Even Royalty Falters || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 23 - End of 3rd Year

Draco? Was he watching us from the castle? How else would he know that we were still out so late? It didn't matter in the moment, we were brought up to the hospital wing to be treated for our injuries. Pettigrew had escaped, Harry was saved and Sirius was to be subjected to the Dementor's Kiss. A distraught Harry begged Dumbledore for help. 

Taking Dumbledore's suggestion, we used the time turner to go back to the past and change history. Not only did we save Buckbeak, we also saved Sirius, although he would have to stay in hiding for now. At least someone knew the truth. At least Harry knew he had family out there. The only thing left to do now was sneak back in time and slip back into the present without mistake.

"Crescent?" Hermione and Harry walked into me as I froze. Crap, what was Draco doing out of bed this late? "Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital wing?" the green robed boy questioned, coming towards us.

"Go on guys, I'll take care of this," I whispered to Harry and Hermione who shot me concerned glances before they rushed ahead.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed? Since when did you care anyways, Malfoy?" I crossed my arms over my chest, sending him a scowl.

He looked surprised at my coldness towards him all of a sudden. "I thought I explained-"

I broke into a grin, unable to resist laughing at his confused and frightened expression. "I'm just joking with you, Draco." I said his name without realizing it.

"Joking? You never joke with me, you only do that with your friends," he pointed out.

"Yea, I only do that with my friends," I murmured before turning on my heels and sprinting up the stairs, hoping I'd make it back in time. When I climbed the stairs, Dumbledore had just closed the door behind him.

Oh no! I opened my mouth to explain but he patted me on my shoulder as he passed. "Your friends are anxiously waiting for you," he winked at me and continued his way down.

I smiled. Of course, Dumbledore expected us to be back by then. I slipped into the room to find Harry and Hermione standing there with a very confused Ron.

"I think he needs medication and some rest," I put my arm around Harry and Hermione's shoulders as I came up behind them.

"Wait, a second! Cress, you-" Ron pointed to my empty bed and back at us. He shook his head. "I think I do need some sleep," he muttered before taking a sip of the sleeping potion Madam Pomfrey provided him just in case he couldn't fall asleep.

There was noise outside the door so the three of us hurried back into our respective positions. Madam Pomfrey came in with her assistant and went straight to Harry and Hermione. Following them was Draco.

With questioning glances from Hermione and Harry, I shot them a "I'll explain later," look. Draco explained to Madam Pomfrey that Snape had given him permission to visit me which she found very shocking as we had been sent to the hospital wing plenty of times in the past but always because of each other.

She kept a close eye on Draco when he reached my bed. "What was that all about? In the hallway, I mean," he asked in a hushed whisper.

I stared at him blankly. "What are you talking about? I was here the whole time," I pretended, flattening out my sheets. I lifted my injured arm that was in a sling. "How long you reckon I keep this for?" I joked, trying to change the topic, reminding him of his whole "my hand is injured from the bloody chicken" act.

"What? No, you weren't. I literally just saw you a few minutes ago when I came up to see you," he insisted.

"You came up here just to see me?" I put my hand over my heart, faking a surprised expression.

He slapped me gently. "No, I came here to make sure I didn't waste my time saving your life last year," he teased.

"Ow! That's my bad arm," I scolded a bit too loudly, causing Madam Pomfrey to look over, but I couldn't help but giggle at the thought that he had used my words against me. "This is a crime. A Malfoy joking with a Whitewing?"

"Well, that's what friends do, right?"

His question threw me off guard. For once, his ice grey eyes didn't pierce in a mocking way. "Yes," I breathed, as a smirk crept onto his face. The smirk he reserved especially for me. "That's what friends do."

~~~

"Hopefully he'll be able to clear his name soon and you can actually live with him," I said, peering over Harry's shoulder to read Sirius's letter to him.

"One day," Harry rolled the letter back up. "One day." He tucked it in his pocket and gathered together his luggage.

"Well, that was quite a year," Ron let out a sigh of relief, Pigwidgeon, his new owl, courtesy of Sirius, perched on his shoulder.

"It really has," Hermione and I agreed in unison.

"Which means, time for a relaxing summer! I'll let you guys know about the Quidditch World Cup!" Ron concluded.

Before departing the train as we pulled up to King's Cross, my eyes found the boy who, in the last year, had gone from enemy to friend. His expression softened when he caught my staring. He smirked, but it no longer made my blood boil. Instead, his smirk made my heart flutter, accompanied by the annoying winking he had the habit of doing now.

"How are we going to tell our parents about this?" He had asked a few days ago when we coincidentally met in the 2nd floor bathroom again. "The school year was fine, oh and by the way, I'm kinda friends with the daughter of the family you hate."

"We're no strangers to secrets...it'll be out little secret," I replied as our pinkies intertwined binding us to the promise.