So sorry for the long wait! College life is a lot harder then it sounds. It's not all a party, trust me. But anyway, enough with the excusses, on with the story!
Having Harry's Destiny- My Friends
After a few days most of the Slytherins were back to their normal cold pallor. There was the occasional blue or red tint but it was hardly noticeable. Helena seemed fairly recovered from the excitement though she was noticeably more subdued. It was rather sad to see someone who had been so lively and bright forced to tame their beautifully wild spirit. Hermione and Ron weren't the only ones who noticed the change in her; their other friends were exchanging worried glances and whispering quietly at the sight of her melancholy face. Even Draco had noticed the change of her attitude. He found her walking absentmindedly around the castle on afternoon. She had a vacant look in her eyes and her feet shuffled dejectedly across the floor.
"HELLOO!" Draco said waving his hand in front of her face.
"Oh sorry," Helena apologized, snapping back to reality. "I was in my own little world."
"How's the weather there?" He asked jokingly.
"Warmer then it is here!" Helena said referring to the increasingly cooler weather.
"Hey Helena?" Draco asked, his tone now serious.
"Yeah?" she said looking up from the spot on the floor she had been examining.
"Is something wrong?" He asked. When she didn't answer he continued. "It's just that you've seem kinda out of it lately and I wondered if something had happened?"
"I just…over did it I guess you could say." Helena replied with a sigh. "I try to hard to keep up with the other students. I know I can't do it but I'm stubborn so I try anyway." Draco was silent for a while. He stared intently at her as if he was trying to figure something out.
"Does this have to do with the reason you have a private room?" He asked at last.
"Yes," Helena said in a weak voice. "It has everything to do with that." Draco nodded slightly looking off into the distance.
"Well, It's not really any of my business," He said. "But if you need anything just tell me ok?" Helena nodded and smiled up at him.
"Thanks," she said then as an afterthought asked; "Hey you wanna come see my room?"
"Really?" Draco asked rather shocked that she would ask him of all people. "Are you sure you want me in your room? I mean what would everyone think? I am the Hogwarts play boy after all."
"Who cares what they think," Helena said with a huff. "Besides, you're not going to try anything anyways." Draco knew she was right. She just wasn't the type of girl you fooled around with.
"You're so weird, Helena," He said as she lead him through the halls.
"Why thank you," she said with a grin. "That's the nicest compliment I've had all week." Draco rolled his eyes and shook his head. She was different all right. As they walked down they hall together, they got strange looks from the other students. Draco avoided their gaze, pretending that a Gryffindor and a Slytherin walking together was perfectly normal. Helena, on the other hand, glared at them defiantly, daring them to say anything. When they reached her room, she opened the portal and ushered him with a slight smile.
"You do realize I know your password now?" He asked as he looked around the room, taking in his surroundings.
"Well, you're not the only one." Helena said with a shrug. "When are you going to get it through your head that I don't care about who you are, who your parents are, what house you're in and all that stuff."
"Sorry," Draco said taking a seat on the couch. "I'm just not used to that kind of attitude."
"Well, like you said earlier, I'm weird." Helena said with a smile as she plopped down on the other end of the couch. They were soon busy talking and time flew past without either of them noticing. Just then the portal swung open and Ron walked through. At the sight of Draco setting on the couch with Helena he stopped dead in his tracks.
"What the-" His face grew red with anger and his fist clenched. "What is going on here?" He asked through clenched teeth.
"We were just talking," Helena said calmly. "No need to get upset."
"Upset? UPSET?" Ron almost shouted. "I find you in your room, alone with Draco Malfoy, king of the Slytherins and I'm not supposed to be upset?"
"He's my FRIEND!" Helena said coming around the couch to face Ron. "This is no different then when me and you are in here."
"It is VERY different!" Ron argued. "He's Malfoy for crying out loud!"
"Stop it." Helena said her voice quavering with anger. She took a deep breath and looked at him, her eyes were void of emotion and her body seemed to melt into calmness. "He's my friend. I've told you that a hundred times and I won't tell it to you again. GET OVER IT." Ron looked at her in shock and Draco shifted nervously. "Can't you just learn to get along?"
Ron and Draco looked at each other and then back to Helena. Her calmness had melted into weakness and she looked like she was about to collapse. Her eyes pleaded with them to give up their grudge and at least try to be civil towards each other.
"Ok, whatever you say," Ron said grudgingly. Draco was surprised that he had even considered it seeing how bad he'd treated Ron and his friends over the years. It was then that Draco realized that they were both looking at him expectantly.
"Uh, yeah." He said hastily. "I'm willing to give it a shot."
"Good," Helena said with a smile. "Now what did you need Ron?" The question threw him off guard and he stared at her blankly for a second before he remembered what he'd come to tell her.
"Oh! I came to tell you that it's time to eat." Ron said after a moment of thinking.
