A/N: Here's the next chapter! Thanks to my two friends and betas Lizzie and Lineswifty for checking this chapter :) Hope you all like it, and please remember the rating of this story (M!) :P Thanks for the lovely reviews...they always make my day! Feel free to bury me under your reviews, I swear I won't complain lol! xx
Hermione was woken up by Lavender and Parvati's giggles on Sunday morning. Those girls would never learn how to be quiet. Why were they up so early anyway? She was about to turn her back to the annoying sound when Parvati unceremoniously opened her curtain and told her 'Hermione! Come on, wake up! You'll be late!'
Hermione groaned and covered her eyes with the back of her hand 'Parvati, for Godric's sake it's Sunday morning, let me sleep a little bit longer!'. She had little to no sleep the previous night, too busy thinking about what happened at the Three Broomsticks. Stupid Malfoy and his stupid behaviour! She should have felt guilty for slapping him so hard but she didn't. He had been a colossal jerk, especially given the fact that she'd helped him when he was having his bloody panic attack and sort of forgave him for nearly choking her in the Library. Sort of being the key word. During the night she reached the conclusion that she was probably just disappointed, as she had hoped he would be civil with her from that moment on. Why she would want him to be civil, though, she couldn't really tell.
She couldn't help thinking about their confrontation the previous day and cringed when she recalled just how hard she'd slapped him. The git deserved it though, or so both the boys had told her. After Malfoy'd left the pub things went smoothly. She had a couple of Butterbeers with Harry and Theo, then they all headed back to the school. She never got the chance to spend some time alone with Theo, hence they never got to talk about Malfoy. Not that she even wanted to anymore, the blond Slytherin had proven himself worthless of her time. But enough with Malfoy! Hermione had to admit that she enjoyed the rest of the day quite a lot, surprisingly the two boys seemed to get along, even though they were still a bit cautious with each other, and spent the whole trip back talking about Quidditch. Just her luck. When she thought there was nothing worse than Harry and Ron talking about Quidditch she was sorely mistaken. Harry and Theo talking about Quidditch was even worse; the obvious House Rivalry between the two of them made their confrontation longer, harsher and, well…more confrontational. Plus, Hermione had the lingering suspicion that Theo wasn't a Quidditch expert and was struggling to keep up with Harry while hiding it at the same time. Slytherins were weird that way: Never show you have a weakness. Or maybe Theo sensed Harry's cautiousness and was just trying to talk about something they sort of had in common. But that would be too nice a thing to do. Maybe. Hmmphhh, anyway…Hermione didn't enjoy the trip back as much as the rest of the day…stupid Quidditch!
Oh, Quidditch! That was why her two dorm mates were so excited, there were Gryffindor Quidditch Try Outs at 10 that morning. Crap, she'd promised Harry, Ron and Ginny she'd go and support them. Harry was still the Gryffindor Captain and Ginny and Ron were trying for Chaser and Keeper respectively. Harry, being the fair and just boy he was, made all of his friends try out as everyone else. No favoritisms. Hermione was sure that Ginny would have no trouble making it onto the team, but Ron always let his nerves get the best of him, she really hoped no one else would try out for Keeper.
'Hermione? Are you coming or not? We're about to leave!' said Parvati impatiently, standing at her bedside with her hands on her hips and tapping a foot on the floor.
The Gryffindor Prefect got up and groaned again, the morning light really was annoying. She focused her attention on her friend and said 'Yeah, I'll come sure. I just need to shower and get dressed first'.
'Do you want us to wait for you? We don't mind, you know' said Parvati glancing towards Lavender.
'Yeah, sure.'
