XC. EMPATHY FOR THE ENEMY
31:07 ─❁────────── 31:80
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❝I never meant to make you bleed
I'll be a better man today❞
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THE RENDEZVOUS FROM THE NIGHT before was particularly memorable for both Harry and Lucia, as after everything, Harry finally obtained Slughorn's memory and just their luck (pun intended), Dumbledore had returned from whatever he was doing all this time.
Harry told Lucia, Ron, and Hermione everything that had happened during next morning's Charms lesson (having first cast the Muffliato spell upon those nearest them). Ron and Hermione were satisfyingly impressed by the way he had wheedled the memory out of Slughorn and positively awed when he told them about Voldemort's Horcruxes and Dumbledore's promise to take Harry along, should he find another one.
"Wow," said Ron, when Harry had finally finished telling them everything; Ron was waving his wand very vaguely in the direction of the ceiling without paying the slightest bit of attention to what he was doing. "Wow. You're actually going to go with Dumbledore... and try and destroy... wow."
"See, I knew it had something to do with breaking the laws of nature itself!" said Lucia, twirling her wand in between her fingers as though she was holding a pen.
"Ron, you're making it snow," said Hermione patiently, grabbing his wrist and redirecting his wand away from the ceiling from which, sure enough, large white flakes had started to fall. Lavender Brown glared at Hermione from a neighboring table through very red eyes, and Hermione immediately let go of Ron's arm.
"Oh yeah," said Ron, looking down at his shoulders in vague surprise. "Sorry... looks like we've all got horrible dandruff now..."
He brushed some of the fake snow off Hermione's shoulder. Lavender burst into tears. Ron looked immensely guilty and turned his back on her.
"What in the bloody hell happened after Harry and I left?" demanded Lucia, as she pointed her wand directly in between Ron's eye.
"We split up," he told them from the corner of his mouth. "Last night. When she saw me coming out of the dormitory with Hermione. Obviously, she couldn't see you two, so she thought it had just been the two of us."
"She thought you cheated on her?" Lucia then glanced at Lavender sympathetically, "Oh, poor girl..."
"Well — you don't mind it's over, do you?" said Harry.
"No," Ron admitted. "It was pretty bad while she was yelling, but at least I didn't have to finish it."
"Coward," said Hermione, though she looked amused. "Well, it was a bad night for romance all around. Ginny and Dean split up too."
"How come?" asked Lucia, worry etched her face. Guilt overwhelmed her for not being there for Ginny directly after her breakup with Dean.
"Oh, something really silly... She said he was always trying to help her through the portrait hole, like she couldn't climb in herself... but they've been a bit rocky for ages."
Harry and Lucia turned their heads to the other side of the class where Dean resided. He certainly looked unhappy.
"Of course, this puts you in a bit of a dilemma, doesn't it?" said Hermione.
"What d'you mean?" said Harry in confusion.
"The Quidditch team," said Hermione. "If Ginny and Dean aren't speaking..."
"Oh yeah..." Harry groaned. "This year really isn't a good year for the team, is it?"
"Nope," said the girls in unison.
"Flitwick," said Ron in a warning tone. The tiny little Charms master was bobbing his way toward them, and Hermione and Lucia were the only one who had managed to turn vinegar into wine; their glass flask was full of deep crimson liquid.
Hermione and Lucia clasped each other's hand in glee. "Yes!" However, they can't say the same for Harry and Ron's, whose were still murky brown.
"Now, now, boys," squeaked Professor Flitwick reproachfully. "A little less talk, a little more action... Let me see you try...."
Together they raised their wands, concentrating with all their might, and pointed them at their flasks. Harry's vinegar turned to ice; Ron's flask exploded.
"Yes... for homework," said Professor Flitwick, reemerging from under the table and pulling shards of glass out of the top of his hat, "practice."
They had one of their rare joint free periods after Charms and walked back to the common room together. Ron seemed to be positively lighthearted about the end of his relationship with Lavender, and Hermione seemed cheery too, though when asked what she was grinning about she simply said, "It's a nice day."
Lucia felt quite mild for the day. She was still hung up over the fact that Harry had retold how his parents died just to get the memory from Slughorn. Albeit clever, it was also so saddening how he spoke of it so casually... She tried to turn the topic in her mind away and to the upcoming Quidditch match that she was going to commentate — hopefully not with Smith, but with Luna. Sweet Luna...
They were climbing through the portrait hole into the sunny common room, and it took Lucia moment to vaguely register the small group of seventh years clustered together there, until Hermione cried, "Katie! You're back! Are you okay?"
It was indeed Katie Bell, looking completely healthy and surrounded by her jubilant friends.
"I'm really well!" she said happily. "They let me out of St. Mungo's on Monday, I had a couple of days at home with Mum and Dad and then came back here this morning. Leanne was just telling me about McLaggen and the last match, Harry..."
