Chapter Eleven

Hermione placed the flowers she brought on top of the bedside drawer. It was already cluttered with other get well gifts, so she had to push some out of the way to make some room. "It feels kind of weird visiting her."

"Her hand…" Harry pointed out and reached out to grab it.

Hermione swatted it away. "How can you still be thinking about that when she's unconscious?"

Harry looked away. "I only wanted a better look." He reached out to it anyway and placed it on Celina's stomach. He felt as though the black pentagram was laughing at him, taunting him. "It has to mean something…is it like the dark mark or…"

"Honestly Harry if it did mean something dark like that, do you think she'd display it freely on the back of her hand"

"But she usually wears a glove right? She only started wearing it after you said something about it, so it must mean something…"

"Harry…ah…" Hermione peered closer at the hand. "Is it…is it red?"

"Yes it is, so?" Harry replied, not really sure what Hermione was getting at.

"Strange…It's just…I could have sworn it was black before…"

"So there is something strange about it!"

"Harry, we shouldn't jump to…"

"No, listen. You said before it was strange right?"

"But…"

"Right?"

"Yes I did…" Hermione's voice trailed off in deep thought.

Harry decided to drop the potential, rising argument and look back at the sleeping girl. The cogs in his head were whirling. He went in a little closer to get a better look at her hand, only to jump up when he heard the words:

"What are you two doing here?"

Both Harry and Hermione looked up to see Draco Malfoy come into the room. "We're just visiting her. It is visiting hours." Hermione pointed.

"Well are you two done visiting?"

"We don't have to leave just because you're here."

"You two barely even like her anyways. Don't think you can fool me with those tacky flowers." Draco scoffed.

"And what about you Malfoy?" Harry retorted. "You don't act like you're friendly with her either. In fact you treat her terribly!"

"At least she likes me! I know for a fact she doesn't like you or Granger."

"Oi…you people…shut up." A groan came from the bed. Both Draco and Harry immediately stopped talking. Celina was squinting from where she laid. "What are you two doing here? Granger? Potter?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could answer some questions for me…" Harry started.

However, Celina cut him off. "Really? I just woke up. How long have I been sleeping?"

"Two days…" Hermione informed her.

"Two days?" Celina groaned. "Then I really don't want to talk to you right now. Besides, I feel like I'm hung over."

"Did Draco do something to you?" Harry shouted, leaving everyone else in silence.

"You realize that he's standing right there?"

"Will you just answer the question?"

Draco growled. "Will ever stop asking stupid questions?"

Celina sat up in the bed, feeling a bit dizzy, before saying, "He hasn't done anything wrong to me. You're crazy for thinking so." Harry couldn't believe it. He opened his mouth again, but Celina spoke again. "Now you and Granger leave me alone. I want to spend some time with Draco."

Defeated Harry left the room, with Hermione following closely behind. Celina's head hit the pillow in an instant. "You look terrible," Draco commented.

"Why thank you? There must be a reason why you're here to see me. What do you need now?"

Draco frowned. "I don't need anything. I was checking up on you."

She yawned. "Oh really?"

"Yes, really." He sat down in the now vacant chair beside her bed. "How on Earth did you collapse like that?"

"I collapsed…" She looked around before answering. "I think it was from sleep deprivation."

"Sleep deprivation! What the bloody hell have you been doing? If the work I've been giving you was too much you should have just said so…unless you're doing something else…"

Celina shook her head. "No…you remember that potion I gave you that day before I collapsed?" Draco nodded. "Well, I've been taking that for the past week or so."

His eyes widened slightly. "So you're basically saying that you haven't slept in a week."

"That's right…I was going to take some more of that potion after I gave some to you, but you drank the whole thing…"

"Are you stupid? If the work is too much then I'll just…"

"Pfft…are you joking? As if I'd get tired from the stuff you make me do. I haven't been sleeping much because I choose not to sleep."

"You really are an idiot. What good will you be to me if you're sleep-deprived?"

Celina chuckled. "And it always comes back to you doesn't it. I'm sorry for troubling you. I'll be sure to get more sleep from now, Master."

"Shhh! Do you want Madame Pomfrey to hear you?"

"But I thought you liked it when I called you that."

"Shut up. So why aren't you sleeping? There has to be a reason, if it's not for homework or something."

Celina looked away. "I'm tired. Can you leave now?"

Draco flared. "No! I want to know why and I want to know now. I order you to tell me!"

"Shhh! Madame Pomfrey will hear you." Celina mocked, her smile slowly faded. "I don't like to sleep, so I don't sleep."

He frowned. "That's it? What are you a child? Are you afraid of the monster living under your bed or something?" He laughed, but the laughter died when he realized that she wasn't laughing or smiling as well. "Are you serious?"

"There isn't a monster beneath my bed. There's a different reason why I don't like to sleep."

"Well, what is it?"

"I can't tell you."

"And why the bloody hell not?"

"I can't tell you…think of it as…I made an 'unbreakable vow' with someone I shouldn't have. That's the best way to describe it."

"So what is it? Another contract? I thought I was your only 'Master'."

"You guessed right. It's a contract, but whether or not I have another 'Master' I can't say."

