𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 - 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟏)

21 - Awake

My eyes fluttered open, my vision blurry. "Draco?" I whispered, looking around the room, my mind still fuzzy. "Hey, I'm here," he rubbed my shoulder gently. My head throbbed painfully, a slight ringing in my ears. I went to grab his hand then saw my bandages. Draco sat silently, looking into my eyes. "Can you unwrap them?" I asked. "Yeah," he took my hands, slowly unwrapping my bandages, revealing raw wounds on my hands. I winced. "Can you get Madam Pomfrey?" I whispered, still nearly half asleep. "Of course," he waved her over. "Can you heal these for me by any chance?" I asked. She took out her wand. "Of course dear," she cantered a spell, closing the wounds on my hands.

"She's awake," I heard Hermione say from across the room. Her, Ginny, Ron and Harry rushed over, standing at the end of my bed. "Are you feeling alright?" Harry asked in a worried tone. "Stay away from her, it's your bloody fault," Draco sneered. "Draco, he didn't do anything. You can't blame this on anyone," I took his hand gently in mine, still slightly sensitive to the touch. Draco looked back towards my face. I felt tired, I could tell he saw it in my eyes. "We'll let you rest," Hermione said, dragging them away from me. I gave Ginny a small wave as they walked away.

I tried sitting up slightly, but I fell backwards, whining in discomfort. "Shh, shh, don't move, you don't want to open the cuts again," he laid me back, adjusting my pillow. "How long was I out?" I asked, shutting my eyes as I held his hand. "Around three hours," he exclaimed, his brow furrowed in concern. "How long am I staying here?" I asked quietly. "Madam Pomfrey estimates three days depending on how well you heal up," he sighed. "You're joking," I scoffed. Dumbledore walked through the doors, walking up to the bed. "Am I in trouble, sir?" I asked quietly, trying to keep my eyes open. "No, but I do need you to explain something to me immediately. Draco," Dumbledore waved him away. "It's okay," I said, letting go of his hand. He went to sit in the waiting area.

"It has to do with your hands. Harry saw what happened when you were at the bottom of the lake," he said, my cheeks burning. "Can I hear it from your perspective? At least explain what is going on so I can help you," he asked in a soothing manner. I could tell him. I took a deep breath. "When I fell asleep afterwards, I saw my mother," I looked at him. "She gave me this," I reached into my pocket, grabbing the note, handing it to him. "Aurerum Praecantatio," he said. "I'll allow you to research this," he exclaimed, handing the note back to me. "It'll be difficult to find, but if you head to the library, with the help of your friends, you should be able to uncover it quicker," I slipped the note back into my pocket. "I suggest you do what it takes to find as much information as possible... Don't hesitate to look where you're not supposed to go," he gave me a wink. The restricted section. "Thank you, sir." He nodded, and walked out of the room.

Draco returned to my side. I knew he wouldn't leave, and he'd probably skip his classes to stay with me. "You don't have to stay you know," I gave him a smile, squeezing his hand, watching as the sun began to set outside the window. "Trying to get rid of me already, are you Bellegreen?" He smiled. "I'm just saying," I laughed quietly. "I'll be fine," I said. "Are you sure, or are you just saying that to make me feel better?" He said quietly, rubbing my cheek. "I will be fine," I assured him. "It's getting late, you should go to bed," I said to him, my eyes closing. "You're the one who needs to rest." He smiled. "I'll be back in the morning, I promise," he kissed my forehead before leaving the hospital wing.

I examined the note in my pocket. How had I been able to take the note into this reality when last night I was in my head? I remembered something my mother told me when I was younger; 'magic is capable of unimaginable things '. I decided I would tell them. I knew they'd keep my secret safe, and I needed Hermione's researching abilities. Maybe I wouldn't have to go through his alone.

Mother was right.

DRACO'S POV

I walked back to my common room. Caroline was in great hands in the hospital wing, like she'd said, she would be fine. Pansy and a few other Slytherin girls stood in the corner, gossiping. "Did you hear what happened to his girlfriend?" Pansy laughed, imitating a drowning noise. It boiled my blood. "It's not bloody funny," I snarled in her face. She slowly backed away, but kept her attitude. "Getting overprotective, are we Malfoy?" She laughed mockingly. "You're bloody obsessed with her, all because you want to go out with me," I shouted at her. "I never said that," she shouted back. She motioned the other girls away. "I don't want to go out with you," She shrieked in my face. "Then why do you bloody care?" I screamed back. "She's kind, she's intelligent, she's pretty-"

"Did you just say she was pretty?" I asked quietly. She stood silent. "In what context?" I questioned. Her cheeks flushed, and she ran up the stairs and into her room. My jaw dropped to the floor. Pansy liked her. It had never been me. I slowly walked up the stairs, completely in shock.

I stepped into her room. She was crying on her bed. "I am so sorry," I sat next to her. "Why didn't you tell me?" I asked quietly. "I don't know," she cried into my arms. I gave her a soft hug. I was confused. "Is that why you're so mean to her?" I asked. "Yeah, I guess," she sniffled. I sat in silence. I honestly didn't know what to say. "I'm really sorry, I wish I'd known-" She cut me off. "It's alright. You can go," she motioned me out the doorway, shutting the door behind me.

Pansy liked girls.