Ah, if only Albus could have sent the hideous behavior of his favourite
Gryffindor boys... *sigh* the world is such an unfair place!
32
Draco shuddered back into existence with the most terrible taste in his mouth. Opening his eyes in the darkness, he looked around wildly for a moment, uncertain of his surroundings. No luxurious bed curtains, he could tell by feel that his usual velvet bedspread was missing, and sitting up he saw the torch in the far corner of the room.
"The infirmary?" he asked himself aloud, taking a hand to rub his sleep filled eyes. He felt really tired, and there was a dull ache in his guts, but he otherwise couldn't remember what might have brought him here. He sat there in stunned silence for a moment, and then swung his legs off the edge of the bed, going on a hunt for the nearest bathroom or sink where he could rinse out his mouth. Grabbing a dressing gown from the foot of the bed, his feet hit the cold floor with a sudden sharp intake of breath.
"Damn!"
"Might I suggest, yet again, that you watch your mouth Mr. Malfoy" Madame Pomfrey had appeared at his side and motioned for the boy to sit back down on the bed.
His steel eyes narrowed "What am I doing here?"
"Don't you remember? You illegally transported us to that Muggle hospital yesterday to 'rescue' Professor Snape yesterday. How could you forget a thing like that? I have no clue how you arrived back on the Hogwarts grounds, fortunately Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley kindly brought you up so that I could take care of you."
Something in the back of Draco's mind connected and he stood up sharply again. "Cassandra, where is she? Is she still.. Alright?"
"Miss Caliga is continuing a slow recovery. She is yet to regain consciousness, but her eyelids have been moving and her heart rate is stronger now. We need our potions master back to create the anti-serum to the poisons she was given. The stuff the ministry gave me is inferior, to say the least. It will have to do until Professor Snape is healed and fully recovered, it will simply have to do"
A Pained expression crossed Draco's face as he glanced over at the curtained bed across the room. "And, how is Professor Snape?"
"Doing better than when I initially brought him in. He has been grievously injured and I do not know what he will be like when he emerges from the coma. I can only continue to heal the fractures and bruises, and have been working on the blood vessels in and around his brain. The rest is not in our hands. "
"Bloody hell! Was it my father's idiot friends and 'master' that did this to him? Because if that's the case, and they attacked Professor Snape AND Cassandra, I'll kill them all, starting with dear old Dad."
Madame Pomfrey stared at him for a moment, shocked at the boy's violent outburst. It now became clear that she had misjudged the boy these last five years, and a twinge of guilt bit at her for past arrogant treatment towards the boy. Remembering how badly shattered his forearm had been at the beginning of January, she put the pieces together and silently agreed with the boy that his father had it coming to him.
"Draco, this is not the work of magic, neither light nor dark. What happened to your professor is simply massive physical injury, and I can only do my best and allow the hands of time to heal along my side. This was not an intentional attack by any wizard, at least not directly."
"Well, can I please see him. I would like to speak with him, although I know he won't be able to understand me. I would really like to see Cassandra as well. I want to hold her hand." He added a bit shyly.
"Fine then, but only after you take a Pepper-up and stomach settlers. You have been very sick yourself, and must stay here for at least two more days until your stomach lining is healed. Nearly tore it to shreds you were vomiting so badly when Potter and Weasley so kindly brought you in."
"Yes, how kind of them." There was malice in Draco's voice as a grainy image of him looking up from the ground and seeing the trio approach.. Then he had blacked out again, and had heard a curse being muttered and felt the sharp pang of a kick well-aimed. "Indeed."
Madame Pomfrey's eyebrows shot up, and in that moment Draco realized how much he had become alike the ailing Potions Master. Walking to the far corner of the infirmary, she drew back the curtain to reveal a very grey Cassandra, the only sound in the room being the rasp of her shallow breathing. A one-eyed cat lay at her shoulder, and jumped up to greet Draco.
"Hello, Wisp. Good to see you again." The cat purred as it entwined himself around Draco's neck. "Hope you've been taking care of her."
The cat merely drooled on his shoulder in response, and then jumped back down to the bed and gave Cassandra a rough lick on the cheek, and then mewled loudly in her ear. Draco reached down to swat the brat away, and received a sharp scratch for his efforts. Jerking his hand back, he watched as the cat repeated his earlier performance more insistently. The mewling reached a full blown howl. Cassandra turned her head slightly, and the girl raised her hand to brush the errant kitten away.
