Traitor: A Draco Malfoy Story

twenty-nine

My vision was fuzzy as I was ushered out of the common room. Professor McGonagall's arm was around my shoulder and she hurried me to the hospital wing along with Pansy who, too weak to walk, was pushed in a wheelchair. The voices that surrounded me fell on dull ears as I stared into empty space, still processing what was happening. The muddled sounds swam through my head as the chaos moved at a snail's pace.

The other students had been sent to bed and told not to speak of the incident, but I knew it was only a matter of time before people found out. The American freak who stole Pansy's magic, turning into her nothing but a Muggle. Who would they grow to hate more? Me, the danger? Or Pansy, the new outcast? With a small shake of my scrambled thoughts, I felt the disgust rise in my throat as it occurred to me that what I was worried about wasn't Pansy's wellbeing like I should be, but my own reputation. Maybe I wasn't as good as Sirius had claimed.

Two beds were pushed closer together and the great wooden doors to the hospital wing were closed as soon as we got inside. Pansy was laid on one and I crawled onto the other, falling back onto the pillow to stare at the vaulted stone ceiling. I'd never truly looked up inside the castle before, and in the fog of shock and the fear that shrouded my mind, the delicate curve of the stone and the strong scaffolding that held the roof up with ease was breathtakingly beautiful. The support that the building had brought me comfort though I was aware that I didn't have that own support.

Jenna was standing next to me, holding my hand tightly, but not enough to hurt. I could feel her arm move as she tapped her foot. It was her tell that she was extremely nervous, though I wasn't sure if it was because Pansy might be hurt or because I might get in trouble. She made her best attempt to smile down at me but it soured into a grimace, and the comfort she had attempted to bestow only made me more upset. She knew this too and looked away. She took a labored breath, but she did not let go of me.

I was keenly aware of Draco's presence at the end of the bed, the end of my bed. Why wasn't he with Pansy? He hovered near the left corner and he looked like he was contemplating bolting for the door, but he stayed there staring at me, unmoving. I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall barked. "What are you still doing here? Don't you have someplace to be?" The dislike for the boy was prevalent in her voice and he backed away like a terrified animal at her voice before regaining his usual cold demeanor. 

"My apologies, Professor. I'll see myself out."

"As you should," McGonagall huffed.

To my own surprise, I heard myself say, "No."

McGonagall looked at me. "What was that, dear?"

I closed my eyes and let my head slowly drift to face in Jenna's direction. "He can stay." I took a deep breath.

Jenna squeezed my hand in reassurance. I knew she still wasn't happy about my strange connection with him, but she didn't say anything. She knew it wasn't the time, and I appreciated her all the more for it. Malfoy reassumed his post at the end of my bed.

Pansy had been weakly yelling the whole time, things like, "I'll kill you, you bitch!" and "You've ripped away my whole soul!" She sounded as stupid as she looked, thrashing around in bed like a fish out of water. It got so bad that after several minutes of trying to calm her down to look for any external damage from what I'd done, Madame Pomfrey uttered a quiet, "Immobulus."

With a small pop, Dumbledore appeared out of thin air, his body forming out of a blue, tan, and gray mass of man.

Jenna gasped, startled. "I thought you couldn't apparate inside of Hogwarts."