To the End of the Earth and Back [[Hr/D romance]]

Chapter Eleven

"She just has the common flu," Madam Pomfrey said as she fluttered about the room. There were only a few others in the wing that night. They had all come down with symptoms of the flu and were in the heaviest sleep. Hermione was going to have the same sleep in a matter of moments. "Mr. Weasley, go back to your patrolling. Miss Granger will be fine. She will be back on her feet in the morning." With one more glance down at Hermione and a quick squeeze to her hand, Ron nodded his head and walked out.

Draco pushed himself deeper into the shadows of the corridor as Ron made his way back to where he had come from. Now, he just needed to wait for Madam Pomfrey to make her way to her room before he could try to talk to Hermione. He wasn't sure why he had followed. His feet had led him there before his mind even had time to catch up.

He pulled out his pocket watch again and waited for ten minutes before he snuck into the infirmary. There she was. Even with curtains pulled around her bed, he knew which bed was hers. With quick and silent movements, he was next to her in a flash. "Hello," he whispered.

Slowly, Hermione turned to look at him. Her eyes were heavy. She didn't even know if Draco Malfoy was actually sitting next to her on the bed or if she was beginning to fall into the deep slumber that Madam Pomfrey had promised. Of all her years at Hogwarts, Hermione had never had the flu. She didn't even think that she would be able to get something like that while there. All the other ailments that she had been placed in the Hospital Wing felt more common to her than a sickness that muggles came down with frequently.

"W-why...?" she began.

"Why were you by the Room of Requirements?" he asked. As soon as the words left his lips, he began to silently kick himself. She may have been there for completely other reasons than the thought he was thinking. He was afraid that she had somehow known that he was there. She may have even been trying to see if he was up to no good, which of course he was.

"Why...were...you?" she replied. Her speech was becoming more labored as the potion worked it's way into her system.

"It's a surprise," he responded, a twinkle in his eye. Now, he knew, he would need to think of something amazing for them to do in that room before they were to patrol again.

A small smile flickered upon her lips. She wanted to trust him, though a small sliver of her subconscious was telling her not to believe him. "I think the sickness had me sleep walking," she lied.

"What is it?" he asked, worry lacing his tone.

"Just the flu," she said, closing her eyes. She knew that she would be asleep in a matter of minutes if she didn't open them again soon. They were just so heavy and she didn't feel like she had the energy anymore to fight the medicine.

Draco smiled, glad that it was nothing major that was wrong with her. "Sleep well," he whispered before kissing her forehead and sneaking out again. With Hermione sick, he had more time to work on that time consuming box. He just hoped that, if he needed to, he could come up with a clever enough lie to talk her into helping him.

When Hermione woke up again, she was even more disoriented than she thought. She had no idea where she was or why she was there. It took Madam Pomfrey coming into the room and running some quick tests on her for her to remember where she even was.

When she was cleared to leave with the promise that she would be back at the end of dinner for another night of medicine and sleep, she made her way back to the Gryffindor Tower. The only people in the Common Room were people in lower years who paid her no mind. Quickly, she ran to the Girls' Dormitory to get changed before practically running to the Great Hall. Harry and Ron were sitting, heads together. Silently, she sat next to them.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed when he finally looked up and saw her beginning to eat a bowl of porridge. The look on her face showed them just how bland it was. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged her shoulders as she ate another spoonful. "Okay I guess. I am feeling a little off but that's normal for the flu."

"Ron told me where he found you. Why were you by the Room of Requirements?" Harry asked.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders again. "I can't for the life of me even recall. I don't even remember being there. I must have been sleep walking. My mum always had to usher me back into my bedroom when I was getting sick. She would find me in the weirdest places. Once, she found me standing in the middle of the front yard talking about spaceships." The rest of breakfast continued like that. The Golden Trio were just talking before class, as if nothing had even happened.

"Where were you last night?" Pansy asked as Draco sat down next to his friends. Draco sighed. He hated her. He hated her more than he would ever admit. He hated her more than he thought he hated Hermione. She was annoying and narcississtic. "We waited for you for hours to come back from wherever you keep running off to but, lets face it, I needed my beauty rest."

"It's none of your business where I was," Draco snapped. Crabbe and Goyle looked at Draco before shovling more eggs into their mouths. Draco had the Dark Mark and they knew better than to argue with him or to even question him. Crabbe kept in touch with his father enough to know that the Malfoy family must be kept happy if they planned on continuing their line. Lucious was already unhappy with Crabbe's father and he would do anything to keep from having Draco say anything that could end up potentially hurting his father.

"No need to get your knickers in a twist, love," Pansy replied, flicking her hair out of her eyes. "I was just wondering if you needed help with anything." Draco's eyes locked onto hers. He was searching for a clue that she knew what he was doing. "I meant with your school work. I'm surprised that you are even doing any with you running around doing God knows what."

After that, he tuned everyone out. There was nothing that they could do to help. It wasn't until a gray owl flew down and granted him with a letter that he took any notice with anything going on. He knew what this was for. Without excusing himself, he rushed out of the Great Hall and made his way to the Room of Requirements. His question was finally going to be answered.

[[A/N: Please, please, please, please, please comment and vote! I like the know that you are all enjoying this twist to the classic tale that we all love.]]