Well, it's been a while since my last update, so apologies for that! No excuse apart from work, tiredness and a lack of inspiriation. Back on it now though, so hope you like it, i would love to hear what you think!
Throughout the day Draco and Hermione exchanged conspiratorial glances, making it clear that no one had noticed nor cared that they were missing from their beds the night before. Draco had practice again that night but he was fairly certain that Hermione would be in the room of requirement waiting for him again after curfew.
The day passed without incident, classes followed classes, homework handed in and issued. Quidditch practice was fairly similar to the previous night; largely dissatisfying. One positive was Draco was feeling more at ease on the broom, the downside that he found his muscles were soon aching fiercely. He pushed on through it anyway; he had experienced far worse pain in the past and survived. He was looking forward to the match on Saturday, the atmosphere of the crowd always gave him a boost. He imagined beating Potter, although it was unlikely, and felt his stomach clench in anticipation.
There was less hostility towards Draco in the changing rooms that evening. He had made a couple of decent catches; his best being when he darted around a startled Lewellyn, who was in possession of the quaffle at the time, then dropped like a stone directly above the snitch like a peregrine falcon hunts a sparrow. He was feeling a little smug about that one, and obviously the team were appreciating that he would be an asset on Saturday as well.
"Same time tomorrow!" called Urquhart as Draco swung out of the changing room doors. Draco didn't bother to respond; all he was thinking about was getting up to the room of requirement to see if she was there.
He slowed his pace as he got up to the seventh floor corridor, suddenly worried that he had misjudged her look earlier and the room would be empty. The door appeared as usual, opening at Draco's gentle push.
He felt a surge of relief and joy at the sound of Hermione's soft greeting. He grinned with satisfaction at how well he knew her, and as she leant up to kiss his cheek he almost said the words. I love you! He cried in his mind, just stopping short of saying it out loud. Now was not the time for declarations; get NEWT's out of the way first. Show her that you will have something to offer her in the future with the results rather than the big fat nothing that you can offer now.
It was almost surreal how domestic the scene was; he could imagine this same thing happening each day when he returned home from work in a year's time. He enfolded her in his arms, then went to sit on the sofa to discuss the day.
The rest of the week passed in the same manner; lessons, quidditch, room of requirement. Although it turned out that Theo was more observant than Draco had bargained for.
It was on the Wednesday morning when Draco arrived at the breakfast table that he knew he had been found out.
"So where is it you take her?" asked Theo, casually buttering a slice of toast.
"What?" asked Draco, feigning disinterest.
"You haven't been in the dorm for the past couple of nights," said Theo. "And I'm sure if I dig a little I will find the same about Granger. So I was wondering where it is you take her that is comfortable enough to stay the whole night, and secret enough for you not to get caught out after curfew."
Fucking Theo. He would dig around until he found out as well; it was a very Slytherin thing to do after all!
"If I tell you then I expect you to never speak of it again. I intend to continue doing this until we leave."
"Fine." Said Theo briskly. "Although if the place is good I may want to use it myself."
Draco raised a brow. "Don't tell me you have actually found a girlfriend?"
"No." Said Theo with a laugh. "But you never know!"
"If you must know," said Draco, feigning exasperation, "the room of requirement was not destroyed in the battle."
Comprehension lit up Theo's face. "So, you just go and ask it to be… a love dungeon or something?"
Draco rolled his eyes to hide his amusement. "Yes. Me and Granger asked for a love dungeon. You're obviously forgetting that you don't ask for anything, the room sees what you need and plucks it from your psyche."
"And you need time alone with Granger?" said Theo pointedly.
Yes. He realised he did need time with Granger. He looked forward to seeing her all day and felt a sense of wellbeing in her presence. He just gave Theo a look and continued his breakfast.
Theo was true to his word and no one else mentioned anything about his absence in the dorm. It got to Friday evening and Draco was beginning to feel nervous about the upcoming match the next day. He was also displeased as he and Hermione were to spend their night apart, in their respective dormitories. She had told him that it was too obvious for them to disappear the night before the quidditch final as there would be much anticipation in the common room and they would be sure to be missed. She was right, but he didn't have to like it!
