Denying Draco

59 - The Wrong Hands

The next morning Poppy skipped breakfast and hurried straight down to the hospital wing. It was deadly quiet and every bed was empty and made up as she strolled swiftly through the wing, making way for Draco's bed. As she got closer, she felt a light elation inside of her at the anticipation of seeing him. When his bed finally came into view, she saw that his too was made up and empty.

Frowning and stopping dead, she stared at the bed before spinning around and spotting Madam Pomfrey walking into the wing.

'Madam Pomfrey!' she called, loudly, running down towards the older woman. 'Where is Draco?'

'Left late last night, Miss. Dumbledore,' she told her. 'Against my advice of course but nonetheless, he seemed healthy enough to leave.'

'You said it would be another day,' Poppy reminded her.

'Yes but Mr. Malfoy was adamant that he wanted to return to his dorm so I let him go,' she said.

'Okay, thank you.' Poppy left the hospital wing and hurried to the Great Hall, stepping into the entrance to see if she could see him at the Slytherin table. He wasn't there.

She turned around and hurried down the corridor, looking around inbetween crowds of students, not even sure where she could find him. Her legs carried her down to the dungeons where she strolled right up to the Slytherin common room door, only to be met by a snarling Pansy Parkinson who was coming out.

'What the fuck are you doing down here?' Pansy barked. 'What are you up to?'

'Where is...Malfoy?' Poppy asked her, trying to be as polite as humanely possible so that Pansy would tell her.

'Why?' Pansy asked.

'I just need to ask him something,' Poppy murmured, knowing the girl wasn't going to make it easy.

'Ask him what?' Pansy put her hand on her hip and arched her brow.

'It's not really any of your business,' Poppy sighed, knowing she was getting nowhere.

'Draco and I have been best friends since first year and are very, very close!' Pansy told her, sternly.

'Amazing!' Poppy replied, sarcastically. 'I'm very, very happy for you; now can you tell me where he is or not?'

'I certainly can't,' Pansy sneered.

The door opened and more Slytherins stepped out but none of them were Draco.

'What's this?' Blaise asked, stepping towards them.

'She wants Draco,' Pansy told him.

'What do you need him for?' Blaise asked.

Poppy sighed and rolled her eyes.

'She won't tell me,' Pansy mumbled, eyeing her up cautiously. 'But she's certainly up to something.'

'You shouldn't be down here,' Blaise said, twisting his face at her.

'Exactly, I mean who do you even think you are just walzing down here like you have the right?!' Pansy exclaimed.

'Dumbledore?' Snape appeared from nowhere and all three of them turned to look at him.

'I found her lurking down here, Professor,' Pansy told him.

'You two, move it,' Snape ordered, and they both gave Poppy a rude look before they walked off out of the dungeons.

'I was just looking for Draco, Professor,' Poppy said, walking closer to him. 'I just wanted to see how he's doing.'