November came quickly, October seeming to have come and gone in the blink of an eye. Melissa had become rather used to Draco being around and looked for him when he wasn’t with her, finding security in him being with her. They’d spent Halloween together wandering the hallways and scaring the younger years unmercifully. She’d spent nearly every Saturday morning in Professor McGonagall’s office attempting to become an Animagus, which suddenly McGonagall had been in favor of—finding it might come in handy in the coming months.
Saturday hit, the day of the first Quidditch game: Slytherin versus Gryffindor. Melissa was sitting at herhouse table, shaking lightly. Cassie and Draco at her sides, while Ayanna sat with Luna—who had a hat with alife-sized lion head on it. She couldn’t eat, already feeling as though she were going to be sick, so she pushed her eggs around her plate.
“You need to eat.” Draco said and took a drink of his pumpkin juice.
“Do you want me to vomit on the pitch?” she asked, looking at him as though he were crazy. He shook his head and went back to instructing Crabbe and Goyle to aim directly at Harry and Ron, and whispering—while Melissa was freaking-out to Cassie—to watch Melissa carefully. The Neanderthals nodded their heads in understanding and Draco nodded back, smirking at Ron who looked as though he were feeling about the same as Melissa.
“C’mon,” Montague said, with Pucey and Bletchley behind him. “We’ve got to check the pitch and conditions.” He said and Draco stood up, Melissa took a deep breath and stood up as well.
“Maybe mess with Gryffindor a little as well,” said Bletchley with a snigger, looking at Alicia Spinnet who he’d hexed early the day before. Once Melissa stood, she faked her confidence and stood tally as they walked past they’re classmates. Once they were out of the Great Hall, Draco’s hand found Melissa’s and she gripped it tightly, her heart racing as fast as the wings of a humming bird.
“I’m going to be sick.” She said as they reached the pitch.
“You’ll do fine.” Draco whispered, looking down at her firmly. “If you don’t we’ll lose.” He said simply and her heart and face dropped.
“Thank you for that pep talk, Draco.” Melissa snapped sarcastically. The team changed into their uniforms, Melissa having some difficulty with her uniform. Once she had it on it flowed over her, fair too large for her petit frame.
“This is not going to work.” She said shaking her head and the rest of the team laughed cruelly at her. “Oh keep laughing, when we lose because you gits couldn’t help me get this thing to fit properly it won’t be so funny then, will it?” she hissed and they abruptly stopped laughing. Goyle took out his wand and Melissa instantly jumped behind Bletchley.
“That is not going to happen.” She said, peeking over Bletchley’s shoulder seeing Pucey take his wand away.
“We don’t want her incapacitated.” He hissed at Crabbe. Montague snickered, smirking at Melissa who crouched back down behind Bletchley.
“Watch it, Montague,” Draco hissed violently. Montague held his hands up as a white flag and took out his wand, walking over to Melissa who was rather frightened by him.
“Stand still,” Montague snapped and she did so unwillingly. She closed her eyes tightly as he flicked his wand a couple times. Her uniform shrunk, fitting her perfectly. She smiled and looked down at the uniform, much more satisfied now.
“Thank you,” she said with a nod and walked over to the brooms, grabbing her Firebolt. They walked out to the Quidditch pitch and Slytherin exploded into a roar of cheers and clapping. The rest of the houses—save for a couple Ravenclaws—booed in disgust at them.
“Watch the girl,” Melissa heard Angelina say to her team. “She may be an issue.” Melissa smirked proudly, her confidence flooding back into her body and she stood a little taller. The captains shook hands and then everyone mounted their brooms. Melissa heard the whistle and game began. She went right along with everything Pucey and Montague had shown her in practice. She focused on only them and they were doing fairly well for the beginning of the game. Pucey threw her the quaffle and she heard Montague yell, GO! Melissa took off as fast as the broom would go, dodging every person—and bludger—in her way. She reached the goals in a matter of seconds and turned her broom upside down, shooting the quaffle straight through the bottom left goal. Slytherin erupted into cheers, singing a horrid song about Ron, while the rest of the houses moaned and groaned.
“Well done, Missy,” Pucey yelled with a smile. She smiled back and flew to them, following their leads once more.
“Melissa!” Draco yelled and then a bludger collided with her wide, forcing her off her broom. She’d managed to grab ahold of it and hung from the bottom of it by one hand. Nearby, Goyle flew to her almost on command and pushed her back onto the broom and she took off, holding her side tightly in pain, until the quaffle landed into her hands. She ignored the stabbing pain in her side and headed for the goals again. She shot the quaffle threw the goal again and slowly flew back to her team.
“You alright?” Pucey called from below her.