Parvati was genuine, but Hermione was pretty sure Lavender did mind waiting for her. As if on cue, the blonde appeared at Parvati's side wearing a hand knitted Gryffindor scarf and looked at Hermione with a mixture of suspicion and dislike. There were no words to describe how much Hermione disliked that girl. And not because of Ron, well…not entirely anyway. It was because she was shallow and giggly. Because she thought the most important things in life were boys and make-up. And because she had a brain the size of a peanut. Well, ok…maybe she wasn't that stupid. But, still…she was no Einstein either. Hermione sighed and thought this could be the perfect chance to follow Harry's advice and stop being nasty to the blonde, so she took a deep breath and said 'Morning, Lavender. Nice scarf, did you knit it?'. The girl was a little taken aback by Hermione's kind voice, but regained her composure and politely said 'Oh well…thanks! No, Mrs. Weasley sent this to Ron, actually…but he said I could wear it if I wanted to. And I do…I want to support him today'. Hermione ignored the irrational pang of jealousy – she wasn't interest in Ron in that way, after all - and took a big breath. Then with her politest tone said 'It really suits you, Lav. I'm sure Ron will be happy to see you wearing it. Anyway, thanks for the offer girls, but I really don't want you to miss anything because of me, you go to the Pitch and I'll be there soon'.
After the two girls left, Hermione went to take a quick shower, to wash away every stupid Malfoy-related thought, and to wake up completely. The hot water pouring on her skin felt amazing and she closed her eyes and let the vapour envelop her, while running her hands through her messy hair. She massaged her own scalp, trying to ease the tension that constantly accompanied her since the Library incident. She then slowly caressed her neck and shoulders, still massaging them. The soap was creamy and smelt of cinnamon and oranges, it reminded her of the approaching winter and of mulled wine, and it was her favourite scent, so she always made sure not to run out of it. She kept her massage going till she reached her breasts and – after a moment of hesitation - she started massaging them, a feeble moan of satisfaction escaping from her mouth. She rarely indulged in those little moments of pleasure, but that morning she just couldn't stop. It had to be the tension of that past, crazy week. Her hands seemed to work on their own accord and slowly started rubbing and caressing her chest, stimulating her nipples and making her stomach flutter. She was overwhelmed by the pleasant sensations her hands were giving her. She seemed unable to make her hands stop. Her right hand kept slowly going down, stroking her belly and going down, till it reached her core, which was throbbing with need. She was about to stop, but then realized no one would interrupt her, as every single student was outside, heading towards the Pitch. Before she could change her mind she slowly started to massage her clit, another moan, this time a little louder, escaping from her mouth. She closed her eyes and, while her hand kept moving, she imagined a pair of strong hands encompassing her in a firm hug, and gently stroking her. She imagined a long finger stroking her entrance, then her thighs and her bum. Hermione was whimpering and desperately massaging her core, still lost in her fantasy. She was about to reach her peak and she kept picturing those strong and lean arms grabbing her, while holding her tightly …and a soft mouth kissing her neck and shoulders, pale skin against her darker, Mediterranean tones, and a pair of amazing, grey eyes. Wait…NO!
And in mere seconds the moment was lost and Hermione found herself panting in the shower, a disgusted look on her face.
What the fuck had just happened?! She didn't just picture Malfoy while touching herself right? It definitely wasn't him. A lot of people had pale skin. Theo had pale skin! And the soft lips…how was she supposed to know how Malfoy's lips were anyway? She'd only ever saw them spitting insults and smirking deviously. And the eyes….they weren't properly grey maybe. Yeah, they simply were…light? They could have been blue, light blue…grayish. But that didn't mean they were Malfoy's eyes! There were hundreds of people with grey eyes anyway.
Only, that wasn't entirely true, and a small part of Hermione knew. A part she yet had to come to terms with.
She dismissed the incident and hurried towards her room. She quickly got dressed, sporting Gryffindor colours, and cast a Time Charm to check if she still had time to grab a quick take away breakfast. It was only 9.30 so she relaxed slightly, grabbed her cloak and reached the Common Room. There was no one in sight, they would all be outside near the Pitch, enjoying the sun and the light breeze while waiting for the Quidditch Try Outs to start. She exited through the portrait hole and strolled down the corridors, enjoying the silence typical of Sunday mornings, not even Peeves was in sight, she noted with relief.
She was about to enter the Great Hall when she heard someone calling her name. She turned and saw Theo rushing towards her. He was dressed in Slytherin Quidditch gear. Well, that was weird.
