Melanie flung herself at Draco when she saw him the following morning, Draco wrapped her up in his arms and wondered what was wrong, she was shaking, and crying.
Harry clapped him on the back with a sad smile.
"She had a bad dream last night, didn't manage to get to sleep even after a dreamless sleep potion," Harry told him quietly, and now Draco was really concerned, because next to nothing could fight off one of those potions.
"Melanie? What's wrong, tell me what's wrong?" Draco asked, pulling her away from the great hall and down an empty corridor, but he never managed to get a word out of her, just sobs, so he settled for that and tried to sooth her.
Finally the bell rung, but still Melanie was in no state to go to class so instead he decided he'd risk being late to Transfiguration, and take her to the Hospital wing.
When he reached it he found Madame Pomfrey sitting at her desk, but she leaped up when she saw Draco come in carrying Melanie bridal style.
"Is she alright?" The nurse asked, pulling her wand out.
"No, she didn't sleep last night, and, well, she's crying, a lot," Draco said awkwardly. The nurse nodded in understanding, having been told about Melanie's dream, so that she knew the situation.
"Thank you Mr. Malfoy, if you could place her down on a bed, I'll get her a stronger solution," The nurse said then left to get the potion, only to find she had run out. "Mr Malfoy, would you please go to Professor Snape and ask him for a strong batch of Dreamless Sleep?" The nurse asked. Draco nodded and left the room, leaving Melanie still curled up and whimpering. He tuned to see the nurse stroking her hair and comforting her, so he knew she would be safe.
When he reached the dungeons it was only to find Severus was teaching the sixth year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. Luna and Ginny were sitting together whispering frantically, their eyes widened when Draco walked in, his shirt damp with tears, and a slight smudge of Mascara. When he noticed their stares he looked down, and shook his head.
"Melanie's, she's not faring well." Draco told them quietly then walked to Severus.
"How can I help you, Draco?" Severus drawled.
"Madame Pomfrey needs a strong solution of Dreamless Sleep potion." Draco said, Severus nodded.
"Who is it for, so I have an idea of how strong to make it."
"Melanie, but she didn't sleep last night, even though she had a dreamless sleep potion."
Severus' head snapped up and he tried to find a hint of lie in Draco's face, it wasn't there.
"What happened?"
"I don't really know, but she really needs the potion, she's crying a lot, she'll make herself ill." Draco stressed.
It was strange for him, he was never totally heartless, but before he wouldn't have given two shits if the Gryffindor princess was hurt and ill, but now the thought that she was in any form of pain, emotional or physical drove him mad, he needed her to be better again, it tore him apart for her to be like this. Even worse, he didn't like seeing it when Hermione fell down the stairs, she broke her ankle, and he hadn't liked that, not to say he would have liked it before, but to be honest it wouldn't have bothered him, but now if Muggleborn Hermione hurt herself he didn't like that. True he had become somewhat protective over the girls, but the same also went for the guys, he did worry when his friends got hurt. And it wasn't something he was used to.
As quickly as he could Draco made his way up to the hospital wing and gave Melanie the potion as Madame Pomfrey had showed, and was glad when Melanie fell to a dreamless sleep. She looked content, and Draco smiled as she curled up to him, the nurse even excused him from the day's lessons, as long as he caught up.
Harry was worried, he and Ginny were in serious trouble, oh yes, Ron had caught them doing a little more then just kissing, in a slight moment of teenage hormones the pair dashed into a empty classroom, Ginny was had lost her shirt, as had Harry, His hands were on her breast while hers were slightly lower… ok a lot lower.
Ron was fuming. It was bad enough for him to know what was going on between them, but to see it was a whole different ball game.
"POTTER!" Ron roared as he stormed into the Gryffindor common room, Melanie who had calmed down and was feeling much better, and was sitting on the sofa perked up.
"Yes?" she asked innocently, looking up at Ron with wide eyes.
"Not you!" Ron snarled, and for a second Melanie was quite shocked, and Hermione looked extremely worried, for Harry that is.
"Ron?" Hermione asked tentatively.
"Where is he?" Ron snarled.
