We stood in silence as we waited for the lift. I still could not believe that Granger had a tattoo, especially one that could move. I looked at her out of the corner of my eye. Most of the female healers wore ordinary clothes with a lab coat, but Granger had donned the same green scrubs as me. I wanted to comment on the fact we matched but didn't think she would appreciate that. In the time that I had examined Danny she had pulled all of her hair out of her face; while it wasn't as frizzy as it had been in school, it could have been sleeker. During my examination of the small witch beside me the lift arrived. I gestured to let her in first and she nodded. We'd been talking only a minute ago, had I done something wrong? "Are we going to the cafeteria or somewhere else?" she asked. Her voice almost echoed around the large area: all the lifts had to be big enough to fit at least one bed in should a patient need to be moved.

"Cafeteria, if that's ok?"

"Of course." She smiled a little. I smirked back. "The press has been outside all day waiting for me, apparently. I cannot deal with that now." We didn't say anything else as we rode the lift down to the cafeteria. Staff had a little area to hide from their patients and relax. The food was just a plus.

"Have you had a tour around the hospital?" I asked. A welcome witch was supposed to show new staff members around before they met Michaels.

"No, was I supposed to have had one?" she asked as I lead her towards the food. I was slightly worried; I remembered Granger's little project in school with house elves and since they ran the kitchens I didn't know how kindly she would take to that.

"Yeah, a welcome witch should have taken you around the hospital. That stupid sl-" Granger gave me a look; how did she know what I was going to say? "stupid witch working this morning should have done that before your meeting with Michaels."

"Oh. Well, I've been before. I should be ok." I nodded once as I pushed the doors open. There were very few people in the cafeteria. Someone was asleep on one of the sofas near the window. I wandered over to the trays, making sure she was behind me. The food looked delicious, as usual. Granger looked impressed at the spread in front of her. There was a lot of choice. I myself went for the special: chicken dopiaza, with rice and naan. Granger followed suit, grabbing the same food as me. I didn't want to look surprised; any time I had brought a female staffer here she had had a salad. Granger really did impress me. "What?" she said, finally noticing my surprised look, "I'm hungry. I'm not going to choke down a salad simply because you're here." She placed a brownie on her tray too. Really impressed. I paid for both meals before she noticed and pulled her towards a table in the corner. She sat down and immediately tore the naan in half, dipping it into her sauce. I could have sworn she moaned. "There was never food this good at Hildegard's," she said, shovelling rice into her mouth. I couldn't help but laugh at her. "I'm being disgusting aren't I?"

"No, no… well, maybe a little." She laughed too. It was nice. Almost as if we'd been friends for years.

I let her finish her curry before leaping into possible diagnoses for Danny. We shot likely illnesses back and forth, each time deciding that the symptoms didn't fit. I felt incredibly guilty for not working out what was wrong with him. I could remember most things and I felt like I should have known what the problem was. Granger was staring out at the room, her head on her hand. She was thinking very intently. "It could be anything. So many diseases cause stomach pains; both magical and muggle…" she looked at me. "It could be something muggle. Something that doesn't normally affect those with magical blood. Danny said there were a few others at the home that had similar symptoms." It was amazing watching her work everything out. "So, something that affects many people at once… it could be contaminated food or water or… a parasite. It could be a parasite in the water! What is that parasite?" Granger was furiously drumming the table with her fingers. I hadn't even considered a non-magical ailment. I was so out of my element here. "Giardia! That's that damn parasite." She leapt out of her seat. "Come on Malfoy! We need to test him again!" She bolted out of the cafeteria. I desperately wanted to remind her that most healers don't work that hard, let alone on their first day, but she'd already gone.