The dark haired wizard reached her and said 'Hello Princess! Are you coming to see me? Just let me grab a slice of toast, I'll grab you a slice too!'. He left her there, dumbfounded and speechless, only to return a minute later with a take away breakfast for her.
'So? Still sleeping? Are you coming or not?' he prodded.
Hermione was still a bit confused by his eagerness and said 'Why are you wearing Quidditch gear?'
Theo looked at her incredulously and said 'There are Slytherin Try Outs in 10 minutes, Princess! I'm trying out for a Chaser position, coming to cheer for me?'
'What do you mean Slytherin is trying out? I'm going to the Pitch to see Harry, Ron and Ginny! Gryffindor Try Outs start in less than ten minutes, you must have confused the time, or something like that' said Hermione with a hopeful tone. She liked Theo, but the rest of Slytherin team wasn't exactly…nice.
Theo looked amused 'No, I'm best friend with the Captain, remember? I'm sure I've got the time right. We're probably trying out with Gryffindor, Draco went to complain the other day but it's now evident that Madam Hooch didn't give him any other option. We'll share the Pitch, no big deal'.
No big deal, right.
Hermione felt her stomach fall. Slytherin and Gryffindor together on the Pitch only meant trouble, she'd have to make sure Harry and Ron wouldn't end up in the Hospital Wing. They had a penchant for Quidditch injuries and her nerves could only take so much. She looked at Theo, noticing for the first time how tall he was. She had to admit he looked good in green, it brought out his deep blue eyes, giving them an emerald accent. The observation reminded her of her fantasy, and she had to reluctantly admit to herself that his eyes didn't match the ones in her daydream, making her blush deeply in embarrassment. The boy noticed her crimson cheeks and said 'What's the matter Princess? You think I look good in my Quidditch uniform?'. Hermione wished the cause of her embarrassment was Theo's physical appearance, but alas it wasn't. She looked him in the eyes and shook her head 'Nothing really…and yes, you do look decent in green…but I will deny having said that, so don't even try and repeat it'. He smiled and took her arm, gently pulling her towards the exit 'You flatter me, Princess. Now, shall we go? Draco is already mad at me for what happened yesterday, I don't want to give him an excuse to kick me out without even trying for the position. The jerk wouldn't talk to me…as if I was the one to slap him! If I don't make it onto the team I'm totally going to blame you, be aware!' he joked.
Hermione snickered and let him pull her towards the doors, just praying that there would be no drama on the Pitch.
Draco and Blaise were walking towards the Quidditch Pitch, fully dressed in their Slytherin Quidditch Uniforms, the dark-skinned wizard trying to calm his blond friend down. Draco had been bitching about 'traitorous friends' and 'bloody Gryffindors' for the past 15 minutes, and Blaise was so aggravated by Draco's tantrums that he was about to hex him, no shit.
'Draco, you're being unreasonable! Why couldn't we wait for Theo, again?' Blaise asked with exasperation.
The blond scoffed and said 'Why? Blaise, for Salazar's sake! Because he arranged a meeting with Granger and bloody Scarhead? And because he dismissed me. And because he didn't say a single thing when that bloody girl slapped me in front of half of Hogwarts' population! And let's not forget that he didn't follow me out to check on me. He chose them. This is a betrayal! He's a traitor! I won't talk to him ever again! And if he thinks I'm letting him on the team he's crazy! He's a good flyer, but I don't want fucking traitors in my team! Understood?'
Blaise let his friend finish his rant then shook his head and said 'Don't you think you're…overreacting a little bit? Mate, I'm sure Theo meant no harm…you know how he is. He's an idiot when he's with us, we know our Theodore…but he has no other friends, people tend to avoid him. I just think that…he likes spending time with Granger because she's one of the few people who doesn't think he's 'Malfoy's silent minion'. They're both quite quick, I bet they have loads of nice conversations…and you know how Theo has no sides in this war…he doesn't want to be involved true, but he also doesn't really care about her parents or her House. What's wrong with that? He's not doing this to annoy you, mate!'
