Where Your Loyalties Lie

Chapter Seventy-Six: The Last Thing I Need Right Now

After New Year's, Draco and I returned to Hogwarts to resume our classes. While most classes moved on to teaching new material, Amycus Carrow decided it would be beneficial to review nonverbal spells from the previous year.

"I suggest you all take time out of your evening to practice more. There will be an exam on Friday," the professor informed us.

Later that night, Draco, Blaise, and I sat in our common room, finishing up the rest of our homework.

"Well potions is done now," Draco stated, packing up his quill and parchment. He stretched his arms out over his head and yawned dramatically. "I think it's time we call it a night, don't you?"

I sat next to him, too busy sifting through my bag to respond. He got my attention by taking the bag out of my hands and setting it on the ground. "Hey!"

Taking my hand, he pulled me up off the couch. "Come on, Katie, it's late. Nothing else is due tomorrow. We can finish it later."

"Oh no, not yet. We still have to practice nonverbal spells for Carrow," I objected.

"But-"

"Do you really want to make him mad?" He gave no reply so I continued. "We'll just practice a little bit. The three of us can take turns dueling with basic defense charms, alright?"

"You two can start, I'm still finishing up the conclusion to my essay," Blaise told us, looking up briefly from his paper.

Draco and I spread apart to stand on opposite ends of the couch, both of us then backing up farther to give ourselves a fair bit of distance. There was no one else hanging out in the room, so we didn't have to worry about hitting anyone apart from Blaise.

"Lady's first," Draco said, bowing to me.

I chuckled, "Alrighty then, are you ready?" He nodded, now standing up and alert.

Raising my wand, I shot a disarming charm across the room towards him. Draco reacted quickly, putting up a shield to protect himself. I tried again twice, but he managed to block both attempts before sending his own spell at me. The spell moved through the air too quickly for me to be able to block it. I still managed to avoid it by ducking out of the way, sending another spell his way from my crouched position. Failing to react, the spell hit Draco square in the chest. He flew back, hitting his head on the fireplace mantel.

I stood up, horrified by what I just did. "Draco!" I screamed, running over to him. Blaise looked up from his work and moved quickly to join me by his side. Draco laid on the ground, blood covering the part of his head that had hit the brick.

"Draco, oh my god!" I kneeled by his side, but hesitated to touch him, fearing that moving him would hurt him further. His eyes remained closed. I looked up at Blaise. "Blaise, what do we do?" Draco let out a groan of pain. I gasped, "Draco?" He moaned again in response.

"We need to get him to Madame Pomfrey," Blaise insisted. Together we managed to get him to first sit then stand. With an arm slung over his shoulder, Blaise was able to help Draco walk towards the door. "Don't worry, Katie. I'll take care of him. Just stay here," Blaise ordered.

I watched them make their way out of the common room before collapsing onto the couch, shaking from what had just occurred. Nearly an hour later, Blaise returned alone and found me waiting for him.

"Madame Pomfrey is making him stay in the hospital wing over night, but she says he's going to be alright," Blaise told me. I remained silent. "Hey." He sat next to me and put a hand on my shoulder, causing me to look up at him. "Did you hear me? He's going to be fine."

I cast my gaze downward again. "I almost killed him, Blaise," I whispered.

"But you didn't." I shot him a glare. "Look, it was an accident. He's not going to blame you for what happened, so you shouldn't blame yourself either."