A/N: To my readers: Sorry this chapter is so short! I promise the next one will be longer! Thanks for reading!
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"Oh dear," Madame Pomfrey muttered, "Not long before we have swarms of students attempting to break that door down."
Draco shut his eyes with a grimace. He really didn't feel like dealing with the whole school right now. If they all thought he was dead, that was fine by him. It had been nice while it lasted. There had been no pressure from any of his fellow students to uphold a certain image, or act a certain way. To be thrust into this environment once again was going to be torture, Draco thought with contempt. For one wild moment, he wished he was back in Egypt, far from Hogwarts and its occupants. Then he realized what a potentially insane notion that was, and pushed the thought out of his mind.
The only sounds in the room for the next five minutes were that of Madame Pomfrey muttering distractedly to herself as she bustled about the room, gathering various potions to heal Charlie.
Draco was just about to ask her about Charlies condition when the door to the hospital wing flew open with a tremendous bang, making everyone in the room, with the exception of Charlie and Ginny, jump five feet into the air.
Three people had appeared in the doorway, and to Dracos relief, they weren't students.
"Poppy, how is he?" Professor Dumbledore asked urgently as he floated right past Draco, Ginny and the twins.
Standing over Madame Pomfrey and her patient, Dumbledores eyes glimmered with concern.
"He'll be quite all right, Albus," Madame Pomfrey said. She sounded breathless and relieved. "He just needs lots of rest and care. It's a good thing he was brought to me quickly, any longer and I don't think he would have made it."
Her last words were spoken in a low tone meant for only the Headmasters ears, but Draco heard her and as he looked over and caught the twins eyes, he knew they had heard it too.
"It is the loss of blood, is it not?" Professor McGonagall piped up from Dumbledores side.
"Yes," Madame Pomfrey sighed, looking forlorn, "That will take quite a while to heal. I can fix the bones in his leg fairly easily though."
"How fortunate," a silky voice drawled, breaking the fragile atmosphere that was penetrating the hospital wing.
Dracos eyes finally fell on the third person who had walked into the room. Severus Snape stood a few steps back from Charlie and everyone surrounding him, his usual black robes clutched tightly around him. His cool, black eyes showed no hint of concern as he gazed down at the injured boy with a perfectly smooth, unreadable expression on his face.
Both Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore looked up at the potions master. Professor McGonagalls usual stern expression remained the same as she glanced over at Draco, then back at Snape.
"Severus, your student has returned, I suggest you go tend to that affair, rather than stand here and not be of help," McGonagall said harshly.
Snape didn't respond, but turned around and walked briskly over to Draco, who was still seated on the bed at Ginnys feet.
Draco looked up into the pale face of his house leader, and for the first time in his life he felt some fear looking into those glinting, black eyes.
Draco had always been Snapes favorite student, and they had understood each other. But now Draco almost trembled under the gaze that he used to be so accustomed to.
What if Snape sensed that he, Draco, had changed? What if he could tell that he had lost some of his pride that had been so favored in the members of the Slytherin house? What if Snape thought he had grown softer because he had befriended the Weasleys? What if he told his father about it?!
"Good day, Draco," Snape said silkily, looking down at the boy, "It is good to have you back in the castle where you belong."
"Yes sir, it is," Draco said, struggling not to stammer.
"I can only imagine the horror of what you had to go through," Snape went on, casting a nasty look at Ginny, who remained unconscious.
"Y-yes, Sir," Draco said rigidly.
"To think that the Dark Lord is after you, Mr. Malfoy," Snape said evenly, not even bothering to handle the subject with care, "You and Weasley over there," he finished with a sneer, looking at Ginny.
"Yes, it's quite odd," Draco mumbled, suddenly wishing he could switch places with Ginny and be the unconscious one so he wouldn't have to continue this conversation. He could feel where it was leading, and he didn't like it.
"Quite odd indeed, that the Dark Lord would seek use of such a pair of lives. One of good status and one of, well, less worthiness should we say?" he finished with a slippery grin.
Draco noticed that he was speaking softly enough so the adults near the end of the room standing over Charlie couldn't hear him, but just audible enough that Fred and George could. With a sideways glance, Draco could see the increasing fury building up inside them as they listened to Snapes voice.
Without waiting for Draco to say anything, Snape went on. "I trust that you did not let little Miss Weasley tell you what to do, Draco? I trust that you showed her who is boss when things are at such high stakes."
Dracos mouth fell open in disbelief. How could anyone worry about a thing like that with so much going on? He glanced over at Fred and George, who were both staring hard at him, their eyes almost pleading. Draco gulped. He knew what he had to do.
"I'm sorry Sir?" He said quietly, hoping to distract Snape from the direction that he was leading the conversation.
"I said," Snape repeated more loudly, but still not loud enough to draw looks from the other teachers, "You did not let that little red-headed brat get the better of you, correct?"
Draco opened his mouth, and then a soft voice came from behind him.
"What?" Ginny asked quietly, tears swelling up in her eyes.
"Ginny," Draco began, hating the pure hurt that had come over her face. But Snape laid a firm hand on Dracos shoulder, silencing him.
"Be quiet, Miss Weasley," Snape hissed menacingly, "Weak little girls have no place in the conversation of her superiors. Am I right, Draco?" Snape said, pulling Draco towards him and looking him hard in the eye.
"Well…" Draco said softly, hesitating.
Snape suddenly let go of him, and cast him a suspicious look. "Mr. Malfoy, what is wrong with you?" he whispered dangerously. Surely you have not let the Weasleys influence your once reasonable judgment?"
"Well…" Dracos eyes darted from the tear streaked face and hurt eyes to the twins, who were both looking at him in a confused, pleading way.
"Perhaps we should take this matter up with your father?" Snape suggested smoothly, raising his eyebrows.
Dracos eyes shot open and his head snapped towards Snape. His father…no, his father must not suspect a thing.
"No Professor, there is no need to get my father involved," Draco said quickly.
"Then you have not changed?" Snape said, still looking suspecting, "You have not let this riffraff cloud your mind?"
And without taking his eyes off Ginny, Draco answered. "No, professor, I haven't. My judgment has remained unaltered, even within the company of people like the Weasleys."
Draco couldn't bear to look at the faces of the Weasleys after the words escaped his lips. He could just imagine Ginnys big, brown eyes bright with tears, her soft red lips quivering as she struggled to hold back her disappointment and anger. The twins would be looking furious, their hands clenched into fists, their anger beyond words.
Snape however, seemed fully satisfied with Dracos answer, and with a nasty smirk pulled him off of Ginnys bed and began to lead him away to another part of the hospital wing.
Draco let himself be pulled along. And as his heart sank a little more with each step, the seriousness of what he had just done began to sink in.