The Healer- A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 5

Penny and I rushed as quickly as our legs could carry us to the outskirts of the Quidditch grounds. A small crowd had gathered there. It looked like the altercation began when Slytherin had finished their Quidditch tryouts and Ravenclaw was just beginning theirs. The teams of both houses were present in two opposing lines to give the optimal view for the two dueling students on either end. The student closest to us was the lithe, gangly Ravenclaw 6th year that I recognized as Tobias Norwood. He was known for using his clever wit in scathing remarks- he was a skilled debater. And the person standing exactly twenty paces away was unmistakably Draco Malfoy. Tobias had shed his cloak and handed it off to a Ravenclaw girl standing on the sidelines- but Draco remained fully clothed. I couldn't fathom why, as that would reduce his range of motion in combat greatly.

It looked like the duel was one round in, from the welt on Tobias's left arm. They were about to begin the second round. Draco was unharmed, for now. Stupid, I thought, panting as Penny and I joined the Slytherin side of the crowd, Draco is being so stupid...

"How did this start?" I whispered to Penny.

"Draco came to the Quidditch pitch to talk to Adrian," Penny whispered back, her eyes glued on the two men. "Slytherin had just finished tryouts. Adrian made Chaser, by the way," she added, but I could care less at the moment, "And when Ravenclaw came, I don't know, I guess insults were thrown, and Tobias said something about Draco's father being a Death-Eater..." her voice trailed off. Her eyes widened. The second round of the duel was beginning.

"Do you give up yet?" Draco yelled to Tobias, readying his stance.

Tobias rolled his shoulders. "I bet you'd like that, Death-Eater."

Draco snarled, "I'm not a Death-Eater."

"Your father is!" someone from the Ravenclaw side shouted. "So that makes you one, too!"

"You can't just assume that!" Someone from the Slytherin side, Adrian, argued back.

"It's only a matter of time." The Ravenclaw murmured.

Draco's brow twitched in irritation. "Everybody, shut up," he barked. "Let's finish this, Norwood."

Tobias got into position. I observed Draco's movements and the subtleties of his face, and knew right away he was off. Everyone's words must have distracted him.

He's off his game... he could get seriously hurt-

"I'm so ready to see Draco destroy that Ravensnot," Penny whispered excitedly. I didn't reply. My mouth was suddenly dry as bones.

"Expelliarmus!" Tobias lunged, pointing his wand directly at Draco. My breath caught, as I expected it would be a direct hit- but Draco managed to block it. Draco quickly countered with his own "Stupefy!" that fell just short of Tobias's well-timed side step. The crowd was dead quiet and completely captured by the skilled wizards.

A few more spells were thrown around, all of them blocked or avoided in one way or another. They worked each other into a sweat, and I could feel the confidence of the Slytherin side waning. This duel had gone on much longer than any of us expected. Draco was practically bombarding Tobias with disarming spells- causing Draco to form a line of sweat on his brow, and his concentration to slip.

One of the spells finally landed, and Tobias's wand fell from his hand a few feet away. I was finally able to breathe again, and looked at Draco to see if this meant the duel was finished. Slytherins broke out into a cheer, but I stayed studying Draco. His chest was rising and falling steadily beneath his unsullied clothes. A smirk spread across his face as he lowered his wand to his side and scanned the group of witnesses. I assumed he was looking at Penny, who he possibly mistook for Pansy- and then his eyes slid to me. The smirk on his face fell. He was looking at me. And there I was- completely deer-in-headlights.

"That was amazing-" Penny began to say, but she was not able to finish her thought, as I saw a flash of magic land on the right side of Draco's face. He staggered.

My head snapped to where Tobias lay, wand in hand. My blood boiled at the low-blow he had struck. Clever, my ass.

Draco switched his wand to his other hand, using his right to cover the side of his face that was affected by the unknown spell Tobias had used. "Petrificus totalus," he snarled, effectively rendering Tobias petrified where he lay.

The duel was over, and Draco had won- but he was injured. My head buzzed with concern. Everyone is watching. Should I go to him, should I help him somehow-

My thought was cut off by the crowd's sudden scattering. Their eyes were wild with panic.

"McGonagall is coming!" I overheard someone say. I looked around and saw the gaunt woman striding across the grass with a few Ravenclaw students at her side. I turned to Penny, looking for a clue as to which way to run- but she was already taking off. A few Ravenclaws lingered by Tobias's side while the rest scurried back to the castle. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure dressed in black step into the forest.

There.

Perhaps I was bitter that Penny had left me to fend for myself. Perhaps I didn't want to take my chances of running back to the castle only to be caught in McGonagall's path. Perhaps some deep part inside of me wanted to follow Draco into the forest, and offer to heal him. A recollection of him looking right at me with those dauntless eyes flashed in my mind.

And I dashed to the forest.