Redamancy (d.m)

Chapter fifty seven-shut up

My eyes flung open at the sound of my dormitory room door handle turning, shooting up in my bed and sighing in relief as I saw Harry's sunken, tear stricken face basking in the rays of the sunrise.

"Harry..." I whispered, flinging my covers off and hastily throwing on a sweater as he sat himself across from me, his weight shifting the mattress slightly, "are you okay?"

He sat struggling for words as I cupped his face with my hands, removing his glasses and brushing over the cuts with my thumbs

"Listen, I need to tell you something" Harry said finally with a shaky breath
"I know" I said solemnly, and his brows furrowed as he looked at me, "Dumbledore sent a message while I was returning to the castle"
"Oh" he said plainly, taking my hands in his and peeling them off his cheeks. He held them tightly in his lap, staring furiously at them in an attempt to shield his sodden eyes from sight

Wordlessly, I pulled him into a hug and he tiredly collapsed into my arms, leaning his head against my shoulder and I felt the wool dampen slightly, muffling his cries

"He was gonna let me stay with him over the summer, at Grimmauld Place" he said, his voice uneven as I nestled my hand in his hair and scratched it consolingly, "and now he's gone"
"He died to save you" I whispered, shutting my eyes tightly in pain for my friend's loss, "he saved us all"
"It's still not fair" he choked up, grabbing fistfuls of my sweater tensely, "it's not fair"
"If only the world considered fairness in their dealings-what a world it would be" I said sorrowfully, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head as the sun ascended the sky in increments, gradually filling the room with light much too sanguinely bright to fit the mourning of its inhabitants

When the sun reached its highest point and brought out the chattering cacophony of carefree students enjoying the warmth of the summer heat, I suggested we proceed to the hospital wing, where Hermione and Ron no doubt lay in wait, and I myself was dying to have my ankle treated.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked, concerned as he helped me down the stairway, "that doesn't look too good"
"Well I suppose it's a good thing it's not there for decoration" I said, peering at the discoloured patches of skin that surrounded my ankle and he chuckled
"How can you find humour in a fractured ankle?" He wondered aloud, shaking his head as we approached the bottom of the stairs
"How can you not? Fractured ankles are hilarious" I said in sarcastic earnestness, freezing as Malfoy, accompanied by Crabbe and Goyle, emerged from down the hall

As they approached, Malfoy checked our surroundings for signs of teachers before catching my gaze and sending me a derisive smirk as his eyes drifted down to the mark on my neck

"You're dead, Potter" he said lowly, glaring at Harry
"Funny" Harry said casually, "you'd think I'd have stopped walking around"
"You think you're such a big man, Potter" Malfoy jeered in a volume close to a whisper, "you wait. I'll have you. You can't land my father in prison-"
"You're father's in prison?" I said with a raised brow, "I'd say he got what he deserved then, wouldn't you?"

His face contorted in rage at the fact that I quoted his words against him

"The dementors have left Azkaban" he said as his eyes darkened significantly, "Dad and the others'll be out in no time"
"Yeah I expect they will" Harry said thoughtfully, "still, at least everyone knows what scumbags they are now"

Malfoy's hand flew to the pocket of his robes, as did Harry's. Both boys brandished their wands threateningly at each other while Crabbe and Goyle rolled up their sleeves, as always, reliant on blunt force rather than putting their singular shared brain cell to use

"Harry don't be a berk" I said intently, gripping his shoulder while his eyes remained fixated on Malfoy's wand, "put your wand down before you do something that'll get you expelled"
"What's the matter, Potter, lost your guts now that Black's gone and kicked the bucket?" Malfoy sneered, and I bit the skin off the interior of my cheek in fury
"Shut the-wait a minute" Harry cut himself off and narrowed his eyes in suspicion, "how'd you know he's dead...that wasn't printed in the prophet"