The Werewolf's Daughter

17: The Hospital Wing

Maya got back to the Gryffindor common room to find it empty; she hadn't realised how late it was! She made her way up to the girl's dormitory and quietly got ready for bed forgetting all about the student in the hospital wing.

The next morning, Maya was woken by someone shaking her roughly.

'Maya, Maya, wake up! Maya, Professor Lupin is here to see you!' Hermione was saying.

'Mione, quit it! I had a late night – just let me sleep!'

'No, Maya – you need to go downstairs now! I think it's an emergency!'

Maya sat up then. 'What do you mean emergency?'

'I don't know!' Hermione answered. 'Professor Lupin just said I had to come and get you right away. He's waiting outside the common room for you.'

Maya jumped out of bed, wondering what could possibly be wrong, and put her slippers on. Then, she ran down to the common room and through the entrance portrait.

'Dad? What's wrong?'

'Maya – there's no easy way I can say this. You heard Minerva last night, yes?' Maya nodded.

'Maya, the student she was speaking about…. it's Draco.'

'Wh…what? How? The student was attacked by a parent – Draco doesn't go home, how could that have happened? Was it his Dad? How did he get near him?'

She was babbling, anything to stop the tears coming on. 'Dad, is he ok? Is he badly hurt?'

'He's safe, which is the main thing but yes, he is hurt. I won't lie to you – it's bad. Do you want to see him?'

Maya nodded and followed her Dad as he walked towards the Hospital Wing. Inside the Hospital Wing Maya couldn't see Draco but there was a bed in the far corner with a curtain around it. Maya tried to move around her Dad towards the bed, but he held her back. 'They're just finishing their examinations – we'll just wait.'

Maya sat down in a chair near another bed which was empty. She could hear what they were saying behind the curtain from here.

'Really Albus, his own father used an unforgivable on him?'

'I'm afraid so. Thankfully Lucius did not believe he needed to deal with Narcissa at all; he thought she feared him too much to tell anyone of his abuse. Draco, though badly hurt, is lucky she finally stood up to him.'

Maya could feel the tears rolling down her face – this was all so familiar. It sounded just like what happened with her mother, aunt and grandmother. How could parents treat their kids like that?

Suddenly, the curtains opened, and Dumbledore and McGonagall came out. 'Miss Jones – what are you doing here? Are you ok?'

Maya didn't answer, she was too busy looking over at the bed Draco was in. He looked like he was sleeping. 'Aah, Professor McGonagall, I believe Miss Jones is here to see a patient. Let's not keep her.' Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling.

Maya moved around the professors and went over to the bed in the corner; she sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Draco's hand. It was cold; it didn't feel like his hand.

He looked more pale than usual; that might be to do with the severe black eyes and the bruises over his cheeks. Maya looked down and noticed bruises across his chest and on his arms too. What had that evil man done to him?

' ' Maya said quietly, crying. 'I'm so, so sorry. I'm sorry that I ignored you, that I didn't give you a chance to explain anything or even bother telling you why I was mad; but most of all I'm sorry I let us get this far. I'm the reason your father did this – the reason he hurt you. But it's ok – he's in Azkaban, he can't hurt you anymore!'

Maya spent the rest of the day at Draco's bedside; taking her meals there and only moving to go to the toilet. She held his hand and talked to him; she didn't care if he was awake – she knew he would be able to hear her.

At 7pm she suddenly heard someone shouting and looked up. 'What are you doing here Jones! Why are you holding his hand? You know he wants nothing to do with you right?'

As soon as Maya saw her, she remembered what Draco had told her about Pansy and his friends reporting everything he was doing to his father. 'You! This is your fault, you stupid bitch! You're the reason he's lying here, hurt, aren't you?'

Pansy looked at Draco and then at Maya. 'What are you talking about? I didn't do this!'

'No Pansy, Lucius did! Lucius, the man that you "report" to – the man you run to, to tell on Draco. You're the reason he hurt his son!' she shouted at her. Maya walked over to her 'GET OUT! NOW! Oh, and stop telling people you're Draco's girlfriend – he hates you! I'm his girlfriend; have been since Christmas Eve!'

Pansy stared at Maya. 'You?' she laughed 'As if he would pick you over me!'

Maya laughed at the other girl. 'His nickname for you is "pugface Parkinson"; he would pick the giant squid over you!' Maya shouted and this time, she pulled her fist back and punched the other girl in the face. 'Now leave – before I really hurt you!'

