𝙀𝙐𝙋𝙃𝙊𝙍𝙄𝘼 ➣ 𝐷. 𝑀𝑎𝑙𝑓𝑜𝑦✔

𝟐𝟕 | 𝑪𝑹𝑼𝑪𝑰𝑶!

𝗔 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗟𝗘𝗬 𝗔𝗦𝗞𝗦 𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢 𝗧𝗢
the Yule Ball with him, I find Eleanor sitting in the common room looking quite depressed. I furrow my brows as I set my books onto the table in front of us before walking over to the girl, climbing onto the couch beside her. "What's wrong, El?"

"Theo still hasn't asked me to the ball yet," she answers after a moment, making me purse my lips. It's quite an obvious thing amongst the fourth years that Eleanor fancies Theo, all except Theo himself. I love that kid, but he could almost be dumber than a box of rocks sometimes. He can never take a hint with Eleanor and it's exhausting if I'm being quite frank.

"Well, why don't you ask him yourself?" I ask with a shrug of my shoulders. Eleanor's head snaps toward me, her eyes the size of saucers. "Don't give me that look. If you want to go to the ball with him, ask him. What's the worst that could happen, he says no? So what. If he doesn't want to go with you, which I find highly unlikely, ask Blaise; I'm sure he'll go with you."

"Lenora, I may be confident, but I am no where near that confident. It's just that... I don't want him to say no."

Licking my lips, I shake my head and pull the girl onto my shoulder. I rest my cheek on the top of her head as I speak. "Trust me El, when I say I don't think he's going to say no."

We're both silent. I wait for my friend to answer and she does after a while. "Alright. I'll do it tomorrow."

"Good on you."

"You blood wench!" A screech comes from the door to the common room as it flies open and the one and only Pansy Parkinson storms into the room. I furrow my brows as Eleanor and I climb off the couch. "I can't believe you!"

"What are you going on about now, Pansy?" Eleanor asks, but the girl shoots her a dirty glare before turning to me.

"I'm supposed to be taking Draco to the Yule Ball! How could you take him away from me?"

I wince at the volume of her voice, it's almost inaudible. "First of all, Pansy, you need to calm down. Second of all, Draco isn't yours to begin with, and he asked me to the ball. We have nothing to talk about here."

"Oh, yes we do, Kane!" She hisses my name like it's acid on her tongue. I don't understand why she's making such a big deal out of Draco and I going to the ball together. "Draco is unavailable and I will be taking him to the ball. You cannot take him away from be just because you feel like it."

"You've just waltzed into Draco's life like you belong there, like you own him, but you don't." I hiss back, surprising both Eleanor and Pansy. Pansy has gotten on my last nerve and I'm going to make sure she knows it. "You don't own him, he's not a prize to be bought, Pansy! Draco asked me to the ball on his own accord and I'm not going to stop going with him just because you're upset! Grow up and realize that the world doesn't revolve around you!"

"You're just a filthy mudblood supporter and a future death eater, anyway! What will Draco think of that, Lenora?" Pansy pulls out her wand and whips it in my direction.

I don't hesitate to pull out my wand and point it at the pig-nosed girl, clenching my jaw. "Oh, two can play at this game, Parkinson. Draco already knows I'm a filthy mudblood supporter and a future death eater, but you want to know something else? He doesn't care! So I suggest you lower your wand before I'm forced to do something I regret."

"Expelliarmus!" I shout. The spell rushes toward Pansy, but she shouts, "Protego," just in time to block my spell. A look of shock forms on her face at the fact that I dare use my wand on her. She somehow looks even angrier as she grips her wand. My knuckles are beginning to turn white at how tight I'm gripping my wand. Pansy uses a spell against me but I manage to block it with ease.

The word that leaves Pansy's mouth next makes my heart stop in my chest, and it all happens so fast I don't get a chance to react. "Crucio!"

Before I know it, excruciating pain radiates throughout my entire body, my limbs freezing in place. I let out a scream as my legs give out below me. I can't even form a coherent thought as all sound and feeling around me disappears and my grip on my wand loosens until I can't even clamp my hands. All I can feel is this excruciating burning in my head. I feel like I'm going to puke and pass out and die all at the same time. My whole body is stiff and not an inch of me feels any relief.

"Stop it!" I scream as I dig my nails into the palms of my hands, only to send shockwaves of pain through my body. So this is what my father does to muggles; he truly tortures them. "Please!"

"What the hell are you doing, Pansy! Stop!" The voice is faint, and I don't recognize it. And after a moment, the pain begins to fade and my body drops to the floor. I can't move, I can't see because of the tears spilling onto my cheeks. Everything hurts so bad, I just want the pain to stop. My body jerks uncontrollably a few times and it hurts. The gentle feeling of hands grabbing me and lifting me up registers in my mind. I try to blink away the tears, but they keep coming. With every movement my body makes, it sends shockwaves of pain through every inch of me. "Lenora, look at me! Lenora. Lenora, can you hear me?"

All I can manage is a small nod as I search the room for the source of the voice. My vision focuses on a blurry figure with white hair; it's Draco. I instantly feel better when I recognize who's touching me. After a moment, I'm able to make out his face, his gray eyes dark with worry and anger. His hands are holding my cheeks, and I lean into his touch slightly. I can hear multiple voices around me, making my eyes slowly trail away from the boy's face. I see Professors' Snape and McGonagall, escorting Pansy out of the common room. Dumbledore stays behind for a moment before following them.

"Draco, it hurts," I whisper weakly.

"I know it does, love, but I need you to look at me. Lenora, look at me," Draco says, and this time, his voice is clear. I look at him, not realizing that I've stopped crying. "I'm going to lift you, alright? We have to take you to the hospital wing."

"Okay," I manage to croak out. I don't even recognize my own voice and it's almost inaudible. Draco wraps his arm around my waist and slowly helps me to my feet. Every muscle, every bone in my body aches, but I bite my tongue and continue forward. My foot cramps up and I lose my balance, but Draco catches me. He's not looking at me when he speaks. "Eleanor, help me with her."

Another set of arms hold me up and with every step we take toward the door, pain shoots radiates throughout my body. The aching is so unbareable, not as bad as the curse, but it's beginning to make me light-headed. I breathe shakily but the last thing I remember is seeing stars before black.

-