Peppermint; Draco Malfoy [2]

TWENTY-EIGHT

THIRD-PERSON

Alexis lies in the infirmary, a fresh set of white pyjamas covering her, along with a warm blanket. Multiple cuts and bruises cover her body, the purple hues visible on her dark skin. Her hair has been put up in a very untidy ponytail so her cuts could be treated. The injury on her left arm has been bandaged up by Madam Pomfrey, who has an elixir ready to heal her properly when she wakes, and there are a variety of plasters covering other smaller wounds.

Her Slytherin friends surround her hospital bed. They were all adamant they stay by her side and be there when she wakes up. They've been sitting in a circle around her for over an hour now. They all feel terrible, but no one feels as bad as Draco.

He thinks it's his fault. It is his fault. Had he not told his father about Buckbeack and exaggerated, Alexis wouldn't have had to go see the execution, she wouldn't have gone missing and she wouldn't be lying passed out on a hospital bed.

His father hasn't fixed his problems. He hasn't protected him. He's only made things worse.

Ron, Harry and Hermione are also in the infirmary, but on the other side of the room. As soon as the Slytherins arrived, they separated Alexis by a curtain, leaving them to worry about her fate. Harry and Hermione were fine. They had been seen almost immediately after Ron had been placed on a bed to straighten his leg, which had been placed in a cast and left to rest. But they were more worried about Alexis.

They had seen how hard she had been hit with her spell. When they went to save her, she was flat out unconscious, barely breathing. Neither of them said a word as they helped Ron hobble back up to the castle as Snape levitated Alexis' body, but they shared the same thought.

The tension between the Slytherins is thick in the air as they wait. Draco and Theo keep glancing at one another, furious with the other. Theo can't believe that Draco is even here after everything that had happened between him and Alexis. He knows about it all. Draco thought he was good at keeping secrets, but his heart failed him at times. Draco, on the other hand, is angry with Theo for being so careless with his girlfriend. He had one job: keep her safe. And he'd failed. Miserably.

Thea and Pansy are sat together, holding hands. Their past differences had been forgotten as they stare at their best friend. Thea is on the verge of tears but Pansy keeps squeezing her hand to remind her everything will be okay, even if she doesn't really believe so.

Pansy's realistic nature was ever-present, making her feel sick to her stomach. She doesn't know if Alexis really will be okay. She's never seen her look so bad before. And the worst part is, if she doesn't make it, she'll die thinking she hates her. She'll never know that Pansy doesn't actually hate her. In fact, she misses her, a lot. But many things are stopping her from telling her how she actually feels. Her family is one of the many reasons.

Quinton, Crabbe and Goyle make up the rest of the party. They all sit quietly, praying silently. Quinton has only known Alexis for a year, but he already considered her best friends, maybe even family. He initially had a crush on her, but he saw what she had with Draco from day one, and he didn't want to get in the way of that. Instead, they created a bond that felt much like one that siblings share.

Crabbe and Goyle simple love Alexis. They've shared great moments with her and it pains them to see her like this. They whisper to each other now and again to reassure the other. They also play with their matching rings. Everyone that shares them glances at it now and again too. The past year has been hard for them all. They've been separated, but somehow, they found each other again. Quinton and Theo are the only ones without one, but they're all unknowingly sharing the same idea. They all need a new ring.