Chessie – Yay! Another chapter conquered! Thanks for the spectacular beta and support! :D
Ferret Boy and Pamela – Just to let you guys know, a few things/scenes in this chapter will seem awfully familiar. c.c Hope you guys don't mind that I borrowed them.
xkaren03x – First off, thanks for the awesome review! It made me smile all day long. Sorry that the chapter was confusing, but I was trying to make Narcissa's appearance a surprise. And, I love long reviews…so no worries!!
nunce – Sorry for begin so tricksy. So glad that you think that they're not ready for dating yet! They've got a lot of issues to iron out first. ;)
liquid mercury – Thanks for the review. So happy to learn there are more D/C fans out there. Yay!
Ferret Boy – Draco may still love her, but it's gonna take a lot more than love to help these two get together. You gotta love the angst and the turmoil.
Ophelia Winters – I have a confession to make…that part about the grandchildren was supposed to be funny…so don't feel guilty about laughing. I wanted to make Narcissa like any other mother would be. And Lucius…one word…YUMMY! Especially when portrayed by the HOT Jason Isaacs. Yes, I know, I'm weird. Thanks so much for the continued support. :)
EmmeralCho – Hey, thanks for being honest about thinking they were on a date. And thanks for the great review. :)
dusty.wings – Narcissa is definitely on Cho's side in this fic. Draco would like you to think that he's a meanie…and he is…but there's more to him than that. Thank Merlin for that!
The Teenage Angst Brigade – You always give me such enthusiastic reviews. They mean so much…thanks! I was really concerned whether the characterization of Narcissa would be believable. She does seem like she would be a good mummy to Draco, doesn't she? By the way, glad to have you back. ;)
Cho Malfoy – Hey, thanks for being honest. But, keep thinking positively. Even if it kills me, these two will get together somehow, some way! And don't apologize for reviewing late either! A late review is always better than no review, in my book. :D
Disclaimer – I don't own anything except for this silly Post-Hogwarts plot. This goes for Chapter 6 also, which was devoid of any disclaimer…bad Eddie Munster!
Chapter 7 – Do You Still Remember?
Cho peered out of the large window and fixed her gaze upon the clear blue sky just above. At one time in her life, Cho could have called the sky a second home. It was beckoning her now. Inviting her to come visit. She thought back to the last time she had visited the sky. It had been a while. A few years ago maybe. She had just gotten back to England after finishing her training at the foreign mediwitch school. Harry had made the suggestion and she readily accepted. She hadn't realized how much she had missed her friend, her broom, and the sky until that moment. She and Harry caught up on lost time. And for that moment, it seemed as though Harry was able to escape all the weight and burden of everyone's unreasonable expectations. Cho couldn't help but think that Harry also thought of the sky as a second home. She wondered if Draco ever felt that way about the sky.
Cho closed her eyes and inwardly scolded herself. Why? Why did her mind keep doing that? Why did it always bring Draco up? Ever since he had confessed that he had loved her and still loved her, the frequency of him being brought to the forefront of her mind increased each day.
Upset that her happy memory with Harry had been disrupted by Draco, Cho turned around and took in the sizeable quarters of her confinement. Being locked up in his room didn't help matters much. Everything about it reminded her of him.
She wanted to be free of all these reminders. She wanted to be free so desperately that Cho had even been on the verge of asking Draco to move her back down to the cold dungeons. She would even promise to be good and continue to eat.
But, what if he did move her down into the dungeons? That would mean no more visits with Narcissa. Even though Narcissa had made a remarkable recovery, Cho firmly believed that Narcissa still needed her help as much as she needed Narcissa's in return. Could she really forgo her sessions with Narcissa just to run away from Draco? Cho had decided that the answer to this question was 'no.'
