Under Miss Parkinson's watchful eyes, I took out my completed Potions homework from my schoolbag and placed it on the small cabinet beside the bed in the school hospital. She really cried a lot. Even now, big, fat tears keep rolling continuously from her eyes. I suspect she's drunk that whole big bottle of water on the cabinet. After all, crying like this for a few hours seems to be quite dehydrating.
"Leave." I heard Draco say in a rather impatient tone.
"Oh." Although it's not very pleasant to be summoned and dismissed like this, considering his funny appearance with his arm in a sling, I can't be bothered to argue with him.
"Not you." He lazily raised his head and spoke to Miss Parkinson, who was still dabbing at her tears. His tone softened a bit. "Go back to the common room, Pansy."
Miss Parkinson glared at me again. Fortunately, she can't cast hexes with her eyes. I felt rather awkward standing there listening to her affectionate exhortations to Draco. I couldn't find a place to sit for a moment. I saw that there seemed to be someone sleeping on a bed in the other corner, but it would be even weirder to go over and say hello rashly.
I'm not used to hearing girls talk in such a gentle and affectionate tone. For some reason, it makes me feel uncomfortable and eager to escape. Of course, I myself would never say such things. Sometimes I wonder when I'll be able to be like my mother and accept everyone's kindness and closeness with ease. In fact, as I grow older, I gradually realize that my mother's ease comes from the fact that she knows she has the ability to return those kindness equally or even exponentially. If one day I could be as excellent as her - at that time, it sounded like a wild wish. Maybe I could also become a person like my mother.
"Does Madam Pomfrey say you still need to stay in the hospital wing tonight?" After Miss Parkinson's long-winded expressions of concern, my question sounded dry, like a completely dehydrated cuttlefish bone.
"Of course the person who's injured knows best about the injury. That brute didn't just give me this wound on my arm." He waved his slinged arm at me, looking quite proud.
"Then what other wounds are there?" I tilted my head. Besides the slinged arm, he didn't seem to have anything unusual about him. He had even changed into a new set of clothes.
"Mother said she'll invite her friend at St. Mungo's to come and check again. Father will be here by tomorrow morning at the latest." At this moment, he wore the expression that I secretly called "I am a Malfoy" in my heart. "They won't let this sort of thing happen. Let that big oaf who calls himself a professor -"
"I've brought the Potions homework. I want to go to the library once more before curfew. I haven't finished my Transfiguration homework yet." I told a little lie, because I didn't want to listen to him repeating his opinions about Hagrid over and over again, and the subsequent opinions about Professor Dumbledore. At the beginning, in our first year, those remarks of his about Professor Dumbledore were just the complaints of a student who didn't get everything he wanted. But those words were gradually becoming more extreme and harsh.
Draco always mentions to me the fact that Professor Dumbledore didn't give my father the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. But I always feel that Professor Dumbledore must have his reasons for doing so. Ever since I can remember, mother has told me that Professor Dumbledore is a very kind and great person. He was the only one the Dark Lord feared during his lifetime.
"Are you like those Gryffindors, thinking that that big oaf and that stupid bird are completely innocent?" Draco sat up, and his face turned unpleasant.
"I haven't expressed any opinion on this matter." I frowned and avoided his gaze. "Why would you come to such a conclusion?"
"Because you've already finished your Transfiguration homework. Earlier, you even asked me if citing A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration at the end of the essay would be a deduction point." He said coldly："You haven't even thought about coming to see me. If I hadn't asked Crabbe and Goyle to fetch you, you wouldn't have come, would you?"
"I just don't think it's necessary to come." I said, looking at the cover of my Potions homework. "Madam Pomfrey is very good at treating external injuries, and she really doesn't like a bunch of people crowding messily in the hospital wing. Before, when Potter fell off his broom -"
"Oh, so you've gone to visit Harry Potter?" He interrupted me, his voice trailing off at the end. This slow tone made me feel sad. I don't want to quarrel with him, but we are arguing more and more frequently about all kinds of things.