Draco, though, would see no reason. He stubbornly shook his head and said 'There is no way I'm going to let him hang out with Granger! He can't be interested in her! He never said he was! Blaise he can't do this to me!' and he was nearly panicking at the bare thought.
'Well, he is the one who noticed Potter was hugging her. And he is the one who helped her after you nearly choked her. So maybe….the interest was there for the whole time, but we just never noticed. Is it that bad, Draco? That a friend might find happiness, I mean. Is it so disturbing?' asked Blaise.
How could Draco explain that yes, apart from being quite disturbing, it was also dangerous? How could he make Blaise understand, without telling him about his father's letter? Granger was a liability, and Theo couldn't be his friend and Granger's. Yes, Draco was still mad about the whole Pub Incident, but he was also scared. Scared for his own life and his mother's. And maybe a tiny bit scared for his friend as well. How could that idiot think no one would find out about who he spent his time with? That boy was a fool.
Draco was also really annoyed. He couldn't quite grasp why, but the idea of Granger and Theo disturbed and affected him more than it should have. He tried to figure out why he so fervently disliked the idea of them together, but the only thing he came up with was the fact that he didn't want his friend to taint his reputation, which was already non-existent as it was, especially after his father's conviction. But that was a lame excuse, and if Draco wasn't so stubborn he would admit it to himself.
He would have kept thinking and ranting, except they reached the Pitch. Holy snakes, it was crowded! No one ever minded much about Slytherin Try Outs, what was going on? He was about to ask Blaise why all of a sudden Slytherin was so popular, when he saw a sea of red and gold on the stands. Ah, Gryffindor. Of course.
He tried to chase his disappointment away and turned to face his friend. 'Bloody Gryffindors. All the school came to see them, of course'.
'Well, Draco…they have Potter. Of course the whole school came to see them. We're the evil, snarky, bitchy ones, while they're the chivalrous, brave knights in shining armour, right?'
'How wonderful to see you know your place in the world, Zabini' a female voice said from behind them.
Draco and Blaise turned around and found themselves facing the She-Weasel, who was smirking deviously at them. The blond spoke first 'Weaselette, you can't even afford a decent broom, why don't you sod off? I'm not in the mood'.
The Weasley girl looked affronted and said 'Not everything is about you, you git! Did I give you the impression I was talking to you?'
Draco pointed his finger toward the annoying Gryffindor girl and said 'You'd better keep that lovely mouth of yours shut, Weasley. Or I might make sure you accidentally fall from your broom'
The girl was seething and was about to retort when Blaise decided to cut in 'Enough! Weasley, as much as I appreciate your wit I suggest you leave us alone and go meet your team. Good luck with the try outs, you definitely need it given what you're flying on' he added pointing at her broom with a superior look on his aristocratic face.
The redhead looked at him incredulously and left without saying another word.
Draco scoffed and said 'Weird girl. I'd swear she expected you to take her side, mate'. Blaise looked at his friend and laughed 'Yeah, sure! Draco you really have to stop with all those conspiracy theories, trust me! Now, shall we go? We have to find two chasers and a keeper…and you'd better pick the best ones, even though you aren't talking to them at the moment…'
Draco rolled his eyes and drawled 'I really have no idea what you're talking about, Blaise' and they both headed towards the corridor that opened on the Pitch.
Once they reached their half of the pitch, Draco had a good look around. The stands weren't crowded, but in comparison to the emptiness he was used to during his previous Try Outs, they were quite full. He glanced towards the other half of the pitch and spotted Potty speaking to a huge crowd of wannabe players. He even spotted first years, girls who probably never even saw a broom in their lives before and…wait! Weren't those two Ravenclaws?! Hmpphhf. Fucking Wonder Boy. Everyone wanted to see him, of course. Especially after his name had been cleared out after the battle at the Department of Mysteries.
