The Mark of a Death Eater

The Hospital

I woke up to see five startled faces blinking back at me. Daphne, Zayn, Arrianne, Astoria and Malfoy. My throat felt like iron. I coughed. "She's awake!" Daph yelled. I frowned. "Don't scream," Astoria said. I sat up slowly. "How're you feeling?" Zayn asked. I smiled weakly. "I didn't get to say happy birthday personally to you," I said. My voice was raspy. I glanced around. McLaggen was leaning against the door. 

I wondered what the story was. No-one knew what had really happened, obviously. What story had been spread? Stress? A severe case of depression causing me to black out? Hermione Granger will be pleased. I knew no-one - certainly not Daphne Greengrass - would accept a simple story. 

Astoria followed my gaze to the door. "I need to go," she said. "You'll be okay." She squeezed my hand and gave me a small smile before disappearing. I hung my head so that my hair hung like a curtain around my face. Just like Astoria did the night I saw her with Malfoy. Yet here she was. I didn't deserve any of these people. Daphne, Zayn, Astoria, Arrianne; they were too good for me. I smiled gratefully. 

McLaggen walked up to my bed. "How're you feeling?" he asked. I shrugged. "Okay,"  I said. I looked down at my hand. It was covered in tiny stitches. There was a small pile of chocolates next to my bed. I sighed. "Thanks all of you. I'm so sorry." I said. "For what?" Daphne asked. "Making you worry," I said. "That's not a first though, is it?" Zayn answered. Daphne and Arrianne laughed. McLaggen smiled. Malfoy looked terribly worried. He met my eyes. Cold grey-blue to blue-green. I thought I detected tears. That was ridiculous. Draco Malfoy didn't cry. "Can you all leave me here? Me and Malfoy?" I asked. "I... really thank you all but I need to have a word." Daphne frowned. "Ok," Arrianne said. She gently pulled on Zayn's arm. He looked at her and nodded. "Get better, Emma." Zayn gave me a slightly awkward one armed hug. O couldn't help but feel a very slight pang of jealousy as the two walked out, Zayn's arm around Arrianne, her head resting on her shoulder. I knew they were best friends, or at least close friends but I wondered if Arrianne fancied Zayn. Any girl would be lucky to have him, I thought a little bitterly, and Arrianne was one of the best people I knew. Malfoy glared at Cormac, who glowered back.But then he left too, after leaving me with a muffled "Goodbye". 

Daphne stayed over me. She looked worried now that almost everyone was gone. "'ll be ok," I told her. She shook her head. Her eyes were slightly red. "We couldn't find you last night or this morning, you know. We were so worried -we didn't know what happened," she whispered angrily. I hugged her tightly. She hugged me back. "Hey, it's just a little cut. What could have happened to me?" "But Snape was worried!" she objected. "He said he saw you, and that you were upset about something. What happened, Emma?" she asked. "Just... just some news from home. My parents, they're being a little ridiculous about some matters. I'll tell you about it some time, okay?" She took a deep breath and pulled away from me. "I'll be back in half an hour." She shot a glance at Malfoy and left the room. 

Malfoy closed the door and came to sit on the edge of the bed. He took my left hand in his hand and held it so tight that the stitches hurt. I stared at it, then at him, amazed. This was probably the most affection I'd ever seen Draco Malfoy give anyone. And he was showing it to me. "I'm so sorry," he whispered into our hands. "It's not your fault," I said somewhat shakily. "It is my fault. If I didn't tell Snape, you wouldn't have been like this right now." I considered what he said. It was Snape's fault too. Snape should never have told him. But it was mainly my fault. My fault for being so nosy, so prying, so inquisitive. "If I could do something, anything, I would," he said. He seemed genuinely upset. A part of my brain hated him for doing this to me. A part of me wanted to scream and cry and hide somewhere. Another part wished my parents, who couldn't care less about me, were here. I wanted my brother. He was always the one o comfort me when I was little. From small, when I'd had a nightmare until much older when I considered myself too old to climb into his bed at night. Another part still thought I was dreaming. As always, I ignored all those parts and focused on the one part that planned. The smart, quick part of my mind. That part already knew that I had absolutely no say in this. I knew this was happening now and that there was no way out. I hung onto that small part of my brain and refused to think of anything, or anyone else. "Draco," I said sharply. He looked up at me. "The least you can do is pull yourself together. Don't blame yourself. What happened, happened. We need to make a plan. We need to prepare ourselves. We're the only hope we've got."