"Ok, just let me get my sandals." Helena said going into her bedroom. Out of habit she touched the spot on her trunk where Harry's wand lay hidden in a secret compartment. She paused and looked down at her hand as if she just realized what she had done. She could almost feel the wand in her hand, it was uncanny. She shook her head free of the thought and slipped her sandals on. When she stepped back into the room she found Draco and Ron exchanging nervous glances.
"Let's go!" She said cheerfully. There was an awkward moment when Ron and Draco tried to get out the door at the same time but once they were in the hall and on opposite sides of Helena they both seemed to relax a little. And then they got to the Great Hall…
At the sight of the school's most well known Slytherin and Gryffindor walking in together, the entire room became silent. Draco and Ron shifted nervously but Helena acted like everything was perfectly normal.
"See ya later," she waved to Draco over her shoulder as she and Ron headed toward their house table. The other Gryffindors were giving them odd looks and whispering quietly to each other as they sat down next to Hermione.
"What was that?" Neville asked. Ron fumbled for an answer but Helena beat him to it.
"What?" She asked like nothing unusual had happened.
"You being all chummy with Draco?" Neville asked wide-eyed.
"Well, he's my friend so what did you expect?" Helena asked giving Neville a look like he had lost his mind.
"FRIEND?" Somebody down the table asked. "You're kidding right?"
"No…." Helena said rolling her eyes.
"I'd heard the rumors about you two hanging out but I was sure you couldn't be that daft." A girl across the table said giving Helena a look of shame.
"Well excuse me for not being stuck up my arse like the rest of you." Helena retorted sharply making everyone around them look up.
"Excuse me?" The girl's face darkened. "You're friends with the King of the Stuck up Slytherins and you accuse me of being "stuck up my arse?""
"Not just you sweet heart," Helena's voice dripped with anger. "The whole lot of you spend so much time hating the Slytherins that you're no better then them in the long run." Helena stood and prepared to leave but turned back. "Oh and EXCUSE ME for not choosing my friends based on what house they're in or who their parents are or are not!" She stormed out of the room with most of the students staring after her in confusion and shock. Those who had been close enough to hear what had happened exchanged quiet condemning whispers. Ron and Hermione looked at each other. This was not good. Not good at all.
By the next morning the whole school had heard what happened. The Gryffindors hated her and the Slytherins watched with cold uninterested. When Helena got to class that morning the only seat left for her was away from the other Gryffindors, right among the Slytherins. Hermione gave her an apologetic look and mouthed sorry. Helena shrugged and plopped down next to Draco. He gave her a nervous smile and she beamed at him, ignoring the glares from her house members.
"Good morning!" She said as cheerfully as possible.
"Morning," Draco replied slightly unnerved by her lack of caring for what others thought.
"You know what guys?" A Gryffindor boy asked those around him. "I think I figured out what Miss High and Mighty's problem is. She's mentally disturbed, big time. Why else would she hang out with Slytherin trash?" The Gryffindors snickered and the Slytherins glared. Helena turned around and looked at the boy with an indifferent gaze.
"You're pathetic." She said with a sigh. "Don't you have better things to do?"
"What?" The boy sneered. "Want some privacy with your boyfriend?"
"He's not my boyfriend." Helena hissed. Her face turned pink with anger. Realizing that he'd hit a nerve, the boy continued to jeer at her and several others started making kissing noises.
"You're soo STUPID AND IMMATURE!" Helena said jumping to her feet in anger and sending her chair tumbling to the ground. "Don't you get it? Life is to short to worry about stupid grudges and rivalries! There are more important things in life ya know!" Helena got up in the boy's face, leaning over his desk until they were eye to eye. The room was deadly quiet. "And if you haven't noticed, I could care less what you think of me." She pulled back, defiance in her green eyes. As she turned to go back to her desk, Ron got a good look at her face. She was pale and shaking. She stopped in mid step and swayed slightly. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed, hitting a desk on her way to the ground.
"Helena!" Hermione screamed as she rushed to her fallen friend. Helena didn't respond. "Somebody go get Madam Pomfrey!"
Everyone stood staring at Helena's motionless body in shock. Ron looked up from where he was knelt beside Hermione and realized that nobody had moved to leave.
"I'll go," he said giving the class a dark look before rushing out the door. Hermione was crying softly and talking to Helena.
"You're going to be ok," she said placing Helena's head in her lap. When she removed her had out from under Helena's head, it was covered in blood. She looked at in horror. "We need to get her to the hospital wing now." Hermione said not taking her eyes off her bloody hand.
"Let me," Draco said stepping forward. Hermione nodded and he bent down and gently gathered Helena into his arms. The crowd parted to make a pathway for him and Hermione who walked silently but urgently beside him. Helena was soo light in his arms. He had never noticed how thin she was or how pale her skin was. The dark circles under her eyes were tell-tell signs of the struggle she fought to hide daily. He hugged her closer, afraid she would break. Helena was the first real friend he'd ever had and seeing her like this scared him to death. He couldn't imagine how Hermione must feel, having recently lost Harry. Just then Ron and Mme. Pomfrey came rushing around the corner towards them.
