Save The Date (A Drarry FanFiction)

Chapter Thirty One (VI)

VI

Hermione closed the door to the hospital wing quietly, her heart heavy in her chest. There had been no change in Harry or Malfoy's condition whatsoever, and whilst it was good they hadn't deteriorated, she was deeply worried about why they weren't waking up still, and what was really going on in their minds.

The Healers had done more thorough scans whilst she, Ron and Pansy had been in the forest, and confirmed what they had already suspected about their brains being active as if they were awake. But other than that all they were doing now was keeping them comfortable whilst they ran more tests, and Hermione couldn't say she was overly hopeful.

She was however feeling a little bit more optimistic after a trip to the library – as always, she found the possibility of the answers it could offer deeply comforting. She patted her trusty purse on her hip reassuringly, and trotted back down the stairs to head for the school's main entrance.

After Ron was almost sucked in by the tree with the vegetables on it, Hermione had decided they needed reinforcements. It was bad enough Harry was in dire straits; she put her foot down at losing her boyfriend to some mysterious force as well.

Pansy had wanted to stay out investigating the rings of trees, so Hermione had suggested the two of them start cataloguing the images seeing as they had become more visible. She was surprised by Pansy's willingness to comply, but rather than question it she had jogged back up to the castle before she could change her mind, or Ron could protest at being left with her. He understood though that it was in Harry's best interest for them both to keep working, and Hermione was proud of him for that.

As soon as she had returned and informed McGonagall of what they had discovered, the Headmistress had disappeared immediately with several Aurors in tow to go investigate the spot for themselves, leaving Hermione to collect up the supplies she needed before following after them.

As far as she could tell, the student body was still unaware of Harry's predicament, and he and Malfoy had been sectioned off in the hospital wing so as to avoid any prying eyes. But that would only last for a little while longer. People were going to start missing him soon enough, especially if he didn't show up at dinner. She sighed; she would hate for a scandal to emerge before they could restore Harry's health, but honestly the more time went on the less she cared about that. All she wanted now was for him to wake up, and then she could scold him for making her worry. Again.

The cold air hurt her chest as she once again descended the steps from the castle and began crossing the grass towards the woods. The same thoughts were still swirling over and over around in her mind, desperate to be answered, but at that moment she still hadn't deduced anything new, not having had the chance to search through any of the books she'd picked up yet.

Why had Harry been out in the dark after the feast, with Draco Malfoy of all people? Had they found the decorated trees by accident, or had that been their intended destination? What did the markings mean, and why had they reacted when Ron had got too close with his wand? What would have happened to him if Pansy hadn't pulled him away? Had the same fate befallen Harry, and if so, what was it?

Her main worry was how long he and Malfoy could last in their current state. The Healers and Pomfrey were keeping them nourished and seeing to their bodily needs for now, but that couldn't be maintained forever.

She shuddered and chewed her icy lip as she reached the edge of the forest, following her wand as it guided her back towards Ron, Pansy and presumably by now Headmistress McGonagall. Things would be better once she could sit and do some research, and she was confident with the books she'd checked out of the library that they would soon have a better grasp of what was going on.

Ron and Pansy must have explained the situation to McGonagall and the Aurors on their arrival, as not one single person had a wand out, and all the light in the gloomy forest was coming from regular fire-lit torches jammed into the hard ground. It was mid-afternoon now, and the sun was already setting, but with the torches Hermione could still see well enough as she reappeared into the glad where most people were milling around.

"Oh thank goodness," Ron breathed in relief, and came striding over to her to give her a hug. "Tell me you brought food?" he muttered into her hair.

Hermione chuckled. "Just who do you think you're talking to?" she replied cheekily.

Ron drew back and beamed at her. "Oh I love you," he mumbled. Hermione felt her cheeks go pink as she opened up her purse and fished into the much larger space inside to retrieve the platter of sandwiches the kitchen house elves had eagerly prepared for her. She and Ron were only just getting used to saying the "L" word, and it still brought a flutter to her chest every time.

"If I tell you I love you," a murmur came to her ear from behind. "Do I get fed too?"

Hermione spun around to see Pansy smiling wolfishly at her. "Um," she stammered. "I uh, yes, there's more food."

Pansy smirked and watched her as she rummaged around in her bag again, feeling her way through the contents to find what she was looking for. "The elves said this was your favourite," she said, pulling out a thermos of noodle soup that had smelled beautiful when they'd decanted it from the pan.

Pansy's eyebrows lifted as she plucked the container from Hermione's grasp. "You asked for my favourite?" she enquired. Hermione wasn't sure why that made her squirm the way it did.

"It, uh, seemed the polite thing to do."

Pansy left her alone after that, taking her thermos and her notepad as she moved further away to sketch the various different images on the trees. "What was that about," Ron asked, coming back to her side with half the sandwiches on his plate already gone. He rubbed the small of her back and she automatically melted against him.

"No idea," she admitted with a laugh. "Slytherins?"

"Slytherins," Ron agreed.