Draco then took a look at the stands and saw a small Slytherin delegation. Pansy was wearing Slytherin green and was leading the cheers. The girl was annoying, but no one could say she wasn't determined. She would always support the team. Draco suspected the main reason was that she hoped he would finally give in and ask her out, but that was a mistake he wasn't keen on repeating. He moved his gaze and saw groups of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws scattered on the stands, and then he stopped on the huge spot of red and gold that were the Gryffindors. He could see that Lovegood weirdo wearing a Lion's head and sitting among the Gryffindors, then there was Longbottom - thank Merlin he wasn't trying out! – and right beside Longbottom there was the bane of Draco's existence. With that hair it was difficult not to notice her. Granger was wearing red and gold, and was looking worriedly at her friends. Draco was lost in thought when a voice from behind interrupted his train of thoughts.
'Hey mate, still mad at me?' said Theo while patting him on his left shoulder.
Draco slowly turned around and looked at his friend, then completely ignored him and spoke to the small group of people gathered there.
'Listen everyone! I'm sick of Potter and his bloody House winning every single game against Slytherin, and I will do my best to beat him, this year. In order to do so, I need a brilliant team. You all know Blaise Zabini, he's our Chaser. Then there are Crabbe and Goyle, our own beaters. Unfortunately our keeper and the other two chasers graduated last year, so now I'm here to find their replacements. Now, get on your brooms and show me how you fly. I'll call you back on the ground in five minutes'.
All the wannabe players mounted on their brooms and took off, except Theo who was still waiting for Draco's response. The blond looked at his friend and said 'Well, Nott? Why aren't you flying? I suggest you take off this instant or I'm going to kick you out and you can say goodbye to your chances of becoming our new chaser'. The dark haired wizard looked disbelievingly first at Draco, who blatantly ignored him, then at Blaise, who shook his head and pointed his finger towards the sky. Theo sighed and mounted on his broom, then took off and started flying around.
Draco and Blaise spent the next five minutes silently watching the Slytherins in the air. 'Merlin, some of them are a joke!' exclaimed Blaise after a short while. Draco couldn't disagree. There were only six people who could fly out of the fifteen that were currently in the air, and one of them was Theo. He whistled and everyone landed around him. 'I really appreciate your interest in joining our team, but not everyone made it to the next screening phase. Now I only want to see Pritchard, you three fifth years over there, sorry I don't remember your names guys, then Bletchley...and Nott. Bletchley go up there and defend the rings! Now you two! –he really couldn't remember the fifth years' names - take the Quaffle, you're so average I can't even remember your names, try and make an impression! You have five minutes to show me what you've got! The people I haven't called can go, thanks for trying'.
He saw Blaise pat Theo on the shoulder but made no comments, then started paying attention to the players. The two boys trying out for chaser weren't too bad, but they weren't team material. It only took him 3 minutes and a half to realise it, so he blew his whistle and they all landed in circle around him.
'OK, now I want the others in the air, you have five minutes!' and he blew his whistle again.
Draco had no doubts, it only took him a minute or so to make up his mind. Pritchard was an excellent flyer, and so was Theo. Blaise was right, he had to choose the best players, and no matter how mad he was at Theo, he was really good, so he deserved his spot on the team. The guy trying for Keeper was hopeless, though. But Bletchley wasn't bad at all. OK, he had his new team members. Draco blew his whistle and they all touched down swiftly.
'OK, I've made my decision. Our new Keeper is Miles Bletchley! – after hearing the news the boy mounted on his broom and started celebrating in the air, while the Slytherins on the stands cheered him, waving their green flags – and our new chasers are Graham Pritchard and Theodore Nott!' he announced.
Before anyone could celebrate, one of the discarded fifth years spat on the ground and said 'This was pointless, everyone knows you are friends with Nott and you would have given him the spot anyway! You're a fraud!'
Everyone fell silent. Blaise stepped towards Theo and they both turned their attention to their captain.
