The Unknown Savior
�Mr. Malfoy, wake up.�
Draco felt a hand on his shoulder and slowly opened his eyes. It took him a while to remember where he was. When he saw Madam Pomfrey standing over him though, it all came rushing back. He sat up quickly and groaned as his back screamed with stiffness.
�She made it through the night,� Madam Pomfrey said, gesturing toward Ginny. �She�ll most likely be all right, but, until she gets the real antidote, we�re not out of the water yet. I had the kitchen elves bring up some breakfast for you.� She pointed to the table where a platter stood with a stack of toast, a jug of milk, and a glass on it. �I�ll be going down to tell the Headmaster about your �unfortunate illness.� In case anyone asks, you have a very rare, extremely contagious form of the flu that can sometimes prove fatal. No one will be allowed in the hospital wing except with serious injury because of fear of spreading this dreaded illness. Miss Weasley isn�t susceptible because she�s unconscious and it only attacks those who are fully awake.� She reeled off all of this information without pausing once.
Draco smiled. �Thanks,� he said for what felt like the millionth time.
�Yes, I added the bit about Miss Weasley because I know her brothers will be very eager to see her,� she said. �I know you are not on good grounds with them. I would like to avoid having blood spilled on the floors Mr. Filch works so hard to keep clean.� She laughed a bit then continued. �Anyway, I will leave you to your breakfast as I go fill out some paperwork. I�m required to file a report to the Ministry whenever a case such as Miss Weasley�s comes up.�
�What do you mean?� Draco asked.
�Well, Mr. Malfoy, I must be completely honest with you,� she said. �This wasn�t an accident. She drank a very lethal poison, one that her Potions class is working with right now, I believe. Since there aren�t any signs of a struggle, I must assume that she took it of her own free will.�
�No,� Draco whispered, shaking his head. Yet, he couldn�t help thinking of the broken glass on the floor out in the hallway. That could�ve easily been the bottle from which she had taken the poison.
�I could be wrong,� Madam Pomfrey said quickly. �I�m afraid we won�t know until we can get the antidote. Speaking of that, I need to go down and talk to Headmaster Dumbledore then go speak to Professor Snape about the antidote. I will be back later. If you need anything, just go tap that crystal,� she pointed to a crystal ball on a table across the room, �and I�ll come as quickly as I can.� She walked out, leaving Draco alone with the unconscious Ginny.
Draco went up to the breakfast Madam Pomfrey had brought and wrinkled his nose. �Who drinks milk?� he muttered to himself. He ate a piece of toast and then sat back down. He wasn�t a morning person, so he barely ever ate much for breakfast.
Draco heard a low groan and immediately turned his eyes to Ginny. She shifted slightly, rolling over onto her side, and started shivering. Draco grabbed a blanket from a nearby bed and covered her up. He knew enough about sickness to know that a fever was no excuse for someone to be cold. Ginny�s shivering was reduced, though she was still shaking slightly.
Draco knelt by Ginny�s bed and looked at her face. This was a girl he�d insulted on many occasions, constantly making fun of her for her apparent crush on Potter. He could even remember making her cry at least once with his comments. As far as he knew, she hated him. And up until now, he�d thought he hated her too.
But, if he hated her, why did he save her? If he truly hated her, then he would�ve just left her there.
No, said that voice, you saved her because it was how you were brought up. Remember, Malfoy rule number 32: never leave a lady in mortal danger unless it is your master�s wish that said lady should suffer. It has nothing to do with who she is.
Draco covered his face with his hands, his head buzzing with thoughts. Could it be that he only saved her because it was against the Malfoy Code of Honor not to? Was he really that selfish?
Draco looked up at Ginny again and considered leaving. Then, he sighed. �Rule number 33,� he muttered, �don�t leave said lady until she has fully recovered.� Whether he was here by choice or not, he was staying.
* * *
�You doing all right?�
Draco looked up to see Madam Pomfrey looking at him with concern. �Yeah, I�m fine,� he said.
