Chapter 8: Things Will Never Be the Same
"Whose Draco?"
The very words were haunting Ginny's mind, as she watched Draco's chest rise and fall with every breath. He was sound asleep at the moment, his face peaceful. Ginny sighed, wishing to see this side of Draco more often. But she quickly put the thought aside. "If it wasn't for me. . .he wouldn't be here in the first place." Her eyes followed the trail of bandages wrapped around his arm; inwardly wincing at the pain he was sure to feel once awake. "Oh Draco," Ginny whispered, as she brushed a few strands of his hair aside, "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"So how is Mr. Malfoy doing?" Ginny heard a familiar voice question, as she watched the Headmaster take a seat beside her, "Any reports from Madam Pomfrey?"
Ginny felt hot tears build up in her eyes, but quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. "Well," she began in a quivering voice, "He has a broken rib. . .arm. . .and. . .oh my God Professor I didn't mean for this to. . ."
"It's alright Ms. Weasley," he replied in a comforting voice, "I know it wasn't your fault that this happened, and I'm sure deep inside Mr. Malfoy feels the same way."
"But Professor. . ." Ginny interjected, as she glanced at the sleeping Draco once more, "What if he never gets his memory back. . .what if he'll stay like this forever?"
"Well Ginny, we cannot predict whether Draco will wake up tomorrow morning and have his memory back. . .or whether he will live his life not knowing what he missed," the Headmaster explained, his eyes soft with concern, "But, I am sure he will regain his memory once he is ready to accept it."
"I just hope he'll be okay."
"Oh I'm sure he will," he replied, his lips curved into a smile, "And that's where you come in Ginny." His smiled widened at her confused expression. "You, my dear, will be assisting Draco until he retains his memory back."
Her eyes widened at the prospect of her serving Draco day and night. "But. . .Professor. . .you said it yourself. . .he many never gain his memories back."
"Oh I am fully aware of that," Dumbledore spoke, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "But we cannot let you go unpunished for your this. At least I'm being allowed to let you off easy. . ." Dumbledore inwardly shivered at the other punishments Snape thought up as they brought Malfoy into the Hospital Wing. "But yes, your punishment starts once Draco is awake and ready to start school once again. And now I suggest you get some sleep Ms. Weasley."
Ginny nodded, and whispered a 'good-bye' before picking herself up and exiting the Hospital Wing. All the while thinking of what the next day would bring.
"YOU HAVE TO WHAT??" Katie and Colin screamed once they heard Ginny explain what Dumbledore said. "BUT THAT'S JUST TORTURE!!"
"You guys!" Ginny whispered, as she placed her a hand over each mouth, "You're going to wake up everyone in Gryffindor if you keep yelling like that." Ginny glanced at the two doorways to the dorms, checking to see if anyone woke up from all the screaming. Once the coast was clear, she turned to her two friends again. "Now, will you be quiet and listen to me before you start screaming again?" She watched as her two friends nodded in response. "Good."
"So. . .now you have to. . .watch Draco?" Katie whispered, her eyes wide with shock, "But. . .but. . .this has to be the worst punishment they can think off!"
"Wait though. . ." Colin interrupted, while wiping the dirt off his glasses, "Didn't Malfoy lose his memory or something?"
Katie turned to Colin, her eyes full of disbelief. "Where'd you hear something like that?" No response. "Colin!" she began to whine, as she clutched his sleeve, "Colin dammit! Stop cleaning your glasses and listen to me!"
"Katie! You're too loud!" Ginny tried to yell without waking up the whole house, "Now, Colin.who told you that??"
"So much for me being too loud," Katie grumbled, before turning her attention to Colin once again, "Colin spill."
"Alright already," Colin said, his glasses now carefully folded on his lap, "I heard it from."
"From??" the two girls cried softly, clearly annoyed with their friend's stalling.
"I heard from Ella," Colin replied quickly, catching the girls by surprise, "Happy now?"
"From Ella?" Ginny was the first to ask.Katie being too shocked to say anything, "Short Gryffindor with glasses Ella?"
