It was about four in the morning when I woke up from my dream. I had seen that Draco was in the Hospital Wing. And when I ran down the halls and reached the Hospital I found him lying on a bed, with Madam Pomfrey standing next to the bedside table. His eyes were closed but when he heard my hasty steps, his lids opened.
"Annie?"
His voice was weak.
"Draco, are you okay?" I said landing on my knees next to his bed.
"I'm okay. It's just a fever," he said with a hoarse voice. I touched his pale forehead and it was indeed burning. "I'll be okay till tonight. I'll be able to get you to the Christmas party," he said slowly closing his red eyes like they were too tired to remain open.
"Are you crazy? I don't care about some stupid party! You'll stay here until you get better and I don't want to hear anything more about it!"
"I'm so sorry..." he said.
"Don't worry about it. I don't want to go anyway. I'll stay here."
"You should go... I'll be okay for an hour or two..."
I would answer but I realised that he had already fallen asleep. He seemed so tired. It was four o'clock after all. I couldn't feel tired. I stayed there all night until the sun rose up. I didn't even think about closing my eyes and taking a nap. I just sat there, only with a blanket, even though it was very cold, and watched him sleeping. I remembered when Luna said that he did the same for about three days when I was unconscious last year. I couldn't have done differently. I didn't want to. Even when Luna came to the Hospital Wing and told me that I should take some breakfast, I refused to leave him. I stayed there all day. After sunset, and after about half an hour that Draco was begging me to show up at the Christmas Party, I finally accepted, promising that I would be back in three hours.
It's not that the party was bad. It was quite amusing actually. But since I couldn't take my mind off Draco, every minute seemed like an hour. I was constantly playing nervously with a ribbon on my velvet green dress, wandering how Draco was right now or if he needed something. And the hubbub of the party wouldn't allow me to see a vision. I rarely spoke to anyone and if I did it was just because I had to be polite. Even when I took a photograph with professor Slughorn, I was forcing myself to smile.
Harry noticed from the first moment that Draco was nowhere in sight and, even though he knew that we were still together, he picked up some courage and talked to me.
"I don't see Draco anywhere near. Anything happened to him?" said Harry.
"He was very sick and he couldn't come," I said airily.
"Oh, you don't say..." he said looking around, so called naturally. "I hope he gets better soon."
"No, you don't," I said flatly.
"You're right. I don't," he said. "I was just thinking that, if I were in his place I would take you to the party even if I was burning because of the fever. I wouldn't let you go by yourself," he said.
"And how is that making me feel any better?"
"It doesn't. That's the point. Nothing gets better with this guy," he answered.
"Oh, don't be silly, Harry. Draco did want to come with me but I didn't let him," I said, sort of shouting.
Right when I made a step to go, we heard a shout coming from the entrance. Soon enough, we saw Mr Filch rushing inside, carrying with him no other than Draco. Filch pushed him inside holding Draco from his jacket.
"Get your hands off me, you filthy squib!" he yelled as he was trying to get away from him. But it was too late. Everyone had noticed his presence and got nearer to see what was happening.
"He was very sick, huh? What happened, did he suddenly jump off his bed and said that he's alright or something?" said Harry mockingly.
"No. It can't be..." I muttered.
"Professor Slughorn," said Filch. Draco glanced me in the crowd and gave me a sorry look which I suppose was the answer to my questioning expression. "I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claimed to be invited to your party."
"Okay, okay, I was gatecrashing!" he said but only a look into his eyes made me feel that he was lying. Before Filch was able to say anything more Snape came forth.
"I'll escort him out," he said with this usual unexpressed face. Draco jerked his shoulder and Filch released him.
"Certainly... Professor..." said Draco raising his eyebrows.
Draco turned around and walked back to the entrance as Snape followed him. I saw Harry slowly left the party too as Slughorn suggested that the party should go on. I could easily find out where Draco and Snape were going by seeing a vision but I really wanted to know what Harry was up to and I followed him, carefully enough so he wouldn't hear me.
I knew what he was up to when I saw him stopping exactly when Snape and Draco stopped. He hid himself as Snape pushed Draco against a wall. I hid too - even though I sensed that Harry had realised that I was behind them. However, I couldn't care less about what Harry thought about me. Not because I didn't care about him, but because the conversation between Draco and Snape was far more important.
"What if I hexed that Bell girl? What if I didn't? What's up to you?" said Draco.
The heat started rising all the way up to my head.
"I swore to protect you! I made the Unbreakable Vow!" said Snape aggressively.
"I don't need protection! I was chosen for this. Out of all others! Me! And I won't fail him!" answered Draco.
"You're afraid, Draco!" realised Snape. "Let me assist you!"
"No! I was chosen! This is my moment!" answered Draco and ran away without even realising that I was there, and leaving Snape as still as a statute.
I didn't know what I should think. I knew about the Unbreakable Vow. It was a vow you made and if you broke it you would found yourself dead in a minute. But why would Snape do it? And what was that thing about which Draco was chosen? I had seen a hundred visions about it but yet, I couldn't find out what it was talking about. The only thing sure was Draco was chosen for something but that didn't tell me much. The fact that Draco was afraid didn't mean me anything either.
I stayed where I was until I was sure Harry had left but when I made to go, Snape, who was still standing where Draco had left him, saw me and came up to me. He pushed me against the wall and warned.
"I don't know what you've heard, I don't care what you've heard. But if you-"
"I don't know what you're talking about, sir!"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" he said and pulled out his wand and pushed the tip against my throat. "I can even erase it from your memory in no time. But don't make me do it! I want to believe that you won't say anything to anyone, even if you haven't understood what we were talking about. And I won't hurt you. Only out of respect."
"Respect? Do you respect my father? Or my godfather? Don't think that I'm a fool. Dumbledore trusts you. But you offer to help Draco, who, if I'm not mistaken, is about to do something because Voldemort told him to - whatever that is. Whose side are you, then?"
"How dare you talking to me like that?"
"How dare you making someone trust you without even meaning it. You've either made Voldemort think you're on his side or Dumbledore think that you're a member of the Order! And neither of these actions make me respect you. And you try to make me think that you respect me?"
"It's not you I respect."
"Who then?" I asked.
"Your mother's memory."
My eyes were opening wider by the second, I forgot how to breathe and almost choked on my own saliva. I reviewed the list of men that had confessed their love for my mother. It was true that Snape hadn't so much as said four words, yet I dreaded the thought that he was the next one on this list.
Somehow I couldn't see Snape loving a woman. As he flicked his robe and walked away, I opened my mouth in a smile and tried to contain a laughter.
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