"Yeah," said Harry, "well, now you're back and Ron's fit, we'll have a decent chance of thrashing Ravenclaw, which means we could still be in the running for the Cup. Listen, Katie..."
He had to put the question to her at once. He dropped his voice as Katie's friends started gathering up their things; apparently, they were late for Transfiguration.
"...that necklace...can you remember who gave it to you now?"
"No," said Katie, shaking her head ruefully. "Everyone's been asking me, but I haven't got a clue. The last thing I remember was walking into the ladies' in the Three Broomsticks."
"You definitely went into the bathroom, then?" said Hermione.
"Well, I know I pushed open the door," said Katie, "so I suppose whoever Imperiused me was standing just behind it. After that, my memory's a blank until about two weeks ago in St. Mungo's. Listen, I'd better go, I wouldn't put it past McGonagall to give me lines even if it is my first day back..."
She caught up her bag and books and hurried after her friends, leaving Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lucia to sit down at a window table and ponder what she had told them.
"So, it must have been a girl or a woman who gave Katie the necklace," said Hermione, "to be in the ladies' bathroom."
"Or may someone who just doesn't care whether it's a female's only bathroom or not," stated Lucia. They turned to Lucia with their brows quirked, questioning her, but she merely shrugged. "What? It always happens..."
"Or someone who looked like a girl or a woman," said Harry. "Don't forget, there was a cauldron full of Polyjuice Potion at Hogwarts. We know some of it got stolen..."
In his mind's eye, he watched a parade of Crabbes and Goyles prance past, all transformed into girls.
"I think I'm going to take another swig of Felix," said Harry, "and have a go at the Room of Requirement again."
"That would be a complete waste of potion," said Hermione flatly, putting down the copy of Spellman's Syllabary she had just taken out of her bag. "Luck can only get you so far, Harry. The situation with Slughorn was different; you always had the ability to persuade him, you just needed to tweak the circumstances a bit. Luck isn't enough to get you through a powerful enchantment, though. Don't go wasting the rest of that potion! You'll need all the luck you can get if Dumbledore takes you along with him..." She dropped her voice to a whisper.
"Couldn't we make some more?" Ron asked them, ignoring Hermione. "It'd be great to have a stock of it... Have a look in the book..."
"Trying to look into that book would be useless," said Lucia when she saw Harry looking through his battered copy of Advanced Potion-Making. "Felix Felicis is a potion that is not only well known because of it's wondrous effect, but also because of its difficulty in brewing. It's takes a month, and we don't exactly have that, do we?"
"Yes we —"
"False!"
"Okay!" Ron put his hands up in defence. "But why am I wrong exactly?"
"Because it's not only because of its long brewing, but it most definitely requires precision!" said Lucia, standing up and began pacing back and forth in front of the trio, muttering, "Some stupid group of adolescents can't possibly brew such a difficult potion when most Potion Masters failed to even succeed Felix Felicis! You would be a fool to even try, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley!"
"Blimey, why are you targeting us?!" said Ron, hiding behind Harry.
"Because Hermione already knew that," shrugged Lucia. "Anyway, you would need someone with more than one experience to even attempt this. One wrong move and that could be the end — got it?"
"Yeah..." Harry and Ron drawled, but Hermione narrowed her eyes at Lucia suspiciously.
"Have you brewed it before, Lucia?" Hermione asked out of the bluw, and at that question Harry and Ron saw Lucia tensed. Hermione gasped. "You have, haven't you!"
"By accident!"
"How does one brew Felix Felicis by accident when it requires precision?" Harry mimicked his girlfriend.
"Look, I succeeded, but also did it wrong," said Lucia in defence. "I ended up in the hospital wing because I got too high — no, Ron, I would not try it again,"
"Worth a try," said Ron.
Harry was about to put his book away again when he noticed the corner of a page folded down; turning to it, he saw the Sectumsempra spell, captioned "For Enemies," that he had marked a few weeks previously. He had still not found out what it did, mainly because he did not want to test it around Hermione, but he was considering trying it out on McLaggen next time he came up behind him unawares.
The only person who was not particularly pleased to see Katie Bell back at school was Dean Thomas, because he would no longer be required to fill her place as Chaser. Even with how nicely Lucia put it, he still took the blow stoically, grunting and shrugging, but Harry and Lucia had the distinct feeling as he walked away that Dean and Seamus were muttering mutinously behind their — more specifically, Harry's — back.
"I better sleep one eye open tonight..." said Harry nonchalantly.
Lucia turned to her boyfriend wearily.
