𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋 𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐑

the one with the healer

"I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them."

•

WHEN THE CREW arrived, the first thing Draco noticed was the blood. It was on everyone. It was splattered on Harry's face, it tainted Tonks's shirt and it was all over Sirius's hands, as he held Skylar's limp form in his arms, with a wild, helpless look on his face. For a moment, he was frozen. For a moment he felt she was gone.

Then she saw her eyelids fluttering and her lips still contorting into weak smiles as she greeted everyone as if it was the right time to do so. He saw, Granger and Weasley a little behind him, just as shocked as he was, Sirius putting Skylar on the couch, blood soaking her white shirt completely. He saw as Harry learned over her and choked, saying, "She got hit, Voldemort-"

"Voldemort!" Granger squeaked beside him. Draco took one look at Skylar, her eyes fluttering wildly as she tried to stay awake. Draco set his mug on the table next to him, and rolled up his sleeves jerkily.

"Yes- he was there- he hit her right before we made it through the enchantments-"

"She's bleeding!" Granger wailed, bounding forward. Draco fished his wand soundlessly from the pocket of his trousers and stepped forward.

"Move," he said, yanking Harry aside. Granger moved away without him having to yank her too. He crouched next to her, his emotions blank and his thoughts running overdrive. Her eyes looked at him for a second, and he bunched up her shirt, pulling it apart, buttons falling everywhere.

"It's going to be okay," he said to her, gently slipping her over, and sucked in his breath. The wounds on her back were gaping, wide open and angry. Blood gushed out of them slower now. "Give her blood replenishing potions, it's in my apothecary."

"Your what?" Ron stuttered, clearly a little shaken up by everything, but Granger bound to the other end of the crooked house and came back in seconds with two vials of potion. She tipped it into Skylar's mouth and watched her gulp it down against the gravity. His hands shook ever so lightly as he unhooked the bra and, once the pressure was released, more blood seemed to gush out. Granger gasped.

"Vulnera Sanentur," he said with something burning in his chest. It was exactly what had happened to him. On his chest, on her back. Potter gasped behind him as he kept repeating the spell. He waved his wand with caution for he had never used that spell. He had seen Professor Snape use it on him when he was attacked. He knew how it worked. He had to do it.

Slowly, blood from the surrounding seeped back into her wounds, the slashes on her back closing slowly, as if stitching itself.

Minutes felt like hours when it was finally done. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, Weasley comforting Potter who seemed to have a seizure or a panic attack or both; Granger holding her breath apprehensively; the adults huddled around the table waiting for him to fuck up. The wound had closed but the Mars were still red and angry.

"Dittany," he said, holding out a slender hand, without removing his eyes from Skylar's scarred back. Granger handed him the bottle of purple medicine soundlessly. He uncorked it and poured it on her wounds. With his other hand, he waved his wand and the medicine smoothed over her back. "There is Unicorn-Hair infused gauges in the apothecary, Granger please get me those."