Pansy looked like she was going to say something else, however she quickly scarpered when Maya took a step towards her. Suddenly, she heard a quiet chuckle from behind her.

'Well, you sure told her!'

Maya spun around so fast she was dizzy. 'Draco! You're awake!'

'Looks like it.' He said, coughing and wincing as he did so.

'Draco, I am so, so sorry for all of this.' Maya said, tears streaming down her face again.

'Sorry for what? You didn't do anything to me.' Draco patted the space on the bed next to him. 'Come here – please?'

Maya nodded and walked around the bed, she sat down next to Draco and took his hand again. 'Does it hurt a lot?'

'The truth? Yes. I am in a crazy amount of pain – but it's ok.'

'How is any of this ok?' she asked.

'Because now he's gone, and we can have a proper relationship.'

'Wow Draco, way to be positive!'

'It's the best way to look at this whole situation. Now, are you going to tell me what the last week has been about?' he asked.

Maya explained the whole story about Buckbeak being put on trial. 'Hermione told me it was you; she told me that I was obviously just a joke to you and you were using me to get information. I think I know now that she was wrong.' She said, blushing.

'You're so cute when you blush you know?' he said, smirking.

'I'm sorry-'

'That's the third time you've said that today – yes, I heard you this morning, and I am telling you that you don't have to be sorry. I promise you I do not blame you. I'm just glad you came running to my sickbed as soon as you could.'

Maya smiled and threw herself across his chest, crying again. 'You could have been killed!'

'But I wasn't – I'm here and he's gone from my life, so we can move on. Did you mean what you said to Pansy, about you being my girlfriend?'

'Only if you'll have me again?'

Maya spent the rest of the evening with Draco, catching up with him again. At 10pm she was kicked out of the Hospital Wing by Madam Pomfrey. 'I'll come tomorrow before class, over lunch and after classes ok?' she said, bending down to kiss him. Draco winced again 'Sorry, I just couldn't resist!' she whispered.

When Maya got back to the Gryffindor common room, she told Hermione everything.

'Oh Maya, I'm so sorry! I honestly thought he was just playing you – it was Pansy all along?'

'It's ok 'Mione; it made sense at the time. Yeah, she's been feeding everything back to Lucius for months; I wish I had remembered before. Draco did tell me she's basically a spy!'

'How is Draco?'

'He looks awful and he feels awful, but he is being really positive. I think we're back together as well.'

'I'm happy for you Maya – really I am!'

'Could you help me with something then? I want to do something special for Valentine's day. I think he'll still be in the Hospital Wing then.'

'Of course I'll help you!'

The next few days went fairly quick and soon it was Thursday morning. 'Everything set?' Maya asked Hermione, over breakfast.

Hermione beamed and nodded.

Maya couldn't wait; after classes she went to get changed in to her new red dress and then made her way down to the hospital wing. Draco's bed was curtained off as requested and Hermione was there setting up a table for a meal.

Maya gave Hermione the thumbs up as she walked out. Madam Pomfrey had agreed to stay out of their way for the next few hours. Maya walked over to Draco's bed and opened the curtains. 'Hi – happy valentine's day!' she said handing him a card.

Draco looked confused. 'It's Valentine's day?' he asked, alarmed. 'I haven't got your present here!'

'Don't worry about that; I wanted to do something special for you' she pointed towards the table for two as she said it. Maya helped Draco get up out of bed and over to the table. Within minutes their drinks had appeared and their starters.

Maya and Draco chatted about anything and everything, just like they did every night when they met in their spot.

'You're so beautiful Maya' Draco said, over their pudding. 'Thank you for being my valentine.'

'Thank you for taking me back.' she said, beaming at him.

'So, Madam Pomfrey said as long as you take it easy you could be released at the weekend!'

'Yeah, I'm looking forward to it.' Draco said, though his face said otherwise.

'What's wrong?' she asked.

'I'm just not sure how it's going to work out, sharing a dormitory with other boys that were spies for my Dad. I don't think it's going to work out well.' He said, sadly. 'To be honest, I would rather just stay here.'

Maya looked at Draco sadly. 'Are you really worried?'

'Yes, what if they carry out more punishments from my father?'

'Look, don't worry about that just now – we will sort something out.' she said.

Draco looked at her gratefully then took her hand. 'Thank you'.

'You look tired now, should you be getting back to bed?'

'I should, but I don't want to! I want to stay here with you.'

'Plenty more time for that; come on, let's get you to bed.'

Once Draco was settled for the night, Maya made her way back to Gryffindor tower, thinking hard about what she could do to help him.