The following fortnight Lucia saw the best Quidditch practices she had known all year when she watched in the sidelines, sketching on her broom up in the air as an occasional wind blew pass her due to the speed the Quidditch players were going. Harry's team was so pleased to be rid of McLaggen, so glad to have Katie back at last, that they were flying extremely well.
Ginny didn't seem at all upset about the breakup with Dean; on the contrary, she looked the happiest she had ever been — like she was no longer carrying weight on her shoulder. Lucia was glad to see her little sister back on her feet, and she also was aware of the Ravenclaw that was sitting at the stands, watching Ginny play and throwing occasional comments.
"I finally did it, Lulu," Ginny said, taking the bottle of water from Lucia, who was talking animatedly with Harry and Ron on her broom, eating the food she had packed for the team in mid-air. "I finally did it."
Lucia smiled. "I''ve heard,."
"Blimey, I still can't believe you've gotten together with Luna a week ago..." said Ron, still in disbelief.
"Well, you best believe it, mate," said Harry, taking another bite of his sandwich.
"And if you're against it, you should be aware that we don't accept such prejudice and hate under this roof," said Lucia, eyeing Ron dangerously. "Because that would mean you're also hating me and Harry and that's a big no no as our best friend —"
"Bloody hell, I have nothing against things like that," Ron rolled his eyes. "But are you sure she's the one? I mean, it could be Luci —"
"Ron!" Lucia and Harry yelled at him, before Harry retorts, "I'm right here you know?"
"Oh, I don't care about what others think, you git," said Ginny. "I'm happy and in love with Luna, and she loves me too and that's all enough."
"I knew Dean wasn't a good one —"
"You're friends with him though," Ginny deadpanned, before turning her broom downwards.
"Completely different!" Ron called after her, as Lucia and Harry laughed.
Ginny soon zoomed back up, but this time with Luna behind her on her broom. The rest of their break consisted of eating, drinking, and Ginny doing imitations of Ron anxiously bobbing up and down in front of the goalposts as the Quaffle sped toward him. Their laughs were so contagious that it had even reached the other team members, who quickly joined them with their mid-air picnic while laughing ever more so as Ginny imitated Harry bellowing orders at McLaggen before being knocked out cold.
The run-up to this crucial match had all the usual features: members of rival Houses attempting to intimidate opposing teams in the corridors; unpleasant chants about individual players being rehearsed loudly as they passed; the team members themselves either swaggering around enjoying all the attention or else dashing into bathrooms between classes to throw up.
"Remember last year when this time of the year came around?" giggled Astoria, leaning back against the railing of the Astronomy Tower. The two girls decided to have rendezvous during dinner, and neither were quite hungry anyway. Lucia was very adamant to know who this 'guy' she talked about in their last meeting.
"Don't remind me," said Lucia.
"Why not? You were wicked back then!" said Astoria, dropping to her knees beside the said girl as they both stared up at the twilight sky. "Something's occupying your mind," she stated.
"Something's occupying our mind, you mean," she mused, turning her gaze from the sky to her. "You still haven't explained to me what got you so jumpy to the point you ran away without even saying goodbye?"
Astoria's gaze fell to her lap as she played absentmindedly with her fingers. "It's... uh... about that..."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I just want to know whether it's something that's really bothering you? Like, really, really bothering you," said Lucia in a concern manner. "Did someone threatened you — ?"
"No, no!" said Astoria immediately, shaking her head. "I-It's nothing like that! It's just... It's complicated..."
"How is it complicated?"
"You don't get it!" Astoria exclaimed suddenly; "I-If I were to tell you, I'm that I'll end up losing you... and the others. I don't want that," A crestfallen look painted her expression before Astoria stood up suddenly and digressed.
"Can you at least give me a brief explanation?" said Lucia quickly, getting up to her feet.
"Brief explanation..."
"You don't have to tell me for sure," said Lucia. "J-Just explain to me in the vaguest way possible,"
Astoria hesitated momentarily. Then she looked away and said ominously, "It's like I made a deal with the devil, who made a deal with another devil..."
Made a deal with the devil? What was that supposed to mean?
Lucia had been pondering over Astoria's words for a while now as she roamed around the castle. It just didn't make sense, who did she made a deal with? Or was it supposed to be metaphor for somethin entirely different? One thing was sure is that Lucia was entirely confused and all and all, lost. Astoria had never been so mysterious before...
Was it Malfoy? Did he do something to her? Threatened her?
She was really hoping that wasn't the case...
She swayed around the empty corridor of the seventh floor, still thinking about Astoria and her bond with Malfoy. She was starting to doubt their friendship, but she really shouldn't, right? She should trust Astoria's judge of character and believe that Malfoy wasn't all that bad... of course disregarding the way he treated people with very impure intention...