"Of course I haven't visited Potter. It's the Gryffindors who went to the hospital wing to visit one after another and were driven back that said so about Madam Pomfrey." I put my Potions homework back into my schoolbag, stood up and looked into his eyes. "I don't think Professor Hagrid is completely blameless in this matter. The Hippogriff is a dangerous creature. He really didn't take precautions against accidents before the class. That's his fault. But I heard that he reminded everyone beforehand that these animals are very proud and that one has to bow to them first to get their recognition before -"
"After all that, Iris, you think it's my fault." He narrowed his eyes. "You've chosen to side with those Gryffindors this time, huh?"
"Everything I just said is just stating the facts." I said as calmly as possible.
"Since when did 'I don't think' become a way of stating facts?" He retorted sharply. "Why won't you admit that you've always wanted to side with the Gryffindors - with Potter and that pathetic excuse for a hero, Longbottom? It's just that they used to reject you, and now Potter might as well announce to the whole world that he likes you, so you can't wait to show your stance, right? I'm the only fool here, sending you a Christmas card -"
I know he's trying his best to maintain our pitiful friendship. That card tucked in the Christmas present made me happy for a long time. Before, I always held a glimmer of hope, thinking that the first quarrel could be forgotten by a few days of not talking to each other, the second quarrel could be erased by a Christmas gift, and the subsequent quarrels could be resolved in a similar way. But the conflicts between Draco and me don't seem to be like those between Miss Granger and Ron Weasley. The conflicts between us have just been hidden by us in various ways. In fact, they have never really gone away.
"For Merlin's sake! There are other students resting in the hospital wing!" Madam Pomfrey came over and shouted at me angrily. "It's long past visiting hours. Since Mr. Malfoy insists on staying, Miss Snape, I don't need to remind you about the curfew regulations in the school rules, do I?"
"Sorry, Madam Pomfrey. I'm leaving right away." I apologized to Madam Pomfrey in a flurry as she shooed me towards the door of the hospital wing. There was no time to say anything else.
It wasn't until I reached the portrait of the Fat Lady that I remembered I had left my schoolbag behind. It was almost curfew time, but there was homework due tomorrow in the bag. I didn't think Draco would be kind enough to take it to the classroom for me after such a big quarrel.
If I were fast enough - I quickly calculated the shortest route. But it turned out that wishful thinking never really brings good luck. When the bell rang for the third time, I heard my father's voice around the corner of the corridor that I was about to reach.
Hiding in the nearby classroom would be a stupid move. If I happened to run into Peeves, I'd be stuck polishing Filch's trophies for a whole semester. Which was more troublesome, my father or Filch's trophies?
Just as I was still hesitating, I felt my wrist being suddenly grabbed. A cool, thin piece of cloth was thrown over my head in an instant. Startled, I instinctively drew my wand.
"Shh!"
Harry Potter covered my mouth. We both stared wide-eyed as my father, looking extremely gloomy, walked over with Professor Dumbledore. We were right there, but they seemed not to see us at all.
"I'm going to Albania right now. I've been to a small town there before and can Apparate directly." I heard my father speaking in a very stiff tone. Each word seemed to be forced out of his mouth. "All along, we - Lily especially adored you. But you haven't told us everything you know. Although I can understand, and Lily also persuaded me to understand, but..."
I felt my heart pounding wildly. This wasn't just because my father and Professor Dumbledore were getting closer to us. Dad rarely talks to people in a kind way, but in my memory, he has never spoken to Professor Dumbledore in such a terrible tone. It sounds like he's even blaming Professor Dumbledore for something. Just now he mentioned that he's going to Albania. Could something have happened to Mom?
Anxiety made me subconsciously want to wring my fingers. Unexpectedly, my movement made the magical cloth covering Potter and me emit a slight sound, which sounded particularly jarring in the late-night corridor. I was startled by the noise I made. Potter grabbed both of my hands. Like me, he was intently listening to the conversation between my father and Professor Dumbledore. After my father mentioned the Albanian forest just now, his breathing became less steady as well.
"Severus, I understand how you feel -"
"No, you don't." Dad rudely interrupted Professor Dumbledore. "But you should be well aware that if it weren't for Lily... If there was no Lily..."
"I'm well aware, Severus." Professor Dumbledore calmly ignored Dad's rudeness. "The importance of Lily and Miss Snape to you is self-evident."