I found her again stood impatiently waiting for a lift. "If it is giardiasis then we need to do a blood test. Examining his stool will take too long. Finally!" She rushed into the lift. She began muttering to herself about all the things she needed to look for. I just stood back and let her work. When the doors opened she shot out of the lift and ran to Danny's room. When I caught up to her she was already explaining to Danny what we needed to do. "… and so I'll need to take just a little bit of blood. Will you be ok?" he nodded. "Healer Malfoy can you get me a syringe so I can get a sample please?" I hadn't been able to say a word since she figured out what could be ailing Danny. I nodded, turned and walked down to the nurses' station. "Afternoon Healer Malfoy. What are you doing in my neck of the woods?"

"How're you doing Tash? I'm helping Granger with a patient. Could I have a blood test for bed 7 please?" The older woman smiled and nodded.

"I haven't met Healer Granger yet. Is she ok?" Tash was a stickler for formalities, especially at work.

"Yeah, she's a brilliant healer Nurse Murphy." She laughed before summoning a test kit. We walked back over to Danny's room together. Granger was sat on Danny's bed talking to him softly when we pushed open the door. Being the perfect gentleman, I let Tash walk in first. "Danny, this is Nurse Murphy, she's going to take some blood and get it tested for us." Granger stood back, letting Tash do her thing. She was an excellent nurse. "What were you talking to Danny about?" I whispered.

"I was telling him about when I had to go to the hospital when I was about his age and how amazing my doctors were." I stared at her. I had known Granger for more than half of my life, but I knew absolutely nothing about her. Danny gasped when Tash stuck the needle in. I could see Granger jump when he did so. The little boy really was a trooper; that was the only sound he made when Tash was taking the blood. It was over in a few seconds.

"There you go little man." Tash said, charming his skin closed with a quick tap of her wand. "Good as new." She smiled at him, before turning to us.

"I'll go test this." I said, taking the small vial from Tash's hand. "I won't be long Danny." I smiled at the little boy. Adorable.

"We'll be back soon." Granger said and the three of us walked out, leaving Danny alone in his room. "I am sorry I haven't been round to introduce myself. I'm Hermione." Granger stuck her hand out to Tash, who shook it quickly.

"Natasha Murphy. It's a pleasure to meet you Healer Granger. Healer Malfoy says you're a brilliant healer. I'm looking forward to working with you." I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks and I looked away before Granger could smirk at me. Damn Tash, that was not something I wanted repeated. "I need to check on a few other patients. It was lovely meeting you Healer Granger, Healer Malfoy." She nodded and winked at me. Granger stood looking very pleased with herself. I desperately wanted, at that moment, to go and hide in a hole away from the world. I was going to get Tash back for this.

"Come on." I said gruffly, walking away from Granger and towards the lifts again. I was itching to get back on my floor, and into the lab.

I was smirking all the way down to Malfoy's lab. According to him, I was a brilliant healer. It really meant a lot that my former rival believed that I was skilled at what I do. Being touched at his sentiment didn't mean I wasn't going to torture him for what he said. Malfoy's lab was very impressive. There were five different cauldrons bubbling away, two were almost spewing out of the bulbous bowl. There was also a lot of muggle equipment; a lot of beakers and flasks and Bunsen burners. There was even a burette against the far wall. He slipped on a lab coat before extracting a small sample of blood and carefully squeezing it out onto a slide. It was quite amazing to watch him work, especially with muggle equipment. It just really emphasised how far the world had come in ten years. "What am I looking for?" he asked, messing with the zoom on the microscope.

"Oh! Sorry. Can I look?" I asked, suddenly a little embarrassed. He stepped away, allowing me space to look through the lens. I zoomed the microscope in and, sure enough, there the parasites were, swimming about in Danny's blood. "Shit. There's so many."

"Is it those ones that kept moving, kind of looked like leaves every so often?"

"Yeah, that's giardia." Malfoy went to look through the microscope again, watching the little buggers swimming about. "So, I'm a brilliant healer am I?" Malfoy's face went pink again. It was funny seeing someone who used to be so emotionless flustered by me. He didn't look up from the microscope.

