Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.

Chapter 29

Draco's POV

What the fuck did I just do? The fuck! The warm hands that burned at my waist reminded me why the wind was whipping my hair as we stormed through the sky. I could feel her heart beat on my back, a hollow laugh in my head at the fact that just yesterday I would have wanted nothing but Ky Thornton's breasts at my back. And now I wanted to do nothing more than let her plunge to her death.

"We have to go back, Theo-"

"Is with Granger. Fuck, stop wriggling Thornton"

She really was making this whole thing more difficult. Tempting me to just let her fall. But no. I can't. It would defeat the purpose of running after her in the first place. The warmth faded from my back before I could touch the floor,

"Fuck, Thornton-"

She didn't bat an eyelash at the swear and pulled the boy off the broom. He responded with ease, the flight seemed to pump the life back in his veins.

"Where is he?"

I didn't have to ask who she meant, it was funny really. He was in this mess because of her. I was in this mess because of her. Everything was her fault.

She raced down the corridor not waiting for an answer, "Granger said your lab, whatever that's supposed to fucking mean."

I looked at the boy, he may have regained his movement but his face was deathly pale, but it wasn't what scared me. It was his eyes. That look. Fuck.

Thornton was long gone, the boy hovered, making it clear whose command he was taking.

"Go. Go to your dorm."

"Than-"

"Just go to your dorm!"

He turned and ran quickly and I hated myself more for it. Fuck.

"Come in."

I opened the door, realising my error too late. I saw the small smirk on his face making me regret my hasty entrance instantly. A Malfoy never shows his anxieties. Fuck. A Malfoy should never be anxious. I controlled my steps, knowing no fault could be found in that.

"You requested my presence Professor?"

The smirk fell off his face and he regained his usual blank expression. If Malfoys never showed emotions, Snapes never had emotion.

"This came for you."

He handed me the envelope. I took it and pocketed it without a second glance, "That's all, Professor?"

He didn't answer, but continued looking down at his parchment. I turned and walked to the exit.

I watched as it slowly ran down the porcelain, the drop picking up momentum at the curve of the basin.

Drip

Another drop hit the white,

"Drake?"

I detested that name. I had told her never to call me that! I felt the ice cold touch at my waist, my skin crawling away from the touch like the drop into the drain.

"You shouldn't leave your hair wet, you'll catch cold." Her hands ran through my soaked hair, I felt the towel around my waist fall to the floor. I looked up into the mirror, not seeing anything but that letter.

The words floated across my eyes, blinding me to anything else and just like that my hand flew back, and the resulting smack echoed through my very soul.

Ky's POV

Malfoy was feet away and in no hurry whatsoever. I ran down the next corridor, looking back to make sure Liam was still following. He was, pale faced yet just a few steps behind but there was something off about his eyes, like he wasn't even with us anymore.

I stormed into the lab to see Mi holding down a restless Teddy, she was trying to apply some paste to his wounds but he was having none of it.

"-me go and get her."

"Nott, she's OK. Malfoy is gone-"

She stopped when she saw me, a look of relief dawning on her delicate features. I crossed to Theo and pushed at his chest lightly, calming him of his wriggling. I grabbed the healing balm from Mi. I looked at the wounds in a proper light, noticed that they were mostly shallow and away from the danger zones and sighed in relief.

I grabbed Moonberry Leave sap and added some turmeric and ground ginger to it, ran it over a flame and then added it to the paste whilst still over the flame, the heat activating the enzymes. Right now we needed them to act faster than last longer because his wounds were superficial.

I started applying the paste to Theo's chest; it was as if a tiger had run its claw against his torso.

I looked up at him, from his position on my work table, his shirt opened and hands gripping the table edge. He wasn't looking at me however, I followed his eye movement to the door where Malfoy was leaning against, staring at him just as intensely. A line of scarlet caught my eye,

"Malfoy, get on the table, take your shirt off. Mi," She snapped to attention, all quivering background hovering gone at the sound of her name, "Apply copious amounts of third bottle from the right, second shelf to his arm."

She didn't move though, neither did he? What the fuck, could they not see the blood seeping down his arm? I looked away from Nott's wounds which had already stopped bleeding and met her startled chocolate orbs, finally processing what she was saying. I looked at Malfoy, who didn't move an inch,

"I'll wait for Thornton."

"You'll be poisoned by then, and then we can all observe what a fucking insensitive prejudiced prat you are from beyond the grave."

He glowered at me and then he walked swiftly into the room doing as he was told. He sat down on the table as if it was his execution chair. He waited a moment and then looked at Mi,

"Well?"

She walked to the shelf, mechanically doing what she was told. I left Theo's chest and looked for the throat restorative elixir,

"Where's Liam?"

I directed the question to Malfoy without looking up from my administration of the external and internal application of the elixir.

I didn't get a response so I spared him a glance; he was giving me a dark look as Mi dressed the gash across his arm. It wouldn't be poisonous; the pattern of the laceration was that of their legs and not their pincers which meant he was safe.

"Thank you." I looked up at Theo who finally could speak and move his neck. "All of you."

