Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter fifty one-sparks fly

Trails of powdery white cracked as it dried against my skin, staining my neck with the salty remnants of my tears. Someone was holding me, wrapping strong arms around my massacred body and perfuming the clean scent of the hospital wing with a sharp aroma of bergamot and patchouli. I craned my head slightly in an effort not to irritate any wounds, and smiled as I caught sight of the flaming ginger hair next to me.

"Georgie wake up" I whispered gently, and his eyes fluttered open gently, filling with content at the sight of me
"Shush, I'm not supposed to be here, if Madam Pompey finds out I snuck back in after she kicked me out I'll be lying in that bed next to you" he joked, and I let out a small laugh, sitting up carefully as he asked, "how do you feel?"
"Like a million motherfucking bucks" I quipped, and he chuckled, "where's Fred?"
"Detention. He went after every git in Umbridge's squad that had a go at you yesterday and returned the favour"
"Oh Georg why didn't you stop him?" I said frowning
"I did" he exclaimed unconvincingly, "I tugged on his arm a little bit and he wouldn't budge so I figured, well, I tried"
"Did you really try,though?" I said with raised brows
"Did everything I could" he said earnestly, though he was fighting to suppress a laugh, "Harry Ron and Hermione'll be dying to talk to you, they visited before but, like I said, Pomfrey kicked 'em out"
"How long do I have to be here?" I asked, fidgeting with my fingers
"Not long, we are magical, after all" George said, picking up a sugar quill from the mounting pile of gifts beside my bed, "you've got admirers, (y/n)"
"Oh sod off" I said lightly, grabbing a packet of droobles and popping a piece into my mouth
"But really, the whole school's beyond pissed at what Umbridge did to you, even the professors" George said, sticking the sticky sugared feather between his teeth, "been downright rude to her, this morning Flitwick told her-"
"Mister Weasley just WHAT do you think you're doing here!?" Madam Pomfrey's distressed voice boomed from the doorway of her office as she strode towards me and George, "I have made it very clear my patient requires rest, so do see yourself out immediately!"
"I'll bring you dinner and homework in two hours!" George called as he walked backwards towards the door
"I'll be waiting!" I called back

Madam Pomfrey did her best work in all my years at Hogwarts, mending the fractures in my bones and the splits in my rib cage. She dabbed a strong odorous liquid onto my deep cuts and gashes, which mended themselves immediately, leaving faintly tinted lines covering my body. I requested for her to use it on my left hand, where the words 'I must not disrespect my professors' was still displayed prominently. Disappointingly, the same solution did zilch on Umbridge's punishment, and I deduced her quill must have some permanence charm on it.

"Are you sure you should be teaching right now?" Harry stressed the night I returned for Occlumency lessons with Snape
"Perhaps another day or so of rest would do you well, Miss Lestrange" Snape droned, and I shook my head
"I'm perfectly alright, thank you very much, let's begin" I said firmly, and Snape pointed his wand at Harry
"One..." he counted slowly, "two...thr-"
"Professor Snape, sir-oh-sorry..." Malfoy said as he sped into the potions classroom, a look of surprise on his pale face as he caught sight of myself and Harry
"It's alright, Draco" Snape said, stowing away his wand, "Potter is here for a little remedial potions"

Malfoy looked at though Christmas had come early

"I didn't know" He said patronisingly, snickering at Harry
"Well Draco, what is it?" Snape said patiently
"It's professor Umbridge, sir" said Malfoy, "she needs your help-they found Montague, sir. He turned up jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor"
"Major turn off" I mumbled, and Snape shot me a disapproving look, "hope his face is okay though-it's his best and only attribute "

