Unexpected Union

Chapter 30

"Yes Professor," Draco said as he was standing and cradling her small body close to his chest.

"Filch, Mr. Malfoy and I will bring Granger and Weasley to the Infirmary. You bring the other two to my office immediately, and keep them there. I will be getting to the bottom of this. First we need to see to Miss Granger." McGonagall commanded as she levitated Ron ahead of her as she rushed back down the tower staircase in a flurry. Draco followed her, holding Hermione close. He glanced down worriedly at her as he moved quickly down the hallway. She felt so cold. Other than the groan from a moment before, she had made no other noises or movements.

The group rushed to the Infirmary and found Madam Pomfrey giving a potion to a small blonde girl. Madam Pomfrey looked up as they ran into the room and her eyes immediately found the unconscious girl in Draco's arms. "What's happened?" she demanded as she gestured to an empty cot.

"I think maybe she was hit with a spell. She fell from the top of the Astronomy tower. She won't wake up," Draco explained, his hands wouldn't stop shaking as he placed Hermione down on the cot.

"You don't know what spell she was hit with?" Pomfrey asked.

"No. I was too far away," He explained.

Madam Pomfrey began examining Hermione, and shooed Draco away from the cot. "There's nothing more you can do for her here. I've got things handled here. Go do something useful and find out what was done to the poor thing," Pomfrey said.

Draco hated to leave Hermione's side, but as he looked up into the new Headmaster's worried expression, he knew he needed to. He followed Professor McGonagall to her office where he found Filch with not only Harry and Pansy, but also Ginny and Lavender.

"Tell me what happened," McGonagall demanded the moment she burst into the room.

Draco's eyes immediately shot to Pansy, who sat silently, and avoided eye contact. Fury took hold of him. He stormed across the room and got right up in Pansy's face as he yelled "What did you do to her?" Pansy's eyes then slowly found his, but she remained silent. He stood back up and started pacing frantically.

"How about you two?" McGonagall asked Harry and Ginny.

Harry quickly relayed the basics of the events that lead them to the tower. He told her about Hermione going missing, them finding and interrogating Lavender, and then rushing to the castle. Apparently after Draco had stolen the broom, Ginny and Harry had done the same and Harry had followed him through the storm to the tower. When he saw Draco dash down to rescue Hermione, he had landed to apprehend Pansy. While all of this had been going on, Ginny had thrown a restrained Lavender over her stolen broom and flown back to the castle.

"Lavender?" McGonagall asked, "What is your part in this?"

Lavender's lip began to quiver. "Pansy said we could help each other. We needed Granger out of the way. She was messing up everything," the blonde cried.

"Pansy, do you have anything to say for yourself?" McGonagall asked.

Pansy's lips formed a grim line. Things were not going the way that she had planned. She was supposed to have slipped back down into the dungeons and Hermione was supposed to fall to her death, followed by her 'murderer' Ronald Weasley. It's all been spoiled now.

"Well, since Miss Parkinson is not willing to be forthcoming, Mr. Filch please hand me her wand."

Filch plucked the young witches wand from his belt and placed it on the desk in front of the Headmaster. "Thank you Argus," the Professor said as she placed the tip of her own wand on Pansy's and said, "Prior incantato."

"Bombarda maxima," McGonagall said in shock, her eyes darting to the wand's owner.

"What?! Why?" Draco demanded as he spun back on Pansy and gripped both of her arms, shaking the girl.

"Because you were supposed to be mine!" Pansy yelled, "Because that filthy little mudblood bitch had gotten her claws in you, and I was trying to do you, and fucking hell, all of Hogwarts a favor! You would have thought she'd been murdered by the Weasel, and I would have been there to pick up the pieces. Don't you see Draco? It was always supposed to be us. You're supposed to be with me!"

Lavender's eyes darted to Pansy and her stare burned like hot embers. She had no idea Pansy had included Ron in her plot. She was going to frame him for murder?

Draco let go of Pansy like touching her had burned him. The look of disgust on his face as he glared down at the young Slytherin girl was an expression that Pansy never would forget. "That girl you tried to murder, that is now lying in a hospital bed because of you, is a better witch than you could ever hope to be. You are nothing but a sniveling, conniving, pathetic little bitch. I hope you rot in Azkaban." Draco didn't look at anyone else as he stormed out of the Headmaster's office and straight back to the Infirmary.