The Years of Blue [2]

Chapter 13: I Find Malfoy

The first thing I did after splitting away from my mother was try to find Sam. But to my dismay, I quickly found her tucked away in a charms class that I knew I could not interrupt. So instead, I went to the next best place, the hospital wing. Madam Pomphry was there to welcome me with a motherly smile before snapping about how I put myself into danger last year.

"Don't worry Madam, I've hated myself for what I've done now that I've left Hogwarts. I've missed this place," I said the last part bitterly as I turned to look around the room that was rather quiet except for a few people chattering with patients in their beds.

"I assume you are here for some important reason, if not to study?" She asked on.

"My brother has been placed in the headmaster's office, making my mother come to meet with Professor Snape and Professor Dumbledore. My school is housing parents week when my mother received the owl and so I decided to come along."

Pomphry gave an absent nod as she poured a potion that looked like Skel-agrow, into a glass and started toward one of the many students in bed. I looked on quietly before a thought came to mind. When Pomphry returned to the main bay, I started.

"Since I have nothing to do with Sam and my friends being in class right now, you wouldn't mind letting me help you for a short while, do you? You seem to be very busy with patients this morning." The nurse chuckled before taking a tray from under her potion's table and grabbed a roll of casting fabric.

"One of my patients needs his cast rebounded and his wound cleaned. You remember how to do this, correct?" I nodded quickly, happy to have something to do. I couldn't help but enjoy the time I spent last year helping Pomphry. Doing it again felt like I was still a part of Hogwarts.

"He's in bed number eight, right by the door. Try not to wake him if you can. He's had too many visitors already today." I nodded, turning to bed eight and froze.

Laying curled up in bed number eight, with one arm in a sling, lay Draco Malfoy. I turned horrified back to Madam Pomphry to beg for another assignment but she was already busy demanding a student to drink the rest of his potion.

He's still asleep, Ava. As long as you don't wake him, you won't have any issues.

With that reassuring thought, I made my way to Malfoy, propping myself at the stool by his bed.

I watched his face again, unsure whether he would wake. He was still lightly tan from his trip to Newport but his hair was longer now, and not gelled back as he once had it. His profile had sharpened or maybe that was because he was hurt and out cold.

Realizing I was literally staring at him, I quickly dropped my gaze and got to work on the cast. I was slow but gentle as I went to work taking the binding cloth off, and had managed to start on cleaning when a hand fell onto my dominant hand, stopping me in my tracks to look up to those prominent grey eyes staring back at me with disbelief.

"I must be dreaming," His familiar sharp accent reappeared as a smirk started to form on his mouth.

"Yes, you're having a terrible nightmare. Here, let me wake you up," I stated simply, turning back to his arm where I quickly, and with little mercy, ripped the last of the bad bandage off.

Immediately he tensed, and let out a groan that turned into a hiss as his eyes went back to mine to share a very aggravated look toward one another.

"You awake yet? Or should I try again?" I asked, going for the cloth scissors." Draco's eyes widened for a moment before he grabbed my other hand and stopped me.

"You wouldn't hurt me, with the state that I'm in, right? I mean just look at me. I've been attacked by a monster in class!" My eyes dropped his gaze and for the first time I saw the large cut along his forearm that lay surrounded by a deepening green and orange bruise.