"I brought your homework!"

Cora looked to see who had entered the hospital wing. It was Hermione Granger, one of Cora's close friends.

"Hello, Hermione. How are things?" Cora asked, propping herself up with her elbows. Hermione pulled a stool next to Cora and put down the armful of books she had been carrying before sitting down.

"You've been missing tons in potions!" Hermione enthused. She started listing off potions they had made and what they did. Once she decided Cora could read the chapters in her books herself if she wanted to know more, Hermione asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, really. Sprained wrist, lost tooth, mild swelling on the face," Cora smiled, "I don't get why I have to stay the night here. I understand having to repair the tooth, but it's not much…really."

"Madam Pomfrey just wants to make sure you're okay," Hermione explained, "You should have heard her talking to Professor Mcgonagall about Malfoy. What exactly happened, anyways?"

Cora repeated the whole event to Hermione, leaving out the part with the kiss. She wasn't sure if Hermione would be able to fully comprehend a sentence with 'Draco Malfoy' and 'kiss' together.

"So, it's no big deal…but thanks for bringing me my homework," Cora looked down at the large stack of books and papers. Half of her was glad, but the other half was disappointed that she would spend her evening in the hospital wing doing homework.

"I know what it's like to be in here, wondering what exciting things everybody's learning!" Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, have you ever been-" Cora started to speak, but was interrupted by a voice in the doorway.

"How's my favorite Squib?"

Hermione slid off the stool and stood her ground, "What are you doing in here, Malfoy?" she put a hand to her pocket just in case she needed to pull out her wand.

"Relax," Draco took a few steps towards the bed that Cora was lying on, "I'm just here to see if that bitch, there, is healing well."

"Oh?" Hermione cocked her head to one side curiously. It didn't seem like something Draco would normally do, even if he was plotting something. She felt a tug on her robes.

"Hermione!" Cora hissed quietly. She quickly whispered, "Don't worry, go!"

"I'll get Madam Pomfrey just in case!" Hermione whispered back. She then walked cautiously passed Draco, bumping him as she went by, indicating he wasn't so tough. After her footsteps disappeared down the hall, Draco took her place on the stool.

"What do you want?" Cora asked coldly. She laid her head back and avoided eye contact.

"How bad was it?" Draco asked almost kindly. Cora turned away and repeated the same thing she had told Hermione.

"How'd you get healed so fast?" Cora looked at Draco's face for the first time since he'd been in the room. His pale skin wasn't bruised, swollen, cut up or anything.

"Snape."

Cora turned away again, "Ah…"

Silence. Neither of them spoke for the next minute and a half. Cora was dying of awkwardness and fear. Draco was simply waiting for her to mention the kiss.

"Why are you interested in me?" Cora finally said out of curiosity. There was no flirtatious motivation behind it, really. Draco smirked.

"Honestly? I don't really know," He leaned over to Madam Pomfrey's counter and grabbed an apple out of a fruit bowl, tossing it in the air. After taking a bite he added, "Why are you interested in me?"

Cora nearly choked, "I am not interested in you."

"What about that kiss?"

"You kissed me!"

"But you kissed me back," he pointed out.

Cora scrunched up her face, "Hardly!" she sat up and looked him in the eye.

"I'm sorry, but it lasted five seconds at the least," Draco emphasized the word 'least' and took another bite out of the apple.

"You were forceful."

"Right, then. Suit yourself," without another word, he hopped off the stool and headed towards the doorway.

Cora was stunned and definitely confused. She had the urge to call him back, but instead simply said, "Where are you going?"

"You have no interest in me, so I have no point in being here," He smiled and turned the corner, disappearing from sight.

"Well…" she tried to think of an excuse to get him back. Nothing came to mind.

His head popped back around the corner just to say, "I'm sure we'll see each other around, bitch." and then he was, once again, gone.

Cora fell back onto her pillow. What was wrong with her? What did she find so attractive about Draco Malfoy. He was mean, repulsive, stupid, insulting, witty, charming, mysterious, sexy….

"No!" Cora corrected herself, "He's not…" even though she knew she was falling hard. Pulling the books onto the hospital bed one by one, she hoped getting a head start on homework might distract her from the questions racing through her mind.