Malfoy. Draco Malfoy.

Chapter 30

"People must not believe in rumours. Even those who are spreading rumours and fake news must realize that they are not only disturbing others, but also putting their own lives at risk."

Lola's POV

I was being pulled underneath, my lungs screaming. I tried to grab onto something, my hands falling through air.

I thrashed, flailing my legs, trying to pull out of the grip of the beast that was pulling me under.

Something flies past me in a blur. I look around quickly, many more beasts whizzing past my eyes. One sharp tug later and I find myself-

I wake with a start, sitting up immediately, a cold sweat covering me. I look around. I...I think I'm in the Hospital Wing?

I feel a tight grip on my hand. I look down and see a pale blonde-haired boy, laying his head on the mattress of the bed, his fingers tightly intertwined with mine.

I sigh, relieved. I lift up the blanket, looking at my bandaged legs. The bandages wrapped around my legs up until my knees, covering half of my thigh on my right leg.

It didn't hurt. It just felt...numb. Draco stirs and sits up, rubbing his eyes. He looks at me for a second, then pulls me into a hug. "Are you ok? Do you need me to get Pomfrey?" He questions quickly.

I shake my head. "What happened? After I drowned, I mean"

"Potter jumped in and saved you. Lola, I was so scared. Everyone was. The Grindylows basically ate you alive. The Black Lake turned red, and-"

"Draco." I cut him off, pulling away from the hug to look at him "I'm ok now."

He nods, taking my face into his hands, inspecting me thoroughly. I roll my eyes and he smiles. A few seconds of silence pass as we look into each other's eyes.

Draco's finger brushes against my cheek bone. His hands are warmer than usual...

He leans forward slightly, and unconsciously, I follow. Just then we're interrupted by a small bang. I pull away, looking around. Draco stands up and looks around the Hospital Wing. He shrugs, sitting back down. "Something must've fallen over." He looks around awkwardly.

"Yeah.." I say quietly, looking at the sheets. "You should go to your dorm"

He scoffs "No."

I roll my eyes, looking at him. I sigh. "Don't be weird about this, yeah?"

He gives me a questioning look. I move to the left of the bed, opening the sheets. He looks at me blankly.

I raise my eyebrows. "You can't fight me on this one. You look like you're 45."

He scoffs, but eventually does get in next to me. It wasn't awkward, surprisingly. It felt...normal?

                                                                           

A few days after the Task, I was finally discharged from the Hospital Wing, fully healed.

The Grindylow cuts left long, deep scars on my legs, all the way up to my thigh. I didn't mind it too much though. Sure, it made me a bit upset every time I saw it, but they were just scars.

As we entered March, the weather became dry, but windy, and many owls had been blown off course, causing letters to be late.

Today, Astoria, Draco, Crabbe, Goyle and I were stood outside the door of the Potions classroom when Pansy comes running over, a copy of Witch Weekly in her hand.

"Lola! Lola, look at this!" She shoves the magazine in my face. I take it from her, looking at the page she smacked me in the face with.

There was a picture of Harry, grinning at the camera, with an article next to it, titled:

Harry Potter's
Secret heartache

A boy like no other, perhaps- yet a boy suffering all the usual pangs of adolescence, writes Rita Skeeter. Deprived of love since the tragic demise of his parents, fourteen-year old Harry Potter thought he had found solace in his steady girlfriend at Hogwarts, Muggle-born Hermione Granger.

Miss Granger, a plain but ambitious girl, seems to have a taste for famous wizards that Harry alone cannot satisfy. Since the arrival at Hogwarts of Viktor Krum, Bulgaria Seeker and hero of the last Quidditch World Cup, Miss Grangers has been toying with both boys' affection. Krum, who is openly smitten with the devious Miss Granger, has already invited her to visit him in Bulgaria over the summer holidays, and insists that he has 'never felt this way about any other girl'.

However, it might not me Miss Granger's doubtful natural charms which have captured these unfortunate boys' interest.

"She's really ugly." Says a schoolmate, a pretty and vivacious Fourth-year student. "But she'd be well up to making a Love Potion, she's quite brainy. I think that's how she's doing it."

Love Potions are of course banned at Hogwarts, and no doubt Albus Dumbledore will want to investigate these claims. In the meantime, Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate.

Meanwhile, his sister, the infamous Lola Potter has had quite the love life herself. After the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, Lola Potter was seen being carried by long-term boyfriend and Hogwarts most Popular Pureblood, Draco Malfoy. Mr Cedric Diggory was also seen following them to Hogwarts' medical wing.

Unfortunately, none of them were able to comment, due to Miss Potter's extensive injuries during the Second Task.

Before I can even say anything, Pansy snatches the magazine from me, and only then so I notice Harry has arrived.

"There they are!" Pansy announces, smirking. She throws the magazine at Hermione, who catches it, startled. "You might find something to interest you in there, Granger."

I roll my eyes, giving the trio an apologetic look. The classroom door opens and Snape calls us in. We sit near the front of the classroom, while Harry, Ron and Hermione opt for a table at the back of the room.

After 5 minutes, Hermione starts giggling, Ron whispering things to her. Pansy, Draco, Crabbe and Goyle look back at them, expecting them to be upset by the article.

Hermione smiles and waves sarcastically at us. I bite back a smirk and turn back around, ignoring my friends sour faces.

Once Snape sets us up for the potion, the room is quiet, scattered chatter echoing of the dungeon walls.

Hermione, Ron and Harry whisper loudly at the back, and Snape calls over to them. "Fascinating as your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger, I must ask you to not discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor."

He walks over to the back of the classroom.

After a painful lesson of Snape repeating the god damn article by the fat cow— sorry, Rita Skeeter— we're finally let out of the classroom.

The next few days, I notice Harry acting slightly odd. One Hogsmeade day, he disappears for a few hours with Ron and Hermione, only to be seen later on with a large, black dog.

I brush off his weird behavior and try to focus on something more important: The Final Task, which was on the 24th of June.