�I�m afraid I wasn�t able to convince the Headmaster with my story, so I had to tell him the truth,� she said. �He agreed to tell the students that you were in here with the flu, but not to bar people from visiting Miss Weasley. But don�t worry, I�ll warn you whenever someone is going to come in. You can use that bed over there, but just try not to get into a fight. I�ll tell them not to bother you.�
Draco was just about to thank her when there was a knock at the door. �Madam Pomfrey, can I see my sister now?� the muffled voice of Ron Weasley said.
�Go,� Madam Pomfrey hissed. Draco didn�t need to be told twice. He hurried over to the bed she�d pointed out, which, coincidently, wasn�t that far away. He threw himself onto the bed and pulled the covers up over his head.
�Come on in,� Madam Pomfrey said. Draco heard a door open and close. There was a shuffle of footsteps that stopped, Draco guessed, by Ginny�s bed.
�Will she be okay?� a voice asked. Draco�s eyes widened as he realized that it was Potter�s. This was just great. His worst enemies, both in the same room as him, and he couldn�t say a word.
�She should be fine,� Madam Pomfrey said. �Professor Snape will have the antidote ready tomorrow. Until then, I ask that you both keep your voices down. Mr. Malfoy is extremely ill and needs his rest. I�ll be in my office.� There was a sound of retreating footsteps.
�Heaven forbid we disturb Malfoy,� Weasley�s sarcastic voice said.
�Ron,� Granger�s voice hissed, �now you know that isn�t fair. He can�t help that he�s ill.�
�I don�t like leaving Ginny in here with him,� Weasley said. �There�s no telling what he might do.�
Draco couldn�t keep silent at this point. He turned over and pulled the covers down to his shoulders. �I won�t touch your sister Weasley,� he said in what he hoped was a raspy sounding voice. �I was raised better than that. Afraid I can�t the same for you.�
Granger and Potter grabbed Weasley�s arms to restrain him as he tried to lunge at Draco. �Madam Pomfrey will have your head if you hurt him,� Granger said in a low voice that was, nonetheless, heard by Draco.
Weasley struggled against the arms that held him back. �I know you�re faking Malfoy,� he spat, glaring at Draco. �I swear if you so much as lay a finger on my sister, I will make you wish you had never been born.�
Draco couldn�t think of a good comeback, so he decided to use the situation to his advantage. He sat up and started coughing violently to save himself from answering. To his surprise, this worked.
�Ron, leave him alone,� Potter said. �It�s a matter of honor, something he would know very little about. As for you, Malfoy,� he turned to Draco, his eyes flashing, �I suggest you go back to sleep or I might change my mind.�
Draco wanted to argue, but knew that if he did, he would just be proving Weasley right. He turned back over and covered his head again.
�You think he�s really asleep?� Granger asked after a few moments of silence.
�No,� Potter and Weasley said at the same time.
�Doesn�t matter,� Potter pointed out, �I mean, what�s he gonna hear?�
�Let�s get off the subject,� Granger said quietly.
�Fine by me,� Weasley said. After a moment he spoke again, this time in a barely audible whisper. �Why Ginny? Why did you do it?�
�Ron,� Granger�s voice said, �we don�t know that she did. Maybe Madam Pomfrey�s mistaken.�
�We won�t know until she wakes up,� Potter said. They continued to talk for quite a while. Draco didn�t know exactly how long, but it seemed to have been at least a few hours. Finally, Madam Pomfrey came out and told them they had to leave. There was a shuffle of footsteps fading away and then silence.
�They�re gone,� Madam Pomfrey said after a moment.
Draco sighed and sat up. He�d been starting to get claustrophobic.
�It�s about lunch time,� Madam Pomfrey said. �Would you like me to send for some food?�
�Oh, no thanks,� Draco said, shaking his head, �I�m not really hungry.�
�Okay,� Madam Pomfrey said hesitantly, �but you�ll have to have something later. If there�s one thing I won�t tolerate, it�s a student collapsing in the hospital wing. I�m going to the dungeons to check on the process of the antidote. I�ll be back in a few hours, but if you need anything, once again, just tap the crystal.� She smiled and left.
When she was gone, Draco stood and walked back over to Ginny�s bed, sitting in a chair. �Please get better,� he whispered, even though he knew she wouldn�t until she got the antidote.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ginny crouched down in the darkness that surrounded her. She wasn�t sure if there was a floor below her, since when she looked in any direction, everything was pitch black. That was, assuming there was anything out there.
