The Bathroom Duel

We overslept the next morning, so we had to rush downstairs in order to get some food. Okay, so maybe we didn't over sleep, so much as we woke up on time but sat around for an hour. The halls were just about deserted, so we got to walk the whole way together. When we got to the Great Hall, I couldn't bring myself to leave him. I couldn't get rid of this uneasy bubbling in my stomach.

"Five more minutes. Come on, there's a broom closet RIGHT over there." I said, and started pulling his arm in that direction. He chuckled.

"Now you KNOW how much I'd love to spend the whole day with you. Hell, I'd love to spend the WEEKEND with you. But I can't. And you need to get in there and get some food, and I have things to do today."

"Like what?"

"Like telling Snape where he can stuff Voldemort's task." I laughed.

"Okay then, I'll see you later? Tonight, maybe?" I said, suggestively.

"Talia Jackson, what has gotten into you today?"

"Okay, here's the thing. I know you promised to let go of the task and everything, and that's great. But for some reason, my Super Siren Senses are tingling. I feel like terrible things are about to start happening." I said, speaking my mind.

"Your Super Siren Senses? Is that all?"

"Yes. Well, and also I'm really horny." He laughed.

"Talia, nothing is going to happen, okay?" He grabbed my face so I could look at him.

"How can you be sure?" He thought about it.

"I can't. But I CAN be sure that I will protect you with my life. No matter what." I nodded, we kissed one last time, and I left him to go into the Great Hall.

I looked for my friends, but I should've known they'd be in our usual spot. And also as usual, Hermione was reading the latest edition of The Daily Prophet, Harry was reading his Potions book, and Ginny was talking to Ron.

"RON!" I said, and ran up to hug him. I ended up nearly knocking him onto the table.

"Whoa, Talia, too much loving. You DO remember we hung out yesterday, right?" He said, grabbing me.

"I'm sorry, I was just so worried about you! I can't believe you were poisoned!"

"Well, seeing as how you were there when it happened, you should probably believe it."

"Ha ha, you're so hilarious." And I sat down to get some food. Pretty soon, it started to snow, but just above Ron. And then I noticed him looking over at Lavender.

"Stop it Ron, you're making it snow!" I said to him.

"Huh?" And he looked at us. "Remind me again how I broke up with Lavender?" He looked at all of us in turn, waiting for an answer, but it was Hermione who gave it to him.

"Well, she came to see you in the Hospital Wing, you see, and you guys talked. I don't believe it was a particularly long conversation." She looked like she was holding back a smile.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm bloody thrilled to be shot of her. It's just, she seems… a bit put out." And we all looked over at her, and she glared at us in return.

"She does, doesn't she? I feel like she could break that fork in half right now." I said, and Harry and Ginny laughed, but Hermione pressed on a bit more.

"And you say you don't remember a thing from that night? Not one thing?" Ron thought about it.

"Well, there is… something." Hermione's face lit up at these words, and I thought that what we had been waiting for for years would finally happen. "But no, it can't be. I mean, I was completely boggled, wasn't I?"

"Right. Boggled." She said, her face falling. I put my hand on her arm, trying to comfort her. Poor Hermione, it wasn't her fault she was in love with a complete wanker. Harry and Ron, completely oblivious as usual, went back to their food. Boys. I was just about to suggest me and Hermione and Ginny go back up to the common room, when there was a slight commotion at the end of the table.

"Harry, its Katie Bell." Hermione said.

"Finally out of the hospital." I said, glancing over at her. Harry got up to go talk to her, and Ron stuffed his face some more, so I took my chance. I turned to the girls.

"Guys, let's go back to the common room. I think we need to talk." I said, looking at Hermione. She smiled, but a weak one. I grabbed her hand, and Ginny grabbed the other one, and we went back up to the room.

"You guys, it's really okay. I swear." Hermione said, once we were there.

"You really shouldn't swear, Hermione." I said, which made her laugh.

"You two swear all the time! It's like a second language or something!"

"Well, yeah, but YOU shouldn't. It doesn't sound right coming from you." Ginny said.

"Yeah, Ginny and I grew up with six brothers. Swearing is a given. You're too sweet to let it soil your mouth." I said. We started talking about various things, like how stupid Ron is, and then he walked through the portrait hole.

"Well, speak of the devil." I said.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. Where's Harry?"

"I don't know. He left before I did, after talking to Katie, so I assumed he came up here."

"I guess not." The three of us we're looking anywhere but him, and he seemed to notice.

"What's with you guys?"

"Oh, nothing Ronald. Just… nothing." Ginny said, which made him look even more confused.

"Weirdo girls." He mumbled to himself.

"Stupid git." I mumbled to myself, and he sat down.

"So, what are we talking about?" He said after a few, awkward seconds.

"WE, as in all of us, aren't talking about anything. WE, as in us three," I said, gesturing to Ginny, Hermione, and I, "were talking about how stupid, and arrogant, and ignorant, and completely thick you—"

"I need your help, you guys!" Harry said, rushing into them room, interrupting me. Probably a good thing.

"With what?" I said.

"I have to get rid of this book. Hide it. Somewhere no one will ever find it. This is bad, really bad."

"Whoa, slow down, mate." Ron said. "What happened?" Harry looked sheepish.

"Well, you know how you guys told me that that book is dangerous, and it could get someone hurt?" We nodded. "Well, you were right. I used that spell on someone, and I think I may have almost killed them. Snape showed up, and I ran for it. But I need to get rid of this book, just in case. Snape was eyeing it very strangely."

"Shit, are you serious?" I said.

"Yeah, completely serious. I screwed up, you guys, and I don't know what to do, he's really hurt—"

"Wait, 'he'? Who is it?"

