Rotten | D. Malfoy

Twenty-One

Draco and I make our way to the Great Hall for our first apparition training class. We file in with some of the other students, finding the usually full Great Hall to be completely void of its usual tables and benches.

The anti-apparition spell has been lifted for the time being so we can all practice. Three members from the Ministry are here to oversee our training and it honestly makes me nervous. I squeeze Draco's hand for reassurance as we push into the room, standing with everyone else.

He looks down at me, leaning into my ear to whisper, "It's okay, love. They're just here to monitor." I smile to myself, leaning into his body.

Eventually, we both are called up and after a few tries Draco is instantly able to apparate into the hoop they wanted him to land in. After watching him, I try my best but it doesn't work. Growing frustrated, I try again and again.

On my third attempt, I landed in the hoop. "I did it!" I exclaim to myself, grinning ear to ear.

I smile over at Draco as he strides over to me beaming. "You did it, darling, well done." He says as his arms snake around me, planting a kiss to my cheek and a blush creeps onto my face.

An idea sparks in my head and I pull back from him. I tap Draco lightly on the arm, "Tag, you're it." I giggle softly as his brows furrow."It's a Muggle game, now you have to try and tag me back." I explain to him and he nods in understanding.

"If you insist." He reaches out to tag me, but I apparate to the other side of the room — giggles bursting out of me.

His confusion turns into a smirk as he apparates beside me. "You're it." His voice tickles my ear from behind and he taps my hip before apparating away.

"Stop this at once!" One of the ministry members shouts at us but we don't pay them any mind.

We apparate around the room, tagging one another and it feels like we're first years again. This is the boy I fell in love with, the boy I've been missing for so long.

"Tag, you're it." I whisper in Draco's ear before apparating away. My giggles flow like magma and now I'm getting careless trying to keep away from Draco. I apparate again, trying to go from one side of the room to the other but I don't land where I intend to.

Instead of landing on my feet, I land one of the dozens of gargoyles lining the walls.

I gasp out for air, a sharp pain hitting my lungs as my limbs dangle limp at my sides and I can hear screams fill the Great Hall that aren't mine. I reach up to try and help myself but I feel something wet on my stomach.

Looking at my hand, I can see the blood dripping off my fingertips. The last thing I hear before darkness takes over is Draco screaming, "Someone get her down!"

—

When I wake up it's dark outside and I'm lying in the infirmary. Trying to remember what happened, thoughts of apparating in the Great Hall come back to me. "Draco." I mumble, looking around in the dark room for him.

"I'm right here." He whispers softly, slipping his hand into mine. I turn to look at his face and I want to smile but I still feel so weak. His own face looks pained, his eyes glossy, puffy and red. He looks like he's been crying.

"What happened?" I ask him, my memory still faded.

"Aura, you almost died." His tone is dark and serious, far from the light-hearted spirit he had before. I reach up to touch his face and his hand grabs mine to stop me. "I thought I was going to lose you."

"I'm right here." I mumble softly, trying to keep my eyes open to look at him. I still feel quite drowsy, like I'm being rocked by ocean waves.

"I should've stopped you, I knew you could get splinted or worse; like this. It's my fault."