Love is a Dagger to Destroy: A Dramione Story

Chapter Twenty-One

Malfoy's POV

I stayed with Hermione for the next hour before she finally started to stir. Her eyes pulled open and almost immediately furrowed them.  "What happened?"

"You passed out. Madam Pomfrey said is was just exhaustion. You're supposed to drink this," I gestured to a goblet on her bedside table, "now that you're awake."

Hermione took the goblet and started to sip it. "Where's Harry?"

"He went to get some rest."

"You should get some too. You look horrible."

I smiled slightly. "What a wonderful thing to hear from your girlfriend."

Hermione giggled into her goblet, but before she could say something else, Professor McGonagall came through the door, a stretcher following behind her. And there, lying on the stretcher, unconscious, was Harry Potter.

"Harry!" Hermione called, alarmed.

I stood up and made my way over to where McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were moving Harry to a bed. "Will he be alright?"

"Yes, it appears to have simply been a stunning spell," Madam Pomfrey assured me. 

"What happened?" Hermione asked for the second time since she woke up.

"The Fat Lady found him outside Gryffindor Tower when she came back from visiting a friend. It appears that he was attacked before he could enter."

"Who would attack him?"

"I don't know, Mr. Malfoy, but I do not want you investigating to figure it out. For once, please let the adults handle this."

I nodded, not intending to listen to her in the slightest. She sighed. "I need to go. Please, try to stay out of trouble."

With that, the Headmistress left the hospital wing, leaving only me, Hermione, Potter, and Madam Pomfrey. "When Potter wakes up, come get me," the patron demanded before disappearing into her office. 

"What is going on?" Hermione asked. "A muggle hater group, kidnappings, attacks, Snape, Voldemort's daughter, and merlin knows what else. What is wrong with the world?"

I shook my head. I didn't know any better than she did, but one thing seemed obvious: it was impossible to have a quiet year at Hogwarts.

Beatrix's POV

I came to awareness slowly, like floating to the surface of water. The first thing I was aware of was someone laying next to me, their arm wrapped tightly around my upper body, pulling me against their chest.

I heard voices next. People, including the person laying by me, talking quietly. 

"I think it will be okay," one of the people said. "She should warm up soon."

"Are you sure?" the person next to me asked. "She's cold as ice."

"She'll be fine," a distinctly feminine voice said. "Trust Doc."

I recognized that name. I recognized these voices. Memories flooded through my mind and I opened my eyes. 

"Doc? Ella?"

"You're awake!"

With my eyes open, I could see that I was back in the room the family had temporarily given me. Doc and Ella were both standing near the door. I turned slightly to see that I was laying against Blake. 

He gave me a slight smile, but I could see something else lurking in it, something darker.

"What happened? I don't remember..."

"That's really common," Doc assured me, pulling a pen light out of his pocket and shining it in my eyes. "You were hypothermic. Running outside like that during winter was very foolish of you, Beatrix. You're lucky Blake found you."

I looked back at Blake. "You found me?"

He nodded. "Sorry about this." He gestured at himself and then at me. "According to Doc, body heat is the best way to warm up a hypothermic person. I was the best candidate seeing as we're the same age."

"It's okay."

I looked at Ella, who was standing silently and awkwardly by the door. She shifted nervously when my eyes met hers.

"I'm gonna go talk to the children. They are all extremely concerned."  Before anyone could say anything, she opened the door and just as quickly left.

Doc, Blake, and I exchanged awkward glances. "Well." Doc began to gather his belongings. "I need to go. My wife's waiting for me." He gave me and Blake another quick glance and then left as well.

I turned my body so I was facing Blake. I could feel the heat returning to my body, but I didn't try to pull away from him.

"What happened?" Blake's question sounded like a demand. 

I hesitated.

"Don't lie to me," Blake warned. "I want to know what happened. Why did you run off now of all times? I thought you liked it here."

"I do," I found myself saying before I could stop myself. "I love it here. I love this family. Your family. But... I'm not sure they love me."

"What are you talking about? Everyone loves you. You're like a daughter to Mum, Uncle Eddie loves you, and the kids think of you as an older sister. What more could you want?"

"It's your father. I heard him talking to Ella. He said something about me was not right. Unnatural. He said I didn't belong here."

Blake looked at me with not a little bit of sadness and anger. "He had no right to say that. You belong here just as much as the rest of us."

"I-"

Whatever I was about to say was interrupted by the sound of shouting from downstairs. Blake and I looked at each other and before he could stop me, I jumped out of bed and raced out the door.

"Beatrix!" 

I was a bit unsteady, but managed to keep my balance as I ran downstairs. 

A horrifying sight met my eyes. Three men dressed in black cloaks and wearing white masks had appeared in the living room. One man held three year old Olivia by the arm. The rest of the family was scattered throughout the room. Gary had pulled Joy and David behind him and Tyler was standing by Ella. Doc and Eddie were no where to be seen. 

"Let her go, please," Ella begged. "She's just a baby. She didn't do anything."

Blake ran up just behind me. He took in the scene and then stepped around me, blocking me from the Followers sight.

"Give us the girl," the man holding Olivia said. 

"What girl? Please, let her go!" Ella was practically sobbing at this point. I did the only thing I could do; I stepped out from behind Blake. Or I tried. I only got one half of my body out from behind him before the door burst open and Doc stepped in, holding a wand in his hand.

The three men turned and the two not holding Olivia raised their wands. Doc was quicker. He raised his own wand and yelled "stupefy!" twice. The two men not holding Olivia went down. The other man threw Olivia to the ground and grabbed his friends, Disapparating before Doc could stop him.

With the three men gone, Ella didn't hesitate to Olivia, pulling the toddler into her lap. Doc surveyed the room and his eyes locked with mine. 

"Beatrix, we need to talk."

A/N: I love cliffhangers.