Am I dead? Ginny wondered. She didn�t feel dead. Then again, she�d never been dead before, so what did she know about it?
Then, she heard a soft voice. She couldn�t tell what it was saying at first, but it echoed until the words were audible. �Please get better,� a boy�s voice said to her.
Ginny looked around wildly, but the source of the voice was nowhere to be seen. She had a feeling she�d heard the voice before, but she couldn�t quiet place it. She waited for a moment. The voice didn�t come back.
Ginny shivered and pulled her knees up to her chest. Was this really what it was to be dead? She�d had no idea it would be so cold.
So cold�
~~~~~~~~~~
Draco gave a start as Ginny groaned and started shivering again. He reached out to touch her arm, expecting her skin to feel hot with fever. He gasped as he realized that she had gone stone cold.
Draco stood up and hurried over to the crystal. He pulled out his wand and tapped the crystal awkwardly. A swirling, red mist filled the crystal briefly and it went back to normal.
Draco only had to wonder for a moment if it had worked. Madam Pomfrey burst in, her breath coming out in wheezing gasps. �What is it?� she asked in a strained voice.
�She just went cold and started shivering,� Draco said, pointing a shaking finger at Ginny.
Madam Pomfrey rushed over to Ginny and placed a hand on her forehead. �She�s slipping away,� she muttered. �We have to get her warm again. Go to that cabinet over there and get some blankets.�
Draco nodded and went to the cabinet, throwing the door open. He grabbed a stack of blankets and quickly brought them back to Madam Pomfrey, who was checking Ginny�s pulse. She grabbed the blankets from Draco one at a time, carefully covering Ginny up with each of them. When she was done, she�d built up a layer about three inches thick.
After a tense moment, Ginny stopped shivering and Madam Pomfrey sighed. �She�s out coming out of the shock. Check her fever every fifteen minutes or so. If it starts going back up, remove some of the blankets, but not too many. Otherwise, she might be shocked to the point of fits, which I�m afraid I can�t do anything about. Don�t hesitate to call me if she starts shivering again. It�s even more important now than ever that I make sure Professor Snape finishes that antidote soon.� She felt Ginny�s forehead one last time, nodded to herself, and left.
Draco sighed loudly and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. Adrenaline has a way of doing that to a person as the excitement dies down. He considered going back to the bed across the room and sleeping for a few hours. Then, he thought about Ginny. What if she went into a fit while he was asleep? He shuddered at the thought.
That would be just what you want, the voice Draco had come to dread whispered to him. You could leave guilt free then. There would be no family honor to hold you here.
Draco shook his head. �No,� he whispered to no one. But the voice�s words stuck with him. After a while, he began to think that maybe he had been the one to speak them.
* * * * * *
�Mr. Malfoy, it�s time.�
Draco looked up to Madam Pomfrey, who was standing in the doorway of the hospital wing, holding a small flask filled with a dark blue, almost black potion. He sighed and stood up, his stiff legs shaking slightly under him. It�d been three days since he�d found Ginny and he�d been in that chair for the past two. Now, Draco turned and started toward the door.
�Where are you going?� Madam Pomfrey asked.
Draco stopped and looked down at the ground. �I�m sure I�m not the first thing she wants to see when she wakes,� he said. He looked back up and stared straight ahead, though his eyes were unfocused. �Please don�t tell her I was here.� He left before she could ask why.
~~~~~~~~~~
In an instant, Ginny went from darkness to bright, white light as her eyes snapped open. She closed her eyes and groaned as a piercing pain stabbed through her head. When the pain subsided, she opened her eyes in slits, squinting upwards. She could now see that the source of the light was a tall window just above her. The sun�s rays shone through the glass, assaulting her eyes mercilessly.
�Silly girl,� a voice said. After a moment of confusion, Ginny realized that it was Professor Snape. �Next time, knock before you enter my chambers, Poppy.� There was a sound of retreating footsteps.
Ginny felt a hand on her forehead. �Come on,� a voice Ginny couldn�t quite place said, �open your eyes. You�re okay now.�
Ginny slowly opened her eyes the rest of the way and looked around. She was in the hospital wing, lying in the bed closest to the door. She now saw that the person who�d spoken was Madam Pomfrey.
