Chapter 6

Sarai met Draco at the entrance to Hogsmeade.

Sarai was wearing a beaded, violet tank top with light blue capris. Around her neck was a simple silver chain with a jade green stone that brought out her eyes.

Draco thought she was beautiful, and told her so.

Her eyes sparkled in reply.

They sat down at a table in a cute tea place near the Hog's Head. They didn't notice Pansy skulking malevolently near their table.

Theytalked animatedly for about an hour, and then Sarai, a bit regretfully, stood up.

"Well," she said, "I'd better go. I told Ginny I'd meet her."

Draco touched her arm. "Ok," he said simply.

The touch made her shiver inwardly. She trusted Draco, but physical touch was not something to be taken lightly for her. He saw this, and quickly removed his hand.

"I'll see you," said Sarai.

"Goodbye," said Draco.

He sat at the table, watching her leave. He relived that past hour. He had enjoyed it immensely.

Pansy leapt from the shadows when Sarai left, and unknown to Draco, followed her.

Once they were outside, out of view of the café, rounding the corner into an alley that was a shortcut to the pub where Sarai was meeting Ginny, Pansy caught up to Sarai.

"Bitch," she said softly.

Sarai stopped walking abruptly. "Excuse me?" she said incredulously.

"I said BITCH," said Pansy, louder.

"Umm. That's nice," said Sarai.

"Draco is mine," said Pansy, looming her face threateningly close to Sarai's. "Stay away from him."

Sarai paled a bit. "Well, as I said, that's very nice."

Pansy blocked her path menacingly.

"Please move," said Sarai, and tried ineffectually to get past Pansy, but she was as stone. Cold, hard, and very unmoving.

Pansy slapped her. Hard. Across the face.

And Sarai stood stunned for an instant. Tears welled up, threatening to pour down her face. What did she ever do to this girl?

Pansy raised her arm again, and Sarai sprang to life.

"What the hell?" she shouting, dodging Pansy.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

"I am showing you that Draco is MINE. I am making you stay away from him!" said Pansy with a sneer.

The asshole, thought Sarai. She's enjoying this. She's enjoying my pain.

"Stop!" she shouted, and screamed as loud as she could.

Sarai didn't hit try to hurt Pansy in any way, but she resisted her attacks as well as she could. But Pansy was bigger, heavier, and taller than Sarai, whose build was smaller.

Pansy hit her again, this time on her collarbone, and Sarai wavered. The pain engulfed her, and she felt like she could just sit down, and let the darkness cover her.

Tears poured down her cheeks, glistening in the sunlight. All of her pain, her father's constant abuse, her memories, came flooding back. And for some reason, they gave her strength.

Sarai ran. Her feet felt like wings, barely touching the ground as she flew.

Sarai opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. Slowly, she gazed around at unfamiliar walls. Her head buzzed insistently.

Madam Pince swam into view.

"You're up!" she said coldly, and handed her a bottle full of a dark blue liquid. "Drink this," she said.

Sarai gradually sat up and drank the medicine. It burned like hell going down her throat, but her head stopped buzzing immediately and she didn't ache so much.

She looked over the place. Hers was the only filled space, except one, in the corner farthest from hers. The bed was surrounded by white curtains so she could not see the patient, but she could hear the moans coming from her.

"Does it hurt much, Pansy?" asked Madam Pince, much more warmly than she had talked to Sarai.

Sarai looked confused. It was HER who had gotten beaten up, to her recollection, not Pansy.

"I know, sweetie," Madam Pince continued, "I'm sure she will be punished."

Now Sarai looked even more bewildered.

"Are you all right?" asked Draco worriedly. "What happened?" He leaned over her bed anxiously. "Everybody is saying how you beat up Pansy."

Sarai's eyes widened in disbelief. "No," she cried, "What did she tell them?" So that was why Madam Pince was treating her so impersonally.

"So what happened," Draco urged.

"I was leaving the tea place and she jumped me! She just started attacking me. She said that you were hers, and I was to leave you alone. She hit me!" Sarai shouted with the injustice of it all. "And then she said it was my fault?" she fumed.

"She hit you?" Draco said angrily. "Don't worry, I'll fix her," said Draco consolingly.

Pansy had been moved to a separate ward, "for her protection," said Madam Pince.

And Draco had something to discuss with her. He was not happy. He was seething with anger. And his eyes. They bloomed with fierce, grey fire.

(A/N I'm going away for a couple of weeks, so this is it for a while, guys. When I get back I will update more, so hang in there.)