"But you still didn't stop her from going - I asked you to write her a letter at that time. You know, if you had spoken, she would have listened. You refused me. And now the result is that my wife has disappeared without a trace in that damn Albania -"
I used all my strength to stop myself from screaming, sobbing, or making any sound in any form. The vision I saw in front of the Boggart previously replayed in my mind at high speed in an instant. But this time, what I saw wasn't Mom's departing back, but her silently falling at the end of my sight and turning into powder scattered by the wind.
"Calm down, Severus. In your current state, it's hard for you to be of any help to the Auror team -"
"I - will - not - help - Potter." Dad said almost through gritted teeth.
"For Iris's sake, Severus," Professor Dumbledore said, "the top priority is to find Lily first, for your sake and for your daughter's sake."
After a moment of silence, I heard Dad reply slowly, "I know."
"Please don't let Iris know about these things yet. Come up with some excuse..." I heard Dad say, "The child will be devastated. McGonagall said her state has been very poor recently. She's a smart kid. If she finds out that I've suddenly left Hogwarts -"
"I'll do my best," I was almost certain that Professor Dumbledore glanced in the direction where Potter and I were hiding. He also deliberately raised his voice a bit. "Miss Snape has inherited Lily's independence and strength. All the teachers have praised her to me in this way. Severus, I believe that even if she knows about this, she will choose to face it bravely with you. Besides, she has her friends by her side, and they will take good care of her. I'll also be going to Albania later..."
After they walked farther and farther away and we couldn't hear any footsteps at all, for a long time, I didn't realize that I was being led by Potter. I also forgot that I had come out to get my schoolbag from the hospital wing. What Hippogriffs, what homework due tomorrow - all these things seemed to be very far away from me.
"Who?" the Fat Lady asked alertly. Potter took off the cloth covering us and quickly said the password. I followed him silently and mechanically into the common room. The Gryffindor common room was empty at this time. Only the fireplace was making the sound of burning wood.
"Um, here, wipe your face." Potter rummaged through his robes in a flurry and finally found a crumpled piece of paper and handed it to me, who was sitting on the armchair covering my face. I stared at his hand for a few seconds before realizing that I had been crying. It was so strange. I had tried my best to keep my eyes wide open.
"I - I don't know why I can't stop crying. Crying is clearly useless." I didn't take the paper from him. I just casually wiped my face with my sleeve. "I, I know I can't trouble Dad now. Not distracting him is the best thing I can do right now... I just... don't know why. God, why am I still crying -"
"It's okay, it's okay." he seemed even more at a loss than I was. After rummaging through his pocket again, he took out a half - eaten pack of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. He hesitated for a moment, then stuffed it back into his pocket. He scratched his head and crouched down in front of me. "It's okay. You can cry if you want to."
"I want to be alone for a while." I buried my face in my hands again and said sullenly.
"Okay. Well, if you want to talk to someone, Hermione is a great choice, okay?" After hearing me say that, he stood up and took a few steps back.
"Okay." I didn't really care what he said. I just nodded randomly.
I don't know how long I sat in the armchair after Potter turned and left. I wasn't thinking about anything. Or rather, at first, I was so immersed in fear that I didn't have the time to think. After the initial panic gradually subsided, I started to slowly consider what I could do. But at the same time, I sadly realized that as a third - year student who still needed to redo my Transfiguration homework, I really couldn't be of any help at all. All I could do was to continue studying well at Hogwarts and not let the adults worry about taking care of me anymore.
"Isn't there a match against Ravenclaw tomorrow?" I stood up and looked at the seemingly empty armchair opposite. "Can a Seeker who hasn't slept all night really catch the Golden Snitch?"
"Huh? What - match? Oh, it's okay. Before my first game, I was so nervous that I didn't sleep a wink either." After hearing my words, Potter awkwardly lifted the Invisibility Cloak, revealing his messy - haired head. "I thought I hadn't been detected."
I crossed my arms and looked down at him. I felt that his face wasn't as annoying as it used to be. I knew I should say thank you to him, but in the end, all I managed to mutter was a barely audible good night.