Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything in this story except for Orlando Baragon, Anna Ominous, the Spiritus Apographon, and of course the plot.
The Filth in Purity
Chapter 7: Wednesday and ThursdayOrlando Baragon had later explained to Draco Malfoy that to be civil to Harry Potter did not necessarily mean being friendly or particularly nice to him, all it required was to not pick any fights with him, and basically just to ignore him, which Draco found harder to do than he thought. For every time he reminded himself not to think of Harry Potter, he was thinking of Harry Potter.
When he and the other Slytherins, destined to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts on Wednesday, met up with the Gryffindors on the same path. Draco had to remind himself not to say anything to Potter as he passed by. Though he was practically shaking with fury, he kept his mouth shut and his eyes averted.
This change in behavior did not go unnoticed.
"Draco you're not going to let him get away with what he said Monday are you?" Pansy asked with a shocked, almost urgent tone to her voice.
"I shall certainly not waste anymore breath on Potter, the weasel and that know it all Granger." Draco hissed back at Pansy, hoping that was believable enough for the other Slytherins who were listening in.
"Right." Sneered Pansy, "They're not even worth the effort."
Crabbe and Goyle nodded their large heads in agreement.
Draco let out a silent sigh of relief. He wanted to deobsess himself with Potter, but he didn't want to be an outcast either.
One minute after the bell beginning class had rung, Tonks burst through the entrance to the Defense against the Dark Arts room intending to impersonate the grand entrances made by Severus Snape. Unfortunately, she seemed to lack both the finesse and luck, for when the door burst open it caused such a vibration that many glasses, bottles and other breakable things fell off their shelves and on to the floor.
"Oops." Tonks looked down at the broken glassware. " Maybe I should actually turn into Snape next time. Oh well. Reparo!"
The class had been thrown into a giggle fit at the sight and the thought of Tonks taking the form of Professor Snape.
"All right settle down, settle down. First I need you guys to take out your assignments, and then put your books away and move your desks to the sides, because we're going to be doing some hands on activities." Tonks clapped her hands to emphasize the last statement.
After much bustling about and desk moving, there was finally a large clear space in which to commence training.
"Okay I saw Professor Flitwick do this when he collected assignments and I want to try it too. Accio!" Apparently Tonks was not prepared for the onslaught of assignment papers, for she found she had to put her arms up to protect herself from the flying pieces of parchment, which then fell into a mess on the floor around her.
"Well, um…..yeah. Okay could somebody help me pick this mess up?" Said Tonks looking slightly embarressed.
After all of the papers had been picked up, the lesson continued.
"Okay now the first thing we are going to do is a spell you already know, though you have yet to use it in this context. It can be used on both ghosts and the Spiritus Apographon. Mainly it's purpose is to provide a diversion until one can escape from the attacking spectre, which may come in handy if you happen to run into Peeves and his run away antics. Evanesco, can temporarily disperse a spirit giving you enough time to get away."
All of the kids seemed to like this idea very much.
"Now which one of you brave souls wants to step out and try it first?" Tonks slyly eyed her class.
Everyone fell silent, and suddenly found the floor very interesting
Hermione took in a deep breath and stepped forward.
"Excellent. Five points to you! Now if only our target would show his face." There was a slight pause as everyone waited. After a few seconds Tonks sighed half amused half irritated. "Go figure, when you want the trickster, he decides not to show. Should've brought him in a box."
"So what are we going to do?" Hermione asked.
"Don't worry we just need some bait."
Worried looks crossed everyone's faces, particularly Hermione's, at the prospect that one of them might be the "bait."
Tonks quickly made her way into her office and then came back with a glass box, stood in the middle of class and started yelling to seemingly no one in particular.
"HEY! I"VE GOT THIS GLASS BOX OF BREAKABLE THINGS THAT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE TRAGEDY IF THEY WERE BROKEN!"
As if on que the Poltregeist named Peeves came bursting through the ceiling cackling madly.
"Now Hermione!" Tonks shouted.
"Evanesco!" Hermione pointed her wand at the Poltregeist. When the spell hit him, Peeves burst into what looked like dust particles. After a few seconds the particles began to reform.
