ocean eyes (dramione)

Chapter 15

I woke up feeling my head ache. I felt even worse than when Pansy had given me the love potion. I could hardly remember anything. I only knew that I needed to see Hermione and Ginny, and apologise for whatever I must have done.

It was pitch-black in the hospital wing. I could hear light snoring from the other patients, but I didn't know if Madam Pomfrey herself was asleep yet. I opened the curtains that had been drawn around my bed and peered out, squinting through the blackness. I couldn't hear or sense any movement, so I swallowed and slipped out of bed. 

I was wearing pyjamas, and not my own. I waved my wand over myself and quickly changed into my usual robes. Then, casting one final look over my shoulder, I crept out into the deserted corridors and made my way to my dormitory. 

I could hardly navigate through the halls, and not even the moonlight helped me. After what felt like forever, I felt my way across to the door of the dorm and slipped quietly inside, tracing the walk up the familiar stairs past the common room and into the bedroom I shared with Hermione. I gently pushed open the door and was greeted by somebody throwing themselves up against me.

I knew who it was as soon as she'd flung her arms around my neck. She giggled against my back and held me tightly.

"Draco, are you okay?" She asked, finally breaking away from me. "Me and Ginny wanted to stay up, but McGonagall knew she was out of bed and she had to go back to her dorm, so I came up here and I wasn't going to go to sleep, so --"

I grinned. "I'm fine," I assured her quietly, walking over to my bed and sitting down on the edge. I rubbed my head. "But I can't remember anything." I sighed. "Did I do anything? To you, or anybody? You've got to tell me, Hermione."

"You weren't really under the potion for that long," said Hermione, sitting down beside me. "You sort of just...followed Pansy around. Then Ginny spoke to you, quite harshly, I think --" I chuckled. "And then she told Professor McGonagall that Pansy had you under a love potion, and said that she thought you were going to the Room of Requirement. McGonagall went in and found you there and took you to the hospital wing, but Pansy had disappeared, apparently. She'll be punished horribly tomorrow, I suppose."

"Yes," I agreed bitterly. "And a good thing too."

"Draco," began Hermione gently, "Why did she put you under a love potion? And why were you talking to Pansy outside of Transfiguration yesterday?"

I stiffened a little. "I - I don't know," I mumbled. After Ginny's words before dinner yesterday, I didn't want to risk saying anything bad to Hermione again. It seemed after my love potion experience, she'd totally forgiven me for what I'd said - or hadn't said. I wanted to make it up to her and tell her the truth, but I couldn't.

"Pansy just didn't like how me and you were spending time together," I said cautiously, studying Hermione's face, which was hard to read. "And she was just threatening me with it during Transfiguration," I added. Then I waited.

"Oh." Hermione's face cleared, and she smiled. "I came to see you when you were in the hospital wing. But McGonagall made me go away."

I grinned. "I don't know what Madam Pomfrey gave me, but it must have been pretty strong. I think there was a lot of potion in the goblet Pansy made me drink." 

Hermione laughed. She checked the time. "It's late. We should get to sleep."

I nodded. "Night, Hermione."

"Night, Draco," she whispered. She slipped off the bed and got changed quickly, then slipped into her own bed and was asleep within minutes. I didn't want to go to sleep. Pictures of Pansy and what she might've made me do when I was under the love potion ran through my mind and chilled me horribly. I sat up against the headboard of my bed, watching and waiting, as though Pansy would burst through the door at any moment.

I rubbed my head. I was being silly. When Pansy was found tomorrow, she'd be punished. And that was a good thing.

Wasn't it?