𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐒 | 𝐃.𝐌

₁₁ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ

┈˃̶༒˂̶┈

Ava felt her consciousness come back to her. Her mind was foggy as her memories of her fight with Seamus coming back. She cursed herself for not beating him. But she knew she got in a few punches and that was good enough for now. Next time she will do better.

Her blurry vision faded away and a few blinks later, she could see clearly again.

She was in the hospital wing, although now it was darker and fewer beds wherein the room. She also saw that almost all the beds were occupied. A healer in the far corner was tending to their patient and another walking down the middle of the beds.

Ava realised she wasn't in the training hall anymore. She could use this as a chance to escape but that would be a stupid idea. Only a fool would do that and Ava knows better.

If she was to sneak out of this room, she had no idea what was beyond the large wooden doors at the front of the room. There could be an army of death eaters for all she knew. They would kill her on the spot. And all that would only be possible if she could walk, which she was sure she wouldn't be able to. Her body was too weak, she could barely pull the strength to move her body.

Suddenly a healer was at her side, it made Ava jump as she looked up at the guilty and sorrow looking, old woman. The woman was looking down at her, holding her arm still as she injected her with something. Her eyes started to go blurry again. Her eyes uncontrollably shut as she lost consciousness again.

┈˃̶༒˂̶┈

When Ava opened her eyes again it was brighter. It took longer for her eyes to open because of all the sunlight. She saw two figures in front of her, seemingly to be in a heated argument.

She tried to hear and focus on what they were saying but she couldn't hear much.

But then, just like last time, the same old woman was injecting her with something. Ava raised her arm, as to though stop the woman but it didn't take long for the injection to take effect. The last thing Ava saw was Blaise and Draco looking at her from in front of her bed. It was them who were arguing.

┈˃̶༒˂̶┈

When she awoke this time it was dark again. This time she knew to keep her eyes closed and keep as still as possible. She heard a few faint footsteps and a few low voices. Ava needed to figure out what was going on.

Once Ava was sure no nurses were near her, and she couldn't be sure because she didn't open her eyes but it sounded quiet, Ava opened her eyes slowly.

This time she didn't feel so weak. It must be whatever they are injecting her with, wearing off.

First, she looked to the left and she saw a healer, sat in a chair in the far corner. she looked asleep. Next, Ava looked to her right and there was no one apart from other people in the beds.

But at a closer glance, it looked as though someone was sat in the chair next to her bed. Ava flinched when she saw there was a man in the chair.

He leant forward and through the dark, Ava saw that it was Draco. He placed a finger on his lips and made a shh sound.

Ava's eyes narrowed in confusion. And fear. Was this it? Is she going to be eliminated for her terrible fighting?

"Are you here to kill me?" Ava questioned him. To her, it was the only reason he could be there.

He shook his head, a small smirk on his lips.

"If I was here to kill you. You would be dead already," Draco responded quietly.

"Why are you here then?"

"I'm keeping an eye on you," Draco answered, which only made Ava more confused.

"Why?" Ava interrogated him.

"Because I find you intriguing," his words rippled through her chest. His voice was low and husky. Ava didn't know whether to be pleased with his response or fear it.

He could tell Ava was confused by his answer, so he explained himself, "you're not like the rest of them. You seem to actually want this"

"Want what?" Ava wasn't sure what he meant by that.

"To be like us. To be strong and fearless. To be able to protect yourself," Draco said, "it's a good thing. You'll want to be like that is this new life of constant war. You haven't seen what it's like out there. I have. And you are the type of person who will survive and thrive in it."

"Even if you don't see it in yourself right now. I can see it," he continued.

"If I was strong, Seamus would be in this bed and not me," Ava replied, feeling like a failure.

Draco shook his head like he was disagreeing with her, "Seamus will get what's coming to him."

Draco looked up at the healer approaching them. Ava followed his eye direction and saw the healer with the injection in her hand. Ava looked back up at Draco with pleading and scared eyes.

"What is it they keep injecting me with?" Ava asked quickly.

Draco eyes remained on the old healer like he was thinking intensely. Planning or plotting something maybe.

"Don't let her—I don't want it—" Ava said panicked. She wasn't sure what she was saying but she knew she didn't want her to keep injecting her.

"Sargent Malfoy," the healer nodded to Draco. And then grabbed Ava's weak arm and pressed the injection on her skin.

"That won't be necessary," Draco now stood, holding a hand out over Ava, the healer on the other side of her bed.

"But I have my orders to do so," the old woman replied confused, "by the Dark Lord, sir."

"He's given me new orders," Draco said, taking the injection from the healer's hand, "I am to take her with me."

"But where? She still needs medical care—"

"That is not your concern," Draco snarled, his jaw clenching. Ava tensed at his clueless but he has always been that way. But now, ava can see it in his eyes. Something much darker and and more wicked than school. "Go back to your corner and don't question me again"

The healer bowed her head and then scurried away. Draco watched her walk away and then turned his direction to Ava. The darkness still in his pale eyes but it intrigued her. It showed he had a story and Ava wanted to know about it.

"Can you walk?" Draco asked her.

Ava nodded even though wasn't sure. She removed the blanket from her body and sat on the edge of the bed. Then stood. But, as she suspected, she lost her balance. But Draco's firm hand stopped her from tumbling to the floor.

She's never been this close to him before, not even at Hogwarts when he'd bully her and her friends. Well, only Harry and the other Gryffindor's. She wasn't sure he even knew she existed. He would never looked in her direction. Never said anything mean to her face. The only time she could remember him looking at her was when she was being led out of the great hall and he was standing with the death eaters.

"Hold on to me," Draco said, holding out an arm.

Ava gripped his rather large arm and they walked together out of the great hall. As they walked out Ava looked at the other people lying asleep in their beds. They were all greatly injured and she wondered how they had gotten their injuries. She also noticed a few of them had blankets over their heads. They must be dead. She thought.

"Where are you taking me?" Ava questioned him.

"You'll see" he responded.

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Copyright © Kirsten Enn