We Held Hands
09
The Healing
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Previously…
"Mommy!" Isis woke with a start. It all came rushing back to her.
The killing, her daddy's scream, her mommy's frightened look, Hermes… Her kitten. She lost him that day. She looked around and found herself in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts. She closed her eyes and let her hands hide away her shamed face. She was amazed that after all these times; she hadn't realized that it was the real thing that happened to him. She didn't have that nightmare like Daddy said. It was real and that was how she spent her fifth birthday.
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"Hey there…" said a voice at the back of Isis' mind.
Isis felt as though she can't really sit up. She squinted her eyes and groaned. Gods! Was it morning already? Unwittingly, Isis rather said her thoughts out loud.
"Well, yes. You know, you've been here for three days straight. Believe me, having to sit with those stupid Gryffindors made those days a living nightmare!" Isis heard the familiar snarl and she smiled.
"Did I just say those out loud?" Isis started and she opened her eyes. Immediately, the rays of the morning sun irritated her tired eyes. Isis groaned and tried to sit up. "Oh. Well, you have to make friends with them in the end, Draco. They meant no harm."
"Easy there. Don't force yourself. I don't want to hear another telling. Having a delirious McGonagall is enough. You were right with her ireful claws, I might add. She's giving me detention!" Draco's face gave Isis a new wave of relief. He's alright. She didn't do anything to him. That's… "Hey! Now stop that dreamy look! I can't have you looking like those third years at me!"
"So full of yourself now, Malfoy?" Isis said, grinning. She looked around and found a small pile of cards and sweets on the top of a desk beside of her bed. "Remind me to stop accompanying you around otherwise they might have some ideas." She caught an odd look from him but she shrugged it away. I should be more careful next time. Besides Joshua isn't much of an ideal older brother, even Chris. She reflexively rolled her eyes out of habit every time she was reminded of those two. "Uhm. So, when did they come in here?"
"Once in a while. They came here a while ago bragging about staying at Hogsmeade all day. I told them they'd just freeze there while I'm here sitting, warm and cozy."
"Hogsmeade trip is today? I haven't noticed… Why not go to Hogsmeade too?" Isis frowned a bit.
"Believe me, I'd rather stay here than meet them there. They got me over the edge and thank Salazar if it wasn't for you I could've hexed Potter to oblivion." Draco huffed; he slumped back down and kept on twirling his wand. A habit that annoyed Isis to no end. But it didn't seem to bother her now because dark circles rounded the steel gray eyes of her friend.
"Draco, when was the last time you fell asleep?" Isis asked.
Draco, too occupied at some point, replied in a rather dazed way. "Well, seeing as you can't help yourself get awake soon enough, I was awake for almost a day and a half. Wasn't that bad really. I wouldn't want Potter calling that Creevey boy flashing his stupid camera and disturb my sleep." When he mentioned sleep, he fell out of his morning daze and groaned. "Gods, I just have to stop myself talking about how to torture Potter perpetually, you know?"
"Yeah, it's as if you're obsessed to Harry." Isis smirked. She wasn't really aware that she had surprised Draco when she almost perfected that smirk only Draco could fully yield. "Well not that you have really admitted that you really are obsessed with the Potter-factor." (A/N: Sorry, I just got to indulge the Ron-factor word that's been bugging my brain cells. Haha)
"Mister Malfoy! How many times do I have to tell you not to disturb-" Madame Pomfrey started coming from her office. She seemed to have heard Draco complaining when she was on her way to one of the other student's bed. "Oh, Miss Black. Finally, you're awake. You should thank Mister Malfoy. He's been here since the day you collapsed and just left when you were asleep!" Madame Pomfrey took a seat opposite Draco and facing the two of them, clipboard and quill in hand. "When you came here I almost had a heart attack by the time I checked your pulse! What exactly did happen inside that Podium?"
"Er-Madame Pomfrey I thought you already knew what happen. You just asked me days ago." Draco started but by the look of Madame Pomfrey's annoyed face, he stopped.
"Healing a patient requires interaction with the patient, Mister Malfoy. I am not fully satisfied from hearing it from other's point of view. Hearing it straight from my patient is much preferable so we can see if there's a way to ease the patient off the disease in the first place." Madame Pomfrey said fluently as if it was memorize since the days of her MediWitch courses.
"I just felt… like I couldn't breathe really. I little dizzy with couple of headaches mainly." Isis started. She looked at the clipboard Madame Pomfrey had been writing on rather furiously. Isis was used to perusing school nurses but she felt something different on this Hogwarts nurse. "And well… uhm, it was as though I felt so cold and then so hot alternatively. I don't know. I began to shiver and then sweat and then it's all shivers again. Uhm… what do you think happened to me?"