"Yes. . ." Colin whispered, his gaze now fixated on the ground, "She told me when we were. . .umm. . ."
"Oh Colin!" Ginny squealed happily, as she grabbed the blushing boy into her arms, "Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?"
"Wait. . .I didn't say we were," Colin stammered, as the blush on his cheeks deepened, "Umm. . .she isn't my. . ."
"Oh my little Colin is growing up!" Ginny cooed, while holding Colin even tighter, "Now when's the wedding?"
"Ginny!" Colin laughed, as he struggled to get out of her grasps, "Katie help me out! Katie!"
"Katie?" Ginny called out, as she let go off Colin, causing him to fall to the floor with a thud. She glanced around the common room, eyes searching for any signs of her best friend. Finding none, Ginny turned to Colin, who too was surprised by her sudden disappearance.
"Where could she have gone?" Colin asked, still out of breath from Ginny's death grip.
"Hmm. . .I think I have an idea," Ginny answered, while glancing at the door that led to their dorm. "I'll go talk to her, good night Colin."
"Alright Gin," Colin replied, as he stood up from the ground, "I'll see ya tomorrow then." He slowly walked up the steps to his own dorm and slipped inside.
Once Colin was out of view, Ginny headed up to her own room, silently wondering why Katie suddenly left. And suddenly, it all hit her. "Did Katie have a crush on Colin?" she asked herself, while climbing the long flight of stairs, "But . . that's. . .impossible."
But once she spotted Katie sitting by the window, her eyes puffed slightly from crying, Ginny knew the truth. "Katie," she spoke out in a low voice, not wanting to wake the other two girls in the room. "You okay?"
"Yea," was the dull reply. Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but was beat by Katie. "Get some sleep Ginny, you had a rough day."
"But Katie. . ." Ginny said, inwardly knowing her plea fell on deaf ears.
As Ginny slipped into bed, thoughts began to swirl around in her head.thoughts about Katie and Colin.thoughts about the Quidditch game.thoughts about Draco Malfoy. She shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. "Can things get any stranger?"
"Whose Draco?"
The very words were haunting Ginny's mind, as she watched Draco's chest rise and fall with every breath. He was sound asleep at the moment, his face peaceful. Ginny sighed, wishing to see this side of Draco more often. But she quickly put the thought aside. "If it wasn't for me. . .he wouldn't be here in the first place." Her eyes followed the trail of bandages wrapped around his arm; inwardly wincing at the pain he was sure to feel once awake. "Oh Draco," Ginny whispered, as she brushed a few strands of his hair aside, "I didn't mean for this to happen."
"So how is Mr. Malfoy doing?" Ginny heard a familiar voice question, as she watched the Headmaster take a seat beside her, "Any reports from Madam Pomfrey?"
Ginny felt hot tears build up in her eyes, but quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. "Well," she began in a quivering voice, "He has a broken rib. . .arm. . .and. . .oh my God Professor I didn't mean for this to. . ."
"It's alright Ms. Weasley," he replied in a comforting voice, "I know it wasn't your fault that this happened, and I'm sure deep inside Mr. Malfoy feels the same way."
"But Professor. . ." Ginny interjected, as she glanced at the sleeping Draco once more, "What if he never gets his memory back. . .what if he'll stay like this forever?"
"Well Ginny, we cannot predict whether Draco will wake up tomorrow morning and have his memory back. . .or whether he will live his life not knowing what he missed," the Headmaster explained, his eyes soft with concern, "But, I am sure he will regain his memory once he is ready to accept it."
"I just hope he'll be okay."
"Oh I'm sure he will," he replied, his lips curved into a smile, "And that's where you come in Ginny." His smiled widened at her confused expression. "You, my dear, will be assisting Draco until he retains his memory back."
Her eyes widened at the prospect of her serving Draco day and night. "But. . .Professor. . .you said it yourself. . .he many never gain his memories back."
"Oh I am fully aware of that," Dumbledore spoke, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, "But we cannot let you go unpunished for your this. At least I'm being allowed to let you off easy. . ." Dumbledore inwardly shivered at the other punishments Snape thought up as they brought Malfoy into the Hospital Wing. "But yes, your punishment starts once Draco is awake and ready to start school once again. And now I suggest you get some sleep Ms. Weasley."