Draco slowly turned to face the idiot who just spoke and said 'I'm sure I haven't heard you correctly, you nitwit. But in case I did...let's just make things clear. Have you just accused me of fixing the Try Outs? Didn't your idiotic brain think that if I wanted to give the spot to my friend I would have done so, without even making him try out in the first place? How do you think Crabbe and Goyle were chosen? There was no need for try outs last year, so I held none. But I guess you are too stupid to consider the facts. I guess you've forgotten who you're talking to. Need I tell you how hard it is to have one of the most influential Slytherins in school against you, right? Now, bear this in mind, I am the captain, my word is law here. I don't need to fix a stupid try out to get what I want! Now, out of my sight, you imbecile!' he thundered.
The boy seemed mildly terrified by Draco's words. Or maybe it was his glacial tone. Anyway, he left hastily and his friends followed him without even throwing a glance towards Draco, who turned towards his team and said 'OK, now that this had been sorted...welcome to the Slytherin Quidditch Team!'
At first no one moved, then Blaise started clapping and the whole team followed his lead. Draco sighed and mounted his broom. He circled over his teammates heads while glancing towards the Gryffindors. Their Try Outs were nearly over, they only had to fill the Keeper position. Potter insisted his friend Weasel tried out like everyone else, and Draco couldn't blame him. The readhead wasn't half bad, not that he'd ever admit it out loud, but his nerves prevented him from being an excellent player. Draco watched curiously as McLaggen – now that was a pompous idiot – approached the goal posts. So, he was trying to steal the Weasel's position...how would Granger take it? He involuntarily searched for her messy mop in the sea of Red and Gold...she was clutching her scarf and was worriedly witnessing McLaggen catch his fourth Quaffle in a row. Draco shook his head and turned around, the pompous bastard would get his spot on the team without incident. He was about to ask Blaise to mount his broom and reach him in the air when he heard a roar coming from the stands behind him. He quickly turned to witness a very confused-looking McLaggen completely missing the save. How was that even possible? It looked as if he'd been confu- then it hit him. He directed his gaze towards Granger and saw her covering her mouth and looking quite guilty. Draco was nearly amused at how Slytherinish her move had been. She just broke a zillion rules only to make sure Weaselbee made it into the team. And the git didn't even notice...he was too busy showing off in front of his girlfriend. How could he prefer that blonde airhead to Granger was beyond him...the boy really was an utter idiot.
Draco realised how dangerous his thoughts were becoming and shook out of his stupor. Then, before he could change his mind he scanned the air till he found Potter and flew towards him.
'Hey Scarhead! Since we're all done with the Try Outs, what about a friendly match?' he shouted.
Potter turned his broom and flew nearer 'Sure, Malfoy. So you can injure my players even before the Quidditch Cup starts'.
'Oh, really Potter? Are you scared of Slytherin? Well, if you don't have the guts I guess I'll just leave...' he said while turning his broom towards where his team mates were standing. He started counting...1...2...
''Malfoy! Wait! I'm not scared of you, let's play' shouted Potty from behind him. Draco smirked, he knew the Golden Boy too well. He knew he would accept; anything to prove he wasn't scared of Draco Malfoy, right?
Draco stopped his broom and turned yet again, only to say 'OK, gather your team and get ready to lose Potty!'
The Slytherin Captain reached his team and quickly explained about the impromptu match versus Gryffindor. They were all more than happy, especially Crabbe and Goyle, who'd try and knock the Gryffindors off their brooms any chance they got. Draco glanced towards Theo and saw he was a little nervous. His first real match. He was about to go and encourage him, then he remembered he was still mad at him and simply turned around, ready to play.
With great displeasure he saw that the referee would be Loony Lovegood. Perfect. Who was the idiot who asked her to referee? Merlin's friggin pants!
He shrugged his shoulders and flew above the other players, levelling his broom with Potter's. Once all the players were at their places Lovegood blew the whistle and the game begun. Draco zoomed all over the pitch, looking for the snitch...he saw a golden sparkle close to the Gryffindor goal posts so he headed that way. He was scanning the air when Weasley shouted 'Came here to distract me, ferret?'. Draco sighed, as if the redhead needed distractions! He sucked already! He flew closer and answered 'No need to, you are an expert at it already Weasel. Now go and defend your goal posts and let me win this match'.