Harry choked down a laugh with great difficulty

"Very well, very well, Potter, you clearly cannot be trusted alone, you'll be coming with me" Harry gave me an indignant look, and I shrugged, mouthing a sorry at him as Snape continued, "Draco, kindly accompany Miss Lestrange back to the hospital wing"
"Professor I don't need to go back, I'm healed" I groaned
"To her common room, then, and see she gets there safely" Snape instructed, and Malfoy nodded stiffly
"Im not gonna die on my way back to my dorm" I argued, crossing my arms
"What a shame" Malfoy remarked
"You watch yourself, ferret" I threatened, and Snape sighed
"Both of you, cut it out" he said sternly, "Miss Lestrange, Mister Malfoy will accompany you back to your dorm, you may continue to tutor Potter after you have taken a few days to rest"
"Fine" I huffed, walking out with Harry as Snape closed the door behind us, "have fun partying with Umbridge"

he rolled his eyes, following Snape down the opposite corridor and out of sight. I walked quickly, not bothering to check if Malfoy was following me. I was desperate not to prolong my time in his presence, as his mere company irritated me to my core.

"Lestrange" his voice was cold and demanding, as usual

I kept walking

"Lestrange" he repeated, and I slowed my pace, turning around in frustration
"What?" I spat harshly, feeling the heated resentment towards him radiating off of me and shooting toward him in hopes he would catch on fire
"How's your injuries" he asked calmly
"You mean the ones you gave me?" I said sardonically, taking a furious step closer, "want to admire your work, do you?"
"I was simply asking" he answered, his gaze lingering onto nothing in particular to my left

I shrugged off my robes to reveal the long marks that held the piercing sound of my pain and the salt of my tears that soured in my wounds. I held my arms out to my side, scoffing as he studied them intensely

"How's that? Make you feel real proud, I bet, huh?" I snarled, sliding my robes back on
"Don't be daft" he said, glaring at me as I turned back around to head to my common room, "hey don't you walk away when I'm talking to you, Lestrange! Get back here right now or-"
"Or what, Malfoy?" I said with a raised voice, "you gonna hit me again?"
"I-don't..." he stammered, running his hands through his hair
"What, didn't get enough last time? Come back for round two?" I yelled, not bothering to hush my voice, "bet you've been wanting to do that since the day you met me, haven't you? Just been dying to have a go at me...well go on then, do it!"
"I'm not going to punch you, Lestrange" he grunted, staring at me with desperate eyes
"Aw no, lost your nerve now that you haven't got your friends around to egg you on? What kind of pussy can only hit a girl when she's strapped down to a chair and he's surrounded by his mates?"
"Shut up"
"Are you really that pathetic, Malfoy?" I crooned with a caustic smile
"Don't push me, Lestrange"  his voice was low and contained the sharpness of a threat
"Hit me you fucking bitch boy" I said, taking another step closer to him, "hit me like you did yesterday, like you did in front of all those people."
"No" his voice was resolute and harsh
"Hit. me. Malfoy." Every word rolled off my tongue laced with malevolence as he shook his head at me
"Stop it, let's just go back to your dorm-"

I cut him off sharply as I scorned my hand across his cheek, leaving it slightly pink from impact. I stood within inches of his tense shaking body, taking in air in rhythmic unity with my heartbeats as the initial high of the action started to trickle away, and fear set in at the severity of what I had done. He stayed immobile for a few seconds, rubbing the side of his face in shock before glaring at me with malice so intense I might've collapsed under his scornful vision.

And then, his lips were pressed onto mine and I dissolved into the delirium that flowed from his mouth onto my tongue, numbing the whispers of doubt in my mind and the ache in my heart. His hands flew to the crook of my neck, pressing into the back and directing the arch of my neck to deepen in order for him to gain access to the interior of my mouth. I burrowed my slender fingers in his hair, sighing blissfully as his tongue left my mouth and moved further down, leaving dark markings of mirth in the crevices of my neck and collarbone. When he tore his lips away in sudden clarity and receded wordlessly into the darkness of the corridor, I was left with a bitter realisation;

Whether the sparks that flew were ones of celebration or of warning, I would, without a doubt, get burned in the end