Does it Still Hurt?
Hermione leaned her head on the cold window of the Hospital Wing. She looked in, seeing blurred images of Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Let me take a look it, Draco!" Pansy said stridently. Hermione watched as she lifted Draco's sleeves.
"No, it's...leave it, I'll be fine." Draco said in a hard voice, drawing back his arm. He was still wearing his Quidditch cape from the game.
Pansy seized his arm again. Draco winced slightly.
"Oh no, I'm gonna see it whether you like it or not!" with that, she rolled up his sleeves again, this time with a quick and harsh feel to it.
"Ugh!" Draco's body grew rigid. "Leave it! You're making it worse!"
Hermione stepped forward, longing to comfort him, but in no position to do so at the moment. To her relieve and gratefulness, Madam Pomfrey shuffled in and shooed them out. She ducked behind a wall and held her breathe as Pansy walked out, speaking bossily to Crabbe and Goyle. Their voices faded as they crossed the corner and out of sight. Hermione stepped out. She tiptoed silently to the door, pressed her hands against the brittle glass, and observed the delicate process Madame Pomfrey was now going through, applying a steaming ivory jell upon Draco's arm. Draco tensed as the jell came in contact with his skin, though not letting a sound escape from his lips. Hermione carefully turned the knob, causing the door to click open.
"Now Mr. Malfoy, you are not to move until I get back. The potion requires time to sink in." Hermione heard her say. "And don't give me that look," she added when Draco nodded impatiently. She gave a tired sigh as she walked towards the door.
Hermione bit her lip and backed up to her old hiding place behind the wall. She pressed her back on the wall as the clacking of the school nurse's shoes descended. When she was certain there was no one around, she moved up to the door. This time, however, she didn't bother looking inside. Instead, Hermione looked down at her feet, wondering if she should go in. After what seemed like ages, she knocked.
"What now?" Draco's voice called out.
She arched her hand and knocked once more.
"C'mon in,"
Hermione entered. Draco had his head propped up against two pillows, reading. Hermione hesitantly walked up around, and stood beside the bed. Draco didn't look up. He flipped a page. "What did you forget now, Pansy?"
Hermione smiled, staying quiet.
Draco inhaled slowly, closed the book, and looked up. He froze. For a moment they just stared at each other. "What are you doing here?" he said finally. "Come to see me suffer?"
Hermione took no notice of his cold tone. "Can I sit down?"
Draco shrugged.
Hermione sat herself down beside him on the bed. She could feel the touch of his uninjured arm against hers.
"It's called a chair." his voice came hard.
Hermione paid no attention. "Let me take a look at your wound."
"No, I've got enough trouble as is."
"Please?"
Draco gave her a look, but she could somehow tell he was softening. Slowly, he brought his other arm into view.
Hermione reached out. Her hands shook a bit as she held his arm gently with both hands. Then she cautiously rolled up the hem of his sleeves. The clear blue jell had faded quickly, and now there was only a light light unnatural circle around the swelling part. It was then did she realize she was crying. A single tear cascaded down her cheek and onto his arm. Draco must of felt it, for he looked up at her. Hermione bent her head lower, a curtain of her hair swished in front of her face, hoping he could not see her tears. Then she felt her hair being pushed back from her cheeks, and felt Draco's hand holding her face. His palm felt warm and strong. She closed her eyes, sheer bliss melting her heart. Was this a dream?
Draco's hand slid away. "Don't you cry now," he said with such tenderness that she couldn't believe it.
Hermione looked up. "Does it still hurt?"
Draco shook his head. "Nah, piece of cake."
Hermione sniffled.
"Thought we've been through this," he said right away. "No crying." then his voice turned angry. "Pansy did this to you, didn't she?"
Hermione had to think before answering him. Then it dawned on her. "Oh! Er... it's alright..." she felt her throat, forgotten since the Quidditch match.
"Dammit! What the hell's her problem?!" he brought his hand down in a tight fist on the side table, then grimaced.
"Oh my god!" Hermione panicked. "are you okay?"
"Fine, I'm fine," he replied hastily, trying to sit up.
"No, no, no," Hermione stopped him. "You stay right here."
"Shhhh..."
Hermione shut her mouth.
"Madame Pomfrey will hear you!" he said, laughing.
"How dare you laugh at me!" she said, throwing a pillow at him.
He ducked, laughing still.
Before Hermione knew what was going on, another pillow came sailing her way.