Wrong thing to say, apparently as the ginger shouted 'You're worthless Malfoy, do you really think you can beat Harry? He's twice as good as you, you're delusional! Sometimes I pity you, though...I guess your daddy isn't too pleased his son isn't even able to catch a snitch!'.
Draco's cheeks were flushed, as anger coursed through his body. He really wanted to ignore the stupid Gryffindor Keeper, and he was about to...until the idiot mentioned his father. What did he know about Draco's life? How dare he say something like that? Before he could stop he spat 'This is rich, coming from someone who couldn't even make it into the team on his own', then turned and left.
Weasley abandoned his spot and followed him, he looked confused, then he narrowed his eyes and said 'I didn't get on the team because I'm Harry's friend you git! Haven't you seen the try outs?'
Draco smirked and continued 'Oh, yes. I did. A real shame that McLaggen missed that last save, right? Don't you find it a little too...convenient?'. The other players noticed his and the ginger nitwit's exchange and started circling them, ready to intervene should they need to.
The redhead was seething 'What are you trying to say Malfoy? I'm tired of your bloody riddles!'
Draco laughed humourlessly and said 'You're not even bright enough to figure out what happened, Weasel. I wasn't talking about Potter anyway...there's someone else you should thank. I'll send my thanks too. McLaggen was way better than you, and as Slytherin Captain I can't help being relieved you'll be Gryffindor Keeper. At least I have the guarantee that you suck, Weasley' and he turned to leave, tired of wasting his precious time.
He was flying away when he heard Theo's cry coming from somewhere behind him 'Draco, watch out!' and he turned only to witness a Bludger heading straight towards him and Weasley with a stolen bat in his hands. The little shit had attacked him from behind! He was quick enough to avoid the bludger, but he was standing too close to the stands and the bloody thing would crash into someone's head, no doubt. He quickly turned around and realised with horror that the ball was heading straight towards Granger. She was busy reading, how typical. She must have relaxed after she made sure her friends were all in the team. She probably didn't even notice a friendly game had started!
'Oh, come on Granger, look up! Draw you wand and destroy the thing! Come on Granger'...Draco was hoping she'd notice but the girl was still unaware. People around her started panicking and eventually she looked up, only to realise she was about to be hit full force in the face by a Bludger. She'd probably die on the spot, the thing was speeding too much and she wasn't wearing protective gear!
Draco didn't even think about it and he launched himself towards the stands, while drawing his wand from his inner pocket. The ball was about to hit Granger, a ball that should have hit him! She was annoying all right, but she didn't deserve to die! Before he could rationalise what was going on he pointed his wand towards the Bludger and shouted 'REDUCTO!' and a blinding light shot from his wand.
For a few seconds the world stopped. People stopped trashing around, the other players froze in their spots...not that Draco would notice, he only saw those big eyes, wide open in fear. He was instantly reminded of her fearful stare while he was choking her in the library...and in that moment he realised he never wanted to see that look of pure fear in her eyes ever again. It did strange things to his insides and he wasn't sure he could bear it.
When his spell destroyed the Bludger, inches from Granger's face he realised she'd be hit by the debris and cast a shield, this time without alerting the whole Pitch. The debris bounced on his shield and he released a breath he didn't know he was keeping. The girl looked stunned and still didn't move, her friends all over her asking her if she was hurt at all.
Draco tore his gaze from her and turned around. Potter was flying towards him, a worried look on his face. 'Malfoy! What-what the fuck just happened?'
Draco looked at his nemesis and said 'Weasley started taunting me for no reason and I might have told him...oh I'm sure you noticed too Potter, I might have implied that someone, that...Granger, helped him getting in the team...and that I was glad 'cause he was a worse player. Then I turned around to fly away and the fucking idiot stole a bat from one of your beaters and sent a Bludger in my direction, I avoided it, but it was about to crash into Granger's face, so I destroyed it'.
Potter looked extremely surprised and said 'Malfoy, bloody hell I saw what happened, I was asking you...why...I mean why did you save Hermione?' he explained in an annoyed tone.
