Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, I'd be rich and you wouldn't see me here posting this fanfic. I do, however, own Jade. Jade Miko is my character and no one else's.
~~Right, so if in this chapter of my fanfic, it seems that Snape's character changes a little, you would be right. In the first chapter, Sarah was portraying Snape. Now, in this 4th chapter, I am the one portraying Snape. Oh Sarah, you know I can't thank you enough for basically writing half this fanfic!~~
~~When we last left the Hogwarts crew, Jade is trapped in the Gryffindor common room being berated by her housemates. Draco is the hospital wing with Harry after shoving him down the stairs.~~
You'll find better love
Strong as it ever was
Deep as the river runs
Warm as the morning sun
Please remember me
-Tim McGraw, "Please Remember Me"
Chapter 4: Everything Falls Apart
Draco had been sitting outside the hospital wing for four hours waiting for Harry to wake up. Madame Pomfrey was scuttling about, leaving Draco forgotten. He was just about to doze off when Madame Pomfrey came out into the room. She jumped when she saw him. "Oh, Mr. Malfoy! I had forgotten about you."
"Understandable," Draco said bitterly. "Not really worthy enough to remember."
"Harry is alright," Madame Pomfrey said, ignoring Draco's comment.
Draco sighed. "Yeah? I may not like him, but I didn't really want to hurt him."
"You may see him if you wish."
"Does he want to see me?" Draco asked.
"I wouldn't think so," Madame Pomfrey replied. "If you shoved him down the steps."
"I said I didn't mean to!" Draco burst out. He calmed down quickly. "Well I'll go in anyway. At least to tell him I'm sorry."
"Mr. Malfoy, don't yell," Madame Pomfrey scolded.
"Sorry," he apologized and went to Harry's bed. Harry was lying there with his eyes closed. Not saying anything, he sat in the chair next to the bed, looking down at the ground.
"Malfoy." Harry didn't open his eyes. He spoke with a calm fury.
"Harry, I—," Draco started.
"Don't," Harry cut him off.
"Don't what?"
"Just don't. I don't want to hear your excuses."
"I wasn't going to give you one," Draco protested coldly. "I just wanted to say I'm sorry," he said slowly. This wasn't easy for him.
Harry opened his eyes, glaring at Malfoy. "Doesn't mean much, coming from you," he said icily.
"I know," Draco agreed. "I don't expect you to accept it, but I thought I'd at least say it, because I am. Whether you believe me or not. And you don't have to worry about Jade after this. She won't even want to hang out with me any more. I'll go," he said and got up to leave.
"It's better for her, you know," Harry said.
"I don't agree with you there," Draco said shortly and walked out. He walked towards the library, not wanting to go back to the dungeons and face Snape yet.
Back by the Gryffindor common room, Jade snuck out of the portrait hole, tears falling from her face. The other Gryffindors had berated her with insults of Draco for the past four hours. It was only when they all went to bed could she leave. She searched the
halls for any sign of Draco. She entered the library, hoping beyond all hope that he was here. Draco sat at a table in the back corner, reading up on other schools, so sure he was that he was going to be expelled from Hogwarts. Jade walked through the library. She soon became frantic, tears falling even harder from her eyes. Draco glanced up. He spotted Jade, but didn't say anything, merely hid his face behind his book. Jade spotted Draco and walked over to him. "Draco!" she cried. "Oh, I'm so glad I found you."
"You shouldn't be. Not after what I did," he said, starting to get up. "Harry is right. You should just stay away from me."
"Wait, please, don't go!" Jade cried.
"Why? You don't need me, its better this way."
"No," Jade sobbed. "No, it's not!"
"Why are you so upset?" Draco asked, going over to jade and holding up her chin. He wiped the tears off her cheek.
"I just spent four hours being berated by the other Gryffindors!" she cried. "They were trying to get me to—to—," Jade couldn't finish.
"Stop hanging out with me?" Draco finished for her. "Well, I think you should listen to them."
"D-draco?" she stammered. She couldn't believe he was really saying this."
"Don't…" he said quietly.
"Please, don't do this," Jade pleaded.
"I have no choice," Draco admitted, defeated. "You shouldn't get attached to me. I won't be here long, I don't think."
"It's too late Draco," Jade murmured. "I'm already attached."
"Well, you should get unattached. I'm no good. I," he paused. "I hurt Harry today." He said, looking at his feet.
"Hurt…Harry?" Jade asked.
"Yeah," Draco replied.
"Wha—why?"
