"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to harm anyone!"
"I know, it's alright Malfoy" I try to calm him down. "I know it wasn't you..."
"Is this the end of me?" Ron whines dramatically. "Am I going to die?"
I turn towards him. Ron is lying in the hospital wing, Hermione and Neville at his bedside. Ms Pomfrey is taking care of his injured arm.
"You're not going to die, Mr Weasley, not today" the matron says stoically.
"But- but Malfoy is poisonous, right?" he stutters.
"Ronald Weasley, you are probably one of the most idiotic person I know!" Hermione yells at him. "Why did you get between the snake and I?! That was stupid, stupid, stupid!"
"And courageous..." Neville adds. (He sees Mione's face and almost strangle.) "No. That was stupid Ron. Bad, bad Ron!"
"I didn't think!" he protests. "Harry screamed, I saw the snake was ready to strike again... I just jumped in front of you so you wouldn't get hurt..."
"That was very chivalrous of you" the matron comments.
"But... I feel strange... Is Malfoy poisonous?" he insists.
"Yes, but I have an antidote so-"
"What?" I cut her. "But I thought you took his venom out..."
They all look at me, Malfoy darts his gaze on me.
"What is it Potter?"
"Wait." (I switch to human language.) Ms Pomfrey..."
She takes a needle and fill it with a red, translucent liquid.
"Yes, I took the poison out of his fangs, but since he still has his glands, he keeps producing venom. And the poison of the white-lipped pit viper is not lethal actually. It just makes people very ill."
"Oh... I see."
Ms Pomfrey sticks the needle into Ron's arm, I translate everything to Malfoy, that I'm holding into my arms. His tail waves faster, showing with anxiety.
"Merlin" he murmurs, his voice shaking. "If my venom had been lethal... if I had hurt him..."
"You didn't, don't worry" I reassure him. "He's gonna be fine..."
The doors of the hospital fling open, McGonagall steps in the room. She stops when she sees the group of people around Ron's bed and me, staying in the background, the snake winded around my arms and hands.
"Explain."
"Malfoy was beside me and he was nervous because of the group around" I say. "Hermione accidentally put her hand next to him and he got afraid. He tried to bite her, missed her once, but Ron got bitten the second time because he stood between them."
Her sharp eyes flicker from the snake to Ron, and then to me.
"Why? Why did he attacked her twice?" she snaps. "How does he justify this?"
I step towards her and lower my voice.
"I think I know why... but if I may, it would be better to talk about this in private..."
"Wait, is Malfoy dangerous?" Neville frowns.
"No, he's not" I answer, uncomfortable.
"I am not a very big fan of snakes" he insists. "If we are running any kind of risks by staying around him, I'd like to know about it..."
I scowl.
"He's not dangerous!" I protest. (I turn to McGonagall.) "Lately, when Malfoy is into a snake, he sometimes has some absence... It's happening more and more often, it made me slightly worried, but I thought it wasn't worth mentioning."
She pinches her lips, I realise I said 'when Malfoy is into a snake'... which implies that he's not a reptile all the time. I glimpse towards my friends, Hermione turned pale, Ron is staring at me and Neville keeps frowning.
I bite my tongue. I talked too much...
"Mr Potter, what do you mean by 'absence'?" the headmistress goes on, unfathomable.
"He... it always happens when we stop talking for a while... in class for example, when I have to focus on an exercise and leave him to his own. After a few minutes he leaves and when I call him, he's not really himself... He whispers nonsense, he tries to flee... It awkwardly reminds me of when I was hearing the Basilik, back in our second year..."
Hermione steps towards us, worried.
"What are you trying to say, Harry?"
"I'm not sure myself, but I think... it's as if he was turning into a real snake" I conclude.
Resounding silence.
"Oh, Merlin..." Neville mutters. "This is... this is really bad, isn't it?"
His face is horror-stricken. Oddly, I suddenly regret I talked about this in front of him. I trust Neville, he's one of my best friends, but... the person who attacked Malfoy and I was probably a Gryffindor and there is a high chance that he is a seventh year or older. If he starts to tell about Malfoy's new problem, the aggressor might hear about it...
A sudden coldness seizes me. Neville is an eighth year. He was a member of Dumbledore's Army... but can he perform non-verbal magic...?
I shake myself. I'm becoming paranoiac, this poor old Neville couldn't smash a wasp, even if it was about to sting him!
(But he is the one who beheaded Nagini, whispers a nasty voice into my head. I shake myself.)
