The Half-Blood Princess- d.m

XIV*

the moment we've all been waiting for, the night of the ball

TW: mentions of drinking

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Serena's pov:

I tried bringing him back to consciousness. CPR, mouth-to-mouth, everything.

His pulse had no more rhythm.

Soon after, Pansy and I rushed him to the hospital wing.

I left this in Madam Pomfrey's hands at this point. The gravity of what had just transpired hit me like a ton of bricks, and I stood there, hoping against hope that Draco would be alright.

I dashed to Dad's office like my life depended on it after everyone left, practically gasping for air when I got there. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I stood there and replayed the events of the evening in my head. Theo really did a number on Draco, and it hit me hard because Draco means a lot to me. Plus, I discovered he's got a soft spot for me, which is kind of surprising, to be honest.

"Father, Draco's hurt. Badly. We were in the Room of Requirement, and Theo must have got him good. He crashed into a wall. I tied Theo up and left him there, but Draco's in critical condition in the hospital wing." I struggled to hold back tears.

Father and I hurried back to Draco in the hospital wing. He looked unchanged from when I had left him. Draco still had no regular breathing pattern, and his complexion was as pale as a vampire's, but thankfully, he had regained his pulse.

I stayed with Draco for the rest of the night. Occasionally, I gently patted his hand or ruffled his hair, but if he were awake, he'd throw a fit. He's never been one for physical affection, and I was clearly no exception.

The next morning was much the same. Draco's hair was still slightly ruffled from my touch, his breathing irregular, and scars marking his face. Madam Pomfrey was expected to come in to address his injuries, but waking up was something Draco had to do on his own.

That morning, I made it to a few classes, but I couldn't stop worrying about Draco. I felt guilty, like I could've done something to prevent all this. Theo's anger was aimed at me, and Draco just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

During lunch, I swung by the hospital wing and sat with him. I didn't want to leave him alone. Who knows, he might wake up. We were told Draco could wake up sometime this week, so I didn't want to miss it.

After staying there for some time, he was not waking up anytime soon. So I marched down to the dungeons to go to father's dormitory.

After arriving at Father's quarters, I noticed Narcissa Malfoy was there. Her blonde and black sleek hair was impeccably styled, and she wore a woven petticoat with a grey dress underneath. She looked more put together than any wizarding mother anyone had ever seen.

"Serena, I'd like to formally introduce you to Narcissa," Father announced. "She'd like to thank you for informing me about her son."

Narcissa nodded, saying little else before she left Father and me. It wasn't unusual; in pureblood families, the matriarch wasn't expected to set rules or speak much. It was a traditional belief that women should be seen and not heard, which I found frustrating. I felt sorry for her but wondered if she even wanted to speak at all.

After Narcissa left, I stayed back to talk to Father, catching up on various topics, including the Malfoy family.

"Pumpkin, the Malfoys, and other pureblood families, are not to be trifled with. For your safety, I don't want you hanging around Draco anymore, understood?" He adjusted his sleeves firmly.