"The operation went well, they should both recover quickly."
The voice next to me was muffled but I could place it. It was Madame Pomfrey, the medi witch of Hogwarts.
"Good, I've informed Newton.
He insisted on travelling here himself.
He will be arriving later tonight. He couldn't be persuaded not to travel until tomorrow morning."
Professor McGonnagal.
She was talking about Newton and still I didn't know who it was.
The dream I just had was still echoing in my head.
I remembered every single image, every single word and every feeling I had during it.
I tried to open my eyes, it was hard but I had an iron will.
I blinked against the dim light of the candles that illuminated the room.
I had heard the voices of the two witches so loudly that I thought they were standing directly next to me but they were not.
As I got used to the light, I turned my head, only to see them both standing by the bed next to me.
Daisy.
I tried to sit up, wanting to know how she was doing. But my arms had no strength at all.
"Mr Malfoy, lie still. You need to take it easy."
Madame Pomfrey now hurried over to me and shone a far too bright light into my eyes.
"How are you?"
I tried to answer but no sound escaped my throat.
"Are you well?", she amended her question and I answered with a nod.
I turned my head, gesturing to Daisy, hoping she understood what I wanted her to do.
"Everything has gone well. Her body is not showing any defensive reactions.
She's still weak but she'll recover."
She paused for a moment.
"Thanks to your quick action.
Miss Harper owes her life to you."
And I owe her mine.
"Get some rest, it's been an exhausting operation.
But if all goes well, you should be up and alright by tomorrow afternoon."
I didn't want to be tied to this bed.
I wanted to help, hold her hand and sit by her bed until she woke up.
I had been hopelessly in love with this girl since the moment she saved me from the avalanche.
I didn't want to admit it for weeks.
After all, it was completely absurd, a boy like me with a girl like her.
But today I knew that she would be the one people would look at.
Who would be asked, why him?
Because I didn't deserve her.
Because she deserved the world and I was just a Death Eater with a shitty little life.
I had tried to avoid her, hoped that those feelings would stop when I didn't see her. But in vain.
Eventually I had to admit defeat.
I was in love with her and I knew I would never look at her the way I did.
But that was fine if she was just in my life.
The door opened and Longbottom and Abbot stumbled through.
Now they both looked devastated but Abbot looked much worse.
They both rushed to Daisy's bedside.
I expected nothing less.
No one was interested in me and that was good.
Daisy needed all the strength and support she could get.
Reassured that someone was with her I closed my eyes and slipped into a dreamless sleep.
When I woke up again it was still dark outside.
It was quiet in the room and only through the scattered candles could I make out anything at all.
The hospital wing was being converted.
There were sofas in a corner where people were sleeping. I recognised two of them, they were Longbottom and Abbot.
The other two were unknown to me.
I turned my head towards Daisy's bed.
There sat Professor McGonnagal with her head resting on her hands, giving a light snore.
A man was sitting next to her.
I could only see the back of his head, but even that was unfamiliar.
I tried to sit up and this time it actually worked.
The man on the other bed heard my movement and turned around.
He had a kind face, covered with many wrinkles.
His eyes were red, teary like probably everyone here.
He looked familiar but I couldn't make out from where.
"You're awake", he said quietly so as not to wake the others.
I nodded.
He gave Daisy another kiss on the forehead, then turned to me, putting a muffliato over us so we could talk in silence.
"You saved her life, I am forever indebted to you.
She is all I have left, I don't know what I would do without her."
He spoke so quickly as if he needed to get rid of all this as soon as possible.
He ducked me, even though he didn't know me at all.
Strange but probably one of those muggle quirks.
"She would have done the same for me."
That was the first thing I said after my operation.
"She's a really good girl", he murmured, smiling slightly.
He slapped his hand against his forehead.
I looked at him in confusion.
"I'm being rude again, Tina would kill me.
I haven't even asked you your name yet."
He really hadn't but I thought his name was much more interesting to find out.
"Draco...Malfoy", I said holding out my hand to him.
It took a lot out of me and for the first time I noticed the stabbing pain emanating from my left side.
"Pleased to meet you Draco.
