The Consequence of Ambition

Outrun The Past

Disclaimer: This chapter will contain graphic depictions of injury. It won't be massively gory but just wanted to put a little disclaimer just in case.
As always, thank you for reading :)

"Katie Bell is back."

Everybody's heads shot up in response to Hermione's announcement at breakfast, and turned to face the entrance to the great hall, where Katie stood apprehensively, tugging at the sleeves off her robes. Her face was hollow and her skin had paled considerably since the last time Lana had seen her. It had been two weeks since Katie was cursed, two weeks since the encounter with Draco and since then she hadn't spoken to him once. In fact she had only seen him about three times, he didn't even come down to dinner most days and so consequently the pages of her journal had been pretty much empty in accordance with his notable absence. Today was probably the first time in a week she had seen him at breakfast, sat by himself absentmindedly twirling a spoon around in his bowl but touching none of the food. There was an uncomfortable atmosphere in the hall as everyone turned to catch a glimpse of her and then awkwardly avert their gaze and engage in forced conversation to appear natural. It was anything but natural, and if there was anyone who was completely unwilling to partake in such false appearances it was Harry who went straight over to no doubt interrogate the poor girl.

"He can't just wait a few days can he?" Sighed Lana, watching him go before anyone had a chance to persuade him not to.

"He's going to ask her if Malfoy did it" groaned Hermione with a tone equal in frustration. "I just know he will, all he has talked about for the past two weeks is Malfoy"

Join the club.

"Malfoy does look pretty skittish though" said Ron as he gestured over to the Slytherin table where Malfoy was indeed looking somewhat panicked. He had stopped staring aimlessly at his bowl and was now staring straight at Katie and Harry whilst adjusting himself in his seat as if to leave. Innocent until proven guilty. And he had guilt written all over his face.

"Oh God, what is he doing now?" sighed Hermione. The three of them watched Harry turn away from Katie and start to make his way towards the Slytherin table, a look of anger burning behind those green eyes. Malfoy saw it too, and in seconds he was up from the table and hastily making his way out of the hall. For someone so adamant they had no part to play in attempted murder, he acted awfully suspicious. But as of late, that just seemed to be his natural demeanour.

"He's going to confront Malfoy." Lana's tone was steady but she was also rising to her feet with the same sense of urgency as the two boys.

"Wait where are you going?" She hesitated for a moment, hovering at the table as she took in their faces. The question of where was easy to answer, it didn't require thought or lies, she could give an honest answer without seeming in anyway suspicious.

"I'm going to make sure he doesn't get himself in any trouble." And with that she was gone before they could ask why, because that question was considerably harder to answer. She didn't even know herself, was it simply her move on their imaginary chessboard? Or was she genuinely concerned for him? But who was she thinking of when she felt that tight feeling of worry in her gut. She had told Ron and Hermione she was going to make sure he didn't get himself in any trouble, but she couldn't help thinking that she hadn't been talking about Harry. She was pacing down the hallways now, the high ceilings stretching up almost infinitely, and the paintings watched her with unspoken curiosity. She felt so small against the grandeur of the building, just a silly girl pacing down hallways to stop a fight between her best friend and worst enemy. She stopped outside the bathroom. The same one that Malfoy had so hastily dragged her into the day Katie was cursed. Now the bathroom wasn't still with silent tension like it had been that day, instead an underscore of spells being fired came cascading out of the doorway, paired with flashes of light. Shit. She hadn't expected them to be duelling. But then, what else would they have been doing? Having a civilised conversation? No of course not, Harry and Draco had years of pent up anger at one another that had to bubble over at some point. And that point was now. Lana ran to the door and stood back just out of sight watching the spells pour out of their wands and ricochet around the bathroom, leaving trails of destruction everywhere.