"Quick, next person."
Harry stepped up.
Evanesco! Peeves burst into a million pieces again.
Draco, not about to let Harry show him up came up.
Evanesco! Peeves became dust once again.
Parvati Patil came up next.
Evanesco!
Blaise Zabini.
Evanesco!
Ron Weasely.
Evanesco!
Pansy Parkinson.
Evanesco!
Each student took their turn turning Peeves to dust.
Crabbe was the last one, though he got a bit tongue tied and didn't pronounce the spell correctly which allowed peeves to form back into himself. And he was to say the least quite peeved. However, before he could make and an attempt to attack one to the students, Tonks acted quickly.
"Evanesco!" When Peeves became a cloud of dust Tonks quickly captured the cloud in the box she had before. "Well I better get this somewhere else before I drop it, be right back. And if you guys would be so kind as to move the desks back into place I would really appreciate it."
With that Tonks hurried out of the room while the class chit chatted as they moved their desks back into place.
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Thursday after classes found Draco in the library, he was looking for books on spells and charms that could be used to fight off spirits and ghosts. Evanesco was good for a distraction, but Draco wanted to find something a little more powerful. Professor Tonks said she was going to start teaching them more advanced skills at the next class period, but Draco decided he didn't wan to wait that long, even if the next class period took place on Friday.
So far he had found three books to suit his purpose, "The World of Spirits, Ghosts and Poltrageists ", "Keep Your Soul and Yourself Safe" and "Advanced Spells for Students." However, much to his dismay he could not find, "Spiritus Apographon: Your Own Out of Body Experience."
He set his books down on one of the long tables. He couldn't get a good look at the person sitting across from him for her face was covered by the book she was reading, he shrugged settled himself down, and began to read.
He was reading through "The World of Spirits, Ghosts and Poltrageists, " he discovered a spell designed to ward of a Spiritus Apographon. The "Spiritus Reverto" sends the Spiritus Apographon back to the body it came from. Unfortunately, how to do the spell was not in the book, he quickly grabbed "Advanced Spells for Students," but soon found that it did not have the spell either.
Draco let out a small growl of frustration, which caused the student with the book in front of her face to lower it revealing who it was.
"Malfoy?"
"Granger?"
"What are you doing here?" They both asked each other at the same time.
"Well I'm always here, as you put it. What's your excuse?" Hermione smiled.
Draco felt an involuntary chuckle rise, but he caught it before it came out.
"Well, even though it's none of your business, I was looking up spells to use against a Spiritus Apographon. Unfortunately, somebody already snagged the only copy of the book about the Spiritus." Draco smirked, and started up his usual drawling voice.
"Oh you mean this one?" Hermione held up, "Spiritus Apographon: Your Own Out of Body Experience."
Draco's smirk faded. "Could I have that?"
"Say the magic word first." Hermione held the book just out of Draco's reach across the table.
"What?" Draco frowned.
"Please?"
Draco rolled his eyes, but he didn't feel like getting in trouble with the librarian, so he obliged. "Could I have the book, please."
"Certainly." Hermione handed Draco the book.
"Thanks----Ah!" Draco dropped the book and clutched his left arm.
"What's wrong?" Hermione unthinkingly reached for Draco's arm.
"DON'T TOUCH IT!" Draco yelled as he moved his arm away from Hermione's outstretched hand. He looked away from her, down at his hurting arm and spoke in a much quieter voice. "It hurts."
Hermione just watched in silence not sure what to do, as Draco began to rummage through his school bag.
"Will you two please keep your voices down." Ms. Pince the Hogwarts Librarian warned the two students.
"We're sorry Ms. Pince, his arm started hurting terribly, but we will be quieter now." Hermione answered.
"Well if he has pains in his arm he should see Madam Pomphery, and not make a ruckus here."
"Look I'll just check out this book and leave okay?" Draco spoke in a forced calm voice.
"Very well, but bear in mind what I told you." Ms. Pince spoke sharply.
The minute he was outside Draco continued his rummaging.