"My lords, Cassie!" Draco cried out, throwing himself down to embrace her and bringing Madam Pomfrey running from her chambers.
32
Draco shuddered back into existence with the most terrible taste in his mouth. Opening his eyes in the darkness, he looked around wildly for a moment, uncertain of his surroundings. No luxurious bed curtains, he could tell by feel that his usual velvet bedspread was missing, and sitting up he saw the torch in the far corner of the room.
"The infirmary?" he asked himself aloud, taking a hand to rub his sleep filled eyes. He felt really tired, and there was a dull ache in his guts, but he otherwise couldn't remember what might have brought him here. He sat there in stunned silence for a moment, and then swung his legs off the edge of the bed, going on a hunt for the nearest bathroom or sink where he could rinse out his mouth. Grabbing a dressing gown from the foot of the bed, his feet hit the cold floor with a sudden sharp intake of breath.
"Damn!"
"Might I suggest, yet again, that you watch your mouth Mr. Malfoy" Madame Pomfrey had appeared at his side and motioned for the boy to sit back down on the bed.
His steel eyes narrowed "What am I doing here?"
"Don't you remember? You illegally transported us to that Muggle hospital yesterday to 'rescue' Professor Snape yesterday. How could you forget a thing like that? I have no clue how you arrived back on the Hogwarts grounds, fortunately Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley kindly brought you up so that I could take care of you."
Something in the back of Draco's mind connected and he stood up sharply again. "Cassandra, where is she? Is she still.. Alright?"
"Miss Caliga is continuing a slow recovery. She is yet to regain consciousness, but her eyelids have been moving and her heart rate is stronger now. We need our potions master back to create the anti-serum to the poisons she was given. The stuff the ministry gave me is inferior, to say the least. It will have to do until Professor Snape is healed and fully recovered, it will simply have to do"
A Pained expression crossed Draco's face as he glanced over at the curtained bed across the room. "And, how is Professor Snape?"
"Doing better than when I initially brought him in. He has been grievously injured and I do not know what he will be like when he emerges from the coma. I can only continue to heal the fractures and bruises, and have been working on the blood vessels in and around his brain. The rest is not in our hands. "
"Bloody hell! Was it my father's idiot friends and 'master' that did this to him? Because if that's the case, and they attacked Professor Snape AND Cassandra, I'll kill them all, starting with dear old Dad."
Madame Pomfrey stared at him for a moment, shocked at the boy's violent outburst. It now became clear that she had misjudged the boy these last five years, and a twinge of guilt bit at her for past arrogant treatment towards the boy. Remembering how badly shattered his forearm had been at the beginning of January, she put the pieces together and silently agreed with the boy that his father had it coming to him.
"Draco, this is not the work of magic, neither light nor dark. What happened to your professor is simply massive physical injury, and I can only do my best and allow the hands of time to heal along my side. This was not an intentional attack by any wizard, at least not directly."
"Well, can I please see him. I would like to speak with him, although I know he won't be able to understand me. I would really like to see Cassandra as well. I want to hold her hand." He added a bit shyly.
"Fine then, but only after you take a Pepper-up and stomach settlers. You have been very sick yourself, and must stay here for at least two more days until your stomach lining is healed. Nearly tore it to shreds you were vomiting so badly when Potter and Weasley so kindly brought you in."
"Yes, how kind of them." There was malice in Draco's voice as a grainy image of him looking up from the ground and seeing the trio approach.. Then he had blacked out again, and had heard a curse being muttered and felt the sharp pang of a kick well-aimed. "Indeed."
Madame Pomfrey's eyebrows shot up, and in that moment Draco realized how much he had become alike the ailing Potions Master. Walking to the far corner of the infirmary, she drew back the curtain to reveal a very grey Cassandra, the only sound in the room being the rasp of her shallow breathing. A one-eyed cat lay at her shoulder, and jumped up to greet Draco.
"Hello, Wisp. Good to see you again." The cat purred as it entwined himself around Draco's neck. "Hope you've been taking care of her."
The cat merely drooled on his shoulder in response, and then jumped back down to the bed and gave Cassandra a rough lick on the cheek, and then mewled loudly in her ear. Draco reached down to swat the brat away, and received a sharp scratch for his efforts. Jerking his hand back, he watched as the cat repeated his earlier performance more insistently. The mewling reached a full blown howl. Cassandra turned her head slightly, and the girl raised her hand to brush the errant kitten away.
"My lords, Cassie!" Draco cried out, throwing himself down to embrace her and bringing Madam Pomfrey running from her chambers.