Author's Note: Guess what, guys? I'm in a good mood today, so here's another chapter that arrived earlier than it should have. Like I said before, pleeeaaaseee read and review. Reviews make me happy D: and I'm dying from lack of them… save me! Save the story! R&R! Thanks~

Acceptance
Chapter 18
Of Guilt and Apologies

Draco sat in an upright position looking around the infirmary. Yup, it was still empty except for him. He struggled to bend forward to pull up the covers, but felt the familiar painful sensation running through his chest and stomach and retreated. The pain was still there even after two weeks. Just then, the doors opened and Neville Longbottom tiptoed in, thinking Draco was asleep. "Neville! Hello!" Draco beamed. The Gryffindor looked shocked for a moment, then approached the bedside and greeted the little patient.

"How are you doing, little man?"
"Still not completely okay…"
"Really?"
"Yeah, every day Harry comes to visit Draco and asks same question: do you feel better? But Draco always says not really. Harry always looks so sad after that. Draco dun wan Harry to be sad…"

Neville frowned as he watched the young Slytherin's head droop to his shoulders. He felt guilty for not being able to stop Blaise, and for being such a pathetic wimp. He wasn't even capable of doing one simple task of protecting his good friend's little treasure.

"Listen, Draco. Don't be sad, okay? Harry would wanna see you get better, and if you're happier, you might recover faster. Also…I rushed over here to check if you were okay…Um, I'm supposed to be in my next class now but I still feel like I have to make up for not taking care of you that day. I just want to say… I'm sorry," Neville stammered. Draco hadn't expected that, but he smiled again, "Draco forgive Neville. But Draco dun wana make Neville late for class, Neville can go now. It's okay, Draco will be safe here. It's infirmary! Infirmary is always safe becuz no one stupid enuff to go to some place where you will get poke poke by needles…" His voice turned into a pout, making Neville laugh. "Sure, whatever you say, I'll be off then, see ya," Neville patted Draco on the head and left.

Draco slumped back into his pillow. He wanted to be discharged so he could spend more time with the Gryffindors, and one particular caretaker of his, of course. But he wasn't exactly ready to step out of those doors either. He didn't want to meet the horrible Slytherin again. Draco shivered at the thought of getting bashed up again and decided it was safer to stay put until someone came for him. "Harry will be here during lunch time in about two hours…" he thought to himself.

Crreeaakkk

Draco peeped at the infirmary doors which were slowly being pushed open, little by little, such that one couldn't really notice it moving without the creaky noise. A shadow was cast upon the cold grey tiles. A familiar shadow. Draco's blood ran icy cold and he backed away further into the pillows and almost entirely covered himself with the blankets. Footsteps were heard and gradually, the familiar face of Blaise Zabini appeared. Draco's facial expression was contorted into a mixture of fear and hatred. This was the guy who attacked him! Was he going to attack him again?

"No…Not you…NOT YOU!" Draco's voice echoed loudly around the walls of the infirmary. He was getting terrified as the older Slytherin moved nearer. But Blaise didn't have the same sadistic look on his face like before, in fact it was more like…was it shamefulness?

"Malfoy."
"GO AWAY!" Draco screamed, pushing Blaise away as he approached, assuming he would start punching and kicking at him once more. "What did Draco ever do to you! Leave Draco alone, please!"

Blaise looked slightly hurt as he obliged, moving about a meter away from the hysterical patient. He wondered if his attack had made Draco go mentally unstable. "Malfoy, listen. I'm sorry about that, okay? I got carried away."

"CARRIED. AWAY."

The two turned to face the door. I stepped in, upon hearing their little conversation when I was outside. Oh yeah, I was angry alright. Finally, I had found the culprit.

"I should have known it was you, you sadistic bitch."
"Potter, I didn't come here to stir anymore trouble."
"Oh, that's hard to believe since you're cornering Draco like you probably did the last time you attacked him. Guess what, there's not gonna be a second time you'll get the chance to continue your assault, because I'm-"
"I just came to say sorry to him! Can't you just let him forgive me?"
"He has no reason to forgive you, and neither do I. You brought this upon yourself, Zabini. You should have seen it coming…the day you decided to lay your hands on my Draco like that."
"SHUT UP!"

