The Siren's Call (A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction)

58. Hospital Wing

Dioleh still hadn't woken up by the next morning. Draco stayed with her, sitting on one side of the bed while Imani and Andre sat on the other, but the two had managed to drift off with Imani laying on Andre's shoulder. "Snape told me you'd be here," Blaise said, approaching the foot of Dioleh's bed.

"Don't tell me I shouldn't be here, Zabini," Draco snapped wearily.

"I wasn't going to," he said, sitting down next to him. Draco gave him a surprised look. "I told you to forget about her when I assumed she'd just left the school. This is completely different." Draco nodded and looked back at her sleeping face. Somehow she was even more beautiful when she was asleep and at peace. "You okay?" Blaise asked.

"I will be when she is," Draco replied. "I'm just worried about her. She's been asleep since last night."

"It's only eleven," Blaise said, checking his watch. "She might just be sleeping in." Draco glared at him, causing him to merely shrug. Hermione and Ron were fast asleep on either side of Harry and the real Moody was on a bed on the opposite side of the wing. Otherwise, no one else was in there. Madam Pomfrey, after seeing that most of them were asleep anyway, had gone to get some plants from Professor Sprout.

"My dad wrote to me today," Draco said quietly, in case the others were listening.

"What did he say?" Blaise asked.

Draco sighed, "That the Dark Lord's back." Blaise looked at him with apprehension.

"Is he going to make you join?" he asked.

"I don't know," Draco said, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "But there's going to be so much pressure. I'm going to be ripped apart, Blaise. My dad wants me to eventually join the Dark Lord, Dioleh wants me to be good, I-"

"Forget them, what do you want?" Blaise asked, cutting him off. "Draco, this isn't a choice between who your dad wants you to be and who Granger wants you to be. You need to bloody figure out who you want to be."

They quickly shut up as Madam Pomfrey returned, inquiring, "They all still sleeping, then?" Glancing over at Harry and Moody to make sure, Draco nodded. She nodded curtly and went into her office. An hour or so later, Blaise left and Imani and Andre went to get themselves some food, leaving Draco alone with Dioleh. Letting out a small groan, she woke up, wincing from the bright lights streaming in from the windows and reflecting off the white surfaces.

Her hazy eyes focusing on him, she said, "Dray?"

"I'm here," he said, grabbing her hand. "Imani and Andre went to get something to eat but they'll be back." She nodded, attempting to sit up. "Woah, what're you doing?" he said, gently pushing her back down by the shoulders.

"I feel fine," she said.

"Do you?" he countered, brows raised skeptically. She sighed, laying back on the pillows. Reaching into his pocket, Draco said, "Andre found this when he was trying to figure out what happened to you."

"I thought I'd lost it," she said gratefully, happy to see the long-lost ring. "Thank you." He nodded as she attempted to reach over before she winced, letting her arm fall.

"Here," he said. "Where do you want it?"

"Right ring finger," she replied. He nodded, gently picking up her hand and slipping the ring on for her. "Thank you," she said.

"Draco," a voice behind them said. They both looked up to see Dumbledore. "I need to speak with you." He nodded.

Turning back to Dioleh, he said, "I'll be back, okay? Try and get some rest."

"I will," Dioleh replied. "Thanks, Dray."

"Of course, love," he replied, getting to his feet.

⥖✦✧⦽✧✦⥗

In Dumbledore's office, Draco was told to sit. He did, facing Dumbledore slightly nervously. Did he know about his father? "I wanted to speak with you, Draco, because you are now one of the few people who know about Dioleh, Imani, and Andre," Dumbledore said gravley. "What has Dioleh told you of her past?"

"That her mother died when she was young and that most of her family was murdered a little after that," Draco said. "And she told me that he father died a few years ago."

Nodding, Dumbledore replied, "That is quite right. I would not, under normal circumstances, inform you of the nature of their deaths, but I think it quite necessary in explaining the importance of your silence in this matter." Draco couldn't help but sit up straighter, his curiosity peaked. "Alurina Marlow, Dioleh's mother, was murdered by the American Ministry, as was most of her tribe."

"What about her father?" Draco asked.

"His death was completely unrelated to what he was to our knowledge, but the point is, the same thing that happened to her people will happen to her, as well as to Imani and Andre, if you say a word to anyone about this," Dumbledore said very seriously. "Not even your closest friends and family can know. Do you understand?"

"Yes," he replied. "I won't let anyone hurt her, or any of them."

"Good," Dumbledore said. "Then you may go."

⥖✦✧⦽✧✦⥗

Dioleh had drifted off soon after Draco had gone, but she woke up later that day to find that Imani, Andre, and Hermione were with her. Draco was nowhere to be found. "Hi," she said sleepily. "How are you guys?"

"We're fine," Imani said. "How do you feel?"

"A bit weak, but alright," she replied.

"Ah, up at last," Madam Pomfrey said, rushing over. "You need to eat. Up, up, sit up." With a small smile, Dioleh did so. She obediantly ate everything Madam Pomfrey ordered her to. Glancing over, she saw Harry was gone.

As she finished eating, she asked, "Where's Harry?"

"He left," Hermione said. "He was well enough so Madam Pomfrey let him." Dioleh nodded, finishing off the last bite. Hermione moved the empty tray to the bed next to her and turned back to Dioleh just as Madam Pomfrey came back.

"Ah, good, you finished," she said briskly. "I'm keeping you until tomorrow."