It can never be the same

Chapter 22

Y/n could feel Draco tense behind her. She could practically envision the uncomfortable look on his face and the way he must've been shuffling on his feet.

"Yes, he did," he said stiffly. "And I'm not a death eater - okay, well, at first I was, but then Y/n brought me to him to ask for help and I became a spy for him instead, I guess."

She squeezed her eyes and blinked rapidly for a moment in order to see the dubious expressions that most had. Hermione was quick to jump in and corroborate Draco's story.

"It's true. Y/n told me everything," she explained when all eyes turned to her. "Malfoy's not the enemy."

Harry and Ron stared at Hermione but the others looked from her back to Draco with varying wary expressions, reluctantly putting their wands away. Her knees felt wobbly and her vision was blurring every so often; she realised that she was relying heavily on Draco to keep her standing. An agonising groan escaped her lips when pain spiked through her arm as sharp as a knife.

Draco muttered something behind her and a cool sensation ran down her injured side.

She hadn't dared tried to take a peek at what her injured side might look like. If she did, she had a feeling that she would faint. Lupin moved closer toward her and Draco quite literally hissed at him, tensing behind her and pressing closer to her without touching her injured side. She couldn't help but think of a feral cat.

Lupin stopped not too far away from her and offered her a kind smile. She, in turn, offered him a dopey smile.

"Professor Lupin," she slurred.

"How many times must I tell you not to call me professor?" he asked with a chuckle. "I'm not your professor anymore."

"But you were the best professor we ever had. Isn't that right, Draco?"

"Yes, I suppose he was," he agreed reluctantly. When Lupin made to come closer, he tensed even more, if that was possible. "Don't touch her."

"I'm only going to help you get her into a bed. Her burns need to be treated."

The warmth that Lupin had in his voice when he addressed her was gone. She realised that the others still did not trust Draco, even if he had said that he wasn't a death eater.

Draco hesitated but ultimately accepted Lupin's help. She was moved onto a bed opposite Bill and not far from Neville.

"Neville," she called with a smile, "you're okay."

He cast a wary glance at Draco before he returned her smile.

"I am, thanks to Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she'll come soon to treat your burns."

Someone stroked a hand through her hair and she turned her head to see Draco watching her intently, Lupin hovering behind him.

"Madam Pomfrey's just mixing the paste together," Lupin said. "She'll be here soon so just try and bear the pain for a little longer, okay?"

Draco turned to him with a glare, his voice snippy.

"She's not in any pain at the moment. I performed a numbing spell on her; haven't you noticed how loopy she is?"

Lupin ignored Draco's tone and instead studied her. She was too busy glaring at Draco for, not only his rude tone, but the fact that he had just called her loopy. (Though what she didn't realise was that her frown was more of a pout).

"You should've waited for Madam Pomfrey to treat her," he reprimanded.

Draco sneered, "And just let her suffer?"