"Erm, not here, he went out!" Hermione said quickly, and then Ron stormed out, leaving the Gryffindors behind looking fairly scared.
"Oh dear Harry, what have you done?" Melanie asked as Harry shot up from behind the sofa.
"He won't calm down till he gets to hit me!" Harry nearly squeaked. Out side there was a scream, and then lots of yelling, the three Gryffindors put there ears to the portrait and listened. Then they opened the entrance slightly.
There they could see Luna and Ginny arguing with Ron.
"It's none of your business!"
"You're my sister!"
"I really don't see how that means I can't do stuff with Harry."
"He's my best mate."
"I'm his girlfriend."
"You're not allowed to do that!"
"What snog him!"
"Yes!"
"Ok I'll do the other stuff instead!"
"No you won't!"
"Go snog Luna!"
Luna perked up at this, and from a look from Ginny the blonde girl walked up to Ron.
"Come on, I think we should go outside, don't you?" Luna asked, then linked arms with Ron and led him away from the common rooms. Ginny burst out laughing, and only realised Harry, Hermione and Melanie were watching when she heard them laughing too.
When returned he didn't say a word to Harry, but looked very smug with himself. So Harry took his chance.
"How you doing, Ron?" Harry asked casually.
"Me, I'm great," Ron said cheerfully then sat down on the sofa, ignorant to the snickers from his friends.
Down in the Slytherin Girls dorms things weren't so good, Pansy was sitting on her own in her room painting her nails the muggle way when a group of girls walked in, Daphne Greengrass, Millicent Bulstrode and Tracey Davis, they sneered at her then sat on Tracey's bed, with a sigh Pansy hopped up and went to leave.
"Where do you're think you're going traitor?" Daphne sneered. But Pansy didn't answer; she simply carried on walking towards the door, when Millicent blocked the way.
"Talk when spoken to!" Millicent sneered.
"Remember when you used to do that for me? Oh Millie. You're never going to go anywhere in life, because all you'll ever be is someone else's lackey. Pathetic really," Pansy drawled.
"How dare you?" Millicent's fist was pulled back and she was about to punch Pansy when Daphne stopped her.
"Remember when you used to have a life. What are you now? Nothing but a little piece of poor filth. You've got no money, no looks, and certainly no brains. You're nothing but a useless whore." Daphne said in a bitter sweet voice, Pansy was struck silent, before shaking her head.
"You may have money Daphne but you certainly don't have use for it," Pansy said slowly.
"And why is that?"
"Because that mark etched into your skin is going to get you either killed or thrown into Azkaban to rot away for the rest of your life," Pansy said, her voice was soft, almost a whisper, and it hit Daphne to the core.
"W-we won't lose." Daphne said trying to regain her composure.
"Keep telling yourself that," Pansy whispered. By now Millicent had enough and punched Pansy, then Tracey joined in, Pansy screamed as they beat her up, she didn't stand a chance against them, Millicent was an elephant to her kitten size. Tracey was no puppy either, they clawed viciously at her until the dorm room door smashed against the wall and Draco and Blaise appeared, they saw Pansy was a bloody mess on the floor and instantly hexed the three girls attacking her. Then Draco picked up the whimpering girl, and in the shock of it all, unable to think straight, he took her to Gryffindor tower.
"What happened?" Hermione gasped when she opened the portrait door, Draco didn't answer her though and just walked in, trailed by Blaise and lay Pansy down on the sofa that Harry and Ron had jumped up off.
"The girls, they were really going at it. Seriously never seen anything quite like it, reminded me of Aunt Bella!" Draco panted, Melanie was by the portrait, she turned and yelled something at Draco, but he didn't catch it, he looked questioningly at Hermione.
"She's gone to get Snape," Hermione called. She looked concerned, they all did. Something had to be done; Pansy couldn't go back to her dorm.
Hermione was waiting by the portrait for Melanie to return, and Ginny was using a pain revealing spell on Pansy, to heal the cuts would mean there was no proof.
Just as Ginny was about to finish her spell she was thrown to the floor when the entire castle shook.