As Granger had predicted, the common room was loud and packed full of excited students. The other six members of the quidditch team were seated near the fire surrounded by well-wishers, all clamouring to get their attention. He recalled the times when he and Pansy had been at the centre of that huddle around the fire, full of bravado and basking in admiration, and found that he didn't miss it. Well, not much anyway.
He looked for Theo, but couldn't see him anywhere, so made his way to the dormitory to gather some books and try to get ahead on the homework that had to be in the following week.
It seemed that Theo had the same idea, as he was sitting cross-legged on his bed with an enormous Herbology tome in front of him.
"Not in the common room being admired?" Said Theo, glancing up at Draco's arrival.
"Obviously not." Draco replied. "I thought I would come up here and speak to you, you sarcastic bastard."
"It's sickening isn't it?" Said Theo, looking back down at the book. "Everyone flocking around them on the off chance they win tomorrow. It was one of the reasons I hated you, you know."
Draco raised his eyebrows; Theo was in a great mood tonight! "That's a rubbish reason to hate me. You should have hated me because I was a spoilt, bigoted arsehole, not because I was on the Quidditch team!"
Theo finally cracked a smile. "Yeah, that too."
"What's up with you?" asked Draco, sitting on his bed and opening his trunk.
"Nothing." Said Theo, then he let out a sigh. "We have five weeks until our exams. I have to do well… but I can't seem to remember enough! Those transformation equations in Arithmancy just make no sense to me, and bloody Potions is so fiddly it is nigh on impossible to produce the correct formula. I am going to get mediocre results at best and I cannot have that!" By the end of this rant he seemed on the verge of tears, and Draco had no idea what he was meant to say to help.
After a few moments consideration, Draco replied. "We have five weeks. It is enough time to get yourself together. You can do well. I will help you with Arithmancy."
Theo snorted. "Easy for you to say. You have never struggled with the academic stuff."
"Will you stop being a knob for a minute and just accept my offer of help?" Interrupted Draco.
Theo's frown endured for about 30 seconds before he took a deep breath and managed to choke out; "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Give me your book. Now which one are you stuck on…"
It was a good distraction, and Draco found the evening passed quickly, his nerves forgotten.
After a surprisingly good night's sleep, Draco woke well rested and feeling calm about the mornings match. He was up early as usual, and went to join the other team members in the great hall for breakfast. There were not many people about, but the Gryffindor team were all in attendance on the other side of the hall also. He looked for Hermione's bushy curls, but there was no sign of her. He found himself wondering if she would be supporting him, even though she would be wearing Gryffindor red and gold.
Potter and Weaselette were sitting close together, whilst her idiotic brother sat opposite, inhaling bacon at an alarming rate. Draco smirked as he remembered the "Weasley is our king" song he made up a couple of years ago, and how angry it had made the Gryffindor team! They could do with something like that again this year to try and throw the Gryffindor's off balance if they were to have any hope of beating them.
Draco mounded up some scrambled egg on his plate, and was surprised by Urquhart waving him over to go and sit with the rest of the team.
"We all know what we need to do," he said, once Draco had slid up the bench to join them.
The team nodded grimly; it would be a tough match, although weather conditions were favourable for good visibility and flying.
Once they were all finished they stood and went to the changing rooms, Draco feeling like he belonged for once. Pulling on his seekers robes he felt the nerves flicker to life once more in his stomach, but his time it felt good like it used to at the start of a match.
After what seemed like an age, they walked out onto the pitch to the deafening noise of both cheers and boo's to mount their brooms. The moment Madam Hooch blew her whistle Draco soared off to the top of the pitch so he could get his bearings and keep an eye on the proceedings.
The Gryffindor chasers were already in possession, working seamlessly to get the quaffle in a position to score. He saw Potter circling on the opposite side of the pitch doing the same as he was, his firebolt gleaming in the morning sun. There was no way Draco could beat him to the snitch if it came to a race, his only chance would be to spot it first.
