Draco Takes a Mark

Chapter 29

Breakfast in Hogwarts's Great Hall the day after Ron Weasley was poisoned and Harry Potter was somehow not expelled for almost killing Draco Malfoy, was a bit tense.

The hall fell quiet when Harry first stepped inside, but he was growing accustomed to that kind of attention and simply sat at the Gryffindor table, almost as usual, but without Ron and Hermione for companions. Many of the eyes in the room were still watching as he took a seat by Ginny Weasley instead. As he did so, he looked too happy. His normalcy was unnerving, sitting beside Dean Thomas's brand new ex-girlfriend, nothing in his manner betraying any remorse for yesterday's attack.

As for Draco, he still hadn't made an appearance. Pansy Parkinson had returned from the hospital wing the night before to report to the entire Slytherin common room that Draco was recovering well and should be released in the morning. But there was still no word about how the Homicidal One would be punished, and all of Slytherin house would be glaring at him across the dining tables, smarting from the injustice of it all, until they were certain something would be done.

Harry would find out soon. Professor McGongall had ordered him to report to her office right after potions class, during his first free period of the day. Though he dreaded it, Harry found the impending meeting wasn't able to ruin his ridiculously good mood. Ginny was sitting next to him, close enough that her knee touched his leg under the table.

"Right," she said, rather suddenly, standing up without giving Harry a chance to let go of the hand he'd been surreptitiously holding. "I'm off to the hospital wing to have a chat with Ron before class."

"Shall I come along?" he asked, sputtering slightly.

She shook her head. "No, consider it a family meeting. And at a time like this, Harry, it's best if we emphasize to everyone that you and I are not actually related, no matter what Mum says."

He nodded, bowing his head. But then Ginny's hands were braced to both his cheeks, turning his face up and stamping a full, wet kiss on his mouth in sight of everyone.

"There," Ginny said as she dropped her hands away. "Now there's no turning back. I have to rush off to the hospital and explain it all to Ron before the rumors beat me to it. Cheers, Harry!"

She hopped over the back of the bench and bolted out of the room, leaving Harry sitting alone in a wave of new, scandalized chatter. Across the table, Neville was gawking at him. With a pained look, Seamus was eyeing Dean. And Dean was pushing aside his plate and standing to leave.

Harry cast his eyes around, looking for someone safe. His heart gave a great leap of relief when he saw Hermione stepping through the doors, but it sank again when he saw that she had come hand-in-hand with Malfoy. The pair of them stopped after clearing the threshold, each of them looking in opposite directions, toward the house tables where they usually sat. They looked back at each other. Hermione shrugged up at Draco and he bent to whisper in her ear. He might have kissed her -- it was impossible to tell with his face buried in her hair.

Maybe fewer people would have noticed them if a loud swear hadn't rung out from Cormac McLaggen's direction. Professor McGonagall looked up from her porridge to glare out at the unidentified profaner. Harry still squirmed at the sight of them himself, and he was quite pleased when they separated and went to sit in their typical spots.

At the Slytherin table, the healing wound on Draco's face was being examined by his housemates, many of them throwing angry glares at Harry and perplexed ones at Hermione.

"Harry!" she greeted him, falling into Ginny's vacant seat. She couldn't help noticing Neville's stunned expression, and wished him a good morning as well.