Draco was mad with this new found information. He expected Celina's loyalty and energy to be devoted to him and him alone. Who was this other person? He got up to leave, but Celina stopped him. "Please don't leave me."

"I'm not going to stay with you all day. I have more important things to do."

Celina was beginning to look desperate. "Please…I can't sleep. If I sleep…I…" She choked a bit.

"C-calm down…" Draco was unsure of why she was beginning to panic. "I'll stay until you fall asleep then, you're tired aren't you."

She shook her head. "Don't let me sleep."

"What the hell are you gonna do! You can't keep taking that potion. You'll drop dead any minute. Just shut up and sleep."

She was quite for a moment and Draco thought he had won the argument, until she asked, "Will you hold my hand?"

"What?" He asked, wondering if he heard her correctly.

"Hold my hand."

"I'm not going to hold your hand. I'm not your mother or anything."

"Please Draco…I need you to hold my hand while I sleep." She held it out for him to take. Sighing, Draco actually conceded and sat beside her.

He took her hand in his. He raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the pentagram?"

"It turned red."

"I can see that…my question is why."

She closed her eyes. "I can't tell you." He unconsciously gripped her hand tighter out of frustration. "And Draco…"

"What?" He snapped.

"Thank you." She whispered, before slipping back into unconsciousness.

He felt odd, sitting beside her while holding her hand. If he had gone back in time and told his past self from a year ago that he would be in a situation like this, he would have laughed. However, he had to admit that it felt nice that he was really needed by someone, especially Celina. She had that air that she could do everything by herself; so Draco was partly happy about discovering this new fear, but not the trouble it brought along with it.

"Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfery called his attention. "I'm afraid you should leave her be now."

"I just got here!"

"That may be, but I believe Miss Elvira is suffering from sleep deprivation. I'd rather her not be disturbed."

"I'm just sitting here holding her hand. Celina was up a couple seconds ago. She asked me to stay with her while she sleeps!" He said angrily.

"I'm glad to see that you care for her greatly, but don't you have a class to go to?"

Draco glared. "She asked me to stay here."

"And I'm telling you to leave. She'll be safe here, Mr. Malfoy. There's no need to worry about her."

"You can give me as many detentions you want. I'm staying here with her."

Madame Pomfery sighed and gave up, retreating to her office. Draco returned his attention to Celina. This had better pay off in the long run; he was wasting a lot of time sitting there doing nothing but hold her hand.


She couldn't open her eyes, but she wasn't scared at all. She felt at peace, mainly because she knew somebody was with her. She didn't know who it was, but they were holding her hand. It was as though she was drifting on many clouds.

However, she felt the hand slip away and her eyes shot open. Darkness. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see a thing. Dread rose within her as she got up from where she laid. The familiar sounds of clatter chains alerted her to the cuffs on her wrists.

"My sweet Celina…it's been a while." Valafar said with a slightly amused voice, but Celina knew better. Valafar was anything but amused. "I'm surprised you were able to stay up for an entire week. I've been lonely without you…tell me Celina, did you miss me?"

She gulped unconsciously and remained silent.

"I asked you a question, my sweet Celina. You'd best answer me." He warned.

"Of course I did."

"Liar." Valafar spat, anger and spite evident in his voice. There was a yank in her chain, pulling her down to the ground. "Was it nice having that boy holding your hand while you slept? You can't run from me Celina. Honestly, forcing yourself to stay up for a week? Did my warning scare you that much?"

She couldn't bring herself to move or say anything. "What did I say about answering my questions?" He demanded for her answer.

"Yes," she barely whispered.

"My poor Celina," he cooed and a light turned on. Her eyes readjusted slowly and she turned her head towards the light's source. Valafar sat leisurely on a throne-like chair. Although he sat beneath this light, his face still remained unseen. "Come here Celina..."

Slowly she began to walk over to her master, but he stopped her. "Since when do bitches walk on two legs?"

Celina flinched before getting on her hands and knees and crawling the rest of the way. When she reached Valafar, he rewarded her with a pat on the head. "Good girl." He patted his lap. "Now up."

Scared beyond her wits she pulled herself up and into his lap. It was different now that she could see him. She couldn't bring herself to look at where his face would have been, so she stared into her lap. "You don't want to look at me? You sadden me. Why won't you look at me?"

"Because…I can't see you. I can't see your face."

"Would you like to see my face?"

The answer was "no", but God forbid she say it out loud. She knew for a fact Valafar wouldn't take kindly to it. "If you'd like to show it to me…"

She felt him take his fingers and tilt her chin upwards. Celina automatically gasped when she saw the face of Draco Malfoy. "Draco…?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Valafar thundered with laughter as the face of Draco Malfoy was hidden by shadows once more. "The look on your face was priceless Celina…but, didn't like your reaction." His voice became serious. "How can you compare me to that human child? You're going to be punished thoroughly tonight…" He began to pet her hair as she beat herself up on the inside. How could she be so foolish? "Not to fret, I still love you just as much…what should I use today? The whip? Or chains?" She remained silent. "I have it…I'll use the knife."

Celina's face paled slightly. "It's been a while since I used the knife…"