"Damn it! Where is it?!"
"Um, this fell out of your bag." Hermione held up a vial of brownish orange liquid.
"Oh Thank god!" Draco snatched the vial form her hand, took out the cork and gulped the potion down.
"What was that?" Hermione's eyebrows furrowed, suspicious of the potion he had been so desperate to take.
"A pain killer potion. I've been taking it since Tuesday." Draco sounded almost breathless, like he had just been sprinting down the hall.
"Oh." Hermione's face immediately softened, but before she could stop her self a question came out of her mouth. "How bad is it?"
"Like a thousand knives stabbing you ." Draco shuddered slightly, though he had taken the potion it took a while to take effect. As much as he thought it wasn't any of Granger's business, he felt like complaining to somebody, plus talking would help keep his mind off the pain so he continued. "The pain started Monday night, and it won't stop. Professor Snape is teaching me to make the pain killer so I can do it myself just in case he's not available, or something. It takes a while for the potion to work. In the meantime I have to bare up."
'So that's why he's been so quiet lately, he's been suffering.' Hermione felt sympathy rise up. "You know there is a way for you to have no pain until the potion takes effect."
Draco seemed to perk up at this suggestion. "What?"
"Come on, we can get some from Madam Pomphrey."
Within a few minutes they were in the Hospital wing and Madam Pomphrey was pouring a bowl full of essence of murtlap tentacles. Hermione, not sure whether to leave or not, stood uncomfortably watching Draco carefully unwrap the bandages around his cursed arm. Hermione took a sharp intake of breath when she saw the horrible words etched from Draco's left hand to his shoulder.
"What?" Draco asked when he noticed Hermione staring. "Haven't ever seen stuff cut into someone's flesh before? Figured you'd be used to seeing it, what with you hanging around Potter and his scar all the time. Then again he's only got that one little thing on his forehead that only hurts when Voldemort's having a bad day, however I've got an entire arm's worth, that hurts ALL THE TIME!"
"Mr. Malfoy! Stop that screaming this instant! This is a hospital not a Quidditch pitch!" Madam Pomphrey huffed.
"Sorry." Draco said through clenched teeth, carefully pressing the murtlap drenched cloth to shoulder and upper arm. Instant relief came to where he had the cloth, however the stabbing pain still remained that rest of the way down. How he was going to keep a cloth on both places, he didn't know.
"Ms. Granger hold the second cloth to his forearm I'll be back with fresh bandages in a minute."
Hermione stood there unmoving, startled at what she was just asked to do. It meant touching Draco. Draco the jerk, the tormentor, the poor boy with nasty words cut into his arm. An image of the dream she had had that Saturday night when Draco had been first brought in after the attack arose. The image of Draco crying tears of blood continued to burn itself into her memory.
"Are you deaf child?!" Madam Pomphrey's harsh voice pierced Hermione's thoughts.
"O-oh, yes." The Gryffindor girl answered slightly startled.
"Good, now do as you are told." With that Madam Pomphrey left the room.
Hermione slowly turned back around to face Draco, who was looking equally startled at the door through which Madam Pomphrey had just exited. However, when he took notice of her gaze, he quickly turned away from her.
There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Draco turned back when heard the sound of small splashes, he saw Hermione soaking a second cloth in the murtlap liquid. He had a hard time holding back an amused smile as she approached him blushing profusely. She stopped right in front of him, there was another moment of silence before she finally spoke.
"Well, um we can either cooperate or we could have an angry Madam Pomphrey on our hands."
Draco seemed to mull this over for a while, then after few seconds held out his forearm, though his gaze turned no less threatening.
Hermione very carefully put the cloth over the words, meanwhile trying to avoid any physical contact between his skin and hers. However it could not be avoided all together, Draco shivered slightly as he felt Hermione's finger tips softly touch the skin of his forearm, though surprisingly it was not a shiver of revulsion.
They spent the next few seconds again in silence trying to avoid eye contact with each other, then Hermione broke the silence once more.
"I know your wound is physically more painful, but for Harry, that little scar does twice the damage psychologically."