Resigned to wait out her imprisonment in such horrid conditions, she walked over to the oversized chair to rest her feet. On her way over, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She was amazed at her own remarkable recovery. Her hair was healthier, no longer stringy and lifeless. Her eyes were no longer masked with dark circles. A healthy glow now emanated from her cheeks. And although her large mediwitch garb overwhelmed her small body, she could tell that she was beginning to regain some of the muscle and fat lost from recent months.
Surprisingly enough, Draco had never questioned her on her sudden decision to stop starving herself to death to save Harry. He hadn't changed, Cho thought with some irritation. Draco had never bothered to pry into her business. He never asked her of her childhood, of her family, of her likes, or of her dislikes. She, on the other hand, asked Draco questions every chance she got. She attributed this to her inquisitive nature. Draco, of course, attributed the constant interrogation to her being terribly nosy.
Cho sighed as her eyes made another pass around the room. Somehow, Draco had regained his stronghold at the forefront of her mind. She had to try again. She had to force her mind to think of other things. Cho decided to give the sky another try and moved over to the window.
She could see the wide expanse of the clear blue sky. Harry was clad in his crimson red Quidditch uniform. She was in her own royal blue. Harry sat atop his latest broom and she gripped her beloved Comet 260. A temperamental Golden Snitch zoomed by and effortlessly managed to elude their eager grasps. Light jovial laughter filled the air. Good-humored banter bounced back and forth between good friends. Harry entered a thrilling dive only to be followed by a daring air somersault of her own that she had perfected during her years on the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
"Chang!" an impatient voice interrupted her daydream.
Cho spun around at the curt voice and saw Madame Hinze. Her pursed lips indicated that this was not a friendly visit. But then again, she never received friendly visits from Madame Hinze.
"You are to come with me. Since you are now healthy enough, you are to help me with my duties. Don't think that I want or need your help. I only do this because he has owled me, ordering me to fetch you."
Duties? He? She wanted to ask so many questions, but knew better than to ask Madame Hinze for she never gave any answers. All Cho got were terse vague responses that barely answered her questions. Although she had no doubt that Draco was irritated with her questions, he at least attempted to humor her and answer them as he saw fit. For Merlin's sake…her mind managed to bring Draco up needlessly again.
Madame Hinze's voice cut through her thoughts again, "Come with me now."
Cho nodded her head and followed the old woman out of Draco's room.
************
After being briskly led down to the first floor and to the far west wing of the Manor by Madame Hinze, Cho found herself standing in a room large enough to hold at least two or three Great Halls of Hogwarts. Cho couldn't help but stare in awe and wonder at her surroundings. The large room had perhaps been a lavish hall of sorts, magnificent enough in size and opulent enough in decor to hold a ball or gala of thousands. However, instead of elaborately donned socialites circulating and mingling amongst each other, hundreds of patients and casualties with various ailments now occupied the room. Death Eaters as far as the eye could see.
It initially shocked her to see so many unmasked Death Eaters. It was a well known fact that Death Eaters, whenever congregated in such throngs, hid their identities for fear of recognition and later retribution should anything go amiss. But then she remembered the grim day Harry had made the fact known that the Dark side and its Death Eaters would no longer be able to hide like cowards under their hoods.
Voldemort himself had decreed that each of his Death Eaters unveil themselves. Voldemort thought such an act would prove their eternal loyalty to himself and to the Dark side. To many, the unveiled identities symbolized much more than that. It symbolized a war that was to be fought to the death…whether it be Harry or Voldemort's. And the demise of the leader would be followed by the demise of all his supporters. The Ultimate War it would come to be known to future generations.
Cho saw their faces now. To her immense relief, she barely recognized any of them. A few faces seemed familiar, but only faintly and only because they were faces she would pass by in the halls of Hogwarts.
Some were sleeping. Some were awake staring blankly before them. Some were wailing with excruciating pain. The scene was not unfamiliar to her for she had seen such images on the Light side. As she looked at each face, she could imagine the heart-breaking story that each could tell of their pain. Almost immediately, her compassionate nature evoked feelings of empathy for these men and women.
