Regret

Chapter nine

It's been days since I last exchanged words with Malfoy. This is getting really annoying. I wish he'd stop ignoring me and just talk to me like an adult. I know where I'm standing, but I have no clue about him. It's very unsettling.

On the other hand, Ginny hasn't shut up. She has been pushing me for days to tell her who I snogged and I don't know how much longer I can take it. If there's one thing Ginny is, it's persistent.

The Carrows seem to be getting worse and worse by the day. Their cruelty is getting out of hand, and our headmaster is barely keeping it under control. The evidence of that is the overcrowded hospital wing and the fuming madam Pomfrey. A couple of days ago, I agreed to come help her, seeing as I, growing up with my dad, know how to heal properly. Just thinking about how many wounds of his I healed brings chills to my back. I'm sitting in the hospital wing, bandaging Colin Creevey's hand. The poor kid got cut and the Carrows gave him detention for bleeding on his parchment. My attention is jerked away from Colin when I hear commotion in the hallway. A couple second later a very winded Theo runs into the hospital wing, carrying a limp Malfoy across his shoulders.

My gaze travels down and I stay frozen for what feels like eternity. His left arm is covered in blood and peeling skin, wounds surrounding what I am realising is his Dark Mark. What the hell did he do?

"Pomfrey, help." Theo says urgently nearing madam Pomfrey.

"Put him down on the bed, Nott." She says, her eyes darting from Draco's ghostly face to his arm.

"Dear boy, whatever happened to him?" she says worriedly.

"I'm not quite sure, but he has been complaining how his scar burns and prickles. I assume he scratched at it until he drew blood." Theo says, stepping away from the bed.

I'm still staring at him, unable to form words or thoughts. I feel my hands shaking, and I don't know what to do. Time seems to have slowed down. I'm not even sure what caused him to pass out, he had to have drawn a lot of blood to lose consciousness. After a few more seconds of pure confusion, my brain seems to set into action, and I start gathering things to bandage his arm.

"Madam Pomfrey, how much blood did he have to lose in order to pass out?" I say, my voice cracking horribly.

"Not a lot, he might have passed out simply from the sight of blood. Although, beneath these wounds there seem to be older ones too. Maybe he passed out from the pain."

I sit on the chair next to his bed, while madam Pomfrey prepares a potion of some sort. I draw my wand and I cast a healing charm on his arm.

"Madam Pomfrey, it's not working." I hate how weak my voice is "Why is it not working?"

"I presume it's because light magic doesn't mix with dark. You can't use a healing spell on something so foul."

"So, what do I use?" I say panicky, snapping at her. "Sorry."

"Not to worry dear, he'll live. The little idiot. Try the essence of Dittany. That should do it."

I cast Accio and the essence of Dittany flies into my hand. I open it and I pour some on his left forearm. It makes a sizzling sound and the skin that was damaged starts to vow itself together. Thank Merlin. I pick up the bandage and wrap his arm with it. Madam Pomfrey seems to have finished the potion, and she nears the bed, opens his mouth lightly, and pours some of it down his throat. A couple of seconds pass, and suddenly he sits up and starts coughing. It takes a few breaths, but when he finally stops coughing, he looks up at us, his face still pale, but regaining some of the color. There are dark circles underneath his eyes and it makes him look even worse.