Potter

Chapter 61

I floated in and out of consciousness forever, drifting in my own muffled little galaxy. I felt like someone had draped a warm, damp towel over my face, and a scalding hot iron on my back. It left me groaning, and when I couldn't find the strength to groan, I mumbled incoherently.

I don't know how much time passed in my little plague of misery, but it wasn't short enough. Slowly, second by second, I started becoming aware, sounds becoming clearer. I could feel cottony-soft fabric under my hands, nails digging into the sheets. Sheets. I was in a bed. I groaned loudly, attempting to roll over onto my back- I could feel my arm enough now to know I was lying on my side. But as I tried to move, the burning sensation came back, and I couldn't flip onto my side again quick enough. The groan I let out was loud.

"Oh," A voice made its way into my mind, quiet and vaguely annoyed. "Come on, Brownie. Wakey, wakey."

"Be nice- She's had one hell of a night."

"I've had one hell of a night helping keep her from bleeding out. Where'd Malfoy run off to anyway? She's his girlfriend. Or whatever. Are they even an actual thing?"

"You know very bloody well where he is- Oh, watch out, her back is bleeding again." There was a sigh- And then I could feel something damp pressing into the space between my shoulders, both pleasant and painful at the same time. It took effort to pry my eyelids open, but thankfully the light was dim enough that it didn't cause me pain to look around.

"Oh, lookie. She's awake." My eyes followed the voice to the boy who sat by the bed I was in, arms crossed over his chest as he leant back in his chair. Brown eyes were narrowed, dark hair nearly falling into his eyes.

"Why are you here." I grumbled, burying my face into the pillow. It smelt good, and sent an ease through my shoulders. Theodore Nott rolled his eyes, letting the two front legs of his chair come to rest on the ground.

"Well, this is my dorm." He said, eyebrows raised. "Smarten up, Brownie. Idiocy isn't attractive on you."

"Your face isn't attractive on you." I snipped back, voice muffled by the fabric of the pillow. Theo let out a small snort, while the damp towel on my back was removed, sending my skin back into the burning heat I had been feeling. Bearable, I decided with a slow move of my shoulders, but definitely uncomfortable.

"This is why I don't touch Gryffindor girls. Too much bite, and not the fun kind. You sure we can't leave her be, Blaise? My ass is cramping from sitting for so long." Theo sighed, looking over to his friend as the dark skinned wizard crossed the room, setting the blood-stained towel by a bowl. Wait- Had he been pressing it on my back? Had he been touching my back?

My movements would have been quicker had I not been deterred by the sheets and pain in my back. I sat up quickly, gathering the sheets around myself in the meanwhile. At some point my shirt had been shed and I was left in the white bra I had put on the day- Two days?- before. I scowled as I stared at the two boys, not sure whether I was more angry or uncomfortable. Blaise's lips were pulled into a grimace, while Theo made a sound of annoyance.

"If you could please move in panic slower, as it took us forever to mend those nasty cat scratches you've gotten. You really don't need to reopen all of them."

"Where's Draco?" I said, my chest tight. He had found me the other night, gotten me away from the Carrows. I craved his presence sorely, and the fact that he wasn't hear upset me more than I would like to acknowledge. Thankfully Blaise was the one who answered, sparing me from Theo's snippy sentences.

"He had a meeting. He'll be back soon- If you could lie still though. The tissue around your back is still delicate, and I don't believe I'm capable enough to fix it if it splits." He said, before nodding quickly to Theo. "And neither is he, despite his claims."