However much she wanted to reach out to these men and women, there was something that held her back. All these men and women around her were proponents of Voldemort. Wouldn't she be betraying all those on the Light side if she helped prolong the lives of these Death Eaters? She didn't think that she could really help any one of them even if she was ordered to do so. Her emotions and loyalty to the Light side twisted her normally sympathetic and caring nature and instead of wanting to help those around her, she wanted to just leave them all to die. Didn't they deserve it? Didn't they deserve to perish for choosing to fight for the wrong side? For choosing to support a vicious monster?
"Come Chang! I didn't bring you down here so that you could stand and gawk. Come help me with this one. He is a serious one and needs immediate attention," snapped Madame Hinze.
Cho mechanically made her way over to Madame Hinze. She looked down at the man moaning in obvious physical pain. There was no blood that Cho could see, but then in the wizarding world, curses and spells hardly ever spilt blood. She could see the pain in his eyes, but she couldn't make herself do anything to assuage the pain. Madame Hinze was working feverishly, but it was apparent that even her ministrations were not helping. In a matter of only moments, the Death Eater had died.
Madame Hinze turned angry cold eyes onto Cho, "Why didn't you do anything? Why did you just stand there?"
Cho just stared at the old woman. Her face was expressionless. Cho felt neither happiness nor sadness. It was as if the death she had just witnessed had not happened. This fact bothered Cho more than she wanted to admit.
"I told him that you were just a damsel in distress. That you would be too stubborn and unwilling to help the Dark side. But, he wouldn't listen to me. He told me of your good heart…that you would help anyone…even if they were on the Dark side. How gravely wrong he was," the old woman spat spitefully.
Madame Hinze's words ignited something within Cho and she replied angrily, "You are right. I don't want to help these people. In fact, they could all die for all I care. Whoever this person is who told you of my heart was wrong."
Just then an emotional cry hit Cho's ears, "Cho? Is that you? Cho!?"
Cho reluctantly broke her defiant stare with Madame Hinze and turned to locate the voice. Who could possibly know her? As far as she was concerned, the only Death Eater that knew her was Draco, and he would never call for her in that manner. When she finally located the owner of the voice, she was shocked to find that it was a fellow Ravenclaw.
"Roger? Davies? What are you doing here?"
Lying down on a cot before her was her old Quidditch captain. He didn't seem to be in as much pain as the others and she oddly felt thankful for that. He must have been one of the patients who had been resting.
"Cho Chang! I thought the voice sounded familiar," Roger cried out with a grin, obviously happy to see Cho. "I could ask the same of you. You were one I would never guess to see here. Last I heard you were a mediwitch on the Light side. It doesn't matter though. We all have our reasons. What matters is that you've seen the error of your ways and have decided to come fight with us. You have no idea how good it is to see your pretty face here, Cho. Such a friendly face too."
Cho couldn't believe her ears. Roger was still the same. He had always been so gregarious. He spoke so much and so fast that it was rather difficult to get a word in edgewise. In fact, the only thing he did better than carrying on a conversation was playing Quidditch. A combination of the two had even helped Roger secure his bid for captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.
Unlike Roger, Cho wanted to know why he had chosen the Dark side. She had always thought that Roger would side with Harry and Dumbledore. She would have never imagined him to side with such evil and cruelty. But, since Roger had respected her reasons and had not pressed her on why she had 'chosen' the Dark side, she decided that it be best if she respected his reasons too.
"It's good to see you too, Roger, though I wish it were under different circumstances," Cho smiled uneasily. "Are you in any pain? Do you need anything?"
If it had been any other Death Eater, Cho would have burst their bubble without a further thought. But it wasn't just any other Death Eater…Roger Davies was a fellow housemate, a fellow teammate, a friend. She didn't have the heart to burst his bubble.
"No, I'm okay for now. Madame Hinze just gave me something not too long ago. Just stay here and talk to me for a bit…get my mind off of this depressing room. I know that you must have tons of others to look after, but indulge me, will you?"
