Clean

The Signs

Chapter 21: The Signs

Draco ripped his arm out of her grasp, headed for the door.

"Pansy, fucking let go – "

She caught up to him, running in front of him and barricading his exit. "Draco," she gasped, "Draco, sit down, you'll collapse – "

"I most certainly will not collapse," he snapped, irritated, ignoring the blood rushing in his ears. He wasn't as confident in that as he sounded – this, his big escape from Pansy's clutches, was the most effort he'd exerted in - what had it been, a week?

"You will," she insisted, shoving him back into the common room. "Just stay here, would you?"

"Why?"

"Because," she said, rolling her eyes. "After what happened to you – your parents would never forgive me, if I didn't do everything I could to make sure you were alright – "

"I am not your responsibility, Pansy," he grunted, unwillingly taking a seat in one of the oversized armchairs. "I'm not a child, you don't need to take care of me, and if I were you, I certainly wouldn't concern myself with what my parents think!"

Besides - you're not the one I need right now, he didn't add.

He missed Granger fiercely. There were times when he shut his eyes and the image of her face would flood through him, setting fire to his lungs and stopping his heart. With Pansy fussing over him, he hadn't had a chance to see Granger, and so far he'd been too weak and unfocused to attend his classes. Even just expressing that sentiment to himself made him think of her; surely Granger would have dragged herself to class, even if her chest had been ripped open deep enough for her heart to actually fall out of its chambers. He suspected she'd have set it down on the desk and carried on taking notes, nonchalantly dipping her quill into her own blood as if it were any other day.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Pansy said angrily.

He rubbed his temple, feeling himself lose his cool in his desperation to leave. "You can stop with this charade now," he said loudly. "I'm fully conscious, everyone can see you're not my tragic girlfriend – "

"Draco," Pansy said, dropping her voice to a low warning. "Stop this. People are watching."

"Why should that matter, Pansy?" he exclaimed in frustration. "What do you care? There's nothing between us to watch."

"Look, if you insist on going back to your room, you can do it tomorrow – there's the ball tonight – "

"That thing wasn't canceled?" he half-shouted, with an added groan for emphasis.

"No, it was not canceled," Pansy hissed. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Draco – "

"No, of course not, not when it has you to revolve around," he shot back irritably.

"Don't be so ungrateful, Draco," she said, dark eyes flashing. "I've been taking care of you nonstop – "

"I didn't ask you to do that," he scoffed, "I only agreed to stay in the Slytherin dorms because of Theo and Blaise – "

"Well I've been here day and night, haven't I – "

"I am acutely aware of that, Pansy," he spat, standing abruptly. "I'll do you a favor," he said coldly, turning to leave. "I'll go take care of myself – "

She didn't come after him this time, but she stood menacingly still, clenching her fists. "If you don't come with me to the ball tonight," she seethed, her voice an angry whisper, "I promise you – you will regret it."