The Healer II- The Patient (Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

Chapter 6- Business As Usual

One week later

Draco gestured to the velvet green armchair. "Sit," he commanded from behind his desk.

"I prefer to stand," I replied.

Draco's eyes narrowed with annoyance. "Sit. Please."

I exhaled through my nostrils and sat. It was unnerving to be in Draco's study. It was full of hard, expensive furniture and devoid of any decorations or frills; and in typical Draco fashion, everything was clean and organized, except for the graveyard of cigarette butts on his desk.

Although I disliked his study, I had requested a private place to meet with Draco to discuss Astoria's condition over the past week. It was to be a professional meeting, which meant no pointed comments, no arguing, and definitely no discussion of personal matters.

"I'm sure you're wondering why Astoria's condition hasn't improved yet," I began, and then stopped when I accidentally met Draco's gaze. It felt like I was shrinking in my seat. I cleared my throat and did my best to continue.

"The matter of the situation is, her body is fighting against the medicine as fast as I can administer it. Her magic levels are dangerously low, and when she wakes up I believe she will face permanent effects of magical malnourishment."

I didn't bother spelling out for him what magical malnourishment entailed. Any grown wizard knew it was a condition that resulted from prolonged unuse or deprivation of magic. The worst side effect was the permanent inability to perform spells beyond first year skill level.

Draco had a very minimal reaction to this news.

"Alright," Draco said calmly, lacing his fingers together.

Under normal circumstances, I would have been impressed by his ability to keep a level head when receiving relatively devastating information. But this was eerie- there was no expression, and no concern that his wife's magic may be permanently stunted.

"I would like to begin a more aggressive form of treatment," I said, "I'll require certain medical documentation. I'll need to see Astoria's family tree, as well as any records from previous Healers."

Draco was readily compliant. "I can fetch you the necessary documents." He rose from his seat and drew his wand. My eyes landed on the unfamiliar piece of wood in his hands.

"You have a different wand now," I said without thinking.

Draco seemed surprised by my observation. "Yes," he replied curtly. There was a pause. "I had to change wands after the war."

My blood curdled at the mention of the war. I had read everything I could about it in the American Wizarding papers, but I still had no idea what really happened from the eyes of someone who was there. Of all my old roommates, I wrote to Greta Munch most frequently. I had tried to ask Greta about the Battle of Hogwarts, but she was so traumatized that she would tell me nothing but that it "was the worst night of her life". I was starving for details.

"May I ask what happened to it?"

Draco gave me a glare that would make a baby cry.

"I would rather not," He said.

Draco's prickly response made me conclude that he was closed off to any faucets of conversation regarding the war. Which made sense- and I felt extremely insensitive for asking.

"Right," I lowered my gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry." Damn. So much for my professionalism.

Draco tapped his wand against a wooden panel on his office wall. It swung open like a cabinet, revealing countless rows of files. Draco flipped through the racks and pulled out the necessary documents, levitating them to land in a stack on his desk.

One of the first files to come out of the cabinet was an old box tied with twine. "The Greengrass family tree," he said. I knew Astoria was a pureblood, so it was no wonder her family documentation was so thick it needed its own box.

A multitude of other files, ranging from old to new, landed atop the box in a teetering stack. "All of Astoria's medical documents." Draco pulled out file after file in a seemingly endless stream. It astounded me- I had never seen one person who had so many medical files.

"This is going to take me awhile to get through," I said, my eyes scanning down the stack of countless documents before me. "I'll have to apparate with them a few files at a time-"

"You will not apparate with them," Draco said firmly. "These documents are not to leave this house."

I was caught off guard. That would be an issue. "I would prefer to read these in my personal office," is what I said, but what I really meant to say was 'I don't want to sit here in your house for any longer than I have to.'

Draco understood the conflict, but was unwilling to bend. "I can provide you a room where you can read in private," he said.

"A room?" I echoed incredulously.

"One of my guest rooms. I wanted to offer it sooner, actually, as I thought it would be convenient for you to be closer to Astoria, or in the case you may be too tired to travel back to New York."

I felt an odd sort of chill occur down my body at his proposal. This would be a room in his house, with a bed, that would be mine. I had to admit that from an outsider's perspective it made a good deal of sense, but it was wholly inappropriate for me to accept this offer.

"I have a husband in New York to return to, in case you've forgotten," I replied scathingly.

Draco rolled his eyes at my reaction. "Oh, please. You flatter yourself too much if you think this is some ploy to distance you from- oh, what did you say his name was?"

"I didn't," I said brusquely, not liking that this conversation was quickly veering into my personal life.

Draco rested his elbow on his desk, looking suddenly very serious. "Is your husband aware of where you go every night?"

I guiltily looked away. Somehow, Draco always knew exactly how to push my buttons- but I couldn't let myself lose my temper. "He is aware I've taken on a client in France. Due to the Hippocratic Oath, I can't tell him further details or reveal names."

Draco raised an eyebrow. "You have my permission to tell him," Draco remarked casually. "It makes no difference to me."

I chewed at my lower lip. Len had the tendency to overreact, especially around the time of the full moon. I don't know how he would react if he knew I was seeing an ex-boyfriend, even if it was for work.

Draco picked up on my silence. With a business-like indifference, he asked, "Is your husband perhaps the jealous type?"

My temper finally snapped. "You mean like you?"

Draco's face remained glacial, but I could tell my pointed response bothered him. "I don't get jealous," he said, very curtly. "Not anymore."

I puzzled over what exactly that meant as Draco slid a small gold key across the desk.

"Your room is in the east wing, across from Astoria's room," he said. I noticed how he said Astoria's room, not our room. That meant that Draco had a separate room somewhere in the Chateau. "You may spend as much time, or as little time in there as you wish. I will not disturb you."

I considered the offer more seriously this time. It would be nice to have a private space to read the documents. And if Draco was comfortable enough to offer me a room, then declining it would only send the wrong message. It would make it seem like I wasn't able to overcome my personal feelings and do my job.

I grabbed the key. "Have Astoria's files brought to the guest room, please. I'm not carrying them."