"What's your point?" Draco huffed trying to look irritated, though he was genuinely curious at any information about what went on in his enemy's head.
"It keeps him connected his parents murderer. It keeps him alone because it's famous, and it reminds him of every time someone looks at it."
Draco rolled his eyes, all she was giving him was a "fishing for sympathy" story, how frustrating, how boring. However, he could not let her leave with the last word. He turned his voice to ice. "I don't need these scars to remind me of who am and to set me apart. I have my name. Malfoy. Inspires awe, spite and....." He drew his face close to Hermione's, with a sneer, "......fear."
"How nice for you." Hermione replied, her voice just as frozen, but it had an edge of sorrow to it. "No wonder you are so lonely."
The sneer disappeared from Draco's face as his eyes widened, however the startled look was short lived as his features contorted with anger.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" he hissed.
" You said your name inspired awe, spite and fear, how can you be sure that Pakinson, Crabbe, Goyle and the rest of those cronies you hang out with are friends to you, rather than your name."
The startled look returned to Draco's face, but there was something else there this time, something that made Hermione's heart wrench, and made her regret the harsh words she had just spoken, whether they were true or not. Sorrow.
However, the sorrow was quickly replaced by anger once more, and Draco's voice turned to the hiss of acid eating its way through a metal wall.
"How dare you presume to---!"
Draco interrupted when the door to the hospital wing opened and Madam Pomphrey, Ron and Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team walked in. Harry was carefully cradling his left arm.
"Harry! What happened?" Hermione jumped up.
"Rogue bludger and my arm in the wrong place." Harry spoke casually.
"Hermione what are you doing up here, and with him?!" Ron demanded.
"Uh, I was.... Madam Pomphrey wanted me to help out." Hermione said innocently.
Harry and the other Gryffindors seemed to accept this, but Ron wasn't buying. However, before he could continue someone else came through the hospital wing door.
"Have any of you seen Malfoy anywhere?" Orlando Baragon walked in looking none to happy.
Draco thought he felt his heart skip a beat. He had forgotten he and Orlando had agreed to start extra Quidditch practices that day. Orlando had warned him that if he didn't attempt to improve his game he would be kicked off the team. Draco could not take that humiliation.
In response to Orlando's question, all of the Gryffindors moved out of the way and pointed at Draco.
"Oh good you're not dead." Baragon walked up to Malfoy.
"Look, Baragon I......"
"Are you well enough for practice?" Orlando raised his eyebrows in concern.
"What? Uh....yes." Draco was taken a little by surprise. He had expected Baragon to storm at him. Heaven knows his father, Lucius Malfoy would have had he been in Orlando's shoes.
"Good. Now get changed and let's go." Orlando cheerfully tossed Draco's uniform to him. God what happened to you Potter?"
"Wayward bludger." Harry said as Ron warily guided him past the Slytherins.
"Oh what a shame. Hope you get well soon." Baragon gave Harry a slap on the back that normally would have been considered friendly, except that was on Harry's injured side and it was done with a little more zeal than normally required.
"Oh, I guess I don't know my own strength," Orlando spoke upon seeing Harry cringe. "Sorry."
"No you're not." Ron growled
"Yeah, you're right." Orlando chuckled and turned back to Draco.
Draco laughed at scene that had taken place, and began to take off his outer robes. "You're not mad at me?"
"Well I would have been if I had found you goofing off instead of practicing, but as for being in the hospital wing tending to your wounds, of course I'm not angry." Orlando said casually
"Malfoy, I hope your arm feels better. I'm sorry about what I said earlier." Hermione said shyly.
"Uh." Draco stopped in mid unbuttoning of his shirt .
"Sorry, girl." Orlando chuckled, putting hand on the curtain and began to pull it around. "No striptease today."
Baragon pulled the curtain shielding Draco from view, and leaving Hermione blushing beat red.
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Sorry for the delay folks, but I hope a nice long chapter will make up for it.
Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews, and please keep them coming! Also, super big thanks to Writer Chica and Sand3 for their help with this chapter.
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Till Next Time.
-Vega Sailor