He scanned the pitch for a glint of gold, wincing as Gryffindor scored their first goal and cheers rang out from the crowd. Looking over at the sea of red and gold clad students yelling in the stands, and the team celebrating over by the goalposts, he used the few moments of distraction to search for the snitch unnoticed, but couldn't see it anywhere.
The quaffle was quickly brought back into play and the game continued. Draco flew around the pitch ignoring the match playing out beneath him, although he couldn't help a chuckle escaping when Weasley received a bludger to the small of his back, nearly unseating him. He idly wondered if the shot was intentional or if it was just luck on the part of Pritchard and Baddock.
Suddenly he saw Potter dive towards the goal posts and his heart sank. He looked for the tell-tale flash of gold that had attracted Potter but couldn't see anything. Well, it's over, he told himself glumly, but was surprised to see Potter return to his height and continue to search. He caught sight of Potter's grin as he looked his way and realised the bastard was feinting to see if he would follow!
Fucker! Well two could play at that game! After a few more minutes, Draco turned tail and sped down the pitch, then casually drifted back up to see if Potter had taken the bait. To his amusement he had, and was now bobbing on Draco's side of the pitch looking annoyed with himself.
Draco laughed sneeringly, and received the two finger salute in return. Then, he saw it! A flash of gold on the other side of the pitch, from just where Potter has been flying before falling for Draco's bluff! Without a further thought, Draco was off in pursuit, scattering the Gryffindor chasers as he charged between them.
He knew Potter wouldn't be far behind but hoped the extra couple of seconds he would have needed to turn around would be enough for Draco to get there first. The snitch had fluttered closer to the stands, meaning that it would be difficult to catch it at this speed and not get injured but Draco pushed the thought away with images of the house cup and willed his broom on faster.
He extended his arm to grasp the struggling ball; the whistling of Potter's firebolt getting ever closer. One more inch, and he closed his hand. He had it! He had one the match! He had beaten Potter!
His elation was short lived, as with a huge bang, he smashed into the stands. He then had a colossal impact on the other side as Potter, going full speed, crashed into him. In a tangle of limbs they tumbled down to the ground, and Draco felt something in his shoulder pop upon landing.
He lay on the ground snitch still tightly clasped in his fingers as Potter tried to scramble off him, expecting an angry diatribe at the Slytherin victory. Instead he was surprised to hear Potter's curses turn to laughter as he extricated himself and clambered to his feet. "Shit, are you alright Malfoy?" he asked as Draco continued to lie where he had fallen, his broomstick jabbing into his back uncomfortably.
"Yeah, I'm fine." He said, trying to sit up but quickly flopped back down when his shoulder screamed in pain. "Fuck!" He hissed.
He heard the approach of many feet, and saw Madam Hooch charging towards them, followed by the rest of the Slytherin team.
"Alright Potter?" she barked, looking briefly in his direction before bending down to look at Draco. "Where does it hurt Malfoy?"
"Shoulder." He replied with difficulty. The initial shock of the fall was setting in and he was starting to feel a little shaky. Not to mention the pulsing, debilitating pain radiating from his shoulder was making it hard to breathe, let alone speak.
"Oh dear", she said briskly. "Looks like it's dislocated. Can you walk?"
Draco had always rather liked Madam Hooch's no nonsense manner on the quidditch pitch, but right at this moment he could use a little sympathy. He managed to sit up on his second attempt, and realised there was no way he could walk; his head was already swimming with the effort.
"Stretcher then!" she said cheerfully, and conjured one with a flick of her wand. The rest of the Slytherin quidditch team were celebrating a little way off. How quickly he was forgotten now that he had achieved the objective they needed him for, thought Draco bitterly. Ironically, the only person waiting to make sure he was ok was bloody Potter!
"On you get," said Madam Hooch, gripping his good arm to help lever him onto the floating platform. "You had better come too Potter, you both had quite a fall!"
Madam Hooch began to march off the pitch, Draco's stretcher following along behind with Potter trailing. Ginny Weasley came running over to Potter, and hugged him.
"Are you alright?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yes, I'm fine." Potter replied. "I just have to get checked over by Pomfrey."
