Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Twenty-Five: Bludger

June came and along with it were the end of the year exams. In my opinion, they went very well. When exams had ended, Maddie and I lounged in the common room. We weren't sure where Draco was.

At one point, Crabbe and Goyle ran through the common room and up to their dorm. Draco came walking through quickly after them. He had his head down. "Hey Draco!" He kept walking. I got up and ran in front of him. He walked past me. Trying again, I grabbed his arm. Reluctantly, he looked up at me. "What happened to your nose?" I asked. It was bruised. Draco didn't answer.

"Come on, let's go to the hospital wing." I took his hand and led him out of the common room. We arrived with Madame Pomfrey hurrying over to us. She made Draco sit down on one of the beds before hurrying off. Minutes later, she came back with an ice pack.

"This is a muggle remedy, but it works. Just hold this to your face. It should help the swelling go down. "Now what happened?"

"I, erm, ran into a pillar," Draco explained.

"A pillar?"

"Yes. I was running fast and wasn't watching where I was going."

"Very well then. Off you go." We walked back to the common room.

"OK, what really happened?" I asked along the way.

"Well I got Potter, Weasley, and Granger upset. Don't tell anyone, but Granger punched me."

"Hermione did this to you?" I had to stifle a laugh.

"Don't tell anyone, Katie! I'm serious-" he warned me.

"I won't. Don't worry," I laughed.

~~~

I knocked on the door to Dad's office. A first year had come up to me at lunch and had told me my Dad wanted to talk to me. Dad told me to take a seat and I obliged.

"Your mother has informed me that both her and your step-father will be taking a vacation this summer to America to visit your step-father's family. This means you'll stay with me all summer," he explained.

"OK," I replied with a nod.

"You'll still ride the train to King's Cross. I need time to pack what I'm bringing home. Got that?"

"Yes."

"Good, now get going to your friends. There isn't much longer before the year ends."

I left his office and found Draco and Maddie. Dad was right. Only three days before we head home. I needed time with my friends.

~

The train rolled out of the station later that week. "Can you believe it?" Maddie asked.

"Believe what?" I asked.

"How fast this year has gone! It seems just yesterday Draco had kicked that prefect in the leg as an attempt to beat you in a race," Maddie laughed.

"I would've won if she didn't push me," Draco mumbled.

Both of us laughed. "Remember when I turned your hair Weasley red?" I thought.

"That one wasn't funny," Draco insisted, but he smiled as he said it.

We continued to talk for a little while before I decided to go talk to some other friends and say my goodbyes before we would depart for summer vacation.

First, I visited with the trio and then found Fred and George's compartment.

"Kate!" Fred and George chorused when I entered. I took the empty seat next to George.