Brave [2]

Chapter 29

Contrary to my usual late-waker self, I jump out of bed early. The others aren't awake yet and when I go down to the common room, I can only see Neville trying to finish off his Charms essay hurriedly. "Hey!" I grin, pulling on Fred's oversized jumper that I stole before heading down to the hospital wing.

Draco's still asleep when I walk into the infirmary – funny, I would've pegged him for an early riser, although maybe it's just recovery – and I jump onto one of the other beds before flinching. "I forgot how uncomfortable these were," I mutter to myself, recalling how I was here last when I broke an arm last year playing Quidditch.

I used to come here a lot in my earlier years, back when my visions would give me horrible migraines. Things seem to have changed a lot since then; I can hear when I say my prophecies now, although they're rare. After all, seeing is better than riddles when it comes to the future.

Instead I get off the bed, going over to Draco's, jumping boredly onto his legs. I half expected him to be awake by now so we could talk for a little – no lessons, no Vanishing Cabinet, no Harry judgement – but it doesn't mean I'm kind enough to let him sleep. Good thing Madam Pomfrey's not here or she'd be kicking me out of here.

"Draco," I hiss, poking his arm. I poke him again, a little harder. "Draco." Nothing. I pause for a moment, watching his face carefully. "Draco Lucius Malfoy, get your fat butt up." I swear his lips curl up slightly at the edges, and now I'm sure he's messing with me. "Draco–" ~poke~ "Lucius–" ~poke~ "Malfoy–" ~poke~ "Get up and keep me company!"

"Cass." I whirl around at the voice by the door, smile quickly fading, and Harry's nervous tic of pushing his glasses up his nose comes back. "Can I... Can I talk to you for a moment?"

I resist the temptation to sigh or roll my eyes, clambering off the bed and heading to Harry on the other side of the room, telling myself to keep my voice low so I don't wake Draco. Harry reaches out to my shoulder. "Cassia, I–"

I slap his hand away, an audible sound echoing in the large room. "No, Harry," I step back, trying to keep the sudden fury that's creeping into my voice at bay. "You do not realise how... how stupid that was! How could you use that spell on another student?! You didn't know what it did, you didn't know if it would kill him, and it almost did! I even told you never to use it, and you ignored me!"

"It said 'for enemies'," he tries protesting, and a bitter laugh escapes my lips at that. Totally why you use it on a fellow classmate. "I didn't mean–"

"From all the stupid, egotistical, rash, idiotic things you ever could've done, this one is the worst by far. You don't attack whenever you feel like it. You don't maim because he did something that didn't affect you. He could've died, and you're lucky I followed you at all to save his life, because otherwise there would have been blood on your hands! And how would that have made you better than the man who killed your parents because he had something against them?"

"He was the one who cursed Katie!"

"But Katie is alive!" I retort, poking him in the chest. "That wasn't your job to serve out justice, but you're meant to talk to someone. You don't take things into your own hands, or you'll end up killing someone!"

"Why does it matter so much to you, anyway? It's Malfoy! I don't know what's happened to you or what he's done to make you so nice to him all the time, but I don't like it! I don't trust him. The entire time we've been at Hogwarts, he's been nothing but–"

"I don't care, Harry!" I interrupt, voice rising to a shout. "You need to grow up. 'He's done something to me'? That's deplorable, Harry. This isn't your stupid pathetic teenage Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry, anymore! He's just a kid, just like you! If you were raised a specific way, forced to do something you didn't want to do, would it be fair if I tried to kill you? Forget fair, would it be humane? You disappointed me today, Harry, and I know for a fact that the Half Blood Prince would've been disappointed, too."