�What happened?� Ginny asked in a dry voice and realized that her throat was very dry. Madam Pomfrey noticed this too and went to a side table and poured out a glass of water.
�I was going to ask you the same thing,� Madam Pomfrey said, bringing Ginny the water. �You were found out in the hallway right outside the Slytherin Dungeons. You�re lucky Professor Snape knows his antidotes so well.�
�Lucky, right,� Ginny muttered as she sat up and accepted the water gratefully.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head slowly. �I suppose there�s no good way to ask this, so I�m just going to ask. Why did you drink the poison? Did someone make you?�
Ginny gave a small start and the empty glass slipped out of her hands. With lightning quick reflexes, Madam Pomfrey caught it before it hit the ground and set it on the table. Ginny barely noticed this as she drew her knees up to her chest.
�I don�t wanna talk about it,� she whispered, shutting her eyes to stop the tears that threatened to fall.
Madam Pomfrey placed a hand on her shoulder. �I know it�s none of my business, but I�m worried about you,� she said. �Just remember, nothing is ever as bad as it seems.�
Ginny opened her eyes again and tried to think of a way to change the subject. �Who found me?� she asked finally.
�They have requested to remain anonymous,� she said, shifting her feet uncomfortably. �I will tell you though, that they remained by your side through the entire ordeal. They did not leave until I told them of the antidote and they knew you would be all right.�
�Why are you telling me this?� Ginny asked.
�Because you need to understand that there are people out there who care about you,� Madam Pomfrey said.
Ginny was saved from having to come up with a response by a knock at the door. Madam Pomfrey went to answer it.
�Come on in,� she said to whoever it was. �She�s awake, but I must ask that you keep the questions to a minimum. She�s a bit shaken up.�
She stepped aside and Ginny saw that Ron, Harry, and Hermione were at the door. They came over immediately. The first thing Ron did was to hug Ginny.
�I�m so glad you�re all right,� he said. Ginny stiffened and didn�t return the hug. Ron then backed up and held her at arms length. �Did Malfoy hurt you?�
�Malfoy?� Ginny asked, confused.
�He was in here with the flu,� Hermione explained. �Some rare form that Madam Pomfrey didn�t have a cure for.�
�You came in?� Ginny asked. �Did you see anyone else here?�
�No,� Harry said, �why?�
�No reason,� Ginny said in a quiet voice. Madam Pomfrey had lied to her. Whoever had brought her in hadn�t stuck around.
Ron sighed and shook his head. �Why did you do it Ginny?�
Ginny opened her mouth slightly, taken aback by the question. When she recovered from the shock, she turned her head away, unable to look her brother in the eye. �I don�t wanna talk about it,� she said for the second time that day.
�But��
�I said I don�t wanna talk about it!� Ginny said through gritted teeth, fighting back the tears that filled her eyes.
�Ron,� Hermione touched Ron�s shoulder briefly, �don�t. Madam Pomfrey said��
�I don�t care what Madam Pomfrey said,� Ron whirled around to face Hermione, his face red with anger. �She�s my sister!�
�Hey,� Harry spoke up, stepping between the two, �this is not the time or place to be arguing. I think that if Ginny wanted us to know what happened, she�d tell us.�
�As long as you�re talking about me like I�m not here,� Ginny said angrily, �you might as well just leave.�
�Ginny�� Ron started, grabbing her hand.
�All of you,� Ginny added coldly, pulling her hand out of Ron�s grasp.
�Come on Ron,� Hermione whispered. �We�ll come back later.�
Ron looked back at Ginny for a moment. Ginny flinched at the pain she saw in his eyes, but managed to keep her face emotionless. Ron turned and left the room, followed by Harry and Hermione.
Now alone, Ginny buried her face in her hands and let the tears fall. She knew that most people would be happy to survive something like that. Most would count themselves lucky.
But she wasn�t one of those people. She�d seen the pain in her brother�s eyes. She�d seen Harry and Hermione�s faces. She knew how her family would react. She couldn't help but feel that they would�ve been less hurt if she�d just died. At least then they could move on with their lives instead of wasting time feeling sorry for her.
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