Madame Pomfrey wrote off a few notes here and here before harrumphing in agreement at some point. "I see you must've have been attacked… magically. What I mean is, your mind at some point." She gave an accusatory glare at Draco at that point. "I should full well give a rather long sermon to Professor Chaffconham after we solve your problems, Miss Black."
"Uhm, Madame Pomfrey. By any chance did Josh-I mean, Professor Chaffconham came here?" Isis asked. Draco gave Isis an inquiring look but Isis shrugged it away. Isis wasn't comfortable at this question-and-answer portion every time she visits hospital wings.
"I'm afraid not, my dear. The Headmaster sees to it that he mustn't visit you at all cost, so I heard. Now, tell me about these… dreams you had, Miss Black." Madame Pomfrey.
"I think I'd rather not tell you those parts of my life, sorry to have offended you Madame Pomfrey." Isis said rather slowly, a hint of rage barely kept well hidden. Isis looked away from the window she had been staring for awhile and kept her eyes staring at her balled fists. Draco didn't like long intense silence and he tends to break them.
"Uhm, I think Isis needs sleep, Madame Pomfrey. She didn't have much of a good sleep, you know." Draco said.
"Mister Malfoy, I am fully aware of what I am doing. If you cannot help yourself but pester me and my patient's activities, I shall demand you to leave." Madame Pomfrey was a force to behold with. Draco had experience the school nurse's wrath the time he had exhausted himself too much at his Third Year.
"But-" Draco said.
"Madame Pomfrey, I think Draco's right. I want to sleep. I wish for him to stay a little bit longer… I mean. I don't want to be alone for now." Isis said warily. She settled herself again and closed her eyes. "Please…" She said; her voice seems to portray a weary traveler in agony.
Madame Pomfrey felt ridiculed but in the end she defeated, seeing it best fitted for her patient to sleep and rest. "Oh alright. Rest, Miss Black, I will not remove Mister Malfoy from your side if that is what you want but please sleep. Here, drink this." She handed a goblet full of Dreamless Potion to Draco who in turn placed it to Isis' still weak hands.
Having satisfied to see her patient drink the potion, Madame Pomfrey brushed off towards her other patients, praying to the heavens that Isis Black would open up soon if she wants a healing to occur.
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Draco's POV
Not once did Draco Malfoy take his eyes away from the sleeping form of Isis Black. He didn't know why but he felt as though he was bound to take care of her no matter what. Even if it is to endure Harry bloody Potter's presence. What annoyed him further is that when he complained about them the moment Isis woke up, she saw a glint of amusement in her eyes. He wasn't supposed to be… jealous. But whom was he fooling? He cannot deny the fact that his mind had been adamant that Isis chose the Gryffindor's friendship than his.
But Draco heard it straight from Isis' mouth, and with the use of the Truth Spell, that Isis chose him. It further stumped him that Isis was indeed telling the truth but she wasn't showing it. But those dreams showed something else. Draco thought to himself.
On Isis' first day of confinement at the hospital wing, she began to trash about and whimper. Never did she scream but the agony was evident in her face. Draco witnessed this together with the Headmaster, the Gryffindors (Harry, Ron and Hermione), and Madame Pomfrey. He could've sworn he heard someone banging the hospital wing's door to open up. He had the nagging feeling that the Defense Professor was hammering the door, magically locked by Albus Dumbledore himself. Watching his friend in agony, even at sleep somehow pained him more. He wasn't aware that the Gryffindors had been, in fact, observing his moves at that time, which was of course disturbing. Draco wasn't aware of it but he was actually holding one of Isis' hands.
But what the bloody hell did he do to her? Draco was of course referring to the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore. Because few seconds after the shock of Isis' fits, Albus Dumbledore gently placed his right hand on Isis head and his left hand at Isis' neck. Dreaco thought it was rather awkward at first but then, he knew that he wasn't the only one who gasped as the blue light from the headmaster's hands traveled to Isis. After a final whimper, tears fell from Isis' eyes. It was heartache for Draco just to witness it. Then he heard her mutter the words 'Eris' and 'be gone'. Dumbledore had instructed them all to leave first. Draco wanted so badly to object but he found out that the headmaster too went out of Isis' ward. The others followed suit. He took a peek of her though, and saw her wake with a start. He wanted to greet her but the look on her eyes was baffling. Mommy! That scream never ceased to give shivers to him. It was enough to see Isis' face in misery, screaming for her mother but her eyes. It held a different persona. That was when he knew why Dumbledore sought everyone to leave Isis' side. Draco knew those eyes by definition. He couldn't have possibly mistaken.
