Healing // d.m.

| 51 |

  IT took several hours for them to make sure security was in place for their visit to the location of the last stone. They have alerted the place and even send some Aurors as decoys to random spots scattered around London.

  Catherine was so fed up from all the testing they did on her. She was instructed to do spell after spell. At one point they placed a wooden dummy in the centre of the room and asked her to do countless things to destroy it. It needed to be replaced after every run.

  Not only did the stone enhance her power on a higher level, she learnt how to control it and use it to her advantage. She was able to burn someone into flames and let him shatter to pieces at the same time. She was able to make a hurricane with fire and ice. She could destroy a whole building if she'd like, with only a simple flick. It was harder to focus on controlling it, rather than conjure the spell itself.

  The last part of their trial was to heal. It was the part she dreaded the most. If she was to heal something then it must hurt in the first place. She didn't want to be the one to inflict those wounds either.

  "One more phase, Catherine, then we're finished, okay?" Ron talked to her through the speaker.

  Theo went along to organise their transport and Blaise was nowhere to be seen. Some other Aurors with members of the Ministry left, most of them bored and left to do their other jobs. Harry was like a mad man. Going in and out of the room like a maniac. Once he came in with Shacklebolt who greeted Catherine and left not long after. He earned death glares from everyone in the room.

  Draco never left. His eyes never left her too.

  "They need some time to prepare. Just hang on for a few minutes. You okay? Do you need anything-" Ron asked again, but Draco cut him off.

  "Drink." He pointed with his chin to the chair behind her. Sure enough a water bottle appeared.

  Not wanting to fuss, she unscrewed the cap and let the cool water soothe her throat. He was right, she was parched. Her leg had been aching for the past hour but she did not want anyone to pull her out when they were so close to finishing.

  "Your leg is bothering you isn't it?" Draco examined her leg through the glass.

  "I'm fine."

  "Sit down while you can." His frown deepened when Catherine made no movement. "Catherine, sit down."

  "Bossy." She murmured and sat down. She winced slightly at the soreness of her leg. She slowly ran a hand through them and they were so stiff.

  The door creaked open. Catherine could hear Ron calling after him, but he didn't care. Draco strode forward and kneeled before her, placing his large hands on both of her thighs.

  "Where does it hurt?" He asked.

  "It doesn't."

  He rolled his eyes and gently pressed both thumbs on the thigh of her injured leg. Catherine hissed at the pressure.

  "Still going to say it doesn't hurt?"

  Catherine shot him a glare.

  "It's not a sharp pain or anything. It's just sore." She gritted her teeth again as he moved through her muscles. His expert fingers are now gripping her thing through her leggings. Kneading the nots and the stiffness. She sighed when her muscles relaxed and the soreness lessened. The massage was actually nice.

  "You spent too much time on your feet. You shouldn't have put too much weight on it yet." Draco continued applying pressure, starting from her knee up to her upper thighs, then he gently squeezed her calf. He cursed something under his breath.