You and me

Part 15 - Happenings

Just as I got close to the potrait of the Fat Lady, I heard high pitched giggles. I looked around, and saw Ron and Lavender Brown, snogging.
"Eww" I said to myself, before entering my common room.

Hermione was sitting in front of the fire, a book in hand and lost in thought. Her eyes were puffy, as if she had cried.
"Hey" I said, sitting next to her.
Hermione looked at me, her face sad.
"You cried" I said.
"You cried too" She said.
We sat quietly for a minute, and then she rested her head on my shoulder.
I knew what her problem was.
I glanced at Harry, who gave me a slow nod.

Suddenly Ginny entered the common room, and rushed to the dormitory, not looking at any of us. Hermione and I looked at eachother, and went up to the dormitory to see if she was ok.
Ginny and Dean have been fighing for a while now, and she was pretty broken over it. The three of sat huddled on Ginny's bed, depressed and confused.
I dreamed about Draco and his dark mark that night. My Draco, a Death Eater. It was beyond anything I ever imagined. I couldnt understand what Voldemort would want from a sixteen year old boy. I was afraid to think about it.

Just as he had said, we didnt talk or approach eachother during the day. Draco was always a topper, was falling behind in class. I really didnt know what to do, or how to help him.
I could rarely find him after class, for that matter.

Pansy caught up with me one evening as I was sitting by the lake, reading.
"How have you been ?" she asked.
"Im fine " I said, forcing a smile.
"Whats happened to you two ?" she asked. "Draco doesnt talk to us much, these days...its just weird you know, hes always so jumpy and angry"
I shook my head.
"I really dont know, Pansy" I lied." You see how he is to me, right ?"
Pansy nodded, and then touched my hand.
"You know we are here, right ? Please dont hesitate if you nee someone to talk to" she said. "Or if you need help"
"Thanks Pansy, that means a lot"

                           * * *
Draco started skipping classes. I didnt know where he went or anything. No one knew.

Hermione and I were studying in the common room when Ginny came running in.
"Ron's in the hospital ! Come on !!"
The three of us raced to the hospital wing, and saw Ron lying on the bed, unconscious. Harry stood beside his bed, with Professor Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Slughorn, who had a bottle in his hand.
Ron had been poisoned, by some drink Professor Slughorn had offered him. Dumbledore asked him more on that, when Slughorn revealed that he had intented to gift the bottle to him.
"The poison, was meant for me " Dumbledore said slowly. I didnt know why, but Harry immediately made eye contact with me. And I knew that look.
He doubted Draco.
Anger bubbled up inside me, and I backed off, running out of the hospital. Coming back to the common room, I paced the room, shivering.
I had to find Draco.
I had to know.

                              * * *

Ron wad back soon, and had totally clueless about how he broke up with Lavender.
We were all at the Great Hall for breakfast, when we saw Katie Bell. Hermione poked Harry in the rib, who was busy with his nose in that potions book.
Harry went after her, to ask her about the incident at Hogsmaede.
I saw Draco entering the hall. I got up from my seat, to go talk to him, but stopped, when I saw him staring straight at Harry and Katie. Harry turned, and saw Draco.
Before I could move or say a thing, Draco walked out, followed by Harry.
Hermione gripped my arm tightly, a frightened look on her face.

I raced out of the hall, looking around to see where they went. I saw Harry as he turned around the corner, and ran behind him. There was a sound of glass breaking from Moaning Myrtl's bathroom. I rushed in, and froze.
Draco lay in a pool of his blood, on the flooded bathroom floor. He was whimpering in pain, and there were deep gashes on his body.
Screaming loudly, I ran upto him, knelt down and cried. I took his hand in mine, which was limp by now. He was losing so much blood, and it spread with the water.
"What did you do ?!" I wailed, and Moaning Myrtle joined me in.
Harry looked pretty much shocked himself.
There were footsteps, and Professor Snape walked in. He looked as shocked as me and Harry, and he knelt next to me, muttering some incantation under his breath,his wand tracing Draco's wounds, reducing blood flow, and forming stitches over them. Draco trembled under our touch, as Professor Snape and I helped him upto to his feet, and to the hospital wing.
Harry stood rooted to the spot, where Professor Snape asked him to stay.

Once at the hospital wing, they took Draco in and told me to wait outside. I sat by the steps, when Prof. Snape came out, and said " He is going to be fine. They are giving him dittany, and he will recover without even scarring" .
"Can I see him ?"
"Probably not"

I sat there the whole day, crying. Hermione came in a while to check on me.
"Hes going to be fine, Mia" she said, reassuringly. "Please stop crying !"
"I cant " I sobbed. "He was so hurt...there was so much blood...He was dying in front of me, Hermione, and there was nothing that I could do...!"
"Mia, please calm down"
"Why would Harry do such a thing ?!" I cried. " Why ! "
"It was a mistake, Mia ! He didnt even know what that curse meant ! He found it in that stupid book hes been hogging" Hermione said. "Ginny had convinced him to get rid of it."
"Please come wih me, Mia" she said. "Come and get cleaned up ! Look at you !"
I looked down at myself. My uniform was covered in Draco's blood. And thought of it brought about a fresh supply of tears.

I went with her, and took a shower, as she brought me something to eat. Once I ate, I got up to leave again.
Harry stopped me at the Potrait.
"Im sorry, Mia" He said." I didnt mean to, really, it was an accident"
"Harry, what do you know about him? Seriously, anything ?" I asked.
"Ive known him for some years now. And I never met anyone who could love so deeply, and care so much ! Yes he fooled around, bullied maybe ! So what?!"
"I dont care what you say ,Harry, but hes just as good as you think you are, maybe better !" I said, before leaving.

They let me see him the next evening - till when I sat outside the door to the hospital. As soon as I stepped in, Draco turned his head towards me.
A small smile spread on his handsome face. I sat beside his bed, and took his cold hand in mine, and kissed it.
"How are you, baby ?" I asked,
trying to control any urge to cry.
"Im ok" he said. " Sucks to be in here, though"
"You are going to well soon " I said, with a smile.
I saw that he was wearing a clean shirt. It was obvious that he couldnt change on his own.
"Your clothes...who ?"
He remained silent for a while, before saying,"Snape"
"He knows?"
Draco gave a tight nod and looked  away. I was really confused now.
"My mother had him make an unbreakable vow, that he would protect me"  he said, not at all happy with it.  "No one can protect me"
Draco gave me a deadly look.