Draco smirked and said 'Potty, I am not the nicest person ever, but I'm not the kind of guy who'd let someone else get injured in his place. She had nothing to do with our fight...I would have done it regardless of who the person was'.
He was about to leave when he heard someone cry out, and he turned around in time to see Blaise zooming towards Theo, who was staring at him and Potter, completely unaware that the debris caused by Draco's Reducto were about to hit him.
It all happened in a blur.
Theo, when hearing his friend's voice turned towards Blaise, who was rushing towards him shouting to move out the way. Potter started drawing his wand, probably to shield Theo from the debris...and Draco was standing there, frozen. This time he couldn't react, and unfortunately for Theo, Potter wasn't quick enough, so everyone, from the players to the students watching from the stands, witnessed a cloud of debris hitting Theo on his left side and knocking the breath out of him. Theo instinctively clutched his side and lost control of his broom. Blaise had nearly reached him, but their friend lost consciousness right before Blaise could catch him, and fell off his broom.
Draco watched in horror as his friend's body hit the ground. All he could think was 'Please be alive, be alive, be alive, be alive'. He landed messily, threw his broom behind him and started running towards the limp figure on the ground. He checked his pulse and was relieved to notice Theo was indeed still alive, but he also saw blood flowing from a big gush on his head. He nearly fainted, then started shouting frantically 'Blaise, Blaise...fucking hell, someone call Madam Pomfrey! I need help! I need bloody help!'.
He was shaking Theodore's body and kept saying 'You can't die on me, Theo! Fuck it, you can't! I have to tell you I'm not mad at you anymore! Theo, for fuck sake, open your eyes! I'm Draco! Can you hear me? You can't die Theo, you bastard...you still have to forgive me!'.
Draco was still shaking Theo's limp body when a set of strong hands held him back. 'B-Blaise?' he asked
'No, it's Harry. Malfoy, let him go, you're going to hurt him if you keep shaking him'
It took Draco a while to process that it was Potter holding him 'Potter? Potter! Where's Blaise? I need help, Potter. He's pale, and he's losing blood...I'll lose him! I'll lose him!' and he started trashing around, trying to break free from Potter's surprisingly strong hold.
He was about to faint from the adrenaline overdose when he heard a familiar voice behind them. 'Malfoy, calm down. Zabini went to the Castle to find help, I'll see what I can do in the meantime, right? Stop thrashing!' said Granger. He looked up and their gaze met briefly, before she rushed at Theo's side and started muttering healing spells. All of a sudden Theo jerked violently and started vomiting blood, and Granger started shouting orders 'Dean, for Godric's sake help me turn him on his side! Ron, you bloody idiot, give me your jumper and move out of the way! Harry, Harry where's Zabini? We're losing him!'
Draco was staring at his friend in shock and started trashing again, but Potter prevented him from launching towards Theo. 'Let me go! Let me go, I want to help! Theo, don't fucking die, you hear me?! Don't do this to me, or I'm going to resuscitate you and kill you myself! Theo, you hear me?! DON'T YOU DARE FUCKING DIE!'
He was about to lose hope when he saw four people running towards them. He spotted Blaise, Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey...and Dumbledore! Thank Merlin! He never thought he'd ever be happy to see the old coot, but if there was someone that could save Theo, it was the Headmaster.
The old wizard ran towards them and kneeled at Theo's side. 'You can step back, Miss Granger, thanks for your help. Severus, the blood replenishing potion, NOW' he said. The Potions Master uncorked a vial and promptly poured it into Theo's mouth. His friend was too pale and Draco started panicking again. He couldn't breathe and his vision started blurring. He heard Potter and Blaise calling his name, then he heard Granger's voice 'Draco, breathe. It's a panic attack, breathe' but he couldn't breathe, he couldn't hold it together anymore. Theo was about to die and the last thing he told him was that he never wanted to speak to him again. He started seeing big pink spots, then he could feel his consciousness slipping, while his heart raced madly. He couldn't faint, Theo! He had to make sure Theo was fine!
But his body had already started shutting down and before he could even ask for help, a thick blackness enveloped him.