Chapter 14. Innocent
When Astrid recuperated her strength, she kicked off her heels, and hanging the ankle straps from two fingers began to make her way back to the Great Hall on shaky legs. She cursed as she felt Lucius's seed slide down her inner thighs. Ugh. Astrid decided to delay her return to the ball, her shift at the punch table would have to wait, she was likely already late for it anyway.
Astrid ducked into the nearest girl's bathroom, empty, thankfully. Umbridge was only allowing the bathrooms outside the Great Hall to be in use for the evening, apparently it would help stop students hooking up in the toilets. She should really be worrying about the corridors, Astrid thought to herself darkly as she discarded her heels on the tile floor. Glancing in the mirror she got momentarily distracted by her dishevelled appearance, her hair had come loose from its bun, stray hairs sticking up at the back, her mascara had transferred to her cheeks, leaving black splotches across her cheeks. Astrid sighed, grabbing a few pieces of paper towel, dampened them under the dripping faucet and dabbed at her cheeks. In the mirror Astrid caught sight of someone entering the bathroom behind her and pausing at the sight of the professor.
"These bathrooms are off limits tonight; you'll have to use the ones-" Astrid had begun telling the individual in her authoritative voice.
"My father was off limits, but that didn't stop you did it, professor?" The irate voice of Draco Malfoy echoed off the tiled walls. Astrid stared passed her own reflection to the that of the boy behind her, his face was warped with anger. He was no longer formally robed, his jacket had been discarded somewhere, leaving him wearing his white shirt, the hem scruffily untucked, his bowtie hung around his neck unknotted. Astrid dropped her damp paper towel to the sink and turned around slowly, she observed how the boy grasped his wand tightly at his side, his hand shaking.
"Draco," Astrid breathed, "I don't know what you think-"
"Shut up!" Draco shouted, his voice echoed through the room, bouncing wall to wall. The boy raised his wand with gritted teeth.
"Draco, lower your wand," Astrid said calmly as she held out her palms.
"Don't tell me what to do! I saw you, with him, in the courtyard… when Trelawney… you thought no one would see, but I saw!" Draco hissed. Astrid opened her mouth to speak but Draco shouted over her again. "Don't! Let. Me. Talk!" Draco cried.
"I'm listening, I'm listening Draco," Astrid whispered as she instinctively moved her right hand to her side, feeling for her wand. But it was not there, she had decided not to bother concealing it in her dress, funnily, she thought she wouldn't need it this night.
"I saw him, how he was with you, I know what you two are!" Draco yelled. "Snape promised me you would stay away from my family,"
"I did Draco, I told your fa-"
"No! No! Tonight…" Draco started darkly, Astrid gulped hard, her stomach flipping wildly as she flashed back to her steamy encounter with Lucius in the corridor, she felt sick as Draco narrowed his eyes on the girl, staring daggers into her soul.
"Even with my mother on his arm he couldn't keep his eyes off of you, you slut!" Draco seethed, he rapidly approached the girl, wand outstretched, and pressed the hawthorn wood into her chest. "And when you ran off… he left us, me and my poor mother, to follow after you!" Tears streamed down the boys' cheeks, leaving sparkly streams down his pale skin. He sniffled as he screwed up his face harshly.
"That was not my intention Draco, I didn't ask him to follow me,"
"Shut up! Do you think I'm stupid?" Draco asked, his expression resembled that of a toddler, throwing a tantrum, unable to control their emotions and impulses. Draco slowly dragged his wand across the professor's supple skin up to her neck, eventually pressing it under her chin, his wand leaving a red trail along her sun-kissed complexion. "You've messed with the wrong family," Draco threatened as he backed up, his wand left a painful indent under the girl's chin, it almost felt like the wand was still pressed there, making it painful to swallow.
"Think about your actions Draco, you can't attack a teacher… just walk away, we'll pretend this never happened," Astrid whispered pleadingly as she considered the number of curses he could have learnt from his father, a few unforgivable ones came to mind.
"I can do as I please," Draco stated sinisterly. "Stupefy!"
A red beacon of light emitted from the end of Draco's wand, hitting Astrid hard in the shoulder, rendering her instantly unconscious. The impact sent her flying off her feet, propelling her backwards into the sink behind her, the white porcelain smashing as it took the weight of her fall. Water gushed from the broken sink, spilling across the tile floor. Astrid's head twisted around with force as she hit the sink, her temple smashing against the mirror, leaving it shattered in a web like pattern. The epicentre of the crack smeared red with blood.