I'm Daisy's grandfather, Newton Scamander, but please call Newt."
He shook my hand as if he hadn't just given out such info.
I froze in motion.
He wasn't the first famous wizard I'd shaken hands with.
I mean I went to school with Potter for seven years.
But the statement that he was Daisy's grandfather was hugely surprising and unexpected.
Actually, my head should be buzzing with a thousand questions right now but right now it was just blank.
I shouldn't let on how shocked I was by his statement.
So I shook his hand and tried not to stare at him.
He smiled kindly at me and now I recognised him.
He looked just like he did in my textbook, only with a little more wrinkles.
"I can't thank you enough for what you've done for my little girl. If you ever need help with anything, don't be afraid to ask. I owe you a lot."
He picked up the muffliato and whispered softly once more before sliding back to Daisy at the bedside.
"You're a really good person Draco."
I sat up in my bed, transfixed.
I wasn't a good person, I was selfish and arrogant.
Yes, Daisy would have done the same for me but she would have done it because she didn't want anyone to die, not if she could help it.
I on the other hand, would let anyone die if only she survived.
Would I have donated my kidney to someone else?
Probably no.
But she was different, different rules applied to her, she was just her.
The painkillers would wear off, was the next thing I thought.
I should try to sleep a little more.
But that wasn't as easy as I thought, even though I was dead tired.
Scamander. Newton, Newt Scamander.
She's a Scamander.
Why did she lie?
Why didn't she say anything?
Does anyone else know?
Does Longbottom know?
Is it just me who doesn't know?
Do I even know this girl?
All of which kept me from sleeping, almost all of which I had no answer to.
Except for the last one.
I know Daisy. I trust Daisy and if she don't want me to know who she is, it is for a good reason.
At some point I must have dozed off, because when I woke up I heard voices around me and sunlight was coming through the large windows of the hospital wing.
"Good morning Mr Malfoy", Madame Pomfrey greeted me with several glass bottles in her arms, which she placed next to me on a small table.
"How are you feeling?"
Yes, how was I feeling?
Like a failure?
Alone?
Those certainly weren't the answers she wanted to hear.
"All right, I guess. The side hurts a bit but it's bearable."
That was the truth, the pain really wasn't that bad.
"Good, very good.
Try to eat something. And if you're all right, you can leave before dinner."
A tray of breakfast appeared next to the glass bottles on the table beside me and although I wasn't hungry I forced myself to eat some scrambled eggs.
I had to get out of this bed and the only way to do that was to get my strength back.
While I was eating, I consciously looked over at the bed next to me for the first time.
McGonnagal and Newton were no longer there but Longbottom and Abbot were now sitting at their bedside.
Longbottom looked over at me once as I ate and when I had finished he turned completely around to face me and slid a chair over to my bed.
I had no idea what he could want from me.
"How are you?", he asked quietly.
I could see that he hadn't slept well all night.
There were shadows under his eyes and his complexion was clearly too pale.
"Fine, I guess", I said with a furrowed brow, not understanding why he should care how I was doing.
"That's good."
He kneaded his fingers and didn't look at me like he was uncomfortable.
If I wasn't so weak I would have let out a stupid comment but I wasn't in the mood for that.
"It's all my fault." His voice trembled.
"She didn't want to go there. I talked her into it. I should have looked out for her better.
I'm the worst friend ever. It's all my fault."
As he spoke he began to cry and his tears dripped onto his hands.
She really didn't want to go there, that's what she had said.
But if I had been quicker, maybe it wouldn't have come to this.
Maybe we were both to blame.
Maybe we were both the worst friends in the world.
Maybe we both should have been more careful.
No, we couldn't have been more careful than we were. She was stubborn, she didn't do anything she didn't want to.
And if there was anything she hated, it was when people patronised her and didn't allow her to look after herself.
She could, she was an exceptionally strong witch. Nott must have ambushed her yesterday or he wouldn't have stood a chance.
"If she really didn't want to go at all, she wouldn't have gone. You know as well as I do that she is stubborn.
It's all Nott's fault and everyone else's."
And mine for not being quick enough.
Longbottom looked at me properly for the first time.