Ginny nodded, and whispered a 'good-bye' before picking herself up and exiting the Hospital Wing. All the while thinking of what the next day would bring.
"YOU HAVE TO WHAT??" Katie and Colin screamed once they heard Ginny explain what Dumbledore said. "BUT THAT'S JUST TORTURE!!"
"You guys!" Ginny whispered, as she placed her a hand over each mouth, "You're going to wake up everyone in Gryffindor if you keep yelling like that." Ginny glanced at the two doorways to the dorms, checking to see if anyone woke up from all the screaming. Once the coast was clear, she turned to her two friends again. "Now, will you be quiet and listen to me before you start screaming again?" She watched as her two friends nodded in response. "Good."
"So. . .now you have to. . .watch Draco?" Katie whispered, her eyes wide with shock, "But. . .but. . .this has to be the worst punishment they can think off!"
"Wait though. . ." Colin interrupted, while wiping the dirt off his glasses, "Didn't Malfoy lose his memory or something?"
Katie turned to Colin, her eyes full of disbelief. "Where'd you hear something like that?" No response. "Colin!" she began to whine, as she clutched his sleeve, "Colin dammit! Stop cleaning your glasses and listen to me!"
"Katie! You're too loud!" Ginny tried to yell without waking up the whole house, "Now, Colin.who told you that??"
"So much for me being too loud," Katie grumbled, before turning her attention to Colin once again, "Colin spill."
"Alright already," Colin said, his glasses now carefully folded on his lap, "I heard it from."
"From??" the two girls cried softly, clearly annoyed with their friend's stalling.
"I heard from Ella," Colin replied quickly, catching the girls by surprise, "Happy now?"
"From Ella?" Ginny was the first to ask.Katie being too shocked to say anything, "Short Gryffindor with glasses Ella?"
"Yes. . ." Colin whispered, his gaze now fixated on the ground, "She told me when we were. . .umm. . ."
"Oh Colin!" Ginny squealed happily, as she grabbed the blushing boy into her arms, "Why didn't you tell us you had a girlfriend?"
"Wait. . .I didn't say we were," Colin stammered, as the blush on his cheeks deepened, "Umm. . .she isn't my. . ."
"Oh my little Colin is growing up!" Ginny cooed, while holding Colin even tighter, "Now when's the wedding?"
"Ginny!" Colin laughed, as he struggled to get out of her grasps, "Katie help me out! Katie!"
"Katie?" Ginny called out, as she let go off Colin, causing him to fall to the floor with a thud. She glanced around the common room, eyes searching for any signs of her best friend. Finding none, Ginny turned to Colin, who too was surprised by her sudden disappearance.
"Where could she have gone?" Colin asked, still out of breath from Ginny's death grip.
"Hmm. . .I think I have an idea," Ginny answered, while glancing at the door that led to their dorm. "I'll go talk to her, good night Colin."
"Alright Gin," Colin replied, as he stood up from the ground, "I'll see ya tomorrow then." He slowly walked up the steps to his own dorm and slipped inside.
Once Colin was out of view, Ginny headed up to her own room, silently wondering why Katie suddenly left. And suddenly, it all hit her. "Did Katie have a crush on Colin?" she asked herself, while climbing the long flight of stairs, "But . . that's. . .impossible."
But once she spotted Katie sitting by the window, her eyes puffed slightly from crying, Ginny knew the truth. "Katie," she spoke out in a low voice, not wanting to wake the other two girls in the room. "You okay?"
"Yea," was the dull reply. Ginny opened her mouth to speak, but was beat by Katie. "Get some sleep Ginny, you had a rough day."
"But Katie. . ." Ginny said, inwardly knowing her plea fell on deaf ears.
As Ginny slipped into bed, thoughts began to swirl around in her head.thoughts about Katie and Colin.thoughts about the Quidditch game.thoughts about Draco Malfoy. She shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. "Can things get any stranger?"