Draco Veritas

Chapter Three: Darkness and Flood

Too early for the rainbow,
Too early for the dove.
These are the final days,
This is the darkness, this is the flood

–LC

***

The worst part of being in the hospital wing, Ginny soon determined, was the flood of people who came along to "cheer you up." It wasn't bad seeing Hermione, Harry and Ron, and she didn't mind Elizabeth's visits, but when the whole Gryffindor team descended upon her at once it gave her a headache, and Charlie's fretting over her made her nervous. She felt perfectly fine and wished Madam Pomfrey would let her out of the infirmary, but she insisted on keeping Ginny there "for observation" - doubtless, Ginny assumed, because she was worried that the fainting fit that had struck her while she was flying would resurface unexpectedly.

Lavender and Parvati came to visit her on the second day she was in the hospital wing. Ginny pretending to be partly asleep while they giggled about gossip (Eloise Midgen had broken up with Justin Finch-Fletchley, declaring him to be "not enthusiastic enough about their relationship"), fashion (Pansy Parkinson had showed up to History of Magic class wearing "very dodgy-looking barrettes"), and the Pub Crawl (Parvati was going with Dean Thomas, Lavender with Mark Nott.)

"But Mark's a Slytherin," Ginny protested, momentarily surprised out of her reverie.

Lavender looked unmoved. "So what? Being anti-Slytherin is so last year, Ginny."

"Unless you're Seamus," said Parvati, and giggled.

Ginny blinked. "What do you mean?"

Parvati was only too happy to explain. "When you fell off your broom Seamus practically killed Draco Malfoy to keep him from getting anywhere near you. It was so cute."

Dumbfounded, Ginny stared. "Did Malfoy look like he was – I mean was he trying to – why would he...?"

Lavender shook her head. "I don't know. We couldn't hear any of it, you know. We just saw everyone sort of go bolting towards you, and then Seamus stepped in front of Malfoy and blocked him long enough for Harry to come up and toss him off the pitch."

"Harry tossed Malfoy off the pitch?"

"I think so," said Parvati, looking thoughtful. "He just sort of grabbed him by the wrist, and then Draco stared at him for a minute and bolted off like a wild animal. It was a bit hard to tell what was really happening, maybe Draco just ran off because Dumbledore was coming. And your older brother was with Dumbledore—he looked angry enough to spit nails, too."

"I wish Professor Weasley would go to the Pub Crawl with me," announced Lavender, looking wistful.

"Lavender, that's ridiculous, he's a teacher and he's horribly old," said Parvati sternly, while Ginny tried not to laugh. "Anyway, we're getting off the point."

"There was a point?" said Ginny.

"The point was that we think Seamus fancies you," said Parvati.

"He does not," protested Ginny, astonished.

"He does," said Lavender, who had dated Seamus briefly herself during fifth year, although this did not inspire in Ginny any confidence that Lavender knew what she was talking about. "Why would we make this up?"

"Because you're brainless gits who like to make trouble" was on the tip of Ginny's tongue, but she bit it back. Whatever else Lavender and Parvati might be, they were not malicious, and being cranky and nervous was no excuse to be nasty to them. "Look, I'm awfully tired," she began, but it was too late—Lavender and Parvati had launched into their favorite game, a repellent exercise entitled "What Would You Rather?" which involved nominating various pairs of Hogwarts boys and determining which one you would rather sleep with.