"—and I know I hate him, but I didn't want to injure him like that—"

"Who was it Harry?" I said, starting to panic, but no one was listening.

"Don't worry, Harry, I know where we can hide it." Said Ginny.

"Harry, tell me who you hurt. Now." I said, and he looked at me.

"Draco Malfoy."

My world fell apart. Ginny started pulling Harry toward the portrait hole, but she was looking at me with concern. Hermione was also looking at me, also concerned, and I suddenly realized that I was frozen. I was staring at the spot where Harry had been a few seconds ago. Right when the portrait hole closed, Hermione spoke to me.

"You have to go." I nodded, and then ran for my life. But not before I heard Ron ask "Where's she off to?" and Hermione scoff at him.

I couldn't breathe. I could hardly even see where I was going; I just knew that my feet knew where to take me. My mind was too busy worrying about if he was okay. If he wasn't, if he was dead, I didn't know what I would do. Why did Harry have to be so stupid? I couldn't lose Draco, I just couldn't. I hadn't loved this much since Kayla. I hadn't smiled or laughed this much since Kayla. He made me happier than I'd ever been, even before Kayla died and my parents were taken. I COULDN'T lose him. He was my life, now. I dashed down the stairs, taking them three at a time, not even noticing the throbbing pain in my foot. It didn't even compare to the fear I was feeling.

I didn't even pause when I wrenched open the doors to the Hospital. There weren't any other patients in the room, but the curtains were still drawn around his bed. I ran over to them, ripped them open, and almost died of relief when I saw his eyes open.

"Oh, Draco." And I ran to his bed and smothered him with myself. "I thought Harry had killed you! I was so worried, and I ran all the way over here, and I think I may have sprained my ankle, and I TOLD Harry he needed to be careful but he didn't listen and I think I might kill him…"

"Slow down, Talia. I'm okay, see? I'm even mostly in one piece." He said, grabbing one of my hands.

"That's not even funny, Malfoy." I said, and then we kissed. It was a very deep, passionate kiss, the kind that should be private. I didn't realize that it wasn't until someone cleared their throat.

"Excuse me." Professor Snape said, and I jumped out of bed and straightened my rumpled clothes.

"Professor! I didn't see you there! We were just… um…"

"I think I understand what that was, miss Jackson. It appears Mr. Malfoy hasn't been completely honest with me."

"I can explain…" Draco started, but Snape held up his hand, silencing us both.

"No explanation necessary, Draco. I have no objection to this. I shall leave you two alone, now." And he walked out, drawing the curtains again as he left.

"Wow. That was SO not the reaction I was expecting from him." I said, crawling back into his bed, right next to him.

"I'm not surprised, actually. He's pretty cool, underneath all that grease and black clothes." I laughed so hard that I snorted, which made him laugh, which made him wince and clutch his side.

"Are you okay? How bad is it? How long do you have to stay in here? And what method do you think I should use when I murder Harry? Because I'm considering a chainsaw…" He chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'm okay. Snape got there in time to make sure of that. I'll be good as new before you know it. I'll only have to stay the rest of today in here, and then spend the next few nights here for observation or something. And NO, I don't want you to murder Harry. While I'm not overly fond of the slits he put in my body, you two should stay friends."

"Well, if you say so." I turned my face away real quick so I could wipe a tear away that had escaped, but he caught it.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm okay. I promise." I tried to smile, but sniffled a little bit.

"I know. But Harry rushed into the room, and said he thought he might have killed you, and I panicked. I don't know what I'd do if you had died. In his defense, he seemed genuinely worried about you."

"That's surprising."

"No it isn't. Harry's a really good guy."

"Yeah, I guess he is. I'm sorry I've been just an ass to him." And I started to cry a little bit more.

"Son of a bitch, I hate crying. Before this year, I only ever let Fred see me cry. But now it's like I'm giving out free shows to everyone." I said. I shifted, which made me remember my ankle. I cried out a little bit, grabbing it.

"We should get Madame Pomfrey to look at your foot. Madame Pomfrey?" He called to her, and she immediately appeared. But when she saw us, together, in bed, she paused.

"Well this is something I didn't expect. I can't even count how many times you two have been in here BECAUSE of each other."

"Can you please look at my ankle, Madame Pomfrey? I think I sprained it."

"Of course. Anything for my favorite patient." She smiled at me. "And please call me Poppy, my dear; you know your mother was one of my best friends."

"Of course. Sorry, Poppy." She fumbled with my ankle for a few seconds, but didn't seem too concerned.

"Well, you did sprain it. But lucky for you, I can have it as good as new in just a few minutes. Just hold on a second…" She left, and then came back two seconds later with a bottle in her hand. "Just drink this, and then you can go whenever you want. Unless you want to stay?" She said, looking at Draco. I smiled.

"I think I'll stay for a while, thanks." And she left.

"Everybody loves you." Draco said, probably a little jealous.

"Well, my parents were very popular when they were here. They were wonderful people, and everyone loved them. Not to mention they were in Dumbledore's Army back in the stone ages."

"They seemed like great people."

"They were. ARE." I said, correcting myself.

"What do you mean? I thought…"

"That they're dead? Everyone else does. But I don't."

"Interesting."

"Aren't you gonna give me some shit about how 'the chances of them still being alive are really low' like everyone else?"

"No. If you believe they're alive, I believe you."

"I love you."

"I know." And we kissed. And we talked some more, and at one point I left to get us some food and water. When I got back, I saw that Blaise was there, talking to Draco, and we all had a good time teasing each other. And the whole time, I thanked God that he hadn't taken Draco away from me.