Back at the rundown apartment Draco was in for one of the worst nights of his life. The drug he abused had not been administered and it was now his addiction's turn to abuse him. His return to the sober world would prove to be a baptism of fire. As the effects of withdrawal took hold of his fragile and emaciated body, he felt death was waiting on his side. Fortunately for him he had an angel in Hermione on his other side. Tremors surged through his body as though his addiction was ransacking every corner of his being for any signs of the drug, but Hermione was there to calm him. His stomach convulsed violently and the meal he had consumed earlier was thrown out yet his insides continued to churn looking for something else in his stomach to expel. It got to a point where Draco thought the only thing left in his body was his soul and he even felt that too was being ripped out, but Hermione was there to make sure he stayed hydrated. His temperature was on a wild ride that traveled to fevers that rivaled the deepest pits of hell and chills that matched the coldness of his father's heart, but Hermione was there to accommodate his extreme temperatures, alternating a cool rag between a warm one. His mind flashed from early childhood Christmases to his recent escape from his father. However, between every memory that his mind randomly threw at him was Hermione's concerned face hovering above his own. He would not remember much of that night but her deep compassion and infinite patience would leave a lasting impression on him.

As hours went by, Draco seemed to be getting worse. Hermione left his side momentarily to seek advice from Snape but found he was gone. No doubt he was off on 'business' as he had been doing more frequently. She knew he was surely doing something to help their cause but she cursed the poor timing of the situation. She had been left with strict instructions to stay in the apartment. Venturing outside could not be risked when the Coven of Rall was on the prowl. Draco had a better chance of surviving withdrawal than going toe to toe with the evil trio. This restriction left taking Draco to the hospital of her list of options. She then ran to her small suitcase that held the little belongings she had left. She looked over her shoulder to find Ron was in a deep sleep. Sure that she wouldn't be caught, she extracted her beloved wand from the bottom of the suitcase. It had been so long since she had the chance to use it and despite the direness of the situation she took great delight in being able to use her talents once again. With the stealth of a cat, she made her way back to Draco's side. She strategically cupped her hand over the end of her wand to minimize the light that would be released. She whispered a healing spell and watched with wonder as the violent symptoms of withdrawal released their grip on Draco. The last image he took in before he finally fell into a deep sleep was Hermione smiling warmly. She reveled in his temporary recovery. Her smile dropped suddenly when she realized she was excited that she had just alleviated Draco Malfoy of pain. She rationalized it as excitement that she still had her magic touch and turned to fall asleep on the modest cot adjacent to Draco.