Chapter 20-Healing the Wounded Part II
Dumbledore and Lupin were touched by Hermione and Harry as they quietly sat on the sofa holding one another. Dumbledore whispered to Lupin. "I hope that we can keep the Wizengamot from making a harsh and hasty ruling. Decisions such as this need to be weighed for the good of all."
"My sentiments exactly Professor." Lupin agreed with a nod of his head.
After a few moments, maybe longer Hermione helped Harry to his feet for the one long step he had to take to the chair. He grimaced slightly and straightened his back in pain, but he concentrated on what Hermione told him. She put her hand on his left leg and said, "Move this one. Do you feel my hand?"
Harry nodded instead of speaking. He moved his leg a few inches forward and then a little more, setting his foot down about a half-a-step short of his normal stride. Hermione held his arm. And, put her hand on the other leg. "Do you feel my hand?" she asked.
Harry nodded once more. This was the difficult one, because he had to move it beyond the other to maintain his balance. He struggled as Hermione encouraged him, "That's it, Harry. You're doing it. Come on. A little further. More. Good. There. Turn toward me." She was now back in the direction he'd come from. "Now sit." Harry sat. He'd just gone further than he'd gone during therapy yesterday. "I know that was hard Harry. Good job." She said with a smile and soft brush of her hand to his cheek. "Let's go. Thank you both so much. Occlumency first thing tomorrow, right, Professor Dumbledore?" She couldn't look at Dumbledore and Lupin, she wanted to get out of there before a discussion on the future began. She wanted to spend time with Harry.
"Yes, tomorrow. You two, be good now. We'll discuss this further next time we meet." Dumbledore said with a smile that belied the pain he felt for having to tell her the bad news on Monday.
The door opened and Hermione stepped out with Harry in the lead in the wheelchair. He began to push ahead with the grips on the wheels. "Race ya," he challenged. He pushed as hard as he could. He knew she'd be waiting at the other end and he'd be exhausted, but it was Sunday and they could rest.
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Ginny sat with Luna that Sunday morning and held her hand hoping to see some indication of feeling on Luna's face. "Luna, how are you feeling this morning?" Luna had just opened her eyes.
"Tired, Ginny. Very, very tired." She said in a whispery voice. "Did I ever tell you we found the Snorkacks this summer? I was just dreaming about them."
Ginny forced a smile. "No, I don't think you did," she lied. Luna was still very depressed and would talk about the same things over and over without realizing it. She told the story of how she and her father found the Snorkacks in the summer and brought back pictures. No one believed they existed until then. It was a proud moment for her.
Ginny sat and listened absent-mindedly to the story for the second time, smiling where she should and looking as surprised as she could in others. At the end of the story, she knew she'd ask the same question again. "Ron was proud of me, wasn't he?" She asked rhetorically. She spoke of him in the past tense and Ginny felt heartbroken each time. Her brother had tried to defend them both. "Any word on Ron yet?"
"No, sweetie, Bill and Charlie are due in with a report this afternoon though. Tonks and Mad-Eye will be back tonight. Can I get you anything?" Ginny volunteered.
"Is there more pumpkin juice?" Luna asked.
"Hold on a sec." Ginny walked over and got the pitcher of pumpkin juice from the tray near the little food station in the infirmary. She poured it into a very small cup and helped Luna drink it with the straw. She had to use the straw because too much fluid could choke her because not all the muscles in her throat worked properly for swallowing yet. She had gotten better since Thursday though, so progress was being made.
"Do you think Ronny's alive, Ginny?" asked a tearful Luna a minute later.
Ginny gasped slightly and drew another deep breath to maintain her composure. "I have to have faith. I have to believe it or I would be a mess right now." She knew that she would know if something happened to Ron. When he'd been hurt when they were little kid, she knew something was wrong. She feared the day she had that bad feeling again. This might be the last time.