He had asked so kindly that she couldn't refuse. Besides, even though she was willing to help this one Death Eater didn't necessarily mean she was willing to help any other. She pulled a nearby stool to his side and took a seat. For some reason, she didn't feel the apathy and the disgust she felt just moments before and Cho's uneasy smile became warmer.
After a few minutes into their conversation, Cho
happened a glance around the room to survey the others. Out of the corner
of her eye, she saw a head of blond hair…unmistakable slicked-back white-blond
hair. However much she told herself to avert her eyes, she
couldn't. Draco was sitting beside a cot, talking intently to the Death
Eater that occupied it. His eyes displayed their usual coldness and
contempt. She then noticed that he was protectively holding his arm in
front of him
"Cho?"
Cho quickly broke her gaze, slightly embarrassed that she had been caught not giving Roger her full, undivided attention.
"Yes?" she replied sheepishly.
"I asked you whether you missed our Quidditch days?" repeated a slightly exasperated, but still friendly, Roger.
"Oh! Of course I do…in fact, I was just thinking about it before I came down here," Cho answered honestly.
Roger then launched into all of the victories and defeats Ravenclaw had while he had been captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Cho, on the other hand, couldn't help but think about Draco. It wasn't as though she didn't find Roger interesting. She just happened to find more interest in Draco's arm at the current moment. She cautiously cast a glance back at the blond Death Eater.
Draco was still sitting there, now talking irately at the poor Death Eater…wait a second…did she just refer to the Death Eater as poor? Well, she had many times been on the receiving end of Draco's nasty sneers and angry words so she could very well sympathize, she reasoned to herself.
She looked at Draco again. His arm was still cradled in the other. Only when he momentarily winced from pain did she know for sure that his arm must have been hurt in some way. Why did he just sit there? Why didn't he get one of the mediwitches to take a look at his arm? She glanced over to Madame Hinze and saw her busily tending to yet another Death Eater.
Roger broke her thoughts again, "So, do you ever go flying?"
"Um, not really. The last time I did was when I finished my mediwitch schooling. Har…Harriet… a friend of mine from mediwitch school came out with me. I never realized how much I missed it until I was up there on my broom. Um…how about you? Have you gone recently?" Cho asked Roger, hoping that he would carry on again. He did.
Cho chanced another glance at Draco. He was still sitting there, not tending to his arm. She decided to do something. "Um…Roger… sorry to interrupt, but could you excuse me for a minute? I'll be right back," Cho promised.
Before Roger could respond, Cho had made her way over to Madame Hinze. She softly tapped the old mediwitch on her shoulder and whispered, "As the head mediwitch, don't you think you should tend to one of the head Death Eaters?" She desperately hoped that she had come across as casual. Cho pointed to Draco and continued, "He looks to be in quite a bit of pain. It seems to be his left arm."
"Him? Draco Malfoy?" Cho nodded in the affirmative. "I don't go to him. He comes to me when he is ready. He prefers it that way." Madame Hinze stated in a matter of fact tone.
Cho felt a bit annoyed at Madame Hinze's indifferent attitude towards Draco. And to make matters worse, Madame Hinze's next statement revealed just how obviously annoyed Cho was with the situation. "If you're that worried about his left arm, maybe you should be proactive and tend to him yourself. I'm almost certain that he'll respond more favorably to your ministrations than to mine," the old mediwitch finished with a meaningful smirk.
Not liking the tone or insinuations of Madame Hinze's statement, Cho bit back somewhat harshly, "And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Don't sound like you don't know what I'm getting at. He was the one that spoke of your good heart. He was the one that ordered me to fetch you. He surrendered his room for you. He ordered me to lace your food and tea with a health-improving tonic." Cho's face began to pale after learning that Draco had tampered with her food. "Honestly, who could survive on just tea alone for weeks on end? And did you really think that your expedited recovery was solely due to the food itself? Foolish girl. Of what I've observed and know of Draco Malfoy, he is an unkind heartless man much like his father was before him. But it seems as though he does in fact happen to have a heart when it comes to you."
