Jade was in observation for ten long days. It wouldn't have been as long if she hadn't gone back to the coma on the third day. She woke up the following day, though. No one was really sure why it happened, or if it was going to happen again.
Despite going back home for the last few days of the Holidays, Jade spent most of the time at Draco's. They were back to talking, to be honest she barely remembered they hadn't talked for about a month before she got unconscious.
"I can't believe I missed most of my holidays and spent Christmas and New Year in the hospital," Jade said sadly. "It's not like my house would have been better but still... so depressing."
"I'm sorry."
"I already told you Draco, stop apologizing. I'm okay. Maybe I actually needed it... like a break. I was beyond stressed out and we were fighting and I was starting to be reckless around Umbridge again," Jade said during the journey back to Hogwarts.
"Still... I can't get it out of my head. When I saw you on the floor..."
"Yeah, but I'm good now," Jade said with a smile.
As they were about to get off the Hogwarts Express, Ron saw Jade. Ron took the same attitude as Draco, started to apologize no stop. Jade told him it was alright and then greeted the twins and Potter.
"Oh, seems like Malfoy did give you the gum," Fred told her. "I liked the pink hair though. If you ever want to change it back, you know where to find me."
Jade was glad to have her brown hair again but maybe her brain was a bit sleepy after being in a coma for a month, as she didn't ask Draco where or how he got that gum and normally she would have asked.
While they were in the carriages going to Hogwarts, she was told that Arthur Weasley had been in St. Mungos, they didn't give her many details, most likely because Draco was next to her and then told her they found out she was there as well and that's when they gave Draco the gum.
"Please tell your father that I hope he is better," Jade said to the three Weasleys.
"He knows you were unconscious, but yeah, we'll tell him," George said.
It had been five days since they had gone back to Hogwarts, Jade felt okay. She hadn't felt dizzy or hadn't fallen back into the coma and apparently the spells didn't leave any damage, the tests they had done on her back at the hospital hadn't showed anything out of the ordinary.
Jade had gone back to her stressful life. Homework from every class, Umbridge had given them even more homework and was even more annoying. She also had to catch up and do work from the time she was unconscious. And she was back to her captain duties. They had a new boy called James Ashburn, to replace Crabbe for their next game. If he was better than Crabbe, Jade would consider keeping him.
"Okay, Goyle, James, I want you to attack mostly Lewis so he can learn to concentrate, don't hit too hard though, we don't want to send him to the Hospital wing. Also, Draco, you and I will look for the Snitch, to practice your position. Graham, just keep passing the ball to Lewis and let him try to score first and..."
"Why did she have to wake up? Everything was good with her gone."
"What did you say?" Jade asked, turning around to face Miles.
"What? Nothing!"
"I heard you, Miles," Jade said. "If you aren't happy with me being back, you are welcome to either talk to Professor Snape or quit the team."
"I said nothing, Lias," he said in a spiteful way.
After training was done and Draco had caught the Snitch two out of three times, Draco stopped Jade by grabbing her wrist. She turned around, with one eyebrow raised.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, why?"
"What happened with Miles... He really didn't say anything."
"I heard him."
"I was next to him and he really didn't say anything."
"Well, I don't know then. Must be the stress, but I'm fine."
Before letting her go, Draco kissed her on the lips. They both smiled when they broke apart. They had basically been away for two months, one month arguing and she was unconscious for another month.
"Have you read the Daily Prophet?" Draco asked her the next morning during breakfast, as he sat next to her.
"You know I never do it, why?" Jade asked as she took a bite of her toast.
"Here," Draco said as he handed her a copy of the front page.
Just as she saw the picture her face went white. The colour faded more as she started reading the title and then the article. She folded it in half once she was done.
"This can't be..." Jade whispered, looking alarmed at Draco.
"Well it can... because it happened."
"Did you know anything about it?"
"I literally found out ten minutes ago."
Jade wasn't looking forward to the D.A. meeting that night. As expected everyone talked about that article. Jade stayed in a corner, completely quiet for once. She obviously looked uncomfortable as she was looking at the ground and playing with her hair.
"Well, isn't it obvious?" someone said in the crowd. "Now more than ever we should be learning this stuff."
"How could have they escaped though?" Katie, from the Quidditch team, asked.
There was someone else as uncomfortable and anxious as Jade, Neville. Ten Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban, three of them were responsible for the state of Neville's parents. They tortured them beyond anything. They would never be the same.
Jade was relieved no one, or almost no one, could relate her to some of the fugitives. If they could, then things would be even more awkward. People in the meetings already had trust issues with her for being a Slytherin, having Death Eaters in the family would make everything worse.
"Did you know about this?" Potter asked her after the meeting was over. She couldn't leave soon enough to avoid this conversation.
"I was unconscious, remember?" Jade said in a serious tone. "And even if I weren't, I don't know if my family is involved in the breakout and if they are I doubt they would have told me anything. Based on Draco, they visited me only twice before waking up... like, I'd have expected more from them... but that was silly and naive of me to be honest... right?"
"Eh, right," Potter said awkwardly, Jade was letting out how hurt she was feeling about her parents' indifference and without meaning to lead the conversation away from the mass breakout.
"I knew they didn't love me but I was in a coma, how cold can they be?" Jade exclaimed.
"Did your brother visit you or Perseus?" Ron asked and Potter wondered why would Perseus visit her... were they like related?
"My brother, two or three times. And Cass, twice. Even Draco's mother visited me more."
A couple of minutes later, Jade realized she was rambling and she felt ashamed. She bit her bottom lip and looked down. She was just nervous about everything and didn't realize everything she was spilling.
"I didn't mean it... I - I, I've got to go."
"Is that the same Lias? Or did the coma changed her somehow?" Potter asked once she left the room.
"That's Jade," Ron corrected him. "The version of Lias that she let me see last year. Her vulnerable side. I know you don't see it yet, but Jade is fragile, Harry. She is clever and skillful and can hide her emotions easily, either with sarcasm or insults. But if you've noticed, that has worn her up. How many times has she insulted you this year? Or even Hermione?"
"She called her a mudblood once..." Potter started.
"But she didn't say it directly to her. She's been... alright, I guess, around Hermione. And she did suspend Crabbe from a match for what he did to you and Draco from training. So there's good in her, you know? And what you just saw... that's the real Jade. The hurt, even damaged Jade. I won't tell you all the things she's told me, but what she just said now is nothing. That's why I invited her to my house. She's not safe, Harry. And she's alone."
Potter still had a hard time accepting the brunette Slytherin at times. She had points in her favour, like what Ron mentioned of suspending her own players for their attitudes, stopping being the bad bitch she was, standing up to Umbridge for Cedric's death, even helping with the D.A. meetings, suggesting defensive and attacking spells.
But Potter sometimes still thought of the three years when she was even worse than Draco. He thought of her parents standing next to Voldemort when Cedric was murdered. He knew that didn't automatically made her one of them but he couldn't fully trust her like Ron did.
Hello!
So, they are back in Hogwarts :) What do you think of this chapter?
I've started watching Dark. Have you guys watched it? I wasn't sure what to watch and that one is in German (I've realized how little German I actually know) so I'm practicing my listening and trying to read stuff if they are written down like the signs or the title of a book. I'm just on episode 2 so no spoilers please :P