Right as she was about to turn a corner, she heard a weep coming from the nearby bathroom. She halted all so suddenly, puzzled by this. Usually there would be no one to occupy the bathroom in this floor, for it was a location where there was hardly any classed in use... so... maybe it was Myrtle?
Worried that someone had broke her dear ghostly friend's heart, Lucia went to investigate the scene, slowly stepping into the nearby bathroom, peering over the wall. She was ready to see Myrtle but was stunned to see it wasn't. In actuality, it was...
"Malfoy?" Lucia whispered under her breath, shock.
As she squinted her eyes, she could see streaks... of tears? staining his face. Was he crying?
Isn't that obvious?
Malfoy wheeled around abruptly, startling Lucia quite a bit as she let out a small squeak, making her presence known. "Who's there?!" he demanded, causing her to squeeze her eyes and pinching herself for her mistake. What was making it worse was when he brandished out his wand toward the wall that was separating him and her. "Show yourself while I'm asking nicely!"
Clutching a hand over her heart, Lucia wondered whether she could escape. But as she thought of that, Malfoy yelled out to her, "Don't even try to escape!"
Damn you, Merlin!
As she drew a long breath, loading her mind with as much courage she possessed, Lucia hesitantly showed herself, clutching her wand that was hidden on the back pocket of her school uniform, preparing an attack that she thought would come her way the moment Malfoy were to see her. But somehow, instead of being graced by a duel, Malfoy only limped his wand hand and crouched down, heaving out a breath of relief.
Eh?
"It's just you..."
Just me? Am I not threatening to you?!
Why was she even complaining? Shouldn't she be glad?
Either way, Lucia felt her stiffen shoulders slump as she approached the figure. "Yeah, it's just me... what are you doing so far from the Slytherin dungeon at this time?"
"Shouldn't I be asking the same thing to you?" scoffed Malfoy rudely, voice strained. "Gryffindor Tower isn't far, so why not go back with your little lion cubs or something,"
"Sheesh," said Lucia, who leaned on the wall he was leaning on, before she crouched down beside him. "You could've said it nicely. And how am I supposed to be with my 'lion cubs' if I wasn't with them in the first place?"
Malfoy sent her an odd look, as if asking for her to go on. Lucia flinched slight, as never in a million years would she thought she would have a decent conversation with Malfoy... well, there was that time in fourth year, but it wasn't much...
"I was with Astoria," said Lucia, and immediately studied his reaction. Just as she thought, he perked up at the mention of the very girl.
"You were with her? How's she?" he asked at once.
"That's a weird thing to ask when you see her 24/7... don't you?"
Unsurprisingly, Malfoy sneered and snapped his head away from her, scooching a few inches away from her. Lucia almost let out a scoff, before she got back to her feet and turned her gaze to the dirty mirror.
"Erin never told me you were a crier kind of type,"
"I'm not, and don't bring my sister into this," he said stubbornly, rubbing his eyes harshly against the sleeves of his shirt. "Don't bring Erin..."
"Okay, okay, I won't go down that road," said Lucia in a kind manner, heeding his words. "But you were crying..."
"No, I wasn't," he said promptly. "I don't cry,"
"Uh-huh," reacted Lucia flatly. "Right, you don't. I forget you're heartless," she said dismissively.
Malfoy bit his lip. "I'm not heartless,"
"Oh yeah?" she mused, going back to a couch stance across from him this time. Momentarily, Lucia thought she saw child in front of her.
"I'm not!" said Malfoy, exclaiming. He stood back and made his way back to the sink, looking angst-ridden as he stared at his torturous reflection. "I'm not..."
Lucia stood up and hopped onto the sink beside him, dangling her legs. To Malfoy, it was the most mocking thing he'd ever seen. While he was tormenting himself, it was as if she was that devil that was sitting on his shoulder, making fun of him with her kind exterior... just like Astoria...
He clutched on either side of the sink; his white-blond head bowed.
"Why aren't you yelling for me to get out? Why aren't you spatting and sneering at me like you always do? Aren't you afraid that I'll tattle-tale on you crying?" Lucia tempted him, trying to find any kind of emotion to cross his grieve-ridden face.
He breathed out a hysterical chuckle. "Please," he said quietly. "Do it if you want, no one's going to believe you,"
"Fair enough," Lucia nodded, before she looked curiously at him. "But I'm intrigue to know why you think that way,"
Malfoy stared directly at his blurry reflection with resentment. Nonetheless, he tried tried to brush off the exhaustion. "It's self-explanatory, is it..." he felt dizzy all over, and before he could properly react, he felt himself fall back. He just didn't know which way, as the strength he had was slowly diminishing.
He waited for the long and anticipating impact, but it never happened. Instead, he felt a hand clutching his forearm tightly, pulling back up. "Why are you so light for your height?!"