Upset at having a stranger analyze and apprise her of Draco's feelings toward herself, Cho decided to not entertain Madame Hinze's insinuations and replied resolutely, "That is not my problem. And…I have no intention of tending to him."
"So, you're in denial too. Very well, as I said before, he will come to me when he is ready," Madame Hinze concluded their exchange with some amusement in her voice. She swiftly turned her attentions back to the Death Eater by her side.
Cho stared daggers into the old woman's back before she returned to Roger's side. What did the old woman know? Nothing…absolutely nothing. There was no denial on Cho's part. She knew exactly how she felt about Draco. Hate and loathing…just as she had told Narcissa. But, these repeated affirmations didn't help Cho fight the heat that came to her cheeks when Madame Hinze had spoken of Draco's heart.
When Cho reached Roger, she forced a smile and sat back down on the stool. "So…tell me. What curse or spell befell you to put you in such a state?" Cho asked wanting to change the subject from Quidditch.
Roger started to answer and Cho sincerely tried to take interest in what he was saying. But, she found herself looking in Draco's direction yet again. He hadn't moved an inch. He was so stubborn. Suddenly, Cho's ears then caught a part of what Roger was saying.
"I'm sorry, Roger. Who did you say cast the curse on you?" Cho asked slowly.
"It was that damn Scarhead Potter. That damn leader of theirs," Roger scowled.
At the mention of Harry's name, Cho immediately abandoned all her concerns about Draco and focused her full attention on Roger.
"That git came from behind and cursed me. He didn't even give me a second glance," bitterness tainting Roger's tone.
Cho couldn't believe her ears. This was the first news of Harry since she had been taken prisoner. She wanted to press Roger for more information, but didn't want him to become suspicious. She tried to sound relaxed, "You saw him then? Does he look the same?"
"Yeah, the same. The same glasses, unkempt hair, ugly scar, and the same cursed determination in those blasted green eyes of his." Cho felt somewhat relieved that Harry sounded the same and was doing all right, but then Roger continued, "But his eyes…his eyes seemed to be set with such a vengeance. Like the kind of vengeance one would want for the death of a loved one. You'd think that his wife and kids had been murdered or something. As if the sentimental bloody git had any. Who would be stupid enough to get involved with him, much less marry him, when he's so cursed?"
Cho had heard enough. Roger's words were too hard for her to hear and she made another hasty excuse to leave, but this time she didn't have any intention of returning.
Thoughts of Harry kept running through her mind. Vengeance one would want for the death of a loved one. Did someone close to Harry die? Was it Hermione? Ron? Dumbledore? Sirius? Cho didn't even want to consider her next thought, but what if Harry was made to believe that she was the one who had died? It had been months since they had any form of contact and yet there had been no attempt to come rescue her. It made sense now. He would have come by now if he had reason to believe that there was still someone to save.
Cho should have been happy at this sudden revelation. Hadn't she wanted to die just so that Harry wouldn't come for her and fall into Voldemort's hands? But, Cho wasn't happy. She shot a look over at Draco. Even though Draco wanted her alive to lure in Harry, it didn't mean that he wasn't above making Harry think otherwise in the meantime. What better way to cause unnecessary pain and distress for a hated rival when said rival didn't know any better? And for this evil malicious act only Draco could be responsible for, Cho was not happy.
Resolved in confronting the blond Death Eater about her new revelation concerning Harry, Cho headed over to the supply cabinet and pulled a simple healing salve and some clean bandages. She then determinedly made her way over to Draco. Her eyes looked around nervously, but no one seemed to heed her.
When she found herself standing behind Draco, she began to have second thoughts. He hadn't taken notice of her yet. He was too engrossed in his scolding. She almost wanted to turn around and leave. But, her curiosity about Harry got the better of her and before she knew it, words had left her mouth, "I…I noticed that your arm was hurt. Would you like me to take a look at it?"
