Head Injury

The tale of how Draco came into possession of the photograph of Cait that he has in Chapter Seventeen of The Dancer.

Standing quietly in the hall, just outside of her dance room, Draco watched through the small window as Cait arched her body and gracefully moved across the room. He made sure to keep himself hidden in the shadows, knowing that she wouldn't be happy to find him watching her.

Suddenly, the teal eyed girl tripped and fell to the ground in a heap. Draco's breath caught and he had to force himself not to run into the room and help her up. He watched as she pulled herself into a sitting position and slammed her fists against the floor-her temper flaring.

Slowly, she hauled herself up. She took a moment to flex her left ankle and tested putting weight on it. He watched as her beautiful face winced in pain. Ignoring the pain, she forced herself to walk on her injured foot. After a few moments of walking, she began a few tentative dance movements. Soon, she was once again dancing flawlessly across the room.

Draco let out a deep breath and settled back into the shadows, allowing the tension to leave his body. After a few more moments of watching, he decided that it would be best for him to go back up to Theo's room. He was due back from his meeting in the woods.

As Draco was climbing the stairs, he tripped over something. As he fell backwards, he saw a flash of white fur. A cat. Then there was darkness.

"Draco? Draco, are you okay?"

Draco opened his eyes and found himself staring into Cait's. He watched as the light flickered across her irises giving them a soft glow.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you alright? You fell down the stairs."

Draco blinked and shook his head as if to clear it. "I-I'm fine." he answered before pulling himself into a sitting position and putting his hand to his throbbing temple.

"What were you doing down here anyways?" Cait asked, dabbing his forehead with a white cloth. Draco was amazed when he saw it come away with blood on it. "We should probably get you upstairs and have someone take a look at that."

"I-I was watching you," Draco blurted and then groaned. Could he sound any creepier? "Not, like an I'm-stalking-you kind of watching, just, um, a you know, a watching-you-dance kind of way." he babbled.

Cait gave him a confused look, "Okay?"

"I know that you don't like people to watch you, but you're just so beautiful when you dance," What was he saying? He couldn't believe that he was admitting this to her.

Cait laughed at him, "You must have hit your head pretty hard. We really should maybe get you to St. Mungo's or something."

"I didn't hit my head, well maybe I did. Alright, I most likely did, but I mean it, about thinking you're beautiful that is."

"Alright, Draco, let's get you upstairs. Can you stand?"

"I mean it, Cait. I'm in love with you."

Cait dropped his arm that she had been attempting to put around her neck and blinked at him, her breath catching. "I-"

Draco didn't let her finish, he leaned over and gently pressed his lips to hers. The feeling was ecstatic. It felt like an electric current was running through his body. When she responded and deepened the kiss he pulled her closer. She chuckled, briefly breaking the kiss while she adjusted herself. When she was comfortably sitting on his lap straddling his hips, she resumed kissing him.

Draco trailed his hands up her spine and into her thick brown hair. He tugged it out of the bun that she kept it in while dancing and let it cascade down her back before burying his hands in it. She cupped his face in her small hands. Everywhere she touched him hummed with a sensation of electricity. He had never felt this before. It was so exhilarating, yet frightening at the same time. Like he could get lost in this moment for the rest of his life.

"Draco?"

Draco blinked at his stark white surroundings.

"He's waking up," called the voice again, this time he recognized it as his mother.

Confusion filled his mind. He had just been kissing Cait, what was his mother doing here. And where was here?

"Ah, young Master Malfoy, glad to see you coming back around. I am Healer Simovitch and you are in St. Mungo's. It seems like you took quite the spill. But no worries, I'm just going to check a few things, and if all checks out well, you'll be on your way home."

The elderly man smiled down at Draco and then helped him into a sitting position. He had Draco stare into a light, and then follow it with his eyes, After several moments, he finally declared that Draco was fit to head home.

"Mum? What happened?"

"You fell down the stairs at my house. I suspect that you were trying to spy on me, or provide some other form of mischief."

Draco turned his gaze towards the opposite side of the room. Cait was standing against the wall wearing her dance clothes and a thin white sweater. Her hair was falling out of the bun that she reserved for dancing.

"Draco, honestly, you do need to be more careful. What if Cait hadn't been there. Who knows how long you would have been lying on that floor!"

"I know, Mum. I'm sorry."

"Get dressed. We'll be in the hall." She told him, standing from her chair and striding out of the room. Cait followed behind her.

When Draco joined the women in the hallway, Cait handed him a bag. "This stuff was in your pockets when they took off your pants."

"You took off my pants, Caity?" he teased.

"No!" she exclaimed, shoving him gently. "Healer Simovitch did." she smirked.

Draco shuddered.

"Hey," Cait continued, bringing Draco's attention back to her. "I didn't know that you were into photography."

Draco's cheeks colored slightly at the mention of his camera. "I'm not," he insisted.

"Right, well, that is a pretty fancy camera for someone who doesn't enjoy taking pictures."

Draco smiled to himself as he thought of the camera. He wasn't into photography unless it involved taking candid shots of Cait. He couldn't wait to see how the one he had snapped of her dancing earlier had turned out.

"You should know by now, Caity, that I like fancy things."

Cait rolled her eyes, "Alright, Fancy Pants, let's go. Oh, and if I catch you watching me dance again, a head injury will be the least of your worries," she smiled sweetly.

Draco chuckled. If only she knew.