Grudges

Chapter 5

Victoria jumped at the sound of the empty voice in the corridor, her lips quivering as she turned around to face Draco Malfoy.

"Please don't take me back to her Draco." Victoria's voice was shaking as she spoke, still in pain from the cut on her hand. His eyes flickered to her hand, blood drying on her fingertips, his hard gray eyes softened at the blonde girl.

"Don't think of me to be so low to leave a fellow Slytherin in pain in the corridor. Come, follow me." He waved his hand in a 'come' motion, causing the distraught Victoria to follow closely behind him. "So, what exactly did you do?" Draco's voice was calming for some reason, it made her heartbeat slow.

"I told her we should learn real magic." She sniffled "Which I still believe, no matter how many scars she gives me. I don't care how many people she 'persuades' to be quiet about this." She spoke meekly, but the strength in her voice was admirable, especially in Draco's point of view.

"Well, don't get yourself too hurt. We're here." He lead her to a sink at the end of the bathroom, it was empty and looked unused, kind of like how she had heard Moaning Myrtle's bathroom looked like. He turned on the sink and told her to wait until the water became warm and began searching through his pockets.

Soon enough he pulled out some gauze and a healing salve, he set them aside and grabbed her hand gently, leading it under the warm water. Victoria flinched away as soon as the water touched the wound, only to be held there by Draco's soft hand.

"Why are you helping me?"

"You're a fellow Slytherin. Of course i'm going to help you." He responded, almost coldly.

"Why do you have all these supplies?"

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

"Why are you avoiding them?"

Draco sighed and pulled her hand from the water, casting a spell to dry it before opening the salve and applying it to the wound.

"There are a lot of 1st years who end up with detentions from her, they're so young and easily influenced. I can hear some of them crying in the corridors afterwards, she punishes them for what their parents believe. They can't help it." Victoria gazed at Draco's face as his nimble fingers wrapped the gauze around her hand. His blonde bangs had fallen into his face as he looked down, his pink lips shaped into a grimace.

"I think that's unfair. No one should be judged for their parents beliefs. You are not your parents, I think it's even more wrong for a child's parents to force their beliefs on them. Children are young and influental, and at our age we would do pretty much anything for the acceptance of our parents." Victoria was talking about the first years, but she was also talking about Draco. She knew he was suffering, and she wanted to help him.

He dropped her hand, his eyes locking with her, the blonde locks still hanging in his face. She unconsciously reached up and pushed the hair from his face, a pink blush covered his cheeks. She smiled at him. 

"Thank you, Draco. Have a good night. Okay?" As she left the bathroom, her pale cheeks red, she heard a faint response, which made her smile brightly.

"Thank you, Victoria."

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Skye had just finished up pranking Pansy Parkinson by giving her a cupcake that sprouted pimples all over her face. Draco walked passed her without a word which was odd. Most the times there was a snide remark out of the boys mouth. As Skye continued walking she saw Victoria looking at the ground with a smile on her face. That was odd... didn't she have detention?

"Hey Viki. What has you so happy?" Skye asked as she ran a hand through her long black hair. Victoria just shrugged and held onto her hand. Skye noticed the gauze and immediately assumed it was caused by a student.

"Whoever did this to you is going to regret it." Skye's spoke through gritted teeth as she looked at the bandaged hand.

"Umbridge did this to me. Well more like her quill did this to me." Victoria answered her smile fading. 'What kind of dark magic did Umbridge have?' Skye thought, her mind circling with many questions of the new DADA teacher.

"I have to go back to the common room. I will talk to you tomorrow." Victoria said then headed down the cold, dark corridor. Skye just sighed and made her way back to the Ravenclaw common room. Before she could make it through someone grabbed her from behind. Their hand covered her mouth so she couldn't scream. Skye elbowed the person in the stomach causing them to let go and back off. Once she turned around she saw a familiar red haired doofus.

"Bloody hell Fred what was that for!" Skye whispered loudly. Everyone was supposed to be in the common rooms by now so she didn't want to get caught.

"I didn't think you would freak out that badly!" he replied with a small laugh. Skye rolled her eyes and playfully pushed him.

"So what was the meaning of doing that?" she asked.

"Well you see our dear Georgie decided to go to the room of requirement with a girl." Fred didn't need to finish explaining for Skye to understand.

"We are going to need supplies to prank them." As she listed things they needed her eyes sparkled with excitement. There was nothing she enjoyed more than pranking. Pranking Fred was just an added bonus for her.

Quickly and quietly the two made it through the corridors unseen. They were about to head into the room of requirement when a loud cough was heard followed by a meow.

"Crap it's Filch and his cat." Skye whispered only for Fred to cover her mouth and drag her behind a large statue. Her back was pressed against him and she could feel his chest rising and falling. The footsteps got closer to Skye and Fred making them both hold their breaths. Finally, once they had passed Fred and Skye booked it to the room of requirement.

The two pushed the doors opens and laughed as they struggled to regain their breath. Once they gained their breaths they got to work.

"So when is George and this mystery girl supposed to get here?" Skye asked as she levitated a bucket above the doorway. The room of requirement was filled with a bunch of knick knacks that reached up to the ceiling it was like a maze full of junk.

"I think here in a couple minutes or at least that's what he told me." Fred replied.

Five minutes had passed and George and this girl were nowhere to be seen. Skye and Fred decided to sit in the middle of the room hoping George would get there soon.

"No but that wasn't even the best part." Skye laughed as she laid back. "My mother had to actually turn his cup into a rat to prove she was a witch."

Fred and Skye continued talking until the door to the room creeped open making both of them run and hide. George's voiced echoed through the room. They watched as the bucket of slime barely missed George and the girl.

"I didn't plan that I promise." he laughed as he looked at the bucket that was now on the floor.

Minutes passed and Fred and Skye hated being quiet and still but they couldn't reveal themselves not yet at least.

"So how did you get Fred to not follow you?" the girl asked as she took out a piece of candy and threw it in her mouth.

"Well you see he had an opportunity to hang out with his crush." George's words were playful and a smirk was plastered on his face. Skye felt Fred start to move next to her but she pulled him back so they wouldn't get caught.

"Fred has a crush?! Who?" the girl was eager with excitement. Skye was now curious as well. It wasn't like it mattered to her completely but she had to know.

"It's-" before George could finish his sentence Fred pushed Skye aside and jumped out from their hiding place.