Drarry Omegaverse

Chapter 7 - Caged

I am truly exhausted. Walking in the corridor, I am twenty minutes early for my Charm class. I want to be the first one in the room, to sit in the back and avoid Potter's gaze during the course.

How big my surprise and displeasure are when I see him, coming from the other side of the hallway. He turns pale. It takes all my willpower not to fly away and to keep my composure.

"What are you doing here?" I snarl.

"Well, obviously, I came early for the class to sit in the back so I won't have to face you..." he murmurs. "Exactly like you did."

His reaction unsettles me. He stares at the ground, his eyes are red and swollen. His expression is remorseful.

Is he feeling guilty?

I don't move. I cross my arms slowly to prevent my hands to shake. I can do it. I can hide that he terrifies me, that his mere existence is devastating mine.

"What exactly happened last night?" I ask coldly.

He keeps avoiding my eyes. He scratches his head.

"Apparently... the Smell Suppressors don't last more than twelve hours. I haven't realised it before last night, but the effect of the medicine wears off. I woke up because they stopped working during my sleep... and my first instinct was to find you."

He seems distraught, tormented. I clench my teeth. Don't let him move you.

"Never do this again, get it?" I hiss. "Or I eviscerate you alive."

He gulps and nods pathetically, I try to stay tough.

"Take your damn Smell Suppressors twice a day from now on. Do you think you're capable of doing this?" I sneer.

"I will."

No bravado, no pride... He answers with a docile, guilty voice.

His head is still down. He runs his palm on his face and hides his eyes from me. He stays there, motionless... as if he were broken. As if he was the victim...

"I am sorry Malfoy. I am... truly sorry..."

I step forward. I lift up my arm, hesitating.

"Potter?" I say hesitantly.

I touch his arm, he jumps violently and backs up. I look at him in surprise, he seems to be... scared?

"I- I should go" he stutters. "I... Hermione and Ron.. I... they..."

He's afraid of his own reactions toward me.

He leaves.

This morning he skips class. And the one after. He's absent the whole day actually...

~~~ ~~~ ~~~

I stand up from the Slytherin table and glance at the Gryffindor table. Potter is not there. After our conversation yesterday, he didn't show up. Today he wasn't here either, but nobody said a word about him.

"I have to pick a book from the library. See you guys."

Goyle and Pansy wave me good night, I leave the Great Hall. Checking behind me that nobody follows me, I walk towards the Hospital Wing.

Is Potter hiding in his dormitory, faking to be ill? Is he that afraid to get out of control? I wonder how the situation will evolve. He can't skip class for the rest of the year and avoid me all the time. This has to change.

I step in the Hospital Wing. Mrs Pomfrey is bending over a patient's bed. When she notices me, she beckons me to follow her inside her office.

She closes the door behind us.

"I'm here for the Heats Inhibitor" I say. "They'll start within a day or two I think."

"Sure. I have them ready." (She opens a drawer and give me a pouch.) "Seven vials. Take the first one the day you know your heats will start. Be careful with the side effects : nausea, dizziness, headache..."

I nod.

"Yes, I know them too well" I murmur.

I take the pouch and start playing with it, making the vials ting. The matron stares at me.

"Is there something else you may need, Mr Malfoy?"

Her tone is not concerned and her face stays unfathomable, but I can hear a little sympathy in her voice. I hesitate and look into her eyes.

"It's been two days... Potter hasn't come to class for two days. I-I mean, I know he's fine but... (I gulp.) Is he staying in his dormitory to avoid me?"

She keeps staring at me, her face very serious. She seems to be weighing up the pros and cons. Apparently she considers I'm worth being trust, because she answers me:

"Mr Potter came to me yesterday morning to ask for his own confinement. (I open my eyes wide. What?) He was inflexible. We talked this through with him and the headmistress. It has been decided that he would be locked up in the dungeon."

"Excuse me –you did what?"

"He, the headmistress and I decided to confine him in the dungeon" she repeats. "We couldn't let him in his dormitory or in the Hospital Wing, the other students would have notice something weird happened. They would have started asking questions."

I avert my eyes and run my hand into my hair. This is my fault. It's because of what happened the other night.

"He... can't be shut up forever!" I cry. "He's not a- an animal!"

He is just a beast, he has no self-control!

Potter, you are an animal! An alpha beast who can't get a grip on himself!

I bite my tongue.

"It's just for a week" she says.

"Still, even if it's just for a week, he's doing this because of me! He... (I freeze, realising.) My heats. He's doing this because I'm going to have my heats, is that right?"

She stares at me gravely and nods in agreement. I pinch my lips.

"What can you do for him?" I ask after a minute of silence.

"I'm still looking for answers. But there is... no prior case to his situation that could help him."

I'm too troubled to stay here, I need to go away. I need to get rid of the guilt I start feeling. I turn around and, just before I step out, she adds:

"Mr Malfoy... Take care of yourself. I am here if you need anything."

I leave.