"Yes, you are." Now it was my turn to get flustered. He was the one who was supposed to be embarrassed, not me! I spluttered and he smirked, finally looking at me. Damn him. Damn him and his gorgeous face. "What do we do now?" Concentrate Hermione!

"Well… erm… Giardiasis is usually treated with metronidazole, but I don't know if there's a magical equivalent. Would we be able to get that?"

"Find me its composite parts and I'll make it for you." The way he phrased that made it seem like he was doing it for me. The blush returned to my cheeks.

"I will… erm… I'll see if I can find it." I tried to look normal as I walked out of his office, but I was sure that I was as red as Ron's hair. "Merlin Hermione! Calm down" I whispered to myself as I shut the door behind me. I could have sworn I heard him chuckling. Bastard.

In the safety of my own office I could get some research done. Like Hildegard's, St Mungo's had been fitted with WIFI so healers could research the muggle way: far quicker than combing through hundreds of medical books. Chemical composition of metronidazole. Thank Merlin for Google.

"Damn. That was a lot easier than I hoped." I desperately wanted a few minutes away from Malfoy, away from everything to destress and take my own medication. The tetrabenazine always gave me a headache although that might have been the needle. How can a healer be afraid of needles? The clock read 5:42. I should have had the injection twelve minutes ago. I attempted to suppress my nerves by telling myself I did it every day and it needed to be done; it never worked. The needle was poised against my vein when Malfoy burst in. Needless to say the syringe went flying, smashing into the wall and falling to the floor in broken pieces. "Jesus Christ Malfoy! Knock next time!" I repaired the syringe, once again filling it with tetrabenazine.

"What the hell are you taking Granger? You're a healer!"

"I am very aware of what I am Malfoy. I am also very aware that you smashed up my medicine. Do you know how expensive that stuff is?" the needle was once again at my elbow when Malfoy snatched it out of my hand.

"Why are you taking this? Is it some muggle drug? Are you trying to get high up? Do you need help?" he sounded genuinely worried.

"I'm not trying to get high," I said, "and yes it's a muggle drug, but a muggle drug prescribed to me because I need it." I quickly summoned it towards me and stuck it in my arm before he had a chance to protest again. "This isn't any of your business Malfoy." I didn't dare look at him at this point. I knew he would be pissed.

"I need to tell Michaels about this."

"He knows." I said, removing the needle from the syringe and taking out to the medical waste bin. Malfoy was following me. "While I'm sure he would love to hear about it again, it isn't going to change anything Malfoy." Finally turning to look at him, I saw a face I hadn't seen since school. I sighed. We had been getting along so well. "Anyway, I found the chemical components of metronidazole," I said, walking back into my office to write it down for him. I was surprised when he continued to follow me but then I remembered Danny and I knew why. Work with Malfoy for Danny. I thought as I scribbled down the chemical formula. "C6H9N3O3. Will you be able to do that Malf-oh." He snatched the paper out of my hand and stalked out of the room. Ok, great first day Hermione.

She was taking drugs?! Muggle drugs?! I must have looked like I was ready to murder everyone as I walked down the wide hallways to the stairs. I felt angry, betrayed, and I didn't know why. Michaels knew? I stood for a minute in the stairwell. Why did she need drugs? What had it said on the packet? "Think Draco, think." It began with a 't' and ended in zine, that much I was sure of.

"Healer Malfoy? Are you alright?" Michaels was walking up the stairs.

"I'm fine sir, everything's fine."

"If you say so son. How has it been working with Healer Granger? She's very talented isn't she?"

"Yes sir, extremely talented." An idea hit me. Michaels knew! "Sorry, sir? Grang- Healer Granger was telling me how expensive her medication was and I was just wondering if you could give me permission to make some for her?" he smiled. Michaels was a very caring person.

"Of course son. Tetrabenazine is expensive. She told you about her -?"

"Ermm, yes, she told me. We went to school together and so-" Michaels nodded.

