✓ WE NEVER SLEEP, draco malfoy

F I V E

"Have you ever sensed that our soul is immortal and never dies?"
— Plato 

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Rowan didn't leave Umbridge's office until near dawn and once she had heard an earful of complaints when her hand bled too much and got droplets across her pink fluffy rug. She sent Rowan off with her hand wrapped poorly and a passive aggressive threat not to go to Madam Pomfrey to heal her wounds.

It wasn't like Rowan meant for the hex to hit Malfoy and it wasn't exactly her fault-well, actually, it was her fault for sneaking out. She knew what she was doing, she just didn't expect him to be there when she got there.

When she entered the Gryffindor common room with thirty minutes to spare before breakfast, Rowan decided it was worth getting in an extra hour of sleep before heading off with her friends. But she didn't get the chance when she was greeted nearly instantly by Harry, Ron, Ginny, and an ecstatic Hermione.

"Please tell us it was all just a silly rumor!" Ron laughed, coming in and bringing the sleep deprived girl close to him. "Tell us you didn't actually hex Malfoy!"

She yawned, plopping down on one of the couches smushed between Harry and Ron. "It was an accident, I didn't even have my wand-"

"You did wandless magic?" Hermione gasped. "That's extremely rare and extremely hard to do!"

"It was an accident-" she was repeating herself because her hand was throbbing and she wanted to just close her eyes for a second. The last twenty-four hours had been too much for her and she could barely stand it.

"He's in the infirmary," Ron erupted with a smile, slamming a pat onto her back. "And he should be there until tonight, you really must've done a number on him!"

Harry grinned, patting her knee. "Do you remember what hex you used?" 

"It stung," she mumbled with another yawn. "And his face got all swollen."

"She did a bloody Stinging Hex!" Ron couldn't control himself, he was overwhelmed by how hilarious the whole situation turned out to be. 

Ginny cleared her throat, catching Rowan's attention. "But, Ro, we also heard Umbridge, well..."

"Detention the rest of the week," she responded back with a shrug and she felt Harry touch her arm but she ignored it. "So I guess I'll be having some long nights until it's over."

"Here," Harry smiled, helping her stand on exhausted legs. "Why don't we all grab you some breakfast so you can sleep?"

She smiled gratefully and her friends stood but Harry didn't move. Her smile faltered when she noticed the concern in his eyes and she was already saying, "Harry, don't-" as he said, "I know what Umbridge is doing to you."

She froze, her wounded hand falling weakly to her side. "You do?"

He nodded grimly, pulling up his sleeve to reveal his hand. 

I must not tell lies.

"Oh, Harry," she breathed, taking his hand and look up at him with a sudden boost on energy. His hand was scabbed over and a dull red and she wondered how long he had been trying to hide this from everyone. "We need to get her out of here, she can't stay, she can't keep doing this to us-"

"We'll find a way, soon," he breathed, taking her hand in his like a promise. "Now go get rest, we'll be back soon."

She didn't even realize she had fallen asleep on the couches until her friends came back two hours later with treats and tea and big smiles.