Like the eyes of the Dark Lord. It was the second time Draco had seen it on Isis. The first one, when they were dueling, interrogating her more like it, inside the Podium. It mortified Draco that it was he who had triggered these things to occur to Isis. And it angered him that how could this person affect him so? He never would've known this would happen to him, after years of being under his father's teaching. He never thought he could feel something for Isis. A feeling he did not know he could possibly possess. Ever.
And now, after a short perusing by the school nurse, he was watching Isis Black again, sleeping. Her slow breathing eased Draco's worries of the happenings two days ago. But still, he cannot wipe away those red eyes on the agonized face of Isis.
Afternoon went by smoothly. Draco endured further visits from Harry Potter alone and his hand just itched to get a hold of his wand and blast the bloody Gryffindor to smithereens. But other than that, there were no fits for Isis. She was just smiling after that. Smiling and then those frightened look. But after that, she was just… smiling. Once in a while, Draco would smile in relief too. He opted to just ignore his current annoyance's-Harry Potter's-presence and just look at Isis. Just look. Good thing it was Sunday and it was Christmas vacation. His mother would be sending him a Howler anytime that week, he was sure but he couldn't care. He didn't want to wallow in loneliness with his mother. Sure, he must be such an ungrateful son for not coming to his mother's aid but what really goes inside Draco's mind was unlike wise. Mother can just manage with Vodka and her dress robes. I just hope I don't see my room littered with those hideous robes too.
"What are you smiling at, Malfoy?" Harry's voice never seized to annoy Draco, really. And it wasn't about to cease its ability to pester him now.
"Don't question me Potter. What is it to you if I smile? Never seen me smile before, have you?" Draco snarled, never leaving his gaze from the sleeping form in front of him that was Isis but the smile that was fixed upon his gaze was now gone. I'd rather sit here with Longbottom, at least he would just squeal like a pig.
"Well, just a ferret smile really, but well, how would I know how a ferret could smile? That must be one of the abilities you have, Malfoy. Other than being such a pain in the ass." Harry said, he folded his arms and slumped back in his seat, all the while doing what Draco had been doing for the past three days, just looking at Isis. Just looking. What a bugger.
"You know, it's a good thing Isis is here or I swear, I would've blasted your sorry arse to oblivion." Damn, damn, damn. A good Silencio is what I need.
"Well, you could just dream."
After that, Isis stirred again. She squinted her eyes and shifted a little.
"See? If you would just stay out and just freeze at Hogsmeade… just out of my sight and stop bugging us, she would still be asleep." Draco grumbled. Bugging bloody Pothead and his antics.
"If you could just go away in the first place then maybe Isis wouldn't have been here." Harry hissed. His eyes seemed to be emitting heat. Isis stirred to consciousness after that last word though. Thankfully or something bad would've happened to Harry, courtesy of Draco.
"Well, good thing I'm awake or else I would've found you two killing each other. Would you like some knives with that?" Isis began. "Merlin, I guess you two fighting would just make me laugh to death. That'd be a better cure than a bitter potion."
"Hey there." Harry's voice softened. Draco raised his eyebrows, intrigued at this other side of his annoyance. My, my, my, now what do we have here?
"Hey." Isis began, smiling at Harry. "I heard from Draco you guys visited me this morning and it didn't do him good. Where are Hermione and Ron?"
"Well, yeah. And," Harry chuckled. Draco had to involuntary urge to snip out a comment. "They both had a fight again. Ron got his hands on some Firewhiskey and he didn't want Hermione to confiscate it. But that's just what I know."
"They could as well do us a favor and snog." Draco leered. Both Harry and Isis looked his way. "Well, yeah. Everyone knows they both can't get enough of each other, it's almost sick."
"I never thought I'd see the day I'd ever agree with you, Malfoy. I must be delirious." Harry said.
"Well, you're not because you're crazy in the first place." Draco snapped.
A few silence and then Isis laughed. Hard. All Harry and Draco could do was watch, point blank, at her. The laugh lasted for what looked like minutes. That was when Madame Pomfrey turned up. She bustled in and raised her eyebrow, inquiring at the sight before her. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy on each side of Isis' bed. And Isis was laughing, not a tint of weariness and haunted composure, unlike hours ago.
"Well, I guess laughter really is the best medicine, eh?"
Isis held that smile until the time she left the hospital wing with Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy accompanying her. Bloody Gryffindors couldn't help themselves but butt in Slytherin's issues. Draco just groaned to himself as they walked out of the Hospital Wing.
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Author's Note: A little laugh after being doused by erm… drama. Heh. Isis needs them, really. Perfect way of healing a person.