"Of course you did. She mentioned that the two of you had worked together in your final year quite a bit. Go ahead and make her the tetrabenazine. It must be bad enough having to deal with the epilepsy, but with early onset Huntington's on top of that? She is a very impressive woman." He patted my arm once before moving onto the next set of stairs. Granger has epilepsy? And what in Merlin's name is Huntington's?

Computers and I had never got along. I understood them in an abstract way, but actually using one was another thing altogether. Carefully typing out every letter, I searched for "tetrabenazine" and "Huntington's."

Huntington's disease is an inherited condition that damages certain nerve cells in the brain.

This brain damage gets progressively worse over time and can affect movement, cognition (perception, awareness, thinking, judgement) and behaviour.

Early features can include personality changes, mood swings, fidgety movements, irritability and altered behaviour, although these are often overlooked and attributed to something else.

Huntington's disease was originally called Huntington's chorea ("chorea" is the Greek word for dancing). This is because the involuntary movements associated with the condition can look like jerky dancing. However, "disease" is now the preferred term, because the condition involves a lot more than just abnormal movements.

Huntington's disease is caused by an inherited faulty gene. However, in around 3% of cases, there's no family history of the condition, normally because the parents died at a young age.

I leaned back feeling incredibly guilty. Magical medicine had come a little way with epilepsy – there were charms now to subdue the disorder – but I had never even heard of Huntington's disease. That drug she was taking doesn't even cure it! In that moment I felt awful. Incredibly awful. On the desk was the composition of metronidazole and in front of me was tetrabenazine, C19H27NO3. How long had she been dealing with this? Did she find out in school? When she was being bullied mercilessly by me? More guilt. Thinking about nothing but making it up to Granger, I summoned two empty cauldrons and set about trying to cure Danny and help her.

8:17

The tetrabenazine was taking a lot longer to make than the metronidazole, which had finished at around 3 o'clock in the morning. The light stubble that had appeared over my jaw scratched my hand. Damn I was tired. Today was supposed to be my day off since I'd been working nights most of the week. Two interns had tried and failed to run the floor, forcing me to leave two very unstable potions alone for stupid reasons. I had calculated it would take around five more minutes for the tetrabenazine to be done, then I would sneak some into Hermione's office before she came in. The guilt was still eating its way through me; this would hopefully make it slightly easier.

"Malfoy! Are you in there?!" Oh shit. Play it cool Draco, play it cool. Before I had the chance to answer, Hermione had burst through the door with the angriest look I had ever seen grace her face. "What the hell is your problem? You talked to Michaels about my conditions?!"

"I just –" slap. Damn that hurt.

"Shut it. Who gave you the right to invade my privacy like that, you little worm? You're lucky I covered for you with Michaels or you would be so out of here. Why did you do that Malfoy? Were you just pretending to be nice to me all day until you could find something to bring me down? Have you changed at all since we were kids?" That was the last straw.

"Hey! Do not talk to me like that! I was going to apologise. I was worried about you, but now I know you're still the stuck up bitch you were in school. You -" my wand beeped and the flame underneath the cauldron sputtered out. "That, is a cauldron full of tetrabenazine, so you didn't have to buy anymore. It was going to be my way of apologising for what I did and what I've done, but now…" I scoffed, she looked at me like she wanted to murder me, "now I'm not so sure." We stared at each other, not breaking eye contact. She had covered for me, even after I had been such an awful person, both in the last few days and her entire life, and then I had just yelled at her and used the drug that keeps her functioning as a bargaining chip. Merlin I am an arse.

"Hermione I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone behind your back like that, I really was worried about you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok… I'm sorry." I waved my wand and the tetrabenazine split into vials before landing on the desk in front of her. "I also finished the metronidazole if you want to take it to Danny." She stared at me, looking like she wanted to say something. I had blown it, completely and utterly blown it.

"I haven't told anyone…" she whispered. Suddenly she looked so small and so scared.

"Not even -?"