"I waited for you outside the portrait hole. When he came out…I could hear you screaming inside. He saw me and started yelling at me, saying I should leave you alone. That you were none of my business. He pushed me against the wall, told me I couldn't hang out with you anymore. He acted like he was the boss. I got mad. I yelled at him, saying he isn't your boss. That even if the whole school is wrapped around his finger, he
needed to let you choose what you wanted and if he was looking out for what
was best for you, then he should let you choose..." Draco paused, taking a breath. "I got madder. I yelled more. I pushed him back. I kept yelling, kept pushing and it got too far and he...he...he..."Draco stopped, unable to finish. He looked at his feet again.
Jade gasped. "Oh, no, Draco, you didn't."
"I didn't know they were there!" Draco explained. "Honest, Madame Pomfrey says he has a concussion and a broken leg. See, you shouldn't hang out with me," he cried and ran off.
"No, Draco!" she called after him, to no avail. Jade put her head in her hands, weeping.
Draco couldn't leave her. He started walking back, seeing her crying. "Please Jade, you deserve better."
"Don't you start too!" Jade cried angrily. "I just spent four hours listening to crap like that!"
Draco backed away a bit. "What do you want me to say? I broke Harry's leg. I knocked him out. I know you don't like that. I don't know what to do," he said, sitting.
Jade sat up, sniffing. "You're right, I don't like you doing that. But you were honest about it. I know you didn't mean to do it."
"All the same, I still did it and there's nothing I can do about it," Draco insisted.
"I know. Go," Jade said. "Talk to Snape. Maybe there's a chance you won't be expelled."
"Not a one. It's definite. I mean I pushed him and there isn't any proof. I didn't do it on purpose. Everyone knows how we fight, and my word won't be enough."
"But—," Jade started.
"I should go talk to Snape," he said, cutting Jade off. "He is going to be so mad."
Jade stood. "I'm going with you," she declared.
Draco shook his head. "You really shouldn't. You know what Snape did the
last time he saw us together. It will make him madder."
Jade nodded. "You're right. I need to go talk to Harry anyway."
"Yeah, you should do that. Tell him I'm sorry again, okay? He wouldn't listen to me. I waited for him till he woke up," he said bitterly.
"Hope he doesn't hate me now," Jade muttered. She sniffed, wiping her tears. "Good luck, Draco."
"Thanks, I'll need it," Draco replied. "You too."
Draco left Jade in the library, heading off towards the dungeons. He entered the Slytherin common room. There, just as he expected, was Professor Snape. He gulped, terrified, but walked up to Snape anyway. "Hello, p-professor."
"Don't you hello me," Snape snapped. "Madame Pomfrey informed me of your...actions tonight."
"I know."
"Well? What do you have to say for yourself?" he demanded.
"I'm sorry! It was an accident! I didn't mean to—," Draco trailed off.
"Is that all?"
"I don't know what to tell you. It was an accident. I didn't mean to. He wasn't being fair. I got mad. I'm sorry."
"Please tell me this had nothing to do with that one." Snape refused to call Jade by her name.
"She has a name," Draco muttered.
"Answer the question!" Snape snapped.
"Yes, sir," Draco said.
"And what did he tell you about that one that wasn't being fair? Did he give you the same advice I did? To stay away from that one? For once, Potter is right. You disobeyed me, the head of your house, and you are still hanging around that one. I don't know what I'm going to do, Mr. Malfoy!" Draco was speechless. "I'm sure your father would be delighted to hear all of this, wouldn't he?"
"No, sir."
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tell him," Snape demanded. "Why I shouldn't tell him you shoved a boy down the stairs, and why you are dating that one, a Gryffindor, of all people."
"We aren't dating, sir."
"Aren't dating? I saw you and that one practically having sex on the lawn."
"It was a hug and we fell," Draco muttered. "We still had clothes on, professor."
"Why Malfoy? That's what I would like to know. Why are you doing...whatever you are doing with that one!"
"She's nice. I like her." As soon as Draco said that, he instantly regretted it. It was too late now.
"You like her?! Malfoy, what has gotten into you!"
"Yes sir. I don't know. She's nice to me she didn't just piss at me like all the others," Draco said quietly.
Snape spoke with a calm fury. "Fine, Malfoy. Now down to your punishment."
"Yes, sir," Draco replied.
"I should expel you for endangering another student so seriously," Snape started.
"It was an accident sir but," Draco interrupted. He bowed his head. "I'll go pack
then."
"You didn't let me finish, Malfoy."
"Oh, ok, sir."
"Although you did commit a serious offense, you have never done anything like this before. Know this. 100 points will be taken from Slytherin. And if you ever do anything this stupid again, you will be expelled."
"Yes, sir. It won't happen again," Draco said.
"Get out of my sight," Snape said.
Draco ran out of the Slytherin common room into the cold dungeons.