"I'll come with you." She said, shooting Draco a filthy look.
"No. Don't worry," said Potter. "I'm sure it will only be a few minutes and then I'll be out. Go and hit the showers and I'll see you in the common room in a bit."
"Ok, see you soon." She gave him a smacking kiss and turned to catch up with the rest of her team mates as they filed off to the changing rooms.
Draco wondered where Granger was and if she was worrying about him being stretchered away. He was slightly put out by the fact that she wasn't fighting her way through the crowd to get to him as he had seen her do for Potter in previous years; had she even watched the match?
The trio made their way quickly up to the castle, Draco feeling humiliated floating along in his prone position through the crowds of dispersing students. None of them spoke, something for which Draco was grateful; he was in too much pain to deal with Potter or answer any questions from Madam Hooch.
"Got two for you here, Poppy," called Madam Hooch when they arrived at the hospital wing. "Potter and Malfoy."
"I should have guessed!" said Madam Pomfrey, bustling towards them from behind her desk. "Straight to bed!"
"Now!" she snapped as Potter took a breath to begin arguing, and he went over to the closest iron bedstead resignedly.
"You first then Mr Malfoy." Madam Pomfrey helped him shuffle onto another bed, eyeing his misshapen shoulder with distaste. She waited until he was seated against the headboard.
"This may hurt." She said with a flick of her wand, and before he could brace himself, Draco's shoulder was forced back into position with an unpleasant crunch.
He cried out loudly, the shock and pain not receding even though his shoulder joint was now back in place. "There we are." She said briskly, "just sit quietly for a few minutes."
She went over to Potter and began to examine him, leaving Draco acutely aware that the matron had not forgiven him the sins of his past and it was obvious that she would only do the bare minimum required of her position in regards to his wellbeing.
Draco sat taking deep breaths until he began to feel more in control of himself; he managed to stop the shaking of his limbs and his heart beat approached a more sensible speed. He could hear Madam Pomfrey fussing over a small scrape on Potters golden backside, and for the first time in a long time, felt something akin to the old jealousy that plagued his youth. Was it really asking too much for someone, anyone, to care if he was ok?
After a few minutes, the matron had obviously decided that Potter would live, and went into her office leaving the two of them alone. Potter seemed to be trying to catch Draco's eye in the uncomfortable silence that followed and Draco resolutely kept his face averted; whatever Potter wanted Draco was not in a good frame of mind to deal with it.
This went on for a couple of minutes before Potter gave up and cleared his throat.
"Malfoy." He said, swinging his legs off the bed so he was facing him.
"Potter." Draco drawled, trying his hardest to sound like his usual self.
"I want to talk to you about Hermione." Said Potter seriously, and if he hadn't still been feeling shaky Draco would have gotten up and left the room; he didn't need to listen to Potter's self-righteous preaching!
Draco glared and turned away, not bothering to reply. However, Potter was undeterred.
"I don't know exactly what is going on between the two of you, but whatever it is seems to be making her happy." He paused.
Draco turned to look at him with a frown; this was not what he had been expecting.
"And it seems to be doing you good too. I just wanted to say that what you said to me the other day was right. I wasn't being a good friend to Hermione but I am now. It seems like you care about her and she about you which is great, but I am asking you to not fuck her over."
Ah, thought Draco, this was a little more like what he was expecting! Although Potter, for once, wasn't coming across as a self-righteous prick.
"I have no intention of fucking her over." Conceded Draco after a few seconds of silence.
"I'm glad." Said Potter pompously. "She has already been hurt once, she doesn't need a repeat from you."
"Piss off Potter." Said Draco, but the statement lacked venom. He wasn't angry with Potter for this little speech, in fact he was pleased that someone was trying to look out for Granger.
"Fuck you Malfoy." Potter responded equally amiably. "Good flying by the way."
With that, Potter got off the bed and went to see Madam Pomfrey so he could be discharged from the hospital wing, leaving Draco battling a smile. Maybe Potter wasn't a total knob after all…
He still had the same half smile when he saw Hermione peering in the door, then hurrying over to him face suffused with worry.
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