"Yes, this is bad" I say sternly. "Neville, please do not repeat this to anyone else..."
He blinks.
"I- I won't, of course!" he exclaims.
"Thank you... Pr McGonagall? Can we go to your office to talk this through?" I repeat.
"Yes. Mrs Granger, could you...?"
Hermione nods. She kisses Ron on his forehead and smiles to him.
"I'll come back later. Idiot."
McGonagall, Mione and I leave the place. We ascend the stairs and straight to the headmistress office. Malfoy remains silent, he doesn't move, still laying in my hands. Usually he settles on my arms or slides on me freely. His head lays sadly on the back of my hand... I hesitate to say something to him, but I don't know what could cheer him up in such circumstances...
"The spell that turned Mr Malfoy into a reptile is really... evolutive" McGonagall says. "New elements about it seem to fall from the sky every two other weeks. But instead of making things clearer, it brings more confusion!" (She looks through the window thoughtfully.) "What can we do if this spell is transforming him totally into a viper? I have the awful impression to evolve in the fog..."
Hermione sighs.
"If only we knew what kind of spell was casted on him... we could relieve some of his symptoms."
"Look, I have a theory." (The two witches dart their eyes on me.) "I've been observing Malfoy a lot lately, because his behaviour was preoccupying. It's as if two different... I don't know, two different personalities were struggling to take the upper hand in one body."
"Like a schizophrenic?" Hermione asks.
"Yes... When Malfoy spends too much time as a snake, and especially when he is not stimulated by a conversation with me or any other human activity, the 'snake' personality in him appears and supplants his humanity."
The headmistress sits and taps her fingers against the desk. She seems to be thinking very intensely, Hermione and I don't dare saying a word.
"Potter... I'm not a cat, please, stop this."
I lower my gaze and almost choke when I realise that I am stroking his head with my index finger, as if he was some pet.
"Oh... Sorry, that was unconscious" I stammer.
He gives me a strange look, Hermione stares at us unfathomably. I feel my cheek blushing.
"The solution to this, if your theory is right, would be rather simple" McGonagall says slowly. "If he doesn't spend time into his snake body... his 'snake personality' wouldn't take over his humanity anymore."
"But he inevitably turns back into a reptile when the sun rises" Hermione argues. "That's the crux of the problem."
"Not if he only lives at night as a human and sleeps the day, when he is a snake." (Her sharp eyes darts on me through her glasses.) "If the 'snake personality' is asleep, it can't take other Mr Malfoy's personality. Do you follow me?"
I wince.
"Hum... I guess I'll have to live exclusively at night from now on, that's right?" (She doesn't reply, but I can read the answer written on her face. I sigh in resignation.) "Fine, we'll live like vampires then. I'll translate everything to him."
"Thank you Mr Potter."
I realise I'm less reluctant to spend time with Malfoy now. Is it because I am worried for him... or simply because I start to appreciate him? I'm not sure I want to know the answer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that day, Draco takes a lot of time to fall asleep. Settled on my chest, he keeps his yellow eyes open, his gaze lost in the void. After two hours, his tiredness wins. When the sun sets, his body contorts, swells up. His scales disappear, he quickly becomes a human again.
His pale, angel face is tense, a deep line is shaped between his brows. Worried-sick for him, I can't help myself and lift up my hand to caress his cheek with my finger.
He opens his eyes instantly. I take my hand back quickly.
He stares at me thoughtfully –he doesn't seem to be disgusted or shocked that I'm touching him. He doesn't move, still lying half on me. I'm surprised how uninhibited he seems to be, he doesn't get up to put some underpants on. Is he that confident with his body? Or doesn't he care at all to be naked on another guy? I thought it would bother him more than that, but apparently he isn't so shy...
"I'm sorry I woke you up" I whisper softly. "But you were looking sad..."
He bites his lips, his pale, grey eyes fixed on me.
"Potter..." (My heart beats faster. Is he going to tell me he knows I have a weird, uncomprehensive attraction towards him?) "Do you know why I told you to stop stroking my head, earlier, when we were in the headmistress office?"
It takes me aback –I wasn't expecting this.
"Because... you were right, you're not a pet. It made you uncomfortable..."
He shakes his head. He lowers his gaze, avoiding mine.
"No. Actually you have been doing this for a while now. (I blink, surprised.) It started one or two weeks ago, didn't you realise it? You do it when we're about to fall asleep... or when you are distracted during class..."
"I... didn't notice. Doesn't this bother you?" I ask anxiously.
He remains silent. He takes a minute before replying.
