Tam Riddle: Sometimes the Hero Doesn't Win (HP Fanfic)

Damage to Repairs

My nightmares were turning into a reality. Two boys that I cared for very much, well one more than the other but still, they were fighting and one just fell off the tower to his death. Or maybe not. Maybe I could save him.

I had to move fast. I jumped over the edge. Alex yelled for me not to, but he had no say in my actions, not after this.

I fell fast, but Draco was falling faster. I used the wind to slow down his fall and to speed mine up. In a matter of seconds, I had caught him in my arms. He was bruised and close to unconsciousness.

"Don't you dare fall asleep," I yelled in to his ear.

I used the wind to try to slow us down, but we were falling faster and faster. The ground was speeding up to meet us. I used every last bit of my energy to try and slow us down.

Fifty feet. Forty feet. Thirty feet.

Our fall was starting to slow down. I turned so I was under Draco, I don't think he could handle me falling on him after what happened up there. Plus, we were falling at five feet per second. Sounds small, but it was fast.

Twenty-five feet. Twenty feet. Fifteen feet.

I brought a pillar of snow up to meet us and hopefully cushion the fall, but it didn't do much help. We hit the ground. Hard.

The air was knocked from me as his body fell onto mine. I think the impact must have broken a couple of ribs because my chest was exploding with fire.

I had held Draco's head close to me to protect him from whiplash. So because I saved him, I had several broken bones. Again. But that was fine. As long as he was okay, I didn't matter.

People started to crowd around us with horror plastered onto their faces. People were yelling for someone to go get Madam Pomfrey. Professor McGonagall came to my side, and that was the last thing I remember before everything went black.

I woke up finding myself in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was next to me pouring a nasty smelling potion into a cup. Gross another one.

She looked at me and saw that I was awake. She smiled and said, "Here drink this."

I reluctantly took the cup and held my nose. I downed it quickly and almost choked on it. It tasted like tar. Double Gross.

"What happened?" I asked as she took the cup from me. I looked behind her and Draco was lying in the bed next to mine, his head wrapped in gauze.

"Well, it seems that you and Mr. Malfoy there fell twenty stories (200 feet)," she said with concern on her face.

"What's the damage?" I said as I looked down at myself. I was covered by a white blanket. I hoped it wasn't too horrible.

"You have a couple broken ribs, your left leg is fractured, and you dislocated your right shoulder again," she said. That's why I had the Triple Nasty potion. Three broken boned areas.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Four days," she said.

I gaped at her. FOUR DAYS!!!

"Every time you would stir, it was when I was about to realign a bone. You fainted from the pain each time for a few hours," she said her back now facing me as she tended to Draco. Unwrapping his head bandage showing a gash in his head.

I gasped at it. I didn't remember his head hitting the ground. I didn't remember blood. But then again I barely remembered anything.

The doors burst open suddenly and in came walking my brother and his friends. He saw me awake and he ran toward me.

"Thank god you're awake," he said. He didn't hug me, probably for precaution of my new injuries but he laid a hand on my left arm instead and very gingerly.

"Yea," I said, "just woke up."

Hermione came over to my bed and said, "We saw you fall. We were frozen in horror as you dropped."

"It was the scariest thing I ever saw in my life," Ron said with genuine concern in his eyes.

"Where's Alex?" I asked, he wasn't there and I wanted to know that he wasn't going to visit anytime soon.

"Uh...well," Hermione said glancing at Harry, who said nothing. "He's, well, we don't know actually."

"He talked to Dumbledore a couple days ago and after that we didn't see him," Ron said.

"I hope he doesn't come to visit," I said with an angry tone.

They were about to ask why when someone interrupted them.

"Why not?" he said. We turned to look at the door and he was right there, leaning up against it like some sexy model, despicable.

"Because you're the reason for all of this," I sneered at him. Madam Pomfrey had vanished by now, probably back to her office, who knows really?

Harry guys were looking between me and Alex, not understanding any of it. Apparently they didn't know.

"I was not," he said as he came walking over toward me. "He threw me down, I retaliated with a few punches."

"A FEW!" I shouted, he shrugged. I winced because my ribs were starting to hurt. "You punched and kicked him more than a few times! Then you shoved him over the edge!" I may not have remembered much but I remembered that much.

Hermione and Harry were standing there mouths wide at what I had to say. Ron was starting to turn red.

Alex just shrugged at my words.

"I can't believe you," I said. "You act as if you didn't push him off the Astronomy Tower."

"And you act as if you never loved me!" he yelled in response.

That stung, I winced.

"I did love you, Alex," I said quietly. "But you are nothing compared to Draco Malfoy," I said glaring at him.

His face went red and he clenched his fists. He was about to jump me. Me, a cripple lying helplessly in the hospital bed he put me in. Asshole.

Ron came to my rescue and stood between Alex and I. "Dude, I think you should leave," he said, his face getting just as red as Alex's.

Alex took a deep breath and turned on his heels. He started to walk away when he stopped and glanced over his shoulder to look at me. "This isn't over, Riddle," he growled at me.

"Oh I think it is," Ron said as he escorted him out of the room and closed the door. He looked back at me and gave me a shy smile.

"Thanks Ron," I said with a small smile.

"Don't mention it," he said as he came walking back to my bed.

"So, he was the one that pushed Malfoy then?" Harry said after a moment's silence.

"More like punched him over the railing, but yea," I said, "then I went over the railing after him."

"You are so crazy, Tammy," Harry said with a small smile.

I smiled back. The pain had started to get a bit worse as my stress levels rose when Alex came into the room. I was tired and in major pain. Too much drama for a cripple when they first wake up after a four day sleep.

"Guys," I said in a hoarse voice. "I'm pooped from that little spat. Could you be lovely little dears and let me return to my beauty sleep."

Harry smiled. "Of course," he said and he walked out.

"See ya later Tamz," Ron said as he waved and followed Harry out.

"I'm so sorry Tammy, I hope you feel better soon," Hermione said as she smiled and went to follow the guys out.

I smiled and turned to see if Draco was up. He wasn't. I stared at him for a bit longer.

"I love you, Draco," I said to his sleeping form, "I would do anything to protect you. Even die for you."

And with that, I closed my eyes and let sleep take me away from this painful reality into my soft and gentle dreams. I didn't notice the smile that crept onto his face when my eyes closed. He had heard me, and he said the same thing.