His eyes were red and teary and the shadows deep underneath.
"You know each other better than you admit."
I nodded.
What else could I do? Longbottom wasn't stupid.
He knew I wouldn't do something like that for just any of my classmates.
My nod didn't seem to be enough for him though.
"Christmas holiday. We were here together."
I certainly wouldn't pour my heart out to him, I wasn't an emotional Hufflepuff after all. That would have to be enough for him, at least I hoped.
"We're friends", I added.
Longbottom laughed softly.
"It always looked very different, though."
I looked at him questioningly.
"I thought you hated each other."
I had really hated her for being so perfect.
But yes I could understand why it must have looked to everyone else like I hated her.
"I did at first."
"But she makes it too easy to love her", he just mumbled it quietly, just to himself but I heard him anyway.
And he was right, she did make it easy.
"What happened? Yesterday, I mean", he asked to keep our conversation going.
No one had apparently told him what had happened yet or he wanted to hear it from me.
"Nott and his followers must have waylaid her, probably attacked her from behind that she couldn't see it.
Otherwise they wouldn't have had a chance to disarm her.
I don't know what happened next. I heard her scream and when I arrived she was lying on the floor, the others on top of her and kicking her.
I overpowered them but Daisy was already unconscious.
Potter arrived a few seconds later. He fetched Professor McGonnagal while I took Daisy to the hospital wing.
I'm sure you've already been told all about her kidney and the donation."
He was silent for a moment.
"Why were you there?"
It sounded almost like an accusation, as if I'd gone along with it.
"You think I went along with it."
He couldn't be blamed, I'd been like them all my school days, so why suddenly not now?
"Give me another explanation why you were there just when it was too late.
Make an effort, maybe I'll believe you. Otherwise, yes I will think you went along with it."
I sighed.
I didn't want to tell this, didn't want to tell him that I had failed and was too slow.
But he wouldn't let me get near her if I lied.
Then I would have lost any chance of him accepting me.
That he trusted me not to hurt her and that he would tolerate our friendship.
I was sure that if given the choice, I would always lose to Longbottom.
Reluctantly I pulled my ring off my finger.
"Hee necklace", I said quietly.
Longbottom didn't seem to understand, how could he?
"The ring and the necklace are linked.
If you know how, you can send your location to the other.
If one needs help or anything else.
Got inspired by your fancy DA Coins."
He looked at me in disbelief.
Longbottom reached onto the table next to Daisy's bed where the necklace lay.
Someone had taken it from her.
That gave me a little pang.
"This was in the hallway, where her wand was."
It wasn't taken from her. The clasp must have popped open.
I slipped my ring back on my finger, turned it clockwise three times and Longbottom's eyes widened as the necklace grew warm in his hand.
"Look at the back."
He couldn't trigger the necklace himself but the location was visible even to him.
At some point he tore his gaze away from the silver pendant and looked at me in shock.
"She triggered it. I just wasn't quick enough.
That's why I was there because she called me, because she needed help."
"Is there something going on between you two?"
He sounded serious and I was quite caught off guard by the question.
"No", I shook my head vigorously.
He looked relieved.
I would be too if I was afraid my best friend was having an affair with the boy who had bullied me for years and was also a Death Eater.
"I don't know why she even bothers with you. What she sees in you. Or why she's friends with you.
But from the looks of it, you really do care about her.
That doesn't mean I like you.
It means I tolerate you around her, for the moment.
You saved her life, yes but that doesn't make you a good person.
If you hurt her or say one wrong word, I swear I'll curse you.
I know you don't trust me to do these things, think I'm a coward but when it comes to my friends I can't take a joke."
He had never spoken to her that much before.
Otherwise he had always stuttered and couldn't get complete sentences out.
Now however, I could hear the Gryffindor in his voice and I was sure he would make good on his threat.
I just nodded slightly.
Longbottom was right, it didn't make me a good person but I would try.
Would try to be better.
Try to be more open to things, more friendly, more helpful.
I would try to be better so that someday someone would care about me like that and want to protect me the way Longbottom did Daisy.
He was a pretty good friend to her, I envied him for that.
