𝐊𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍 | 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘺

Chapter 36 - Love bets

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He looked at her 

the way she needed to be looked at

like the whole World could crumble

and he wouldn't blink.

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In no time at all, Defence Against the Dark Arts had become most people's favourite class. Betelgeuse was ecstatic, Professor Lupin had revealed himself to be a capable teacher. He could make lessons both entertaining and interesting.

Most of his classes were practical ones, so Betelgeuse had the opportunity to practise various spells, jinxes, and curses. Betelgeuse was practising the Impediment Jinx with Angelina when the door of the room opened.

"Professor Lupin," Betelgeuse heard the stiff voice of Professor McGonagall call, "May I have Ms Black for a minute?" Betelgeuse paused, looking at the older woman with impassive grey eyes.

"Of course, of course," Lupin replied, nodding to the Black. Betelgeuse made her way towards her Head of the House outside the classroom.

"There's been an accident, Mr Malfoy was taken to the Hospital Wing after—" Betelgeuse did not let McGonagall finish, she sprinted down corridors and flight of stairs till she reached the first floor. She stopped before the giant threshold of the Hospital Wing and tried to regain her bearings, then she went through the double doors.

Within the Hospital Wing were many rows of beds with white sheets, privacy screens, and bedpans. She saw a gaggle of Slytherins gathered around a bed where she could see a tuft of platinum blonde hair.

"Ms Black, what are you doing here?" Madam Pomfrey tried to stop the girl in vain. Betelgeuse sidestepped the school's matron, "Not now, Poppy."

She approached the bed without being noticed by the students.

"I'm dying!" Draco moaned as the Slytherins fussed on him. "It's nearly killed me!"

"They should sack him straight away!" a girl with short black hair said in tears. Betelgeuse could see that Madam Pomfrey had fixed him best she could. Leave it to her petulant cousin to say he was still in agony, moaning. His right arm was covered in bandages and bound up in a sling, acting as though he were the heroic survivor of some dreadful battle. "How is it, Draco?" the same girl simpered. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah," Draco replied, putting on a brave sort of grimace. Betelgeuse had enough when she saw her cousin wink at two brutes behind the worried girl.

"Draco," Betelgeuse drawled as her younger cousin snapped his head towards the girl. She advanced on him, the other students parted and left Draco's side. Betelgeuse noticed irked that the pedantic girl was still there, sat beside Draco on the bed. Betelgeuse nailed with her cool grey eyes the younger girl. She had the audacity to scoff, then turning to Draco she asked, "Who is this, Draco?"

Betelgeuse pondered how obnoxiously ignorant a person could be. Pug-face was clueless. "This," she replied with a slow calculated tone, "is his cousin. A Black. I suggest you, whoever you are, to step aside." The girl leapt from the bed and hurried away, leaving an accomplished Betelgeuse and a surprised Draco.