Malfoy stared at the Gryffindor... his rival House... the girlfriend of his nemesis... He felt a wave of disgust flooding him, and just as she was about to speak more, he smacked her hand away, surprising her. Malfoy couldn't believe it... Lucia DiFiore, out of all people, had been the one to help him. He felt repulsed, not because he was helped, but because it was the person he hated the most in this whole school's girlfriend.
Lucia's concern gaze quickly faded into a flat expression at this. "You have a weird way to say thank you," she spat, as she rubbed her hand. "But in all seriousness, are you okay?"
"Of course I am!" he sneered defensively, but she didn't react in any way as she continued to study him.
"Are you sure...?" she asked. She knew she was riling him up.
"You nosy Gryffindors — mind your own business!"
Lucia didn't say anything still, which was frustrating to him.
"I don't need anyone's help!"
A look crossed her face, and Malfoy could easily detect that as a look of judgement. Or so he thought anyway...
"Y-you... You're looking at me as if I'm crazy! Guess what? I'm not!"
"I wasn't saying you were," she frowned. "You look like you're tired,"
Malfoy stiffened. Lucia blinked.
Bingo.
"Have you not slept well these days?"
"You're... you're here..." Myrtle flew from the cubicles, distracting Lucia momentarily.
"Myrtle..." So, this was the boy she talked about...
"I don't need help..." Malfoy said trailingly in despair, and it was then it dawned on Lucia just how messed up he was now. Those cold eyes... it felt as though she was instead looking through a void of nothingness... a void that was slowly losing any type of light in the world...
Malfoy was losing every ounce of hope he had.
"You... you're not my friend, so you don't have the obligation to help me," Malfoy gripped tightly on either side of the sink, desperation was written in his eyes.
"Malfoy..." Lucia turned to Myrtle for help.
"Don't," she crooned from one of the cubicles. "Don't... tell us what's wrong... I can help you..."
"No one can help me," said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking. "I can't do it... I can't... It won't work... and unless I do it soon... he says he'll kill me..."
Lucia's eyes widened. Vol... "Who is it, Malfoy?"
But he didn't say anything. Then she saw it, the reason why she was here in the first place. Malfoy was crying — actually crying — tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped.
Lucia couldn't lie, she did feel a bit uncomfortable, but she also couldn't bring herself to leave him be. With great hesitance, she reached her hand out for him when suddenly, with a great shudder, he looked up into the cracked mirror, causing her to retract her hand immediately. However, his gaze was alarming. She followed his eyes and saw Harry, which instinctively made her turn around.
"Har —" But her words were cut off when Malfoy wheeled around and draw his wand, in return Harry pulled his own. Before either Myrtle of Lucia could process the moment, a duel erupted in the bathroom, screams could only be heard through hexes the were bring thrown at one another, lamps and walls were being shattered.
"No! No! Stop it!" squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! STOP!"
Lucia jumped sideways and into a cubicle for shelter from the chaos, her hands over her ears, trying to refrain herself from screaming. "This is ridiculous!" she cried. "You both are being absolutely ridiculous! Just used your hands instead of magic, please!"
She could already imagine it, the damage... the punishment... the look on Professor McGonagall's face when she sees this horrid scene... Oh, they were so dead...
Peering out of the cubicle, she could hear a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded; Harry attempted a Leg-Locker Curse that backfired off the wall behind Malfoy's ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped as Malfoy, his face contorted, cried, "Cruci —"
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly.
Time felt as if it slowed as blood spurted from Malfoy's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand.
"No —" gasped Harry.
"Harry...?" Lucia let out a small whimper, eyes contorted in fear at the sight; the colour of the scarlet replacing the clean water as it oozes down from Malfoy's face and chest.
"H-Harry...?" Her voice cracked, hand clamping over her mouth as she staggered forward.
Hesitation was no longer there within her as she hurried forward, whipping out her wand and dropping beside Malfoy with great splash. Her hand trembled and she couldn't care less if she was getting wet from all the water, or if the blood was going to soak into her shirt — Malfoy looked near dead.
Slipping and staggering, Harry got to his feet and plunged toward Malfoy as well, whose face was now shining scarlet, his white hands scrabbling at his blood-soaked chest.
"No — I didn't —" But he couldn't get the words out, the gravity of the situation as well as the Prince's spell finally dawning on him.
Lucia didn't say anything, too much in a frenzy as she tried to heal Malfoy with all her power, putting pressure on his wounds, trying to stop the bleeding more intensify.
"I —"
"Harry, I need you to calm down," breathed Lucia, still trying her best to clean Malfoy's wound with her school vest, but nothing was helping. She was growing frustrated and wanted to cry. This was never supposed to happen... "I need you to breathe in and out — he's going to be fine..."