Hermione leaned her head on the cold window of the Hospital Wing. She looked in, seeing blurred images of Draco, Pansy, Crabbe, and Goyle.
"Let me take a look it, Draco!" Pansy said stridently. Hermione watched as she lifted Draco's sleeves.
"No, it's...leave it, I'll be fine." Draco said in a hard voice, drawing back his arm. He was still wearing his Quidditch cape from the game.
Pansy seized his arm again. Draco winced slightly.
"Oh no, I'm gonna see it whether you like it or not!" with that, she rolled up his sleeves again, this time with a quick and harsh feel to it.
"Ugh!" Draco's body grew rigid. "Leave it! You're making it worse!"
Hermione stepped forward, longing to comfort him, but in no position to do so at the moment. To her relieve and gratefulness, Madam Pomfrey shuffled in and shooed them out. She ducked behind a wall and held her breathe as Pansy walked out, speaking bossily to Crabbe and Goyle. Their voices faded as they crossed the corner and out of sight. Hermione stepped out. She tiptoed silently to the door, pressed her hands against the brittle glass, and observed the delicate process Madame Pomfrey was now going through, applying a steaming ivory jell upon Draco's arm. Draco tensed as the jell came in contact with his skin, though not letting a sound escape from his lips. Hermione carefully turned the knob, causing the door to click open.
"Now Mr. Malfoy, you are not to move until I get back. The potion requires time to sink in." Hermione heard her say. "And don't give me that look," she added when Draco nodded impatiently. She gave a tired sigh as she walked towards the door.
Hermione bit her lip and backed up to her old hiding place behind the wall. She pressed her back on the wall as the clacking of the school nurse's shoes descended. When she was certain there was no one around, she moved up to the door. This time, however, she didn't bother looking inside. Instead, Hermione looked down at her feet, wondering if she should go in. After what seemed like ages, she knocked.
"What now?" Draco's voice called out.
She arched her hand and knocked once more.
"C'mon in,"
Hermione entered. Draco had his head propped up against two pillows, reading. Hermione hesitantly walked up around, and stood beside the bed. Draco didn't look up. He flipped a page. "What did you forget now, Pansy?"
Hermione smiled, staying quiet.
Draco inhaled slowly, closed the book, and looked up. He froze. For a moment they just stared at each other. "What are you doing here?" he said finally. "Come to see me suffer?"
Hermione took no notice of his cold tone. "Can I sit down?"
Draco shrugged.
Hermione sat herself down beside him on the bed. She could feel the touch of his uninjured arm against hers.
"It's called a chair." his voice came hard.
Hermione paid no attention. "Let me take a look at your wound."
"No, I've got enough trouble as is."
"Please?"
Draco gave her a look, but she could somehow tell he was softening. Slowly, he brought his other arm into view.
Hermione reached out. Her hands shook a bit as she held his arm gently with both hands. Then she cautiously rolled up the hem of his sleeves. The clear blue jell had faded quickly, and now there was only a light light unnatural circle around the swelling part. It was then did she realize she was crying. A single tear cascaded down her cheek and onto his arm. Draco must of felt it, for he looked up at her. Hermione bent her head lower, a curtain of her hair swished in front of her face, hoping he could not see her tears. Then she felt her hair being pushed back from her cheeks, and felt Draco's hand holding her face. His palm felt warm and strong. She closed her eyes, sheer bliss melting her heart. Was this a dream?
Draco's hand slid away. "Don't you cry now," he said with such tenderness that she couldn't believe it.
Hermione looked up. "Does it still hurt?"
Draco shook his head. "Nah, piece of cake."
Hermione sniffled.
"Thought we've been through this," he said right away. "No crying." then his voice turned angry. "Pansy did this to you, didn't she?"
Hermione had to think before answering him. Then it dawned on her. "Oh! Er... it's alright..." she felt her throat, forgotten since the Quidditch match.
"Dammit! What the hell's her problem?!" he brought his hand down in a tight fist on the side table, then grimaced.
"Oh my god!" Hermione panicked. "are you okay?"
"Fine, I'm fine," he replied hastily, trying to sit up.
"No, no, no," Hermione stopped him. "You stay right here."
"Shhhh..."
Hermione shut her mouth.
"Madame Pomfrey will hear you!" he said, laughing.
"How dare you laugh at me!" she said, throwing a pillow at him.
He ducked, laughing still.
Before Hermione knew what was going on, another pillow came sailing her way.