He looked at Malfoy and Mi, Draco nodded and Mi stepped back from her handiwork, critically looking at the perfectly dressed wound.

"I still think we should go to Madam Pomfrey."

Malfoy shot her a serious look, "There will be no Pomfrey. No teachers. Understand me."

Mi didn't respond, she held her head up haughtily, not even replying to Malfoy. I of course expected this, knowing these snakes. I didn't agree with their code this time.

"Where's Liam, Malfoy?"

He looked at me, his jaw clenched, "Dormitory. He was in shock, he just needed rest."

"Who did this?" I looked up at Theo, this dark stranger that had wheedled his way into my life and my heart, I would hurt them, I would hurt them beyond recognition.

He pinched my cheek affectionately, trying to make me smile but I held steady, "Nothing for you to worry about Kitten, just a little intrahouse…games."

I shot up from the stool, "Games? Intrahouse? You snakes have a fucked up definition of the term. It is not a game to harm your housemates no matter how appropriate it seems at the time. I repeat, who did this?"

Theo looked down at me, his eyes light in the lamplight, shaking his head slowly,

"I did."

My eyes didn't leave Theo's as I looked at him for agreement, was it Malfoy? Theo didn't nod his head but neither did he deny it, but once I made for my wand he grabbed my wrist and held it securely in his palm.

"No Nott. Let her go. Let's see what the fuck she can do."

Malfoy had got off the table, still shirtless and still blood stained, but his eyes looked like he was set alight by anger that made the steel glow brightly. He did this to Teddy? Yet he stands here straight backed and proud?

I wrenched my hand out of Theo's fist, an easy feat in his weakened condition and stepped forward. Malfoy had finally gone too fucking far,

"Yeah go ahead Thornton. Attack me, but I may have been the hand that inflicted the pain but you were the mind behind it."

I stopped mid wand movement, hands trembling in fury, "Me? This is…" I stopped. Not my fault? No. It is. If this what I think this is about…I was the one that had convinced these four to sign their names and Theo had done so without giving it a second thought. Was this all because a few teenagers had signed their name to an article? A school article?

Malfoy looked back at me, satisfied at my realisation, but his usual smirk was absent. He was furious with me. And so was Zabini.

"Kitten…don't look like that." I felt hands turn me around and I was looking up at his green brown eyes, "I knew what I was getting into the whole time."

"I didn't."And that was the truth. I had no idea that Slytherin house would go that far. That they would take it to this extent. I looked at Malfoy,

"You would do this to him just because of an article. You Slytherins are-"

"Fucking Founders Thornton, if you still fucking think this is a school house drama then you're a fucking half wit."

Malfoy had taken two steps forward, looking as if he was about to resort to violence. Theo turned and placed himself between us protectively and Malfoy glowered at him,

"After she got you into this fucking mess?"

Wood met Steel and clashed, "Yes."

Malfoy didn't wait a moment more and turned on his heel and stormed out. I maneuvered around Theo and ran after him,

"Malfoy!"

He stopped but didn't turn around.

"Here."

I held out his shirt, but he still didn't turn around.

"Malfoy…how's Greengrass? What did they do to Greengrass?"

I saw his shoulder muscles tense, "'They' did nothing to Greengrass. Blaise however…"

I let out a gasp. Zabini worshiped her. He wouldn't hurt her?

"How could he?"

He whipped around at that and descended on me, his face red with anger, "How could he? How could he? How could he not! Would it be better to let Marcus Farley execute her punishment? Farley who has fucking lusted for her from the second year. Or Rosier! Rosier who has a penchant for a woman's screams of pain. Tell me! Should he have let them have her!"

"He shouldn't have let anyone have her! He shouldn't have let anyone hurt her! He shouldn't have-"

"YOU'RE A NAÏVE LITTLE GRYFFINDOR WHO KNOWS NOTHING OF THE FUCKING WORLD SO YOU SHOULD KEEP YOUR FUCKING MOUTH SHUT!"

He screamed at me, his face so red it was glowing like a sore thumb in the dark. "Tell me."

I needed to know, I needed to know why a boy, who so obviously loved a girl, would hurt her.

He took a deep breath and then another and another. He turned but luckily not to walk away but just to lean against the wall of the dark corridor. He looked at me, the anger diffused in his eyes but still present, just one misplaced word away from igniting it again. I pushed the shirt at him,

"You're supposed to keep that injury warm, no use Mi putting all that effort into fixing it up if you're just going to expose it…erm, by the way," I had completely forgotten about the fact that it was him who had saved me from our eight legged friends. "Thanks…for earlier…how did you know?"

He continued staring at me, a grim look on his face, "I didn't. I went back to get Nott. He told me you went in for the boy."

"And you just followed?" It was definitely not like Malfoy to be brave.

"Believe me, I didn't know that they had tied the boy near the acromuntula nest. I didn't know they had tied up the boy period. Rosier was in charge of him…I thought he would just frighten him a bit in the forest, just a little scare, maybe a few jinks."

"Liam could have died! What the fuck was he thinking?"

"Why do you think I went after him? A death would be too much to try and cover up. It would get outside forces involved, a blunder like that wouldn't happen on my watch."