Her words ceased Draco's scolding instantly. The poor Death Eater on the cot stared up at Cho, his expression reflecting amazement at her boldness. Cho ignored the stare, but couldn't ignore the fact that Draco had yet to turn around to address her. These few moments seemed like an eternity to her as she dumbly stood there waiting for Draco's response. It finally came.
Draco turned his head slowly and said icily, "I will have it looked at when I am ready to have it looked at. Didn't Madame Hinze apprise you of the protocol in approaching superiors?"
This was the precise reason why Cho had wanted to retreat earlier. His cold unfeeling words wounded her. But for some foolish reason, she pressed on, "She did. However, I would strongly suggest that you allow me to take a look at your arm. Besides, it should only take a few minutes. You can continue your conversation then."
Draco's gray eyes then narrowed dangerously and he retorted, "You strongly suggest? Who are you to strongly suggest? Who are you to grant me permission to continue this conversation when you see fit?"
Instead of feeling cowed by Draco's sarcastic demeaning words, Cho felt an anger build within her and she replied determinedly but coolly, "As a fully certified mediwitch, I strongly suggest that you allow me to take a look at your arm. It is a medical opinion. Nothing else."
In the blink of an eye, Cho found her arm being seized by Draco's good one and was being pushed out into a nearby vacant corridor. Unlike before, she could now feel many sets of eyes staring at herself and Draco and the scene they were unwittingly creating.
Once they had reached the vacant corridor, Draco let go of Cho's arm only to lean in dangerously close and began to lash out, "Don't you ever do that again! I will not tolerate your impudence. Don't you ever tell me what I need to do or when I need to do it in front of them like that ever again! You are here under my orders. And I expect my orders to be followed without objection. Understand?"
"And you have a lot of nerve, Draco Malfoy. I am a prisoner in case you've forgotten. I am not some paid servant or slave. If you thought you could just boss and order me around to help prolong the worthless lives of those bloody Death Eaters, you thought wrong. Go find some other spineless individual like Madame Hinze to do your bidding. I won't do it!"
Cho then pushed with all her might against Draco's chest to get him as far away from her as possible. The moment her hands applied pressure against Draco's chest, he winced again. She immediately regretted pushing him.
"Your arm! Let me take a look at it," Cho said quickly, the furious eyes replaced by concerned ones. When Draco made a move to back away, Cho softened her approach with him, "Draco, I'm sorry I pushed you. Please, let me take a look at it."
"Don't worry about it. I'll have Madame Hinze look at it later."
"Draco, don't be like that. I'm here right now. I can mend it." She held up the salve and the bandages to help convince him. She then made a move to take a hold of his left arm. Surprisingly, he didn't resist.
"It's not my arm that's injured."
"But I saw you cradling your left arm."
"I was cradling my left abdomen."
"Oh."
Cho didn't seem so eager to help him now. Tending to his injury now meant she would have to see him without his shirt on. She wasn't sure that such a compromising position would lend to her efforts in trying to forget him and his confession.
But she was being silly. She was a professional wasn't she? And it wasn't as though this would be the first time she would see him like this. She just had to make sure she didn't look into his eyes. She could do this.
"That's fine then. If you would just take off your robe and unbutton your shirt, I can take a look at your wound," Cho said evenly trying to avoid eye contact.
Not another word was spoken before Draco began to reach for his robe fastenings. Cho politely turned herself around.
"I appreciate the privacy, but it's pointless isn't it?" Draco reverted to his bored drawl.
Cho turned to face him acknowledging that he was right. Unwilling to look into his eyes, her eyes set themselves on Draco's hands. She noticed that Draco had already unbuttoned his shirt halfway and was now staring at his chest. It was the same smooth pale skin she remembered. It was pulled tautly over the firm muscle underneath. The unwelcome heat had made an appearance again and Cho tried to quell it by stoically beginning to explain her examination.
