Half-Blood Princess Book Two

Chapter 7 - Actions have Consequences

Third Person POV

26th September 1992

"Mudblood." Draco sneered at Hermione. Ron reacts quickly and casts a spell, only to have it backfire on himself. Everyone rushes to Ron to help; Tilly is still processing what happened.

"Harry, Hermione; take Ron to Hagrid I'll meet you there. The rest of you help them. Wood; I'll speak with Snape." Tilly watches and they all nod when Tilly feels a tap on her arm.

"Till..." Draco whispers, it only just hit him the consequences he might pay for his actions. Tilly just stands there watching Draco, his grey eyes hold fear, and he's shaking. Tilly goes into his head. Please. Please. Please. I can't lose her. Please; Draco says over and over not realising Tilly know what he's saying. Well, you just lost me; for now. "Till-" Tilly raises her hand to stop him, from making it worse. The sky darkens, the clouds turn to an overcast, winds rush past through the trees; Tilly's hand come down, hard with so my force on Draco's cheek it leaves a bright red handprint; a symbol of pain.

"Don't talk to me again." Tilly snaps, walking through the group carrying Ron and leads them down to Hagrid.

Draco stood still as a sharp pain can be felt in his cheek. Tilly tells him to stay away from her and never speak to her again. Even if that isn't what she told him; it's what he heard. All that are watching draw in a breath when Tilly hand connected with Draco cheek. What shocks most is Draco letting Tilly walk off without as much as a word uttered from him. Anyone looking at the boy could tell at the moment he was broken; he lost the one person he thought he'd never lose. And it is all his fault.

Hagrid gave Ron a bucket and said all they could do is wait. Tilly is pacing back a fourth through the hut, her anger still sky-high, but she also felt pain; not for Draco, but from Draco. Tilly can feel the pain he's in. How, she has no clue, but she can feel it flowing through her.

"Who was Ron trying to cure anyway?" Hagrid asks, looking over at Tilly worried.

"Malfoy. He called Hermione... Well, don't exactly know what it means." Harry sighs, as Hermione stands and rest her hand on Tilly's shoulder, stopping her pacing.

"If you keep doing that you'll wear through the floor and your shoes." Hermione sniffled. Seeing the hurt in Hermione's eyes; the pain she feels, took over any last be of remorse Tilly has for Draco.

"He called Hermione a... Mudblood..." Hagrid gasps, "James, it means dirty blood. It's a foul name for a Muggle-Born, like our Mum." Hermione burst into tears, and Tilly holds her close, calming her. A few tears slip from Tilly's eyes. "God, why I am crying. You're the one he hurt. I'm a Snape, I can't cry." Tilly said and got a minor chuckle from the others. "This wasn't meant to be funny. I can only remember once when my Dad's cried; when our Mum died Harry. That was the worst I have ever seen him." Tilly whispered as he and Hermione comforted each other. Harry stares, Snape cried over his Mum's death, weird.

Harry was severing detention when Tilly came in.

"Hi Professor, I'm here for detention."

"Your late, I was waiting for Professor Snape, but he didn't turn up." Lockhart nods and shows Tilly a seat next to Harry.

'Was Snape really not there or..."

'No, he was there. I just didn't want to deal with him talking about what happened with Malfoy.' Tilly answers Harry back in his head. After about four hours, Harry and Tilly were fed up helping Lockhart answer fan mail when they heard a voice not knowing the other heard it too.

"Come... Come to me. Come to me." The dying voice said.

"What?" Harry says.

"Did you hear that?" Tilly asks at the same time.