"No, not Harry, Ron or Ginny. They know I'm epileptic, but that hasn't really been an issue since I started Hogwarts. The Huntington's started when I was in New York. I didn't – it was a complete shock. Neither of my parents had ever had the symptoms and then I started…" she trailed off. "I don't want them to know. When it gets to the point where I'm not myself anymore it won't matter." She sunk down into a chair, looking like she wanted to cry. "Please don't tell anyone Malfoy, it would kill me." She stared at me, her eyes pleading. I didn't say anything, I just nodded.

It took her a minute or two to compose herself again. Standing up, she turned back to me, her face calm, until she saw the obvious handprint she had left on my face. She giggled.

"It isn't funny," I said, her laugh was infectious, "it really hurt!"

"I'm sorry. You'd better cover it up if you want to protect your reputation." She winked before laughing again. We were stood very close together; her hand only centimetres from mine.

"My repu-? You've been talking to Tash haven't you?" she laughed again, looking down at the ground and giggling softly.

"She was very talkative, especially after I told her what a jerk you'd been." She looked up again, right into my eyes. There had always been something between Granger and I, something that had definitely been there at school. I just had to lean a little and we would be –

"Healer Malfoy!" the door burst open. Merlin, I hated interns.

"What?" I snarled, turning away from the small witch in front of me.

"There's um, an um, an em-emergency, sir." An intern emergency was more than likely nothing, but I had to leave nonetheless. Turning back to Granger, I saw her laughing again, before she practically pushed me out of the door. Stupid interns.

He had done this for me? He had stayed up all night for me?

It didn't make any sense. Sure, we were kind of friends, and ok, he probably felt guilty for what he had done but he had made the drugs for me. Malfoy had done that for me, for muggle-born Granger. I quickly touched the scar on my left arm before moving towards the cauldrons. The slowly cooling liquids were there for me… well the metronidazole was for Danny but he didn't need to stay up all night working on it.

He did it for me.

I shook my head. Yes, he had done something kind and made my medicine but that was his job… kind of. Stop thinking about Malfoy! I didn't want to still be in his lab when the emergency was over. It was funny watching him interact with the interns; it wasn't like he regressed back into his vile teenage self, but the intimidation and the power were still there. It was nice that they weren't there all the time, though; he would be even more insufferable. I filled a few vials with the metronidazole and left his space. The ward was in chaos when I walked through his office. Apparently the emergency was a very serious one. I would ask him later. All of the interns and nurses were gathered around one cubicle, and Malfoy was shouting orders at them all. I couldn't see the patient, but just watching his face was quite a spectacle. He was an incredibly talented healer, just as he had called me. Before I left his floor, I turned to look at him again, catching his eye. I smiled before stepping into the lift, lifting up the vials of metronidazole to show that I had taken them. He nodded once before turning back to his patient. Talented indeed…

Danny had apparently slept well in his little cubicle, and was still doing so when I found myself back on my floor. Raegan was in today and was stood with the nurses. I really liked Raegan, but working with her was going to be a struggle – she was one of the most upbeat people I had ever encountered. "Healer Parrish," I said, coming up behind her. She squealed quietly, turning around and throwing her arms around me. I was immediately squished into her chest, she was very tall and insisted on wearing giant shoes.

"Hermione! Oh I am so glad we're going to be working together! This is going to be so much fun!" the nurses were obviously well acquainted with Raegan's… exuberant behaviour.

We chatted for a few minutes before I moved over to Danny's cubicle. He was awake now, and had a visitor. "Good morning. Can I help you?"

"Yes, are you the Healer who told Danny there was something wrong with him?"

"There is something wrong with him. I'm sorry but if you don't tell me who you are you are going to be removed." This woman was obviously one of the carers at Danny's home. A wave of hatred and anger washed over me at seeing her stupid face.

"I am Bessie Murik, I run the home Danny lives in, and you are?"

"I am Hermione Granger and you will leave this cubicle now before I forcibly remove you from it." I spat the words at her. "You allowed a child of seven leave the home, come to the hospital alone, and then have the gall to accuse me of putting lies in his head? You didn't believe he was sick!"

