The Boy Who Wanted to Live

Peculiar

Draco entered the hospital wing with hostile energy around him. He was PISSED. A red-headed boy, sitting by a bed jumped to his feet and pulled his wand on the blonde. 

"Malfoy" Ron Weasley spat with disgust. 

"Weasel," Draco spat back, the cut on his shoulder no longer bothering him quite as much. 

Hermione stood up and crossed her arms, standing next to Ron. 

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she said, snarkily "Come to gloat?"

"Believe it or not mudblood, not everything in my life revolves around your precious Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-A-Pain-In-My-Ass," Malfoy said, shoving past Ron to make his way to the nurse. 

His inflamed shoulder slammed against Ron's and sent Draco hissing slightly and grasping at his wound. He gasped and held tight to the bloody spot in his white silk shirt, that was rapidly spreading. Hermione sent Harry a concerned look, before turning to face Draco. 

"Get that being a ponce, did you?" She said, her voice filled with acid. 

Draco stopped midstep and swallowed hard, debating whether or not he should answer her. 

"Draco?" Caleb asked softly, looking over to the panting boy who laid next to him in the grass. 

"Yeah?" Draco answered, turning his head to look at Caleb. 

"Why do you and Harry Potter always fight?" 

Draco sat up, balancing on one arm for support as he looked at the seemingly fragile boy at his side. Caleb had his eyes shut tight as if bracing himself for the answer, swallowing hard in preparation. Draco laid back down on his back and looked up at the softly swinging branches above their heads. 

"I-I don't know..." Draco said finally, swallowing hard as well.

"If you don't know then why do you fight?" Caleb asked, turning onto his side. 

"My dad," Draco sighed and looked down, "My dad said that Harry was bad."

"Bad?" Caleb asked.

"Yeah..." Draco turned to look at Caleb with a frown "His dad took my dad away once... I don't really remember much, but..." 

Caleb rolled onto his back, tears filling his eyes. Draco watched the clouds drift by, not noticing his friends' distress. 

"Harry's dad was.... bad?" Caleb asked, sounding odd to Draco. "But... I thought they were the good guys. His parents."

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Draco asked, turning onto his side. 

"Just curious I guess. But if you don't want to fight just don't respond. That's what I do when people pick on me. I just ignore them."

"Who's picking on you?" Draco asked, concerned. "I'll kill them, Caleb, you know I will." 

Caleb nodded and turned to smile at his friend, although Draco could have sworn it was a sad smile. 

"I know," he said, softly "Hey, Dray?" 

"Yeah?" 

"You're it!" 

"Oh no, you don't!" Draco said, standing to run after Caleb.

Draco swallowed hard and kept walking, ignoring their taunts and walked into the nurses' office. Hermione turned to Ron with a frown. 

"He didn't say anything back," she said "I wonder why"

Harry stirred a little on the bed and Hermione turned to hold his hand. 

"It's okay, Harry. We are here," she said. 

"Yeah, mate. We're right here," Ron agreed. 

Harry stirred a little and mumbled in his sleep. Hermione might have gone stir crazy at that moment because she could have sworn he was saying Malfoy's name.