Surprising turn - a turn for the better? Or into madness ... (Draco Ff)

Chapter 8 ~ A chaos of feelings and thoughts.

Viktoria Pov.

The night in the hospital wing wasn't particularly calming, much more a mess of feelings and thoughts.
I woke up drowsy in the white-covered bed, which was roughly in the middle of the hospital wing.
I tried to sit up, but the pain, which was clearly noticeable again because the potion was no longer effective, made me sink back into the pillow with a painful face.
It had to be around 6:00 am as the rising sun bathed the hospital wing a warm orange.
How long would I have slept and what should I tell the other students about my stay here?  I can hardly say that the dark lord himself tortured me unconscious.
I let my gaze wander through the rows of white-covered hospital beds and found that I was all alone.
I didn't know how I could ever look Malfoy in his eyes again without giving him any hope, but first of all I had to get out of here, secretly of course, because Madame Pomfrey would never let me go.
I gathered all my strength and sat up, although every single muscle in my body resisted it, I finally made it and sat up straight in bed.
It was good that someone brought me my school uniform so I didn't have to walk down the aisles of Hogwarts in a hospital nightgown.
After tying my green Slytherin tie, I stood up with my legs slightly wobbly.
Every step I took hurt, and so the way to the great hall was torture.
In front of the great hall, where breakfast was already in full swing, I paused for a moment and took a deep breath.  I pushed the big door and immediately all eyes were on me, even the teachers looked at me with partly pleased but also cautious looks.
And again I wondered how long I had been in the hospital wing and what was speculated about my absence.
I didn’t show anything and went to the Slytherin house table with my head held high.
I could immediately make out the blonde head of Draco Malfoy's hair and sat across from him, to my chagrin Parkinson and Zabini were only one seat away.
That could be cheerful ...
When they saw me, they immediately bombarded me with questions, all of which I skilfully avoided until Parkinson asked, "Is it true that Potter attacked you and put you in the hospital wing?"  "No", which made everyone look confused, the crushing silence wasn't exactly pleasant, so I turned away and unobtrusively let my gaze wander over to Potter, over to the Gryffindor table.  Apparently it's not just the Slytherins who think Potter attacked me, because everyone, really everyone, praised Potter for his great deed and he literally enjoyed it, even though everything was a lie.
After a while, I went back to the table discussions, the discussion about my absence was not over, only that almost all Slytherins now took part.  You couldn't blame them for it, because if Potter can do something, then it's to attract attention, which he once again achieved great with this lie.

When Potter and his inferior friends left the hall, I didn't think twice and followed them, what I didn't notice was that Malfoy, Zabini, Parkinson and other Slytherins had followed me, but I was faster.
Shortly after I left the hall, Potter had disappeared, I didn't think twice because I could imagine that they must have gone to the school grounds and thus left the school building as well.
And I should be right, because by the black lake, they had made themselves comfortable under the big tree.
I walked up to her with quick steps and pulled my wand out of my boot.

I pointed my wand straight at Potter and growled at him, "Potter, what's the point of telling a lie about me, do you need attention again or what is the reason that you have to act up again?"
All three turned jerkily in my direction and the weasel was just about to pull his wand too, but I deftly disarmed him with an "Expelliamus".
Apparently Potter had forgotten how to speak, as his mudblood friend replied for him, "Harry doesn't pretend and he doesn't seek attention either." She scolded me at this in a very rude tone.
"Who asked you for your opinion, you worthless, filthy mudblood".
"Don't call her that, you're not better just because you're pure-blood, that's nothing special, because I am too!", said Weasley.
I laughed in amusement
"That I don't laugh Weasley, you and your family are nothing but filthy blood traitors, and your parents have more children than they can feed -..."
"What's your bloody problem, Lestrange?" Potter interrupted, pointing his wand at me as well.
I gave a shrill laugh and now raised my wand a little higher, directly on Potter's lightning scar.
"Oh what's my problem?  I can tell you that, you are my problem! "

I noticed that a group of students had formed around us.  The Slytherins on my side and the rest on Potter's side, but I didn't let that get me down because of that.
I gripped my wand tighter, and at the same moment as Potter, I shot him a "stupor".  Potter defended himself with an "Expelliamus".
At first we were at eye level, the spells clashed over and over again, they met in the middle.
We both had concentrated expressions on our faces.  I only noticed that my strength was starting to wane after staying in the hospital wing.
However, I did not show my weakness and focused only on the here and now.
I didn't know how long this fight lasted until I lost my strength and Potter used this to disarm me.
When the magic hit me and my wand was torn from my hand and landed in Potters, I sank to my knees, so helpless, without a wand at all.
Time seemed to stand still.

The golden trio came up to me with quick steps, Potter leaned down and whispered in my ear.
"I know who and what you are, I'll get you, and Malfoy too, Death Eater at Hogwarts, really incomprehensible, I don't know what you're up to, but I'll find out and let you and Malfoy be blown as Death Eaters!"