Eriseds

Chapter 9

Year 7

Draco

Last night after Camille was escorted out, the Slytherin Common Room exploded in discussion. Pansy was taken to the Infirmary by two second years. Students stared at him, but only Crabbe and Goyle dared to approach him. They bombarded him with questions, but he simply ignored them. He spend the majority of the night in the Potions lab. 

The next morning the entire school had heard about the incident. At breakfast, he picked at his food as he sat alone. Crabbe and Goyle chose to sit with Blaise, who ignored Draco's presence. Pansy sat with the same second years from last night. A purple and black shadow now appeared under her right eye and along the bridge of her short nose. On the other hand, Pansy couldn't stop staring at him, mouthing "Are you okay?" 

Camille, Tracey, and Daphne sat on the opposite end of the long table. He couldn't see them very. From what  he could tell, he didn't see any bruises or scrapes on her, therefore she hadn't been punished yet. He pushed his plate away, imagining what she would have to endure for fighting, especially since the incident was tied to him. 

After breakfast, his classes were much luke the Great Hall. Students stared, whispered and repeat. Even professors talked in hushed voices behind rolls of parchment. Professor McGonagall, who always looked at him as if he at any moment may break, seemed to look at him differently. He took a seat next to Tracey for his first class of the day. She snarled her lip at him before speaking. 

"You're disgusting."

"Here we go," he huffed and rolled his eyes. He had a feeling this was coming. 

"I can't believe you just stood there while they humiliated Camille. Such a pussy move." 

"I- " he started to rebuttal, but Tracey cut him off. 

"You're not going to interrupt me. You and I both know nothing happened between the two of you, and you let everyone think she was lying. Let's not forget you screwed over, literally, your best mate. I know you and Blaise haven't been that close lately, especially since you've decided to turn into the prince of darkness, but damn." Her face started to turn red. "Don't even get me started on Pansy. I know she's been in love with you since the Yule Ball, but even I didn't think she'd be a cheating whore. The two of you really made a mess of things."

"I know." He couldn't argue anything she said because it was all true. "When is Camille's punishment?"

Tracey lost it at that question. "How dare you even ask that."

She gathered all of  her stuff. "You know Camille thinks you're a decent person. She said, and I quote 'he is misunderstood. I think there's a part of him that is good, he's just afraid to be cared about.' You don't deserve her compassion or to know anything about her." Tracey stomped away. 

Tracey's seat was quickly replaced by Pansy. She gave him a small smile. 

"Hi." was all she said at first. He looked at her bruising, already starting to yellow. She had been hit hard, but it would heal quickly if Madame Pomfrey used a healing salve on it. Draco felt her hand grasp his knee.

"What the hell are you doing?" He jerked his knee away.

"Draco there's no sense hiding us now."

"There's no 'us' Pansy."

"Bull shit. You and I know we had fun and you like fucking me. If you get something out of it, so should I." 

"Student conversations are to come to an end." Professor McGonagall called the class to attention, her eyes circling the sea of faces to do a quick attendance check. her eyes met Draco and then Pansy's. She shook her head and clicked her tongue twice before going back to her lesson. He didn't care what the others thought. They all had always judged him over all of his choices for years. This was not different. He felt Pansy's hand move back to his leg. Her fingers running up his inner thigh before resting on his knee again. Ignoring the quick sensation,  he decided not to fight her about it, not wanting to draw attention to them. Besides, McGonagall would use any excuse to kick him out of class. Even though her lecture about introducing vansingh spells was interesting and engaging, his mind wouldn't allow him to concentrate. 

Why did it seem that lately everything he did somehow had Camille wrapped up in it? They had never been close, but ran in the same friend group because of the connection with Pansy. She'd never been a problem before, but this year she'd caused him more grief than anyone. It angered him, the more he thought about the issues he'd had because of her. He was already dealing with too much. The pressure to fulfill his forced Death Eater duties, constant reminders of  his failures, his parents lives literally in his hands, always wondering when Voldemort would be done with them, and the fear of imminent death hanging over his head. 

At some moment when he was lost in his own mind, he'd bitten his tongue. This happened more often than he cared to share. He spent most of his time there, but sometimes thoughts encroached as if he had no idea they were coming until he though it.Like now, he didn't understand, as he tasted blood running down his throat, why he thought about how angry Camille made him and yet, he wasn't ready to stop accidentally running into her. He shook his head as to physically wipe the thought away. 

McGonagall's class ended but wrapped up in his own reality. Pansy had to wave her hand in front of his face to get his attention. 

"Hey, did you hear me?" She smiled at him. 

"No." He started to gather his book and quill, knowing if he hurried, he could catch her. 

"I said, do you want to meet up before you  have to leave tonight?"

"Yeah sure, whatever." He pulled away as she tried to link her arm though his. He rushed out of the room and down the stairs to the potions hallway. He spotted her walking alone. Students parted as he quickened his pace. He stopped abruptly in fron to fher. She stepped left, right and left again, but he stepped in sync wit her. 

"Get the fuck out of my way." She raised her chin. 

"Camille, I need you to listen." He demanded. "Sit with me in class."

Camille laughed, but not in delight. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She stopped moving and stood directly in front of  him. 

"Maybe you should have said something last night instead of standing there and allowing the entire Common Room to think I was sleeping with you."

She stared intently, but water rimmed her bottom lash line as her upper lip tightened. her knuckles turned white as they clutched the books in her hand. 

"I want to apolog-"

"Go to hell." She spat, wiping her eye as she pushed past him, digging her shoulder into his as she quickly darted for her next class.