"It doesn't... really bother me. It's rather... relaxing... reassuring... (He blushes slightly.) Actually... It only felt weird when I saw Granger staring at me while you were doing it."
"Oh, I see."
Wrong. Actually I do not see where he is getting at. Doesn't this annoy him when I treat him like this? It's just Hermione's gaze that made him uneasy? I don't understand.
He blushes darker.
"I just wanted you to know. That's it." He coughs, embarrassed.
I bite my tongue, finally reading between the lines. 'I want you to continue, but not in front of someone.' I pluck up courage and rises my hand. He gives me a surprising look, I caress his head. He hesitates, staring into my eyes, but then his body relaxes.
We stay like this for a moment ; me, enjoying the softness of his hair and him, nibbling his lower lip thoughtfully. The silence is pleasant, I'd like more moments like these between us...
"Does this situation worries you?" I ask after a few minutes. (He glances at me questioningly.) "Are you afraid that the snake personality would take the lead all the time when you are a snake?"
He sighs.
"Yes, a little bit. Cat Woman was right, in the end : I have to stay among humans. I must have conversations with you and be stimulated by the wizards around me, or I'll turn crazy." (He becomes melancholic.) "Maybe your theory is right, or maybe I'm just mental... Maybe it really was me who attacked Granger, and Weasley."
I wince. I thought the same when I was in Nagini's head, three years ago, back when Voldemort was obsessed with this damn prophecy kept in the Department of Mysteries. I had the feeling I was Nagini and that I really wanted to attack Mr Weasley... I was feeling helpless, guilty... until I realised it wasn't me, but the snake who wanted to hurt Ron's dad. At that time, only that thought managed to make me feel better.
"You are not becoming crazy. The viper did this, I'm convinced of it."
"How can you be so sure?" he sniffs. "You're not in my head!"
"Do you remember attacking Ron?" I ask.
"No, I didn't, but-"
"You were... 'absent'. The snake supplanted you." (He doesn't seem really convinced.) "Still feeling bad? Come on."
I push the quilt and blanket away. He moves a little, I jump from the bed. He frowns.
"What are you doing?" he asks.
"If you want to feel better, you have to do a really, really painful thing" I smile. "Come with me."
He takes his pyjamas, folded on the bedside table, and puts them on. We grab some sweaters before leaving –the castle is rather cold in December– and go out of the Gryffindor's dormitory.
"Lumos" I mutter.
"Where are we going?"
I don't answer, we go through the hole and start to cross the castle in the dark. I guide him, tucking him by his sleeve, the tip of my wand shining with light.
We reach the hospital wing, he pouts. We step in the room where all the beds are lined up and I drag him to the one where Ron is lying.
"Ron, are you sleeping?" I whisper.
He turns and shields his face with his hand, I lower my wand to stop blinding him.
"Harry? What are you doing here-" (He sits up straight when he catches sight of Malfoy.) "Shite! That was right! You can turn into a human again!"
"Only at night" the Slytherin boy mutters.
"Did Hermione told you about it?" I wonder.
"No. You said 'when Malfoy is a snake', so Neville and I discussed about it. We thought maybe he could transform into a human from time to time..."
The one concerned shoots dagger at me, I feel uncomfortable. So now, Neville knows too...
"Sorry to trouble your sleep... but there's something he wants to tell you" I let out, pointing Malfoy with my thumb.
Ron darts his eyes on him questioningly, the blond grimaces.
"I, er... When I bit you I..." (He clears his throat.) "Look, I'm... sorry." (Ron opens his eyes wide.) "I didn't mean to harm you. The... 'snake' in me made me do it. I... had to tell you this. Erm. That's it."
That was something. I think I've never heard Malfoy apologising to someone, ever. Ron gapes for a second and shakes himself.
"Wow. I'd never imagine I would hear excuses from you in my entire life." (He smiles and tousles his hair.) "Don't worry. More fear than harm."
Malfoy is taken aback by his good mood.
"But if my venom had... you could have been hurt..." he stutters.
"Mione came to find me after dinner. She told me off, saying I shouldn't pester you because you have a lot on your plate and that I have to –I quote– 'stop behaving like the big oaf I always am'. Pretty bossy, isn't she?"
He outstretches his hand towards Malfoy. He hesitates and seizes his hand to shake it.
"Thank you Weasley."
"You're welcome Malfoy. I sincerely wish you can resolve your problem soon..."
"Yes" he sighs.
"... so I can get my best friend and girlfriend's back" he sneers.
Draco giggles, I smile.