“I’ll be fine.” She said with a pathetic excuse for a smile and on the game went, Melissa still clutching her side. She saw Draco take off out of the corner of her eyes, Harry close by. Within a matter of seconds it was all over, the Snitch was firmly between Harry’s fingers. Melissa sighed and hovered down to the ground. Harry was hit with a bludger, courtesy of Crabbe, and hit the ground hard. Melissa covered her mouth, her eyes wide. Draco landed a couple feet in front of her and started yelling viciously at Harry and the rest of the Gryffindor team—insulting them and the Weasley’s mother. Fred and George attempted to go after Draco, but were being held back by the rest of the team. Melissa walked over to Draco and tugged on his arm, having an awful feeling in her gut.
“Draco, quit it,” she pleaded as he yelled out about Harry’s mother. After that, Harry and George charged at Draco, and somehow Melissa managed to get in the fight, attempting to pull Draco away. She was accidentally hit in the lip and fell over, Draco receiving a bloody nose. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at the two Gryffindors.
“Deprimo!” she yelled and the two boys went flying backwards, holding their stomachs in pain. She droppedher wand and got to her feet, holding her side tightly. She fell to his side and rolled him over—he’d been curled up in a ball after being hit some many times.
“Are you alright?” Melissa asked, wiping the blood off his face.
“They hit you!” he exclaimed, sitting up and wincing in some pain.
“I’m fine.” She said with a fake smile. Draco stood up, and pulled Melissa to her feet, carefully. Madam Hooch yelled at them to head to the Hospital Wing, and they did as she demanded. Melissa falling behind with every step they took, pain shooting through her ribs with every stride she made.
“Melissa,” Pucey said as he saw her limping behind them. He walked over and picked her up gently with a warm smile on his face. “Can’t have you hurt anymore,” he laughed.
“I’m fine Adrian,” Melissa said, struggling to get down and winced in pain, grabbing her side quickly. Draco looked back for a moment and continued ahead, Crabbe and Goyle at his side in case he found himself in need to assistance. The team reached the Hospital Wing, where Snape was already talking to Madam Pomfrey and a look of utter anger on his pale face. Adrian put Melissa on a bed carefully and Draco nearly pushed him out of the way, standing by her bedside.
“Mr. Malfoy, bed as well,” Madam Pomfrey snapped and her took the one next to her.
“Now Ms. Penbrooke, you got hit with a bludger and a fist?” she asked and Melissa nodded.
“I think it was a fist anyway.” She said with a shrug, touching her pounding lip and flinching as a sharp sting shot through her body. Madam Pomfrey hit Draco’s nose with her wand and it snapped back into place, and Draco let out a pain filled yelp, grabbing his nose instantly.
“Please don’t do that to me,” Melissa said, watching Draco hold his nose.
“Cracked ribs are harder to mend then a broken nose,” Madam Pomfrey said, heading over to her bed.
“Oh, so it’s going to be more painful.” Melissa said as Madam Pomfrey poured a glass of a thick grey liquid into a cup. It looked like cement and had the smell of something that had died weeks ago. “Wicked,” she said bitterly and drank the potion, plugging her nose. She felt the curled potion about to come back up and covered her mouth.
“Keep that down, Ms. Penbrooke,” Madam Pomfrey snapped and Melissa did as she was told, trying her hardest to not vomit the cement she’d just swallowed. She felt he ribs moving inside her and tried to the scream but as one snapped back into place she let out a loud high-pitched scream, gripping the bed sheets tightly as the rest continued to move back and grow together once more. Within a couple minutes it was done, and Melissa had passed out from the pain.
“She’ll stay here the night,” Madam Pomfrey said, looking down sympathetically at Melissa and her long black hair out of her sleeping face. Draco starting hissing lividly at Crabbe and Goyle for not getting the bludger that’d hit her. The team soon left for lunch and Draco stayed behind with Melissa, sitting at her side with his homework out. He looked up every time a noise came from the girl but she didn’t wake. Cassie and Ayanna soon came and stayed with her until dinner time; Ayanna working on the homework Melissa would not be able to do.
“I’ll bring you something up,” said Ayanna to Draco with a small smile before speeding off to the Great Hall. Cassie stayed in the Great Hall, giving an update on Melissa and Ayanna headed back to the Hospital Wing with two plates.
“I hope that’s alright,” she said and handed the plate to Draco. He said nothing but ate everything on the plate. Ayanna stared at Melissa, as if trying to wake her with her thoughts. Melissa’s eyes soon blinked her eyes open slowly, looking around.
“Hey Yani,” she said without having to see her.
“How are you feeling?” Ayanna asked, holding Melissa’s hand tightly.
“Like I got kicked by a troll,” she said slowly and her eyes fell upon Draco. “You been here the whole time?” she asked him and he nodded his head before looking back into his book. She smiled lazily and looked at Ayanna, the same smile on her face.
“Cassie was here, too, she stayed to tell everyone how you were,” Ayanna said quickly making sure that Melissa knew Cassie had been there and that she hadn’t forgotten her.
“Thanks,” she said as her eyes shut again. Ayanna stayed until Luna came and got her. Draco sat at her side, even after Madam Pomfrey had told him to leave. Eventually Snape came up and practically forced him back to the dormitories. Melissa laid peacefully in the hospital bed, but it wasn’t going to last long.