A Kingdom Beside the Sea (Dramione)

Chapter 7

J.

The crack rings out, into his bones, and he shoves a foot against the stump, pulling the axe out. "Just like that."

"I'm surprised you weren't looking at your muscles that time."

"No, I was watching you look at them." He kicks the block of wood out of the way and grabs the end of the tree branch, pulling it up more on the stump.

"I was watching the way you swung." He looks up, only making out half her face through his fringe until he stands upright, but it's enough to know she's blushing. He smirks and she humphs, yanking the axe handle from his grip. "Now you can watch someone with real strength."

"Oh," he laughs out, stepping back. "Should I stay a good three yards away for my safety?"

"If you feel more comfortable over there, ittle Drakie, maybe you should go hide behind a tree. Make sure not to get too close to the cliffs, baby." He's aggravated until the last word, which – used with a different intention or not – causes a strange sensation to rush through him. She drops her glare to his hands, nodding her chin. "Let me see those gloves."

"You sure you aren't going to hurt yourself? I'd hate to bring you to hospital. A Muggle one at that. They stitch, you know. With thread. Like you're a torn jumper."

"Still aren't over that medical book?"

"The memory is fresh from a few hours ago. Give it time. The pictures of the barbaric means of Muggles is possibly the only thing I'll be glad to have forg--"

"They aren't barbaric."
"I assure you that shoving a needle through someone's skin--"

"Muggles are very adept at healing people, Malfoy. Sometimes those means can be painful, but it's not like they have magic. I'd like to see how lost the wizarding world would be if it was forced to not use magic for a month--"

He rolls his eyes up to the sky, his jaw clenching in annoyance. "It would take

away the simplicity, but we wouldn't be running around useless. I've adapted easily enough. Just because magical people have it easier doesn't mean--"

"But healing? If you take magic out of the wizarding world, people would have no idea how to fix themselves. How to do everything without magic, from healing to cleaning, to--"

"Then we would turn to barbaric means--"

"Exactly!"

"--Muggle means. Compared to the us, Muggles are--"

"No, you would not. Muggles are extremely advanced in their--"

"They sew wounds shut!"

"And they've created their own potions for things, without magical means! Sickness, pain, staying awake--"

"I'm talking about--"

"And if the wizarding world was forced to figure out a different way to heal, they still wouldn't have the things Muggles do. It's not just about sewing people up. It's about the machines they have, the medicines they've created, the means of surgery--"

"If you would shut up for five seconds--"
"Barbaric means of healing would be if the wizarding world did not have magic to use for it. Muggles--"

"But in comparison to the wizarding world now, and not with the idea of us not having access to magic – which your entire point is based on – their means are barbaric. You can argue the maybe and possibilities, but you tap a wand to someone's wound or you put a needle and thread through it. Disagreeing with that just makes you look like a bloody idiot."