*Watch out for the swear! I try not to have many, but you know...

Clara had fallen asleep again. She had dreamt more, but these were normal dreams. They didn't involve death or horror. Just a dream to be forgotten.

This time, Clara had woken up because of the commotion that was stirring up in the hospital wing.

There was a lot of shuffling, and complaining.

"Wait 'till my father hears about this!" The unmistakable sound of Malfoy shrieked.

"Oh, hush Mr. Malfoy," Madame Pomfrey scolded. "It's just a wound, ok?"

"He's going to die, isn't he?" The sickening voice of Pansy cried. Clara gagged, she had looked and sounded like that girl last year. Parkinson was truly horrifying.

"Miss Parkinson, can you please leave my hospital wing?" Pomfrey chided.

Pansy cried and wailed. "Draaco!" She called, as she was pulled out of the hospital wing, "I'll write to your father, and I'll complain to my-" Eventually, her voice was drowned out by magic.

Madame Pomfrey huffed. Clara closed her eyes so that she could concentrate on what she was saying.

"Malfoy, you'll be fine," Madame Pomfrey concluded. "I'll mend the gash in a jiffy, you'll just have to stay around thirty minutes more in case of infection, allergic reaction, etc. Etc. Ok?" She stared at him. "Oh, and you'll need a cast."

"Very well, just wait-"

"Malfoy, do you want my help?" Pomfrey rebuffed.

"Fine," Malfoy sneered.

Pomfrey wizzed about, and Clara chuckled when Malfoy almost screamed when he drank the potion. It was funny, but Clara knew Malfoy hadn't forgotten about last year's incident, which left him hexed in a hallway.

Clara winced at the memory, and clutched her bed sheets. She exhaled sharply.

Madame Pomfrey had eventually finished with Malfoy, and left him to sit on one of the hospital beds, which happened to be the one beside Clara. Clara tried her best to pretend to be asleep. She was alone, with Malfoy.

"I know you can hear me, you filthy blood traitor!" Malfoy sneered.

"Yep, but I don't want to," Clara shot back. She opened her eyes slightly.

She could feel Malfoy scanning her.

"What happened to you?" He asked harshly.

"A Dementor," Clara said with a since.

"Like Potter?" He asked with a laugh. "You ended up worse than him! And Potter's the lowest."

Clara bit her tongue. "At least he lived."

"That's literally all he's known for."

Clara picked at the bed sheets again. "Go away," she said quietly.

"Did you faint too?" Malfoy jeered.

"No."

"I heard screaming, was that you?" Malfoy cackled.

"No!"

"Aw," Malfoy taunted. "Did I hurt your feewings?"

"You have no idea." Clara had to remain calm… She could hear Malfoy sliding off his bed and walking toward her…

"Did I make you sad?" Malfoy mocked.

"Please, just go away," Clara pleaded.

"Or what?"

"Just go!"

"You can't tell me what to do!"

"Go away!"

"You blood trai-"

Clara felt everything pile on top of her. She sucked in a breath… She could handle it… She could handle it…

Clara shot up into a sitting position. "I died!" She shrieked.

Malfoy smirked. "You look alive."

Clara clamped her mouth with her hand. "I didn't mean-"

"That you died? Yeah, no shi-"

"I really did die, I just didn't want to tell you!" Clara muttered.

Malfoy leaned. "And tell me, did I die too? Cause this seems like Hell to me."

"No," Clara breathed. "On the train, I-I died. And then I came back."

Malfoy nodded. "And you came back insane. Sounds 'bout right."

"You don't understand! It was the most horrible thing ever." Clara said, tears threatening her eyes. She would not cry in front of Malfoy. "I was reliving my most horrible experiences, and I-I died."

"Potter didn't die," Malfoy pointed.

Clara almost laughed. "He was lucky. He had that new professor-"

"Seems unqualified, in my opinion," Malfoy said.

"Save him," Clara finished.

"But, why did you scream?" Malfoy asked, and it may have been Clara's loony mind, but he looked almost… concerned. No, it wasn't really concern, per say, It was just an interest.

Clara thought for a second. "Because it hurt."

"People don't scream when they're attacked by Dementors."

"I know." Clara said. "Everyone tells me that. Apparently I've been through some tough shit."

Malfoy laughed. "Apparently."

At that moment, Madame Pomfrey walked in, and took a glance at them. She looked a little surprised. She shook herself out of her shock.

"Mr. Malfoy, you can go now, if you're OK."

Malfoy made a face and walked back to his bed. "This school is no-good."

Madame Pomfrey glared at him. "Mr. Malfoy-"

Malfoy let out a fake gasp of pain, "On the other hand, I think I'll stay."

Madame Pomfrey winced, but let him stay anyway.

Clara lay in her bed until right before dinner. Madame Pomfrey came to her, and she looked a bit relieved.

"Miss Oswald, you are ready to go," she said sharply.

Clara sat up, "You mean, I can leave?"

"Yes!"

Clara jumped out of the hospital bed. "Oh, Merlin! Thanks!"

Clara noticed Malfoy lying in bed, staring at the work Pansy had left for him earlier. Clara walked up to his bed. He was covered in an unnecessary amount of bandages.

"Um, Malfoy," Clara said with a slight quiver in her voice.

"Mhm.. ?" He said.

Clara's stomach did a turn. "I'm sorry about last year."

Malfoy sized up a bit, but still looked at her. He nodded, and Clara left silently.

With one final check-up from Madame Pomfrey, Clara left, and headed toward the dorm room to change. She threw on the school uniform and smiled at herself in the mirror. Only then, did she notice how much she had changed over the summer.

Clara was an inch taller, and she could tell that puberty was going to kick in. Clara felt the urge to make herself look nice, rather than bed-wrangled. She smiled to herself silently. Merlin, she was turning into a Pansy.

Clara walked off to the Great Hall. When she got there, she instantly felt better. She was home at last. Clara walked past the Slytherin table, and noticed everybody gossiping. Three guesses about what.

Clara sat down next to Ginny, and tapped her shoulder. Ginny turned toward her and squealed.

"Clara! You're OK!"

"Yeah…" Clara lied.

Ginny stared at Clara for a bit, but shrugged and gave her hug.

"Ginny!" Clara wheezed. "You're choking me!"

"Oh, I'm just so happy!"

Clara smiled meekly. "Where's John?"

Ginny's smile wavered. She looked down at her food. "He had some trouble Professor Trelawney. He's just been reading in the common room. He said he needed to know more on a blue box. Do you know what it means?"

Clara shook her head. "I haven't the faintest idea."