Gemini Malfoy (a Harry Potter OC)

Nepenthe

The common room was near empty, and dead quiet as Harry recounts the events of the evening.

"The worst part was the screaming." Harry says into the fire, hoping to burn the sight from his eyes. "I've never heard someone scream so horribly."

"Draco?" Ginny asks softly.

He shakes his head slowly.

"Gem." Ron fills in. No one speaks after that, there wasn't anything more to say.

Eventually it's Ginny who breaks the silence. "You have to get rid of it, today."

The hospital wing was quiet, only Draco lay in one of the cots, and only Gem sat next to him, a ringing noise pounding in her ears despite the silence, her eyes glued of the wet hem of her black skirt, thinking about how red it would look if she'd been wearing white. With a final scan of her unconscious brother, confirming he's only sleeping, Gem pushes herself out of her chair and walks with intent out the door.

As she marches up the stairs she whips out her wand and clutches it in her fist. Much to her luck as she nears the portrait of the fat lady, it swings open, revealing the very person she was looking for. Harry freezes at the sight of her. The Weasley girl steps next to him and wearily glances between the pair.

In an instant Gems closes the distance between them and punched Harry across the face; Sounds of shock and worry seem to ring around them as Ron and Hermione rush to the scene. Before he can wipe the blood from his newly split lip Gem grabs the front of his shirt and with her other shaking hand points her wand under his chin.

"Gem I know you're mad—"

"We passed mad a long time ago Potter." Her voice and hands both shake terribly.

"Gem—" Hermione begins, her voice desperate to reach her.

"What spell was it?" Gem jabs furiously. "What was the spell you tried to murder my brother with?"

"Is he alright?" Harry asks after a moment, something desperate cloying at his words.

"You don't get to ask that." She replies darkly, not breaking eye contact. "Not after you just stood there, and watched him bleed."

"Gem I—"

"You followed us in there, you provoked us, you tried to kill your childhood bully in a school lavatory!" She cries out.

"I'm sorry, I... He's a death ea—"

"He's all I have!" She shouts finally. "How could you do something so horrible and still only see him as the villain? He's a person Harry, he's my brother."

"Gem." Hermione places a hand on her arm, the one holding Harrys shirt in a fist. Gem finally looks at her, at her big sad eyes filled with horrible pity.

Some kind of embarrassment finds her and, putting a hard look on her face, Gem pushes Harry away, inadvertently dropping Hermione's arm as well. "If you ever touch my brother again, I'll kill you myself." And in that moment of weakness, she meant every word.

Apparently Draco had been given a sleeping draft to ease the discomfort of blood replenishing potion. But even with the knowledge that he wouldn't be waking any time soon Gem had refused to leave his side since she returned from confronting Harry. Madam Pomfrey had tried to kick her out once curfew came, but it didn't take more than a glance for her to understand that visiting hours don't apply to Gem.

The chairs in the hospital wing weren't quite meant to be slept on, however Gem would've put "able to sleep anywhere" up there with occlumemcy and dissaperation on her short list of exceptional talents. So come 1am, after hours of sitting in silence she curls up on the barely cushioned seat, tucks her feet under herself, and with one hand reaching over to rest on Draco's wrist, she drifts off. And that's how Hermione would find her barely an hour later.

"Gem." She dared speak barely above whisper, for fear of Madame Pomfrey hearing her from her room just off the hospital wing, and also for not truly wanting to disturb Gem when she was sleeping so soundly.

The Malfoy stirs and slowly turns her head to see Hermione standing a few feet away. Surprised she pushes herself up, holding the top of the chair for balance as the blood rushes back to her numbing feet. Her mouth opens a small amount, she hadn't expected Hermione's presence and certainly had no clue what she could say. She spots the invisibility cloak balled up in her hand.

"Did Harry send you?" She asks in a raspy voice, looking at Potter's cloak.

"No." She shakes her head. You could hear a pin drop in the silence between the two. They stand awkwardly for a long moment until Hermione speaks up again. "How is he?"

Gem looks behind her at Draco's sleeping silhouette. "Alive."

"And how are you?"

Gems eyes well and she has to force herself not to look away. "Alive." She finally says softly. "Why did you come here Hermione?"

"I had to see you." She says simply. "In a place where you won't brush past my shoulder or pretend like I'm not there."

Gem looks at the floor in shame. "Well, here I am."

Hermione doesn't hide the stinging tears in her eyes. "I miss you."

She should tell Hermione she's stupid to miss her, that she means nothing to her; It was the perfect opportunity to make their divide easier for the Gryffindor girl. "I miss you too." She should tell her to leave, to stop talking to her. "Everyday."

"So come back." Hermione pleads. "I may not understand it but whatever's stopping you, we can help. We'll protect you Gem."

"No, you can't." Gem feels weak standing so close to everything she wants, saying no.

"You don't know that, just tell us, we'll find a way."

Gem looks at the floor again. "You don't know what he's done, Hermione." She swallows hard. "What I've done."

Hermione presses her lips together. "Is it true?"

Gem freezes then slowly begins to nod. "If I don't do what he says he's gonna kill me, and Draco, and my parents." Hermione steps closer. "I'm so scared Hermione, I'm so scared." Gem whispers. "All the time." Her hands begin to tremble in sadness and fear, as it all comes crumbling down on her. "It's all my fault, I didn't want to, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." As the wave of emotions finally crash down around Gem, Hermione quickly pulls her in and wraps her arms firmly around her.

Hermione pulls her closer as she cries into her chest. Holding her as tightly as she could. "We'll get through this." Hermione says firmly, feeling Gem hold her tightly like she thought Hermione disappear if she let go. "I promise you."

"I'm not like you Hermione, I'm not brave, I never have been." She says bitterly. Pulling back enough to look at her.

"You shouldn't have to be." She holds Gems cheek softly.

"It's happening tomorrow, after curfew, I beg of you, all of you, stay in your dorms. I'll be gone by the time you know what I've done." She lifts a shaky hand and let's herself tuck a strand of hair being Hermione's ear. "This could be the last time I ever see you." She looks into Hermiones eyes, feeling vulnerable and not shying away. "You mean more to me then I thought anyone could, I just had to tell you that. Thank you for being my friend last year."

"Don't talk like that." She swallows hard. "And whether you like it or not I'm still your friend." Gem closes her eyes, feeling everything she'd been suppressing all year. "We'll tell Dumbledore, he can help."

"No Hermione, he can't, not this time." Gem says sadly, looking into her eyes one last time. "Obliviate."

Hermione looks around, confused as to when she'd made it to the hospital wing door, and when she'd taken off the invisibility cloak. Shaking it off she turns to the door and mutters a quick "alohamora". The handle turns but the door still refuses to open, she jiggles the handle a few more times before sadly accepting that she wouldn't be seeing Gem tonight.