Blaise was panting, sweat running down his forehead, and I swore I saw a vein pulsating. What reason did this bastard have to get pissed off, hell, I WAS PISSED OFF. But being the understanding fool that I was, I let him speak, if he wanted to that is. After that, he could bloody well kiss his ass goodbye.

"You know I never really intended to attack him, Potter."
"Sure you didn't."
"…I only did it because…I hated the sight of seeing him around you freaking Gryffindorks…especially you. I kept asking myself; how the hell did the cold hearted Slytherin ice prince turn into such a pansy? I would assume that even as a child, Malfoy would be an evil little shit, but wha- this- it's just a terribly bigass letdown! DRACO MALFOY-"
"Yes…?"
"-I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU!"
"Okay…"
"-IS GETTING ALL LOVEY DOVEY AROUND THE ENEMY HOUSE. THE HOUSE HE SWORE HE'D HATE FOREVER. HE TOLD ME HE DESPISED ALL GRYFFINDORS, HE TOLD ME WE'D TAKE YOU GUYS ALL DOWN SOMEDAY, HE TOLD ME THAT YOU, POTTER, WERE THE WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO HOGWARTS. AND NOW LOOK AT THIS? HE'S GOTTEN HIMSELF DE-AGED AND BECAME CLINGY TO THE BOY HE LOATHED SINCE DAY ONE."

Blaise brought his hands to his head and looked as if he was going to pull every strand of his hair out. I was dying to see him make himself go bald, honestly. That would be entertaining, even for little Draco. Then he started laughing…but it obviously wasn't happy laughter…He sounded like he had lost his mind. I didn't get it. So he and Draco were close and they hated Gryffindor together, so what? He had no reason to beat him up for changing for the better.

"Heh…Potter…Hahaha…Tell me your secret…"
"What the crap you talking about, Zabini?"
"How…How did you manage to win his heart?"

The tension dropped for a moment. Draco looked at me worriedly, he seemed confused as to what we were talking about. It just didn't make sense. Even I was starting to get a bit lost here.

"Um…win his heart? I'd say…any other way you'd win a random kid's heart, I don't know. Show him care, kindness, patience, understanding…love…"
"You don't understand…nobody does…I did everything I could for him, everything I did, I did for him."
"So you attacked him for his own good, cuz that's what I'm understanding from your last statement."

Blaise clenched his fist and looked like he was about to explode. I knew I had the tendency to piss teachers like Snape off with every little thing I say, but I didn't understand why Zabini was getting so worked up. He was the one at fault here.

"I told you before, I didn't mean to hurt him! I just wanted him back on the Slytherin side! I wanted him back on MY side! I wanted him to be with me, by my side…day and night…I wanted Malfoy to be MINE and MINE ALONE! WHY THE FUCK DID YOU HAVE TO INTERFERE, POTTER? WHY?"

I froze, lost for words. Did Zabini…have a crush on Draco? If that was the case, maybe that was why he got all possessive…jealous… I think I understood that feeling…somewhat…

"Listen, Zabini. I know what it's like to lose someone you like, or love rather. I lost my parents to Voldemort."
Blaise raised an eyebrow and looked shocked. I rephrased my statement after realizing what else it could have sounded like.
"I meant…Voldemort killed my parents. Not that he…err… interfered… in THAT way…if you know what I mean…Anyway, from what I gather, you've been having a crush on my Draco-"
"STOP calling him yours. He's not yours."
"Stop being so possessive, damn you!" I was fuming now. I have no idea what came over me, to think I was about to have a 'reasonable conversation' with the guy who attacked Draco. Sure, I was Harry Potter, one of the nicest people you'd ever meet. But if anyone harmed a single hair on Draco Malfoy's head, I would rip him apart. Blaise was going to get it now…

I flipped my wand out from my pocket and shouted a spell, but Blaise had dodged it in time and got his own wand out. I was shouting all sorts of random spells, even forbidden curses. I wasn't sure if I was happy or disappointed that Blaise didn't get hit by any of them. Bright lights of crimson, green and other colors of blazing sparks were constantly being shot out from the tip of my wand, not Blaise's. Was I so professional that he didn't even have a chance to retaliate with a counter curse? Or was he just not willing to fight back…?