Origami // Draco Malfoy

Chapter 34: Sleeping Beauty

Tw // events occur that may be seen as similar to overdose

A burning feeling shot through my hand as my knuckles crashed against the heavy door leading to the Potions classroom. I didn't care about how much it stung as splinters of wood tore open my skin.

On my way here, Filch had tried to stop me, but I had managed to get away without Mrs Norris' clawed paws digging into my back. The only thing I still heard before running down the staircase that led to the dungeons was Filch screaming, "NO RUNNING IN THE HALLS!" But I never slowed down. I didn't care about the rules anymore. My only priority was to help Cho.

I kept frantically hitting the door, hoping Snape was still inside. Classes had already ended a while ago and dinner was even over now. There was a big chance he had already left for his room, though I had no clue where the teachers stayed in this castle, and I didn't exactly have time to go ask around.

"Looking for someone?" A deep voice murmured from behind me. It was Snape's.

His hollow, blank gaze gave away how incredibly discontent and annoyed he was at my sudden appearance in the dungeons. Until he saw the look on my face.

"Tell me what happened," he said solemnly. His eyes almost seemed worried.

"It's Cho, sir," I tried to explain as calmly as possible, though my shaking breath wasn't making that easy for me, "I think she took too much of the Calming Draught."

"Please confirm that I heard you correctly," Snape responded languidly, "Miss Chang drank too much of the potion I gave to you in confidence last year?"

I was afraid to respond to his question because I knew how disappointed he would be with my answer. I never really cared about Snape's views on me, though I sometimes couldn't help but feel a sense of pride about him not resenting me like he resented my classmates.

"Is that right, Miss Willows?" Snape interrupted my train of thought.

"Yes, sir."

"I see..." He said softly while opening the door to the classroom and walking inside.

"Will she be okay?" I asked worriedly, not understanding why he wasn't rushing to my common room to help Cho.

Snape halted and looked back at me. "I warned you of the dangers. I hope you didn't forget them."

I didn't. I knew exactly what the consequences were. I still remember Snape telling me that the overuse of the potion could be "disastrous". If one drank too much of it, it could put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep. Cho was even there when he explained all of this.

"Bring her to the hospital wing," he said eventually, "I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, professor," I responded, but he had already closed the door.

.⋆✲*☾*✲⋆.

Luna sat down next to me, crossing her legs and placed her hand on my shoulder.

"She'll be okay, Dani," she said, with still a hint of assurance in her voice.

But I wasn't too sure. We had been waiting outside of the hospital wing for more than an hour. It had become so late that most students were now getting ready for bed, unaware of the danger their classmate was currently in. Not long after we had arrived, Snape had rushed past us holding a tiny vial of liquid. I expected him to have come outside not much later, ensuring us Cho was fine, but the door remained shut.