But even if she said that for a million of time, she, herself, was not sure. Harry needed to remain calm before he went into a state of panic of no return while she so desperately tries to heal Malfoy.
He needed to be healed. She didn't even know why they both instinctively decided a duel was supposed to happen in the first place. Was it just natural for boys to think this way? Either way, this duel... it led to this...
Harry did not know what he was saying anymore; he fell to his knees beside Lucia and Malfoy, who was shaking uncontrollably in a pool of his own blood. Moaning Myrtle let out a deafening scream: "MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!"
The door banged open behind them. Lucia did not look up, still waving her wand over Draco, but Harry, however, did. He looked up, terrified: Snape had burst into the room, his face livid. he pushed Lucia roughly aside, halting her from healing and drew his own wand out.
Lucia didn't even want to remark his rudeness, staying quiet. She watched with attentive fear as Snape knelt over Malfoy with his wand and traced it over the deep wounds Harry's curse had made, muttering an incantation that sounded almost like song. The flow of blood seemed to ease; Snape wiped the residue from Draco's face and repeated his spell. Now the wounds seemed to be knitting.
Harry was still watching, horrified by what he had done, jumped when he felt a hand touching his arm. He snapped his head to the side, breathing heavily and saw Lucia. But she wasn't looking back at him as she stared at Malfoy, chest heaving heavily. She was soaked in blood and water, and her hair was disheveled to the fullest. He squeezed her hand.
What would've happened if Lucia wasn't that, or if Snape hadn't come?
Death. There would be blood in his hand.
And that terrified him.
He may hate Draco Malfoy for everything he had done to him since the start of the years in Hogwarts, but he didn't deserve death, he admits that.
Moaning Myrtle was still sobbing and wailing overhead. When Snape had performed his countercurse for the third time, he half-lifted Malfoy into a standing position.
"You need the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that... Come..." He supported Malfoy across the bathroom, turning at the door to say in a voice of cold fury, "And you two, Potter, DiFiore... You wait here for me."
Neither thought to disobey. When Snape and Malfoy were gone, Harry sat there, hand shaking to the point where he couldn't even hold his wand. He had almost killed someone. He turned to Lucia slowly, but diverted his eyes from her, not wanting to be met by the disappointed and looks of sheer disgust coming for her.
"Harry, look at me," said Lucia breathlessly, still trying to make sense of the whole situation. "You can't just avoid me like nothing happened..."
"I — I didn't mean any of that to —"
"I know," She guided his chin to meet her eyes, and when he did, there was no trace of hatred or disgust. Just pure confusion of light. "It's okay, Harry — I mean, it isn't okay — but wverything will be all right. I think."
"You're not making this easier!" said Harry.
"I'm sorry, I'm trying!"
Harry shook his head, still shaking. "I — I almost killed him — the book — the Prince —"
"You have to breathe, Harry!" Lucia said distressingly; she knew all too well where this was heading. "Breathe!"
"I can't —" he closing his quivering eyes shut, couldn't find any means of air.
"You can," Lucia pulled him in her embrace, "Bear with me, love: Picture something happy,"
"I don't know anything happy!"
"Well — then —" Lucia's eyes went all around the room when she caught the ribbon around his wrist. She seized his hand and pointed at the ribbon, "Focus on that!"
"Wha —"
"Focus!" she said, and although Harry couldn't understand why, he did just as he was told; his quivering eyes attempted to focus on the scarlet ribbon around his wrist as the world around him slowly died down from the everlasting chaos prior. He gulped.
"Now, breathe in and out slowly," Lucia's voice was the only thing that filled his mind as he obeyed her words rather reluctantly, "...and try to think of something that makes you happy..."
"How exactly is this going to work?"
"I dunno, but it works for me!" she admitted. "Just... just try..." she pleaded.
Harry was somewhat a skeptic, yet he followed her words and tried to think of things that made him happy; he imagined a treacle tart... Ron and Hermione... Quidditch... Hedwig... his parents and Sirius and Remus... and Lucia...
"Everything's going to be all right," she said reassuringly.
He drew a sharp breath, "Everything's going to be okay," Harry repeated.
"Draco's alive,"
"Malfoy's alive."
"No one's dead,"
"No — No one's..."
"No one's dead," repeated Lucia.
Harry spoke up shakily. "No one's dead..."
Lucia brought him back into her embrace.
"Why were you even here in the first place?" Harry asked, as they waited for Snape.
"I... I heard him crying and thought it was Myrtle," mumbled Lucia, flustered. "H-He was nice you know? Like, exceptionally nice in his own way... but he said something weird..."
"I heard," Harry nodded, but his mind was too much in a daze to properly comprehend it.
"He said... someone... a he will kill him..."
"It's like I made a deal with the devil, who made a deal with another devil..."
Voldemort...