"Her head is bleeding." Hermione said in a shaky voice. Mme Pomfrey did a visual check before ushering them on into the hospital wing. Draco carefully placed her onto a bed and stepped back out of the way. Ron stood at the foot of the bed shifting nervously from foot to foot while Hermione stood at the head of the bed gently stroking Helena's hair. Draco thought this was odd, seeing as Mme. Pomfrey needed to inspect her head. Hermione seemed to intent on keeping Helena's bangs in place to notice the looks Mme. Pomfrey kept giving her. Just then Dumbledore came walking in. Draco was slightly shocked, it wasn't like the headmaster came to the Hospital Wing every time someone was hurt.
"Oh my." The elderly man said assessing the situation. "Is she all right?"
"Seems to be," Mme. Pomfrey replied. "We won't know for sure until she regains consciousness."
"How did this happen?" Dumbledore turned his attention to the students.
"Well," Ron started. "The other Gryffindors haven't been to pleased with Helena and Draco being friends and all and they're being rather mean about it. Today in class was even worse and Helena just go tired off it and told them off. Told them real good too." Ron added with a small grin at the memory of his classmate's stunned faces. "I guess it was just to much for her because next thing we knew she fainted."
"Ah," Dumbledore said with a sad sigh. "I see. And I was hoping that their friendship would bring the houses together." Just then Helena began to shift about and show signs of waking up. Everyone rushed to her bedside and stood watching her anxiously.
"Helena?" Hermione prodded quietly. "Helena, can you hear me?" Helena squinted her eyes open and closed several times before looking around groggily.
"Where am I?" she asked in a confused voice.
"The hospital wing," Hermione explained. "You passed out in class."
"Class?" Helena looked at her confused. "But it's still summer time. I don't remember school starting back." Everyone looked at her in shock. Had she forgotten? She couldn't have. "And since when did we have a hospital wing?" Helena looked around curiously.
"Helena?" Ron looked at her with worry. "Don't you remember?"
"Helena? Who's Helena?" she looked confused and a little scared. "And the last thing I remember is…an accident." They all froze except Draco, who was looking around, very confused. "That boy! He's hurt!" Helena tried to get out of bed but fell back as a rush of pain overwhelmed her.
"Mme. Pomfrey," Dumbledore said in a commanding voice. "Perhaps you should give Ms. Cullington something." The nurse rushed to the bed with a flask and tried to give it to Helena, but she pushed it away.
"What's going on?" she asked frantically. "Where am I? Who are you?"
"Calm down dear," Dumbledore patted her hand comforting. "You hit your head and have forgotten a few things. This medicine will help with the pain and give you time to remember." Helena still looked skeptic and was watching them warily.
"It's ok," Hermione said in a comforting voice. "We just want you to get better." Helena looked at her for a minute, then her gaze swept the other people in the room. She looked down at the flask before drinking it down quickly.
"Uugh," Helena said making a disgusted face. "That is nasty." She mumbled something else they didn't understand before drifting off to sleep.
"Do..do you think she'll remember?" Ron asked, not taking his eyes off her sleeping form.
"Give her time," Mme. Pomfrey said. "A little sleep and she'll have everything sorted out again."
"In that case I think you three should run on and let her rest." Dumbledore said giving them a meaningful look. "Mme. Pomfrey, I'd like to be the first to know when she awakens." With that the head master ushered the three students out the door and left them standing alone in the corridor. They stood there staring at various points on the floor for several minutes before Draco spoke up.
"Look, I'm sorry. What happened back there was my fault." He said with down cast eyes.
"It wasn't your fault." Hermione said with a sigh. "If it was anybody's fault it would be the stupid idiots in our house."
"Yeah," Ron agreed, his face pink with anger. "They knew she was sick and yet they just had to shoot their big mouths off."
"House rivalry is over rated anyway," Draco added. Hermione and Ron nodded in agreement. Draco turned to face the door they had just come from. "You think she'll be ok?"
"Yeah," Ron said with a smile. "She's the strongest person I've ever known and it's going to take more then a little bump on the head to bring her down." They stood there for several minutes in a comfortable silence.
"Well, I should be going." Draco said walking off towards his common room.
"Yeah," Hermione said as she and Ron followed suit and headed toward the Gryffindor common room. It was amazing. A few months ago if you had told her and Ron that they would have a conversation in which Malfoy was nice to them and which they agreed on something she, they would have called you crazy. But yet here they were, becoming friends with old enemies.
Wow, I just had a "You go girl" moment. Which is suprising becausing I only got like three hours of sleep last night so I'm surprised I have enough energy to have any sort of moment.
But anyway, Please review!
FrillingFreak