dark side • draco malfoy

25 | Sectumsempra

"Honestly Ronald, what are you going to do on your N.E.W.T.s next year? I can't always be there to let you copy my essays." Hermione scolded Ron as the two of them entered the Gryffindor common room several days later. I glanced up at the sound of their arrival and waved them over to my spot in front of the fire.

"Hey Ivy. Hey Ginny." Ron greeted us, and Hermione smiled politely as they sat down next to us. At this, Ginny finally looked up from her Transfiguration essay.

"Where's Harry?" She asked in a pathetic attempt to sound casual. She was so smitten with that boy it wasn't even funny.

"Not sure, we thought he might be here with you guys." Her brother shrugged, leaning into the sofa and putting his feet up on the table.

Just then, the portrait hole swung open and The Chosen One himself came stumbling in, looking white as a sheet.

"Speak of the devil." I muttered, receiving an elbow in the side from Ginny.

Several younger students stared at him curiously, before losing interest and turning back to their friends.

"Harry! What happened? You look like you've just seen a ghost!" Hermione jumped up, running to her friend and helping him sit down next to us.

"Oh my god, Harry. Why are you soaking wet and covered in blood?" I gasped at the boy in front of me.

"Something terrible just happened. I-I..." He seemed unable to get the words out, so Ginny reached across and gently placed her hand on top of his shaking one. The effect she had on him was almost instantaneous, and if it weren't for the fact that Harry looked like he had just murdered someone and dumped their body in the Black Lake, I would have joked that they should get married already.

"Breathe, Harry. Tell us what happened." She spoke softly, and this seemed to calm him down enough.

"I was watching Malfoy on the map - shut up Hermione - and I followed him to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and confronted him about Katie. He started throwing hexes at me, and pretty soon we were duelling in the bathroom. Then as he was about to hit me with the Cruciatus curse, I remembered that curse written in my Potions textbook; Sectumsempra. I used it, but I had no idea that it would do... that." He shuddered, before taking a deep breath and continuing, "It sliced him open, all over. He fell on the ground and started shaking and twitching, and there was so much blood. That's when Snape came."

I felt absolutely sick to my stomach at the thought of Draco bleeding out on the flooded bathroom floor. As mad at him as I was, I hated the idea of him being hurt like that.

"Bloody hell. What happened then?" Ron breathed.

"Snape started saying all these counter-curses and healing spells, and then he took Malfoy to the hospital wing." Harry sighed, staring into the fire with a look of horror on his face. I felt like I was about to throw up, and I knew I had to go check on Draco.

"I, I'm sorry. I need to go." I stammered, before throwing my books onto the table and running out of the common room. As I left, I could hear Ginny swearing at Ron and telling him to let me go.

I knew it was rude to just leave my friends like that without an explanation, but I had to see Draco. I still felt awful about that night in the Room of Requirement, and now he could be dying and he'd never know how sorry I was.

I received many strange looks as I sprinted through the corridors, but I didn't care. I had to see Draco. I had to make sure he was okay.

***********************************

Finally I made it to the hospital wing and as I slowed to a walk, I felt like my lungs were burning with Fiendfyre. I really needed to exercise more.

Just as I was about the enter, the door swung open and Professor Snape stepped out. His eyes landed on me and the permanent frown on his face became even deeper.

"What are you doing here at this hour, Miss Chapman?" He questioned.

"I came to see Draco." I told him, not seeing the point in lying. He'd only call me out on it if I did.

"Mr. Malfoy is in no condition for visitors right now, especially not you." He sneered at me and started to walk away.

"Wait - Professor! Please, I just want to make sure he's okay. He and I had a sort of... falling out the other day. I just wanted to apologize and make sure that he's alright." I begged, crossing my fingers behind my back.

Snape was silent for a while, before he finally seemed to make up his mind.

"Very well, but you must clear it with Madame Pomfrey. Do not disturb or upset him, or I shall take fifty points from Gryffindor." He snapped, turning on his heel and striding away, with his black cloak billowing out behind him.

"Drama queen." I muttered under my breath, before pushing the door open and slipping inside.

At the sound of my arrival, Madame Pomfrey came scurrying over with a concentrated scowl on her face,
"No visitors right now, Miss Chapman."

"Please, Madame Pomfrey. I just wanted to check on Draco." I sighed, wondering if it would have been easier to just steal Harry's invisibility cloak.

"And since when do Gryffindor students worry for the physical well-being of Slytherin students?" She squinted her eyes at me and crossed her arms accusingly.

I wracked my brain for a good excuse, but my mind was coming up totally empty, "He's my boyfriend." I blurted out.

Her eyes went as wide as dinner plates at the idea of Draco Malfoy and I dating, and I mentally face-palmed myself for telling her that.

"Oh alright, Miss Chapman. Ten minutes, and then you must leave. Mr. Malfoy needs his rest."

"Yes, of course. Thank you." I smiled at her, before making my way to Draco's bed and sitting down in the chair beside it.

As soon as Madame Pomfrey's office door closed, Draco's warm silver eyes fluttered open and landed on me.

"Ivy... you're here." He furrowed his brows in confusion, and his voice was weak with pain.

"Of course I'm here, stupid." I rolled my eyes, giving him a small smile.

"So I'm your boyfriend now, eh?" He smirked, and I resisted the urge to smack him for that comment.

"Oh shut up. It got me in here, didn't it?" I giggled.

"That it did. Listen, about the other night, I'm sorry. I probably didn't go about telling you in the best way-"

"No, I'm sorry. I totally freaked out on you without letting you explain the entire story." I cut him off with a sigh.

"So why are you here then? How can you even stand to be around me? I'm... I'm a monster." He whispered, his voice hoarse and scratchy as his eyes became watery.

"Because as much as I hate to admit it, I really care about you, Draco. I was so scared that you were going to die or something." I bit my lip nervously and stared at my feet.

"Oh please, it's going to take a lot more than Saint Potter to get rid of me." He scoffed, causing me to chuckle. At least he was feeling well enough to crack some jokes.

"Well I should probably be going then-" As I began to stand up, his hand wrapped around mine and pulled me back towards him. I stumbled a bit, before catching myself just inches in front of Draco's face.

"You can't leave yet, darling. I haven't gotten to do this yet." He whispered, placing a hand behind my neck and pulling me towards him.

I felt my entire body melt against his touch as his soft lips gently moved against mine, and I couldn't help it as a sigh of pleasure escaped my lips. Finally, we pulled apart and my eyes fluttered open to look at him.

"Thank you for coming to see me." He grinned, but I could tell that the potion Madame Pomfrey had given him was already making him drowsy and he was losing consciousness quickly.

"Go to sleep and get some rest. I'll see you later." I smiled at him, leaning in and giving him one last peck on the lips and brushing a stray piece of blonde hair from his forehead, before turning around and leaving the hospital wing. That boy was going to be the death of me.