THE KILLING MOON - CHAPTER 6
Ginny knocked on the door only once before Hermione pulled it open. Her hair was in a loose bun with her wand sticking through it and her face looked flushed.
'Come in, come in,' she beckoned, and Ginny followed her into the kitchen.
Ginny paused at the threshold; the entire dinner table was covered with pieces of parchment. All her wedding plans.
'Is this what your brain looks like?' Ginny laughed.
'At the moment, yes,' Hermione inclined. 'Coffee?' she asked, and Ginny nodded.
'Thanks, I don't think you need any though.'
She sat down at the table, placing her bag to the side of the chair, and glanced down at the papers. In front of her was the seating chart for the meal.
'How was work?' Ginny asked, feeling her eyes going dazzled from the masses of writing.
'Oh, fine, fine,' Hermione said airily. 'Are you going with Ron and the ushers tomorrow?' she asked.
'Yes,' Ginny said vehemently having been asked this question many times before.
'Perfect, I've chosen different coloured collars for them all, can you make sure it doesn't look silly,' she begged as she made the coffee.
'Of course,' Ginny grinned.
'Perfect,' Hermione replied and joined her at the paper-strewn table.
'So, enough about the wedding, how was Harry today?' she asked with clenched teeth.
'He seems great,' Ginny said but Hermione's face dropped. 'He's like a new man,' she added.
Hermione shook her head. 'It's strange really, almost as if it's a miraculous recovery,' she mused.
Ginny nodded. She leaned forward on her arms and regarded Hermione imploringly. 'Maybe you're the only one who can understand, but he seemed a little different.'
Hermione frowned. 'Different how?'
'More confident, self-assured,' Ginny shrugged. 'It's like there was a glint in his eye.'
Hermione snickered slightly but Ginny ignored this.
'That doesn't sound like a bad thing,' Hermione replied.
Ginny shook her head. 'No, it isn't, but he seemed different from the last time I spoke to him. Just me and him I mean.'
To Ginny's annoyance, Hermione looked as though she were about to laugh.
'Don't laugh, please,' Ginny begged.
'I wasn't going to,' Hermione said with a definite grin. 'It's just, look at the seating chart,' she pointed in front of Ginny.
Ginny moved her arms and instinctively looked for her name. She was seated next to Harry.
Hermione held her hands out. 'Mrs. Weasley said it's traditional for the maid of honour to sit next to the best man,' she shrugged apologetically.
Ginny smirked slightly. 'Then there's nothing I can do about it, is there?'
'Nope,' Hermione smiled. 'Is it possible that you have spent so much time apart from Harry, that now you're noticing how he's changed,' she shrugged.
'Yeah, maybe,' Ginny said quietly, still staring at their names next to each other on the chart.
'I must have nearly died to grant a visit from you,' Harry smirked.
Draco walked carefully through the ward towards Harry's bed, looking as though he had smelt something particularly awful. As he walked, he was careful to avoid getting too close to the other patients. His hands were dug deeply in his pockets.
Harry knew better than to assume that Draco was there for anything other than to rub in what had happened to him, in fact, gloating seemed to be the only thing Draco could do these days.
'Are you expecting me at your funeral, Potter?' he drawled and stopped short of Harry's bed, giving him an eyeful of scrutinisation.
Harry frowned. 'Not even then,' he smirked. 'What can I do for you Draco?' he asked hoping that there was a purpose to this surprise visit.
'I became aware of your condition and thought I could lend my two galleons on the situation,' he replied.
'What would you know about a werewolf scratch?'
'A very great deal,' Draco replied, now smirking, 'After all, a colleague of yours was sent to me requesting silver poison, anti-venom, and wolfsbane.'
Harry sat up slightly, his mouth open. 'What do you mean?' he asked.
He tried to keep the surprise from his face in order to avoid the look of satisfaction on Draco's face, which always accompanied the revealing of news that was unbeknownst to the teller.
'I think they believed it a good idea to arm themselves against werewolves just in case you were to start exhibiting certain attributes.'
Harry breathed in through his nose.
'So, tell me, how are you feeling?' Draco asked.
'Anyone would think you're concerned,' Harry smirked.
It was all he could do to hold back his anger at the fact that no one, not even his own team of Aurors, could fathom the fact that nothing was wrong with him. He was getting equally tired of saying it.
'Not at all, I would just like to be made aware of the facts, see it for myself if you were truly turning into a werewolf.'
Harry nodded. 'Sorry to disappoint you,' he replied.
'Ahh,' Draco sighed, 'I admit I would have enjoyed the prospect of you turning into a hairy, monstrous wolf.'
'Thanks,' Harry said dryly.
Hermione was beaming at her, and it was starting to get annoying.
'Can I ask you a question?' Hermione said with a sly look.
'Sure,' Ginny said behind her mug of coffee.
'Do you think you liked this new Harry that you've noticed?' she asked.
Ginny pursed her lips.
'I mean, it would be the perfect opportunity for you two to talk, at the wedding,' she continued.
'Well,' Ginny stammered, trying to think of a response.
Then she remembered that she was talking to Hermione, who would never rest until the honest truth was told. Ginny knew all too well that Hermione could tell instantly when she was being lied to.
'It was much easier when he moved out of The Burrow. I didn't have to see him all the time, but that doesn't mean I wasn't thinking about him.'
Hermione nodded her head in understanding. 'I think it's fair to assume Harry feels the same. But now you're both in the same place, no more long-distance, surely that's what you both always wanted.'
Ginny chewed her bottom lip.
Draco was about to say farewell when a healer wandered into the room singing Harry's name. Draco watched her float over to him, she was holding a goblet of potion in her hand. It didn't smell very pleasant.
'Here is your last potion Mr. Potter, and then you are free to go first thing in the morning,' she swelled.
Harry nodded and licked his lips clearly he had experienced a bad past with this potion. Draco smiled.
'Remember to take it after you've -'
'Eaten my meal, yes,' Harry finished with a sigh.
'I'll come and check on your wound later,' she smiled, 'sorry to interrupt, sir,' she said to Draco.
Draco inclined his head feeling very satisfied at being referred to as 'sir'.
The healer wandered out of the door, Harry watched her go and sighed again, his gaze turning to the opposite wall and out of the small streaked window next to his bed.
Draco took his opportunity while he could and pulled the small spring of dried wolfsbane from his pocket. He had crushed it to dust in his pocket during the visit. He sprinkled it into Harry's potion quickly.
'Hopefully, next time we meet Potter, you won't be crawling on all fours,' he said and Harry turned back to him.
Harry smiled wickedly. 'Let's hope my wolf counterpart doesn't hold my human grudges,' he smiled.
Draco huffed and turned out of the room, a smirk spreading across his face as he went.