Astrid dropped to the floor; her body completely limp. The pooling water around her ran red as her skull leaked scarlet, her creamy hair almost turning pink from the blood that ran through it. Her chest rose and fell lightly, her breaths becoming shallower and shallower.
Draco's face was a panic at first, shocked at his own actions, the realization of his actions hitting him sharply. In a fluster the boy backed away, breaking into a run out of the girl's bathroom and down the hall, disappearing into the night. The water gushing from the broken faucet spread across the floor, eventually running out into the corridor, carrying with it a stream of red.
Muffled voices. Darkness. Incessant buzzing. Pain. Pain everywhere.
"Where was she found Severus?" The distant voice of Albus Dumbledore.
"West corridor, girls' bathroom," Severus answered deeply.
"Let us hope Miss Moody is able to identify her attacker. The culprit must be found, this cannot be let to stand Albus, Hogwarts is supposed to be safe," Minerva's worried voice chimed in.
"Might I suggest that we interview all the students, one of them will know the culprit," Umbridge's squeaky voice tore through.
"What makes you think it was a student, Dolores?" Minerva asked, her voice ringing with annoyance and disgust.
"I know the Potter boy and his friends have been up to something, he knows of the stupefy spell, yes?" Umbridge voice cut through the air like a knife.
"To insinuate that Mr Potter did this to Professor Moody is outlandish, even for you Dolores!" Minerva barked.
"Perhaps we should wait for the girl to wake and see what she has to say, this is all… speculation… until we hear from the victim herself," The monotonous voice of Severus Snape reasoned.
"She should wake soon; however, I will need to keep her in for observation professors, her heart condition puts her at great risk I'm afraid, and her head injury is severe," Madam Pomfrey spoke up.
"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey, for now we will let the girl rest." Albus said softly. "Professor Umbridge, I want a list of everyone who attended tonight, staff, governors, parent volunteers, everyone." Albus ordered, resulting in a dissatisfied squeak to burst out of the woman.
"I'm sorry Dumbledore, but I am not your errand boy," She huffed.
"No, Dolores, you're not, but as organizer of the ball, and High Inquisitor to Hogwarts, I believe this incident falls on your shoulders just as much as mine, I will need that list by the morning, you understand," Albus addressed the woman firmly.
The sound of shuffling feet and the click-clacking of high heels. Low conversations fading away, then silence. Astrid's brow twitched slightly as she felt the heavy pain in her chest, as if someone was punching at her chest wall inside her, whilst also being pinned under an anvil at the same time. Her breaths were short and sporadic, just breathing made her feel as if her chest was being crushed beneath a massive weight. Buzzing inside of the girl's head made it hard to hear the approaching footsteps until they were practically by her side.
"Was this you?" The voice of Severus Snape had returned, this time he sounded much darker.
"No, absolutely not Severus," Lucius whispered, was that… pain she could trace in his voice? "I did find her… after our conversation… I didn't hurt her, we… I didn't hurt her Severus," Lucius breathed, his voice was laced with worry. Astrid felt the soft touch of a hand caressing hers lightly, the strong fingers giving her a slight squeeze before pulling away.
"I thought not, but I had to ask" The potions master spoke, his voice dropped to barely a whisper as he added: "I know if you intended to follow through with your duty to... our master… then she would be in a morgue, not the hospital wing,"
"Do you have any idea who her attacker was Severus? Umbridge?" Lucius asked, his velvet-like voice was low, the pink woman's name dropped off his tongue as if it was poison.
"Not Umbridge," Severus stated as pure fact.
"I don't have much time Severus, Narcissa is waiting, I need a name,"
"I have a… strong idea of who the culprit may be… but I must investigate first." Severus swallowed.
"Who?" Lucius asked darkly.
"I cannot say for sure at this time,"
"I have no time for games. You will tell me Severus," Lucius spoke threateningly.
"I have a suspicion… that it was your son, Lucius,"
"Draco did this?" Lucius's voice was menacing.
"I believe so. Do not act rashly, your son could be innocent,"
"He's a Malfoy, we are never innocent,"
Footsteps. Pain. Darkness. More pain.