What Without the Dragon

Chapter 2

Author’s Note: If you recognize it, it belongs to J.K. Rowling. No profit will be made from this, no copyright infringement is intended. 

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Chapter Two

Hermione had been laying in the hospital bed for two days now.  Her ankle had been mended in a matter of hours, but her arm had required more extensive magic to fix properly.  She hadn't seen Harry, but Ron was lying in the bed next to her.  They had passed the boring wait by trying to figure out what Dumbledore had meant, for he hadn't been to see either of them since the time in the clearing.

They even discussed Draco's sudden change of sides.  Again, they both came up short of ideas, and decided to drop that subject until they got a first hand account from Mr. Malfoy himself.  Not too long after eating lunch, Madam Pomfrey busied in, and began fidgeting with Hermione's arm.  "How does it feel dear?"  She asked, bending it in all sorts of different directions.

"A lot better."  Hermione answer truthfully, although she suppressed a wince when Madame Pomfrey twisted it a bit to far to the left.  "How's Harry?"  She asked.

"Oh he's a lot better than to be expected."  Madam Pomfrey answered, walking over to Ron.  She checked under his bandages, pushed his red hair back and tapped the small but still present lump, and nodded in satisfaction.  "And I'm happy to report that you two seem to be in tip top shape." She jotted something down on her clipboard and pulled back the curtain, shielding them from each other.  "Go ahead and get dressed and I'll let you can go see Harry.  Mind you, you can't stay long, but I don't think a quick visit will set him back any."

Hermione smiled, and reached for her clothes sitting on the side table.  Someone had brought some of her own clean clothes, and she hoped her other's had been burned.  She slipped into her jeans and t-shirt, and was tying her shoes when Ron called out to her.  "Are you decent?"  He asked.

"Yes."  She answered back and Ron pulled back the curtain and sat beside her on the bed.  He was definitely two shades paler than normal, but other than that Hermione thought he looked okay.  His stubborn red hair was spiked up on top of his head, and sticking out in the back.  Hermione smiled, suppressing the urge to smooth it down.  Ron caught her looking at him and looked back questionly.

"Have I sprouted antlers?"  He asked, running his hands over the top of his head.

Hermione laughed,  "Of course not, I was just thinking."  She said.

"About?"

She started to tell him of her crush.  Let him know that she had liked him for quite a few years now, but she stopped.  There was no point in embarrassing her self like that.  If Ron liked her in return, surely he would have said something by now.  'Perhaps he's swallowing his feelings as much as you are.' She chided her self, tying the other shoe.  'Maybe not,' her cynical side retorted.  'I'll talk to him after we see Harry.'  She decided with a nod of her head. 

"Ready?"  She asked him standing up and straightening her shirt.  They stepped out in the hall and looked down at the rows of empty beds.  There were only two occupied across from each other at the end of the hall. 

Hermione led the way, stopping at the one on the right and peeking in through the curtain.  Ron opened the other curtain and looked in at the other bed.  Hermione held back a gasp of surprise as her eyes fell upon Draco.  He looked no better than he had the other day.  His skin was as pale as his hair.  His unopened eyes had the darkest circles under them.  The top of his head was bandaged, and the whole left side of his head was covered in a purplish bruise.  A long scar ran down the other side, from below his cheekbone to his chin.