Luna fell asleep again. Talking had tired her out. Ginny was relieved that Luna could sleep; because she had not slept well and knew that it was not good for her recovery. As she got up to go spend time with her Mum, she glanced over at Malfoy who sat silently watching everyone in the infirmary. He looked sad, but he also looked calculating as he looked back at her with narrowed eyes. Ginny shivered inside. Could Malfoy be trusted, she thought?
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Harry couldn't go anywhere near Gryffindor Tower or the owlery because of the wheelchair. He thought momentarily about getting his Firebolt and flying to the roof to meet Hermione. He mentioned it to Hermione and the look of disbelief on her face told him no. The day was much warmer than usual for this time of year. It was warm enough for just a sweater and jeans. Harry asked Mrs. Weasley for some help getting dressed and she sent Arthur who helped Harry get his first leg into the jeans. He could do things for himself mostly. The greatest danger was falling. Madam Pomfrey was afraid to let Harry do anything that might result in a fall. He couldn't afford to bang his head for a while. Hermione had volunteered, but Harry wasn't keen on presenting himself in his skivvies especially since she was having fun picking on him about it. "Harry, what have you got to hide anyway?" She mockingly yelled from the other side of the closed curtains around the bed, pretending not to know.
Harry challenged her. "Knock it off Mione. It's not funny. Why won't you let me help you get dressed then?"
She blushed and didn't say anything.
"Knock if off, you two. I am more embarrassed than either of you," said Arthur as he helped Harry put his second leg into his jeans. "You'd better be careful what you wish for, Miss Hermione! You, too, Harry." He said loud enough for both of them to hear. Arthur had gone red and was obviously a little concerned with the sexual innuendos being tossed around so freely.
When he was dressed he came rolling out in a Hogwarts sweatshirt, jeans and a pair of runners. "Okay, so the runners shoes are useless right now, but not forever…thank you very much…I'll be chasing you down sooner that you know it," he laughed.
Hermione smiled and they went out onto the little patio beside the infirmary. They joked about how Mr. Weasley wouldn't let them go without telling them how wonderful 'those little muggle battery things for the electronic music box' were. They played their music softly to avoid disturbing anyone, as they looked out into autumn leaves falling around them. The sky was bluer today too. It usually seemed grayer, gloomier this time of year. The lake in the distance was beautiful sight.
"Harry, what's going to happen now?" Hermione said with concern.
"I don't know, really. I am sure that Lupin and Dumbledore are coming up with a plan to defend you," Harry said in as positive and cheerful voice as he could muster at the moment. "They aren't going to let you down. I am sure of it."
"I'm the one who has the problem. There is public outcry to have me removed from school, Hermione. There are parents and administrators saying that I am the reason for all the trouble. Let me go and the trouble will follow me is the theory."
"What!?" Hermione was absolutely livid.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley told me about it yesterday. He says that there is no way that Dumbledore will allow that." Harry said with a shake of his head.
"Hermione, I'd be surprised if he let you outside of the Hogwarts grounds if they came to get you." He added. He'd just thought of that. While Dumbledore would try to do things the by wizarding law, Harry couldn't think of any way he'd let her go to prison. He also knew that Dumbledore could be removed again as Headmaster and his replacement might do what he would not. He just wanted Hermione to know there was hope.
"That's great. They'll just let the one student with the guts to stand up to Voldemort and his cronies go because they don't have the nerve to go after them themselves." Hermione was boiling mad. Her ears were red and she emphasized 'guts' and 'nerve'. She truly believed that if a force were set against Voldemort he could be defeated. Even though she knew the prophecy.
"Hermione, whole families' lives would be at stake if they turned openly against Voldemort. No one wants to go through what the Weasley's are going through." Harry had a point.
"I know, Harry, but I just wish someone would do something before Voldemort and the Death Eaters are successful in their quest to kill you and probably me now too." She added with a shrug and a tilt of her head in a matter of fact tone.