"He isn't. He simply has an overactive imagination. Get out of the bed Daniel, now."

"I am afraid I cannot let you take him away." She scoffed, awful woman.

"I am the legal guardian. I can do what I want with him."

"Actually," said an arrogant voice behind me, "if a child is left alone in a hospital for more than twenty-four hours, the legal guardian is remanded into custody and the child remains with the healers." Malfoy had appeared in the room, looking every bit imposing as his father once did. Harry was stood just behind him.

"Your orphanage has a number of sick children in it, all too afraid to leave and get help because of you. My team has just finished bringing them all into the hospital," Harry said. I was desperate in that moment to hug them both. I looked at the evil woman stood beside Danny with a smug look on my face, she was spluttering. "Bessie Murik, you're under arrest for child abuse," Harry pulled the woman's arms behind her back before spelling her hands together.

"This is your fault you little shit! I would still be in charge if you had just stayed put you little –" unfortunately she was cut off, because someone had stunned her.

"I didn't see anything 'Mione." Harry chuckled. "Ginny's here by the way, she wants you to examine her. While she says she loves Raegan, if she comes near her with, and I'm quoting here, 'that annoying stupid smiling face she will crush her skull between her giant thighs.'"

"What a colourful image," Malfoy said, smiling to himself. Danny was lying in the bed, still looking terrified. "Hey little man." Malfoy sat himself on the bed next to the young boy. "Hermione and I are going to make you feel better, and everyone else. Are you ok?" Danny nodded slightly. "Good. Now, Hermione has the medicine for you if she would just pass it to me." Malfoy turned, flashing his brilliant smile at me. Reaching over, he pulled a vial out of my hands, touching my fingers ever so slightly. It felt like a spark had just run through my entire body. I was impressed I was still standing. I didn't really hear what Malfoy was talking about after that. All I know was he gave Danny the drugs and was stood behind me again.

"That will start working soon, I promise. We're going to make sure you go somewhere better soon Danny." Malfoy placed a hand on my shoulder and I nearly fell over.

"Ev-everything is going to get better now Danny." I said, hearing the small whimper in my tone. Did he know how I was reacting to him? I didn't dare chance a glance at him.

"Thank you." A small voice piped up from the bed. Before Malfoy could make a comment I elbowed him in the stomach.

"You're very welcome sweetheart," I said, pushing Malfoy outside the room. Harry was talking to Raegan on the other side of the ward. I put all of the vials in front of the nurses and asked them to administer it to every child that had been brought in. The small team of nurses quickly divided the metronidazole and moved around the ward. I still hadn't looked at Malfoy.

"He spoke to us Granger. Why did you elbow me?" I refused to turn to look at him, instead I pulled a file from the desk in front of me.

"I elbowed you because you were going to make a big deal out of it. In cases like that, where a child doesn't speak, you can't force it, or make a big deal out of the fact that they are talking when they do. It freaks them out and they stop. Let him start with just a few words and then we can talk about it. Ok?" I turned to look at him on the last word. He looked bloody awful. "Also, go home Malfoy. you need to sleep." He waved me off.

"I'm fine."

"How long have you been here? You got in yesterday, what, ten minutes after I did?" he nodded slightly, "So you have been here for 25 and a half hours. Go home."

"You aren't my boss Granger." He smirked.

"You're right I'm not, but I can go get your boss and make him make you go home." I said, smirking right back.

"Fine. I'll go home, on one condition. You agree to go out with me on Saturday." He had stepped over to me and was now leaning against the desk.

"That's blackmail Malfoy."

"Not really, if you say no I'll go home heartbroken." He laughed a little. "You don't need to go out with me, it was just a suggestion, forget I said anything, it-it was silly of me to ask-"

"Yes."

Hello. I would first like to apologise for not updating sooner. I'm in my final year at university and I'm currently writing my dissertation, so I'm a little stressed. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. See you soon J