Miss Granger. Mr Malfoy needs his rest...shoo! Go back to your dormitory!"
"Sorry," she said politely, although she did roll her eyes behind the nurse's back, "I'll go now." Hermione stood up and grabbed her bag. "Draco...I'll come back tomorrow." She was not used to calling him by his first name and had trouble getting it out, but it was worth it to see his expression soften - just a little bit - when she did.
"Good-bye Hermione," he answered.