Harry felt like trying to move in closer to Hermione, so he pushed himself up on the chair with his legs and arms. He couldn't believe how hard it was or how heavy his legs felt. They felt like they did when they fell asleep from sitting in one position too long. He realized that that was a good sign, he could push a little and he felt them. He knew it was just a matter of time.
Hermione watched as he struggled. She wanted to help, but she knew he'd ask if he needed it. He was sweating. Even though it was warmer than it was supposed to be, it wasn't that warm. Finally, he got close enough. She wiped the perspiration from his forehead and cheek. He really was something she thought. She put her hand in his and leaned in to kiss him. It was sweet to have this time together, she thought.
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"What are you looking at Malfoy?" Ginny scoffed.
"You, Weasley. You don't have to get all shirty with me. I was actually thinking how nice you were to be there for Looney Lovegood." He said with no malice in his voice.
"Don't call her Looney, okay?" Ginny protested.
"Oh, all right. I was just thinking how it would feel if someone came and visited me for a while." He said with a sad look that said more than the words.
"If you were to quit calling me Weasley or other things with such an attitude, I might sit with you." Ginny pointed out.
"You'd actually let me call you, Ginny. without getting sick or something." He said with a smirk. His face changed to a softer expression and said, "It would be nice to chat with someone for a while."
Ginny felt a little guilty. He was actually trying to be civil with her. She had never noticed how cute he could be…in spite of his injuries.., because he always had something venomous to say when she and her friends were around. And he was especially bad when Goyle and Crabbe….she turned her head and looked down the other row of beds and saw Goyle. "Can I call you Draco without anyone thinking I am going soft on you?" She asked. She wanted to be nice, but there had been so much hate between him, Harry and Hermione. She didn't want them to think she was turning on them. She thought of how terrible Draco must feel with so many injuries.
"Sure…We…I mean, Ginny. I would appreciate a kind word just like the next guy." He said.
"So, how are you feeling? Better?" She asked with a forced smile.
"Well, other than these annoying burns on my chest and stomach…the broken bones that went untreated for two days…and the big bloody rump roast looking thing I call a head. I suppose I'm good. Yeah. Definitely better than yesterday." He tried to laugh but she could tell his nose, mouth and jaws still hurt when he did anything that made them stretch too much.
Ginny tried to smile. He could make a joke, she thought. Not a very funny one, but a joke none the less. "Draco, why do you hate all of us so much?" Ginny wanted to know. He didn't seem so bad talking like this.
"Never thought about it really. I guess it is just the way I was brought up to look at peasants and muggles." He said matter of factly.
"You look at us like peasants?" she said as she started to get up to leave in disgust. She didn't know why she was mad at him. She knew the answer wouldn't be a gracious one.
"Look, Ginny, you asked me a question. I didn't lie to you and I didn't mean to offend you okay. It's just the way things are for me. I don't know any other way to think." He moved his good arm in a gesture to sit back down. "Stay, please."
"Hate is not normal, Malfoy." She interjected.
"You used the word hate. I just merely find some people to be more of a nuisance than a help." He reasoned. "I don't suppose I can afford to look at things that way now though."
"I should say not. The only reason we don't get along is that I don't mind having friends who are muggles and peasants because they will treat you with respect. They don't try to get an advantage because of money or position," she jabbed.
"Other than the fact that we see things a little differently, we're not trying to kill each other now are we," Malfoy said in an oddly flirtatious way.
"Well, there are some things you can see differently than friends and some you can not." She shot back.
"Look, truce. All I want is to get better and thank Potter and Granger properly for staying with me that night. If you won't be my friend or give me credit for trying to be nice, I'll just have to live with that." He said.
Ginny felt odd. Malfoy seemed to like her and care how she thought of him. He was still a pompous pig in her opinion, but he was trying to be nice. "Look, Draco, I have to go. I'll talk to you again though, okay?"
"Sure, like I said…I could use the company."
Ginny walked away talking to herself about what just happened.