Harry had felt guilty since the moment he ran out of the restroom. He had meant to turn himself in, after he spoke to Ron and Hermione, but he couldn't get Hermione to so much as look at him. At first, he had assumed she was just too focused on the lecture, but even after class in the corridors she walked briskly in front of him, ignoring his calls for her. It had been like this with all their classes today.
He thought perhaps he could speak to her at dinner, but now that it was time, she was walking the other way. Instead of yelling for her, he just walked quickly to catch up. He hated to corner one of his best friends, but he needed to her advice, and he wasn't even sure why she was upset with him in the first place.
She swept quickly into hospital wing, and Harry grabbed her arm before she could make it much farther. Surprised, Hermione squealed and turned quickly, pulling her wand on him. Harry let go of her wrist and held up his hands in surrender.
"I've been trying to talk to you all day, Mione. Are you mad at me?" Harry's voice was gentle, concerned.
Disgust flared in her eyes. "You think I don't know what you did?"
It clicked then, why she had was in the hospital wing. "How did you find out?" He muttered, sliding his hands into his pockets.
"How did I-" She laughed coldly. "Does it matter how I know? You used Dark Magic, and then ran, like a coward. How could you do that Harry? I thought better of you." Her voice had transitioned suddenly for angry to hurt.
"You're right. That's what I've been trying to talk to you about all day. I'm gonna turn myself in after dinner." He was visibly ashamed of himself.
They heard a deep sigh and the curtains around Malfoy's bed flew open. He was laying leisurely on the bed, seemingly fully healed. "Potter, do not turn yourself in. I've already covered that, and if you go in there and say otherwise, we'll all be in trouble." He looked mildly annoyed.
"Oi! Malfoy!" Harry was startled. He hadn't even considered that Malfoy might actually hear them. "I-er-owe you an apology." He said reluctantly.
Draco rolled his eyes. "The oh-so-noble Harry Potter apologises? Of course he does. I was going to use the Torture Curse on you, what else were you to do? You are such a nesh. I would have tortured you, and you apologise for cutting me." He sneered.
"Malfoy, don't." Hermione's tone was cool as she walked over to his bed. "How are you feeling?"
He turned his gaze to her then. "I thought I told you to call me Draco." Hermione blushed slightly and glanced at Harry.
Harry's eye were narrowed and he seemed to have stiffened. Call him Draco? Bloody hell...
"Yes, well, I see no point. As you've said before its not as if we're friends." Hermione's voice was flat, but her eyes sparkled with laughter as she stood over him.
Anger shone in his silver eyes as glared at her. How many times am I going to have to apologise for that? His stare softened as he realized she was only kidding. He pulled the sheet down to show her where the wound had been. "All fixed up, thanks to Healer Granger." He snickered. Without looking over he continued, "Potter, sit down or leave. Your stare is making me uncomfortable." Hermione had to force herself to stop staring at his muscled chest. She bit her lip and looked over at Harry.
Harry shifted slightly, then sighed and moved to stand next to Hermione. "What exactly did you say happened, then?"
"I told Snape it must have been Peeves, he didn't really believe it, but I had that crazy crying ghost girl back it up. I expect that since I covered for you, you won't speak of what you had seen." Any previous signs of weakness were gone from the boy on the bed. His words and overall aura radiated power. Harry nodded curtly, completely taken aback by this exchange with his enemy. Where is the Malfoy I know? The Malfoy that wouldn't be caught dead with me or Hermione?
"This is too weird... I'm going to dinner. I'll see you in a bit, yeah?' He asked Hermione as he turned to leave the room. She nodded before looking back at Draco.
He felt nervous under her scrutiny. He could feel her eyes as they took in the new scar on his neck and chest, and as she took in the expression on her face. "Draco..." She said, trying the name for the first time. The way she whispered it made him shudder. "Draco, I want us to be friends..." She was staring at him intently.
He took in a sharp breath and looked away from her. He couldn't handle the way her chocolate brown orbs were making him dizzy. He nodded, "Thank you for last night, -" Just then Blaise and Theo Nott walked in. They had been laughing and pushing at each other until they seen Hermione sitting in the chair next to Draco. Theo stopped immediately and started at her blatantly. Blaise, however, glided up to the bed.
"Granger," Blaise greeted. "Lovely to see you again. I hear I have you to thank for saving my best mate last night." Theo, recovering from his shock of seeing Draco with a Gryffindor, plopped himself onto the foot of the bed.
"Ahh, little Granger has come to visit Drake. Somehow I feel as if you should be wearing a red cape, love." He winked when her eyes widened at the reference.
"And why would he have eaten my Grandmum?" She asked lightly.
"Ah, quick, you are. He is a big bad Slytherin, no?" He grinned. Blaise and Draco looked confused as they glanced between the two.
"It's an old fairy tale." Hermione smiled. "My Mum and Dad read that one quite a bit. It's always been a favorite."
Theo nodded. "It was in our library. Gramps read it to me when I was baby. I've always felt rather bad for the wolf."
Hermione snorted, "Leave it to a Slytherin to sympathise with the bad guy." The three boys turned to look at her.
"You know, for a muggle-born, and a Gryffindor, you aren't half bad." Nott said, smirking.
Hermione looked mildly surprised at his comment, but at least he didn't call me a mudblood. I wonder what Harry is thinking right now? Does he still think Mal-Draco is just trying to get under my skin. She sighed, He'll be telling Ron all about it, though.
"I had better go, before Ron decides I'm seeing all of you," she winked at Blaise and left the hospital wing.
"Well?" Blaise said when she was gone.
Draco let his head fall into his head, "I am so fucked."
Theo was still confused but Blaise snorted in laughter. "Aren't we all mate?"
Ignoring his friends discussion, Theo spoke up again. "How's your-ah-mission going, then?"
Draco groaned. "Should be about a week, I think." He looked up at his friends then, "I wish I could get out of this." They could sense the fear behind his words, and nodded sympathetically.
"It'll be alright, in the end, mate." Theo said.
Blaise nodded in agreement, "And if it doesn't, well you know no matter what you chose to do, we will support you. If-if you need us to," Blaise's voice wavered now, "We will even go into hiding with you if you need us to. We're behind you mate, 100%."
He took in his friends expressions, and nodded slightly. "That means a lot." But Draco knew there was no way he could ask that of them. They would have to leave behind their families and friends. He wouldn't force that on them. I'm just going to have to do it. I have to stop being such a Hufflepuff about this.
"I'm tired," He said as he lay back down. "You lot had better go."
They stood to leave, but they both knew he wouldn't be sleeping. It was rare for him to sleep anymore. Most nights he woke up in a cold sweat, yelling about the Dark Mark. They felt bad for him, but they knew all they could do was try to support him. After all, it's not like it's up to him anymore. It was out of their control, and for the first time ever, Blaise wanted nothing more than for the Golden Boy to triumph again, and soon.
Hmmm... Well I rather like Blaise and Theo, don't you? Quite a bit more than Harry and Ron unfortunately. It seems I can never write them as good characters. They always come out a bit... Well a bit dense. Who would leave poor Draco to bleed to death? It's a shame really. Oh well makes for a good story, yeah?