CONQUERED - DRARRY

13

DRACO POV

"I'm going to kill Dumbledore," a woman said angrily. I didn't open my eyes.

"You're children! He's sending poisonous creatures after you now? Bloody stupid task, if you ask me. You know the entire premise was 'if you trust, you win'?! Absolutely unbelievable that no one has died! And in the first task-" her ranting drifted away. I cracked open one eye.

"Draco!" Harry Potter was looking down at me, eyes wide and surprised. I looked back at him weakly.

"Potter?"

"He's awake, Madam Pomfrey!"

I glanced around. I was lying in a bed of white sheets, under fluorescent lighting. I winced. A hospital. A woman loomed over me, tutting loudly.

"How are you feeling, dear?"

I resisted the urge to answer sarcastically. "Alright."

She tutted, loudly. "Honestly," she thrust a vial into my hand. I looked at it slowly, my vision and head throbbing in synch.

"Gee, thanks," I tried to identify the bottle, but it was blank. The woman's large, bug-like blue eyes narrowed, her hands on her narrow hips. Her white apron was stained with scarlet red streaks. I stupidly thought of a Rorschach test, and peered closer.
With a stat I realised it was blood.

"It's a salve. Use it every night over the scars. They're meant to lessen with time, but-" she rolled her eyes. I got the impression of an disapproving grandmother. "When Mr Scamander made it illegal for us to study sphinx's, and their venom, I really can't be sure how effective it will be for you, Mister Malfoy."

I thanked her, genuinely this time. She nodded curtly, undoubtedly still miffed at Mr Scamander for his sphinx rights advocacy. I closed my eyes, listening to the sound of her Mary-Janes clattering on the Hospital Wing tiles.

A shadow blocked the lighing. I frowned, and opened my eyes. Emerald green ones stated back at me. Potter was still here.

"You okay?" Harry whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" I asked at a regular volume, annoyed.

Harry inclined his head toward the other side of the hospital wing. I craned my head, ignoring the sharp pane shooting up my neck.

Bonnie was leaning over the bed at the very end, very still. Her hand was outstretched, as she clasped the hand sticking out of a bunch of bandages.

"I-" I started.

"Akira," Harry said under his breath. I looked closer, and sure enough, the bunch of bandages had a humanoid shape.

Harry and I watched as Akira coughed, the sound muffled beneath the gauze. Bonnie looked as if she'd been punched. It felt so private, I adverted my eyes. Harry did the same, instead turning to stare at me

"What happened?" I hated how gentle my voice sounded.

"Dragon. A young one. Bonnie was about to get barbecued after a misfired aguamenti, but Akira shielded her with his body. He was barely alive when Dumbledore and Bonnie brought him up."

"So you saw him come in?" I asked, morbid curiosity of what an almost dead person would look like.

Harry eyed me for a moment, painfully, but brilliant eyes large with meaning. "No?" He whispered. "We were still in the task."

A part of me realised this meant we had won. Franklin had rubbed off on me. One step closer to embracing the Dark Lord. But another, softer part of me hurt. Maybe it was just the poison, or my stiff neck, or maybe it was the guilt in Harrys eyes. He hasn't wanted to feel excited at our victory, when the place of celebration had to be the Hospital Wing. But he had to tell me. He wanted me to feel better.

And thought I wouldn't care who I hurt to win.