"I just need to feel around to ascertain whether anything's broken or if it's just a superficial injury."
Cho waited for Draco to respond, but nothing came. She hesitantly shifted her eyes up to his face. What she saw immediately made her cast her eyes down again. It was a strange expression that she couldn't read. All she knew was that it made her uncomfortable.
Cho then lifted her hands and lightly pressed her fingers into Draco's left abdomen. From what she could see, his pale skin had already colored a nice purple. Since she had yet elicited any sounds of pain, she decided to apply more pressure to make sure that his bones were still intact. When she did this, Draco finally reacted. However, instead of the expected sharp intake of breath or flinch from pain, Draco said, "Do you still remember that incident with the bludger?"
"Yes, I do," Cho said softly under her breath after a few moments. Up till now, Cho had purposely tried to avoid that memory along with many others. But that didn't change the fact that she still remembered.
Cho started to apply the healing salve when it was obvious bones were not broken. She made special care to massage it in thoroughly and evenly. In a matter of moments, the purple gave way to the original pale color. When she made a move to withdraw her hands, Draco grabbed them and held onto them firmly.
Surprised by the sudden assault, Cho looked up at Draco. The icy unreadable expression was gone. An intent expression was now in its place and his gray eyes seemed to implore her.
"I remember too…as if it were yesterday," he said quietly almost nostalgically.
Draco then began to lower his face to hers. Cho didn't know what to do. Admittedly, the heat in her cheeks never left, but she had also vowed never to get involved with Draco ever again. But as Draco came closer Cho unconsciously began to close her eyes, waiting for Draco's lips to meet hers. His nearness and his being mesmerized her. She could feel his warm breath on her and she took it in invitingly. She could feel her legs begin to give and was grateful that he was holding onto her, supporting her.
"Malfoy, sir!"
The voice brought Cho back to reality with full force and she opened her eyes. She immediately turned her head so that the interrupting Death Eater could not see her face. How had she allowed Draco to seduce her like that? Was she so weak when it came to him?
"Yes?" Draco drawled. Draco didn't sound disappointed that they had been interrupted. In fact, he sounded relieved. Maybe he was feeling the same thing she was…that they were about to make a big mistake and Fate had wisely decided to step in and stop them.
"I wasn't sure where you were. It's a good thing that so many saw you drag her in here."
At those words, Draco's reality seemed to come crashing back and he unleashed his hold of Cho as if she were a boiling cauldron. This simple action made her sad, but she didn't want to admit it.
"Never mind that. What is it?" Draco drawled impatiently.
"We've just received word. It is what we've been waiting for. The Dark Lord will be most pleased."
"I understand," Draco then took a moment to regard Cho before continuing, "Gather everyone into the study. I will be there shortly."
"Yes sir."
Cho focused on the retreating footsteps until they faded and she and Draco were again left in silence.
"I must leave. I trust that you will be able to find your way back to Madame Hinze. And if I get word that you do not fully cooperate with Madame Hinze's orders, believe me, I am prepared and willing to do far worse than drag you into an empty corridor," Draco threatened.
This was all said while he buttoned up his shirt and picked up his discarded robe. No other words or explanations were offered. His cold countenance had fully returned. It was as if the imploring and desire Cho saw in his eyes never existed.
How did she allow herself to get so close to Draco in the first place? She distinctly recalled telling Madame Hinze that she had no intention of tending to Draco. Then it hit her. Harry. Somehow, Draco had bested Harry again for her attention and Draco didn't even realize he was doing it.
Upset at herself for being so weak, Cho sighed and picked up the salve and the unused bandages and turned to find her way back to Madame Hinze. She no longer wanted to be alone in the corridor with her thoughts of Draco Malfoy.
A/N: Someone can't get another someone off her mind, can she? Can't blame her though…I mean, would you be able to if you were in her shoes? Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! If you read and liked it, please remember to review. Thanks! :D