Perhaps Astoria didn't know but had a small suspicions about it... or maybe she did know and was scared to tell them... either way, her words were not far off from the truth, Lucia thought.
Snape returned ten minutes later, causing them to quickly pull away from one another. He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him.
"Go," he said to Myrtle, and she swooped back into her toilet at once, leaving a ringing silence behind her.
Lucia squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for it to be her turn.
"You may go, Miss DiFiore," said Snape, not tearing his eyes away from Harry. "I will deal with Potter."
"Sir —"
"Go, now! Before I give you a month worth of detention!"
Lucia flinched at his tone of voice and immediately raise from the bloody spot she sat on on, begrudgingly heading to the door, but not before looking back at Harry, who merely gave her a look that said, Go. I'll sort things out here. And although she was slightly reluctant, Lucia whirled around and out to the deserted corridors she go.
Even as she hurried down the stairs, she couldn't help but have the images of Draco Malfoy laying on the pool of his own blood haunting her mind. Her heart was unsettled, she needed to see him. She hated him with all her being, but that didn't mean he deserved to be maim to such extent. She ignored the stares she would occasionally get as she set off the corridors of Hogwarts until she arrived in front of the doors to the hospital wing.
She slipped inside, tiptoeing as she did so until she reached to the only occupied bed that had their curtains drawn. But when she came through the curtains, she unexpectedly saw Astoria sitting down in the chair beside Malfoy's bed, staring at him with her brows furrowed.
"Astoria?"
Astoria snapped her head at the older girl, standing up abruptly. "Lucia, what are you doing here?"
"I would ask you the same thing," said Lucia, quirking a brow at her as she sat across from the younger girl
"I — well, I saw Snape rushing into the hospital wing and I just so happen to be here as well because I needed to get my prescribed potions from Madam Pomfrey —"
"Prescribed potions?"
"That's not important, but what's important is that Draco's here and he's covered with cuts. Why is that?" said Astoria, almost demanding for answer.
Before Lucia could answer, the two girls snapped their heads to Malfoy, who grunted in pain and was widely awake. "Her bloody boyfriend is why I'm here in the first place."
Astoria's eyes widened. "Harry —?"
"I won't deny or excuse that,"
"I'll be baffled if you did, DiFiore —"
"But let's not forget you were about to use an Unforgivable on him too, Malfoy," said Lucia, voice strain from all the screaming she did in the bathroom prior.
"You were?" gasped Astoria, now looking at Draco.
"I can explain," said Draco to specifically Astoria.
"Can you really?" Lucia quirked a brow at him. "I hope you can, for your sake, Malfoy."
"Is that a threat, DiFiore?" sneered Malfoy.
Lucia felt somewhat disappointed.
"I both want to hurt you, and don't want to at the exact same time. Even when I saw you in that state you were in" — Malfoy heaved a deep breath — "It just made me forgotten that you're still you," she scoffed upsettingly.
Astoria gazed between them both, confused.
"But I actually came here to see how you were doing, and seeing as you're decent, I'm going." She patted his wounded chest, causing him to jolt in pain and letting out groans and whines, "But Malfoy, let's make one thing clear,"
"And what is that?" he taunted.
"You deserve help if you're really in need. There are people that are willing to help you,"
Malfoy rolled his eyes in dismay.
"You can roll your eyes until it sticks to the inside of your head, but I'm not lying."
"Whatever you say..." he mumbled.
"And if I ever find that you use an Unforgivable again, you'll wish you never got discharged. Ever." Lucia said. Malfoy's eyes bearing into the night eyes; he could see a glint of fire that was the most ferocious thing he had ever seen coming from her. Suddenly she smiled, patting his chest lightly. "Take care — oh and Astoria?"
"Yes!" Astoria jumped.
"Don't hang around too late, okay?"
Astoria instantly nodded and with one last wink, Lucia turned her heel, slipping out of the hospital wing, leaving Malfoy and Astoria to themselves, rethinking of the scene that had just unfolded in front of them.
"I —" But Malfoy's words were shot-lived when Astoria smacked him on the head. "OUCH! What was that for?!"
"For even thinking of using the Unforgivable..." And Malfoy spent the rest of the night just listening to Astoria's lecture. He couldn't quite think properly, for he had much more major matters to attend to.
༻❁༺
"I won't say 'I told you so,'" said Hermione an hour later as she, Ron, Ginny, Harry, and Lucia huddled together in the common room.
"Leave it, Hermione," said Ron angrily.
Apparently Moaning Myrtle had taken it upon herself to pop up in every bathroom in the castle to tell the story; Malfoy had already been visited in the hospital wing by Pansy Parkinson right after Lucia had left, which she hoped that Astoria had left by that too, and she' lost no time in vilifying Harry far and wide. Snape had also told the staff precisely what had happened. Harry had already been called out of the common room to endure fifteen highly unpleasant minutes in the company of Professor McGonagall, who'd told him he was lucky not to have been expelled and that she supported wholeheartedly Snape's punishment of detention every Saturday until the end of term.