I stared at him, at the clinical way he was speaking of the death of a boy. Of a child. He observed the look on my face and let out a dark chuckle,

"You're so fucking naïve."

I hated that, I hated that he thought that I was below him on some accord. What was I not getting? This whole thing was done because Slytherin house didn't like being involved in something that ousted the dark lord as the mass murderer that he is. But to go to this length…I remembered what Malfoy had said just now,

"On your watch? You lead this whole mission?"He was such a conniving little bastard. He knew well before it went to print what I was going to say, and he even gave me Parkinson's signature, and he waited till it was printed and then lead an attack on his own friends.

"Yes."He said it with conviction. My blood was getting volcanic and quickly,

"You fucking self absorbed twit! How dare you! You did this! All of this! You'll fucking pay for this."I reached for my wand, and then stopped. No. This was it. This was the time to think responsibly. Hex him and he'll come off looking like a saint. Sev would be upset. What did he say, come to me when your Gryffindor tendencies are running wild? That's what I would do.

I turned on my heel, heading down the corridor.

"Where are you off to?"

He wasn't following, his voice drifted from the same wall he was leaning against.

"To Sev. Tell him what a deranged sycophant you are and get you expelled so we never have to deal with your repugnant face!"

Suddenly the dark corridor echoed with a manic, cackling laugh. It pecked at my skin with eeriness. I could smell his cologne and knew he was coming closer without the soft noise of footsteps.

"Tell Snape? Tell Snape? Who the fuck do you think it was that gave me the orders."

His face fell, obviously divulging information he shouldn't have in his taunt. Sev gave him orders to do that? No…that's not possible. He wouldn't do that, why would he? He signed off on this…wait…Malfoy was working under Sev's orders….then Sev was working under...

Malfoy's face crumpled into a grimace, "You ask me how I could do that to Theo? I did that FOR Theo. If it had been Rosier, or Farley brothers or Crabbe or Goyle…I had to do it. I had to make it look bad, I had to leave him there. I had to! To make sure that nobody would say Malfoy went easy on him. To make sure Nott's father knows that his son was fittingly punished and he wouldn't get involved to compensate from the lack of punishment. Do you think I liked it?" He grabbed my shoulders roughly, his eyes popping, he looked every bit the deranged sycophant that I accused him of being. "Do you think I liked beating him? I liked the look in his eyes? I liked the sound…the screech…the gasping for breath as the charm got tighter and tighter around his neck…the cries from Pansy…Pansy…" He let go of me and grabbed his hair and pulled at it, I was beyond shock, Malfoy, the epitome of apathy was losing his cool. "All that crying…all that tears…I hate it. I hate it."

I took a step closer, not knowing what to say. A ravenous hate swelled in my tummy and it wasn't directed at Malfoy. It was directed at a man who relished in breaking people, who turned teacher against student, friend against friend, lover against lover. He decimated all those bonds that took years to be forged in a matter of seconds. Who had others to do his bidding festered from years of precedent and threats of torture. A man so dangerous that he would turn father against child with just a threat.

"Theo's father…he told Snape?"

Malfoy didn't look up, he leaned against the wall, he looked completely broken, replaying visions that were best left alone.

"Malfoy…I need to know. I need to know what I've done."

And that was the truth. I needed to own up to it, and then make up for it…somehow.

Malfoy was still in another world, I slowly touched his arm and his steel eyes snapped up at me. The look in them made me shiver involuntarily, a dark cloud emanating from him.

"Parents…parents found out. About the article. Information…information travels fast amongst Slytherins. It wasn't long before they found the names. Of the…traitors. Snape called me into his office, handed me a letter. From my father. Instructing me to ensure that this wouldn't happen again…to make an example. By any means I find necessary…this was a test…I couldn't fail…I had to…"

Lucius Malfoy was an unforgiving devil of a man, if Malfoy had shown any sign of weakness because Theo was his friend, Malfoy would have to reap tenfold the punishment.

"I took responsibility for Pansy and Theo myself, I obviously delegated Daphne's to Blaise and the Kid…Rheines…I couldn't handle three…I didn't think they would… that Rosier is so fucked up." His hands gripped his face tighter and tighter as he spoke. I tried placing myself in his shoes, and not just in this scenario. I couldn't ask myself what Ky Thornton would do, because I've never lived a day in the life of Draco Malfoy to understand the mind behind the decision. What would it be like to be Lucius Malfoy's son…to be that afraid of someone that you would plunge a sword into a friend's back. I watched as he sunk slowly to the floor, his face covered by his hands, the shirt long forgotten on the floor. What should I do? What should I say? How would I feel if I had to torture Ron?

I turned and let my back hit against the wall in a satisfying thud, and dropped to the floor. I didn't touch him, and I didn't say anything. There were no words…none whatsoever that could take his guilt away. The pain of all those people was on his hands. He had made a decision. And so have I. There will come a time when Draco Malfoy would have to make a decision that would endanger anothers life again at the sake of his own safety, and when that time comes he would choose the path riddled with pain and not guilt, because one of those leave scars that fade in time and the other doesn't. It was up to me to show him...