Professor Snape's Lily & Mr. Malfoy's Harriet: The Bonds of Family

Chapter 20 - Ambition and Cunning

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Draco clutched his darling in his arms while everyone ran to her aid.

He followed solemnly while Harriet's parents carried her to the infirmary.

A short while later, Lily, Severus, Draco, Ron, and Hermione all waited anxiously inside Hogwarts' hospital wing while Madam Pomfrey treated her unfortunate patient.

Draco was the first person that Harriet saw when she opened her eyes.

"..........Malfoy?" She blinked curiously as her impaired vision slowly came back into focus.

In her groggy haze, she frowned curiously at the look of anguished worry on his pale face that she thought she saw.

Harriet felt it was odd enough that Draco had come to her bedside.

If he had any logical reason to be there, she would have at least expected him to wear a snide sneer.

".......Harriet, darling?" A familiar, gentle voice called out.

Harriet felt a gentle touch on her hand, and after someone pushed her glasses onto her face, she looked over to see her mother, who wore an equally serious frown of concern as she bent towards her and asked, "Can you hear me, love?"

"Yeah......." Harriet whispered. She took a deep breath and tried to focus as she nodded, "Yes, Mum, I can hear you."

After Harriet forced her eyes open more, she noticed that her father stood behind her mother with an anguished scowl that clouded his pale features.

She glanced over and noticed Hermione and Ron at the foot of her bed.

That was all right, she would expect her parents and her friends to be with her, but.......

".........Malfoy?" Harriet blinked incredulously as her memory of the accident returned.

Everyone looked over at Draco as Harriet asked, "What.......What are you doing here?"

Draco covered his worry with a hateful smirk as he shrugged, "I came to make sure you didn't die, that's all. I can't believe that you fainted, Snape, I mean, you actually fainted!" He scoffed, "A bit dramatic, weren't you?"

Severus's scowl turned into a grimace, but Lily clutched his hand and silently signaled him to refrain from an intervention.

"......I didn't do it on purpose." Harriet murmured as she sat up in bed.

Her head immediately swam with her sudden change in position.

Lily saw her daughter away and she leaned in quickly.

Harriet closed her eyes while her mother put a hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Easy, love, easy....there you are, nice and slow."

Draco's haughty sneer left and his concerned frown returned until he felt a scorching, angry scowl burning into him.

He glanced over and saw Professor Snape glaring at him with such loathing that it amazed Draco his Quidditch uniform didn't catch fire.

"She'll be fine," Severus drawled wisely to Harriet's peers, "You three run along and continue with your day. Her mother and I will look after her from here."

Hermione and Ron walked away with frowns, but Draco wore a pout as he reluctantly obeyed and left Harriet's side.

She was still hurting, yet he had been forced to abandon her......was there any worse punishment in existence?