𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Forest

When Draco awoke the next morning, bleary-eyed and sullen, he was immediately aware of an object obstructing the morning light from filtering nicely onto his bed. Propping himself, he studied the vase of flowers-delicate forms with long, bending necks and pale cream flowers with yellow centers.

Narcissus.

Draco, despite his grim mood, could not help but smile at them. However, instead of studying the delicate flowers closer, he flopped back against the pillow, letting out a long sigh as he closed his eyes.

Last night had not been a good night. What sleep he had managed to catch hadn't been restful; visions of Potter swirling throughout dreams as he was forced to re-live nearly every encounter they had experienced since their first year. Those dreams almost seemed to slap him in the face as he was forced to remember his deplorable behavior.

In all honesty, it made him rather sick.

"Awake, Mr. Malfoy?" Pomfrey questioned, leaning over him and gazing down into his grey eyes. Draco had removed the gauze himself the night before, soon after Potter had left him alone with his thoughts.

Draco didn't respond, but instead focused his eyes on the nearby clock. Six Fifty-Seven.

"I brought your wand for you. I figured you would be waking this morning and thought you might want to go and wash up and get a change of clothes before breakfast. You're welcome to stay longer, dear. I realize it will be strange getting back into the swing of things at this time..." The nurse smiled as she made her way around his bed to set the wand down next to the vase. "These flowers came early this morning, you know! They were rush-delivery," She told him with a wink, fiddling with the stems in the glass vase, "Narcissus are quite lovely! Such a thoughtful choice."

Still no response.

"There was a card...but nothing was written inside, actually. Most peculiar; so I can't tell you who they were from-"

Draco couldn't suppressed a rueful grimace, "That's easy: No One."

Pomfrey raised an eyebrow in response as she continued to fiddle with the long green stems.

"Don't touch them!" Draco commanded, sitting up suddenly, his cheeks flushed as the significance of the flowers hit him.

He didn't give her time to respond, but instead grabbed the vase of flowers precariously in one hand, and his wand in the other and stood up.

Madame Pomfrey frowned. "You should be resting, Mr. Malfoy."

"I'll rest in my room." he snapped, glaring. Thankfully he had received the fortifying potion the night before so he was able to dramatically exit the room, a fierce grimace still planted on his face.

Pomfrey watched him go, shaking her head rather sadly.

Draco's arrival back into the Slytherin's den had not been quite the momentous occasion he had hoped for. Only a few students had been up at that early hour, and, although their greetings were cheerful, it was not enough to dispel his foul mood.

Silently making his way back to his bedchamber, he placed the vase of flowers carefully beside his bed. He studied the flowers a moment. Potter had sent him flowers...Potter; his enemy, had sent him flowers...

"Damn it," he whispered to himself as he hastily pulled the green curtains on his bed aside and flopped down onto the mattress.

If Potter had been able to overlook the fact that the two were enemies, why couldn't he? In his career here at Hogwarts he had shown the boy nothing but grief, never once offering a pleasant word.