"I told you there was something wrong with that Prince person," Hermione said, evidently unable to stop herself. "And I was right, wasn't I?"
"No, I don't think you were," said Harry stubbornly.
He was having a bad enough time without Hermione lecturing him; the looks on the Gryffindor team's faces when he had told them he would not be able to play on Saturday had been the worst punishment of all. Now he had to find someone to replace him, but who?
"Harry," said Hermione, "how can you still stick up for that book when that spell —"
"Will you stop harping on about the book!" snapped Harry. "The Prince only copied it out! It's not like he was advising anyone to use it! For all we know, he was making a note of something that had been used against him!"
"I don't believe this," said Hermione. "You're actually defending —"
"I'm not defending what I did!" said Harry quickly. "I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good' — he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else..."
"Are you telling me," said Hermione, "that you're going to go back — ?"
"And get the book? Yeah, I am," said Harry forcefully. "Listen, without the Prince I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have —"
"— got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve," said Hermione nastily.
"Enough, both of you," said Lucia listlessly, tired of this already. "They're both in the wrong. Like, who in the hell thought of duel the first they acknowledge each other? Plus, he regrets, albeit it's the bare minimum," Harry was about to speak, but from the sharp look he was receiving from her, he instantly shut his mouth. "Maybe it's just me, but I think you're stressing over that Potion book more instead of Malfoy's being because you're still hung over the fact that Harry had gotten good at Potions because of that bloody book, but this is not the time for it,"
"Luci —"
"Just hear me out, okay? You're dismissing the point where Malfoy isn't a saint either. Harry's actions are definitely inexcusable, but Malfoy attempted to fire the Cruciatus Curse at him,"
"Exactly —"
"Don't speak," said Lucia to Harry sharply.
"Yes, ma'am,"
"I haven't gotten to you either, so don't think you're off the hook," she said with great authority. "What were you thinking, honestly?"
"I..." Harry tried to find an excuse.
"You weren't thinking, exactly! Both you and Malfoy need to stop using your knees and start using your brains!" Lucia snapped at Harry, scowling. Harry looked down, ashamed before Lucia wheeled at Hermione, "And I'm not done with you yet — how come you're still on the potion book when your best friend almost got tortured?"
"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed!" said Hermione, clearly stung. "But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good. Look where it's landed him! You're excusing him because —"
"I know it isn't a good spell, and in no way am I going to excuse him, Hermione!" snapped Lucia. "I am going to hold him accountable!"
"I can't believe this," scoffed Hermione. "Seeing what this has done to your chances in the match —"
"Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch," Ginny sneered, "you'll only embarrass yourself."
Silence fell upon the group. Hermione looked at Ginny and Lucia, extremely pissed off by the two. Lucia looked equally as pissed off toward her, sitting with her arms crossed; Ron looked nervously at Harry, then snatched up a book at random and hid behind it. Harry was extremely thankful that the conversation had came to an end.
Harry couldn't help but ponder if Lucia had come in between the duel instead of hiding in the cubicle for safety. Would she have stopped them with magic? But she wasn't one to use magic all that much... Or maybe she'll take the curse for him when Malfoy was directing Crucio at him? As much as he hated the thought, he knew exactly what she would have done. And if that had happened, he knew that he would never regret ever his actions like he did now. Just imagining it could make his blood boil.
"I'll see you all tomorrow," said Hermione, glaring at Lucia before she made her way up the girls' staircase. Ron patted Harry's back encouragingly and retired for bed as well, leaving Harry with Lucia and Ginny.
"What's going to happen now? Quidditch I mean," Ginny asked. "We'll have to find someone to play your position."
"You don't think I know that?" said Harry sharply. "I just don't know who..."
Ginny's eyes then glimmered. "Of course!"
"What?" said Lucia and Harry at once.
"I think we all completely forgotten, but there was one person that had brought Gryffindor to victory last year," said Ginny and it took Harry a moment before he caught the silver lining.
"H-Hey," said Lucia self-consciously. "I'm still in the dark too you know?"
"Ginny, you're brilliant!" Harry and Ginny high-fived. "I can't believe I've forgotten!"
"Excuse me..."
"Aren't I just the best?" Ginny flipped her hair.
"Hello!" she finally exclaimed, gaining both of their attentions. "What did you two forget?" said Lucia, perplexed.
Harry and Ginny slowly turned to Lucia, who began to sweat nervously.
"I think we just found our Seeker,"
Lucia blinked, processing their words. She paused until it finally dawned on her. "Me?"