Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Difference in Opinion (Draco Malfoy)

"Now come along, and I'll show you around." He gestured with his hand for me to start walking and I did as instruct, keeping an eye on him as I walked.

"How long have you been working here?" I asked in an attempt to break the awkward silence.

"For two years," he explained, "After I'd returned to Hogwarts for my eighth year and got the grades I needed, I applied to become a healer straight away."

"Oh."

"What about you?" He glanced down at me as we turned into a ward. As we walked, healers would smile in greeting at him or briefly stop him for a chat and I found myself struggling to reel from the apparent personality transplant that he had received. "Why didn't you apply here last year? After you graduated?"

"I needed to take some time out from the wizarding world," I clarified quietly, not knowing why I felt the need to explain anything to him. He certainly didn't deserve my explanation. "There was still so much trouble and I just needed time away."

My words unintentionally struck him and I found myself turning my eyes away from him so I couldn't see the way he reacted to them. Clearing his throat a little, he asked, "What happened to your glasses?"

My eyes shot up to his and really, I should have expected it – I had known that the taunt would have appeared sooner rather than later. And yet it still stung. When we had been at school, my glasses – which were unnecessarily thick and completely unattractive – had been his favourite thing to tease me with.

Fiddling with my fingers, I lowered my eyes to the ground as I quietly muttered, "The power of contact lenses."

He frowned a little, "I preferred the glasses."

"I'm sure you did," I muttered bitterly, knowing that he would hear the words, "They certainly were easier to make fun of me with."

He grimaced a little at my words, looking down at me as he came to a stop. I stopped beside him. "You don't still –"

"Healer Malfoy," Healer Pince called out as she approached us once again, "I've finished my rounds and can now take trainee Healer Embers off your hands. Get back to your patients."

"Yes ma'am." He was still looking at me, "I hope I've managed to be of some help to you, Embers."

"You were, healer Malfoy." I still didn't raise my eyes to his, not even when I heard his footsteps draw further away. Instead, my eyes drifted to the spot where he had been stood, even as healer Pince started to speak to me.

**********

My first official day at work was spent shadowing a few of the already qualified healers as they made their rounds through the hospital. Although I hated to admit it, Malfoy's words had actually been true – after having been around the hospital a few times, it's size seemed far less formidable than it had at first. The long day had already come to an end and I wanted nothing more than to head home and curl up in my bed for a good night's sleep – especially because I needed to wake up so early tomorrow.

I clocked out for the day and just as I went to leave the room, I stopped in my step at the sight of the man who was standing in the doorway. Malfoy seemed surprised to see me but said nothing as he walked into the room, clocking out for the day as well. Seeing that he was busy, I took the chance to leave before he could make some sort of remark. But I had been too slow.

"So," he started as he removed his healer's white jacket and dropped into step beside me. "How was your first day at work?"

"It was good," I said quietly, praying the man would take the hint and walk away from me. But he didn't – of course he didn't. "I learnt a lot from the other healers."