"Hermione," Seamus said across the dinner table. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes, just a little warm," she replied. It was the truth; Hermione had been feeling great all afternoon. Neville hadn't even bothered her when he plopped down next to her during class after her lunch picnic.

Ginny had been kind enough to accompany her back to the head's dorm to drop off a sandwich Hermione had saved for Draco. When they entered the common room Hermione noticed that the gift she had left for the head boy was still sitting on the coffee table where she left it. Scooping it up she carried it up the stairs and gently knocked on his door. When there was no answer she cracked it open and quietly stepped inside.

Draco was no longer wearing his cape and tie, but he was also no longer on the floor. The boy had managed to climb into his bed and burry himself beneath the covers. Hermione put the sandwich and gift box on the night table and sat gently on the edge of the mattress. She put her hand on his shoulder, gently shaking it.

"Malfoy," she whispered. "Wake up, I've brought you something to eat."

He just groaned in response. Hermione looked him over, taking in the unusual paleness of his skin. She pressed the back of her hand to his forehead and found it clammy, covered in a light layer of sweat. Deciding he must still be severely hung over, she conjured a glass of water and left it on the table next to the sandwich. She pulled the blanket up to his chin and without thinking reached out and gently touched his cheek.

"Feel better Draco."

That had been before her afternoon class. Now the day was coming to an end and Hermione was worried when she didn't see his familiar blonde head when she entered the dinning hall for dinner.

"You're cheeks are a bit flustered," Seamus told her. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm just feeling really warm," she told him, fanning herself with her hand. "Does is seem warm in here to you?"

"Not unnaturally so," Ginny said from the seat next to her. "Maybe you should head back to your room and lay down?"

"I think that's a good idea," Hermione told her. She felt slightly guilty, having Ginny walk her all the way back to her room, but dinner had just started so she knew the girl would have enough time to get there and back before it finished.

"Thanks Gin," Hermione said as they approached the portrait of the boy and girl.

"Are you going to be alright?"

"I'm sure I will be after I get some rest."

"Alright, I'll see you at breakfast." With that Ginny turned around and went back in the direction they had came.

The shared space of the common room looked untouched, there was no sign that Malfoy had been out of his room. Hermione dropped her bag by the door and pulled off her robes, not bothering to walk them up to her room. She flopped down rather unceremoniously on the couch and closed her eyes. She had cooled down on the walk back from the dinning hall and was almost back to normal when Ginny had left her, but now she was hot again. She felt her breathing begin to quicken as the temperature in the room seemed to get hotter and hotter. Placing a hand against her forehead, she expected to feel heat radiate from her skin, but to her surprise that was not the case. In fact, her temperature seemed to be completely normal.

Suddenly there was a man's scream from the second floor and Hermione was on her feet instantly. She sprinted up the stairs and threw open the door to Malfoy's room. She wasn't sure what she had expected to see, but Draco Malfoy writhing in pain, his shirtless torso arching off the bed and his legs entangled in the blanket was not what she had in mind.

Not waiting another moment, she rushed to the side of his bed, but flinched back he screamed again. She could see no visible sign that he had been wounded, there was no blood or wound apparent.

"Malfoy!" she shouted, but he continued to thrash. She placed her hand on his shoulder and his eyes thrust opened.

"Fire," he whimpered, gritting his teeth and gripping the sheets between his fingers. "I'm on fire."

Hermione was instantly by his side, trying desperately to find the source of his pain. He grimaced in pain and whimpered again. She placed the back of her hand on his forehead, the same way she had earlier. His skin was burning and she went to pull away, but Draco stopped her, holding her hand to his skin with his own. His face relaxed slightly and he took a deep breath. Without opening his eyes he grabbed her other hand and placed them both on each of his cheeks.

"This helps," he sighed. After a long moment of Hermione holding his face, the episode seemed to pass and he let loose her hands. With a grunt he sat up and ran his fingers through his sweat drenched hair.

"What in the world was that?" Hermione asked, sitting next to him.

"Not a bloody clue," he muttered.

"When did this start?" she questioned.

"Not long," he said. "It started just a little while before you came in."

"Should I send for someone?" she asked him quietly. She assumed he would immediately deny the request and roll his eyes at her, but he didn't. He just looked towards the door, making Hermione realize how shaken he was. It worried her.

He turned back around, as if he was going to answer her, but doubled over instead. Hermione leapt to her feet when he let out another scream. With her wand she conjured a rag and soaked it in the untouched glass of water she had left on the table next to the bed. Without ringing it out she sat him up and pressed it to his neck.

Shock coursed through her as the water on the rag instantly turned to steam, sizzling against his skin. Hermione dropped it instantly.

"Help me," Malfoy gasped. He began shaking and doubled over once again. "I can't, I can-, can't…"

Not know what else to do, Hermione sat back on the bed and pulled him into her arms. She wrapped her arms around him so that his forehead was pressed against her neck, his cheek resting against bare collarbone, and began to rub her hands across his flaming back. His shaking subsided and she felt him release a hot breath that spread across her chest, but his muscles didn't relax. His arms snaked around her waist, finding their way beneath her shirt and wrapping themselves around her torso like bands of fire.

Just when she thought the episode was over, she heard his breath quicken and could feel the fire rage across his skin in the places where it touched her own. She tightened her grip when he began to shake again, but it didn't help like it had before.

Draco sobbed into her shoulder, and Hermione felt tears dripping from his face. She could tell he was in immense pain, and she couldn't take it.

Carefully, and despite his protests, she unwrapped herself from Draco and slid off of the bed. She grasped her wand tightly and pointed it towards the door.

"Expecto petronum," she shouted. A ball of light appeared in front of her, hovering in the air. "To the first professor your can get to: Send immediate medical aid to the head's dormitory."

And then before she could talk herself out of her crazy idea, she stripped off her shirt and trousers. In nothing but her under garments, Hermione climbed into the bed behind Draco and sat back against the headboard. It took all of her strength, but she managed to pull him to her and lean his back against her torso, wrapping her arms around his chest and pressing every inch of her bare skin against his. She then proceeded to press her legs against his side; anywhere she could touch him she did.

Draco shuddered, but was instantly relived by the contact. He put rested his hands and forearms against her thighs and leaned his head back so it rested on her shoulder, her cheek automatically finding his forehead. His breathing began to regulate and was no longer erratic, but it came in long, deep breaths; he was exhausted. Hermione began to hum quietly, rocking gently back and forth.

This was the position a rather startled Professor Snape found them in after he burst through the door just a little while later.

"Would you like to explain yourselves, Ms. Granger," he questioned.

"I honestly wish I could, Professor."

So what do you think is going on with Draco? We shall find out in the next chapter! Thank you for reading! Hope you have a great week!

Wolfie 3