ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴅʀᴀᴛᴛᴇᴅ ʟɪʟᴀ ʜᴏʟᴍᴇꜱ || ᴅʀᴀᴄᴏ ᴍᴀʟꜰᴏʏ x ᴏᴄ || ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ 1-3

good

a/n: sorry for the length of this chapter and the next one!! lots of draco/lila fluff <33

The ride ended almost too soon as we hit the soggy floor of Myrtle's bathroom. The sink, which had opened for our arrival, slid back into place. Standing around us were Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and who I assumed to be Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

There was a scream. Mrs. Weasley had pulled both Ron and Ginny to their feet and had them both in a death-grip hug.

"Ginny you're alive! You saved her! You saved her!"

"We're okay, mum," Rom was saying shakily. The rest of us helped ourselves up to our feet. I sensed movement to my left. In the corner stood Malfoy, trying hard not to look relieved. I rushed over to him immediately.

"What's my time?" I asked with a wide grin.

"Twenty five minutes." He drawled. "Lucky."

"Talented, is more like it." I chided. He rolled his eyes.

"Or reckless, impulsive, moronic—"

"Mr. Malfoy came to fetch us," said McGonagall, bringing everyone's attention to us. She looked to me. "On your instructions, he said? How are you even out of bed?"

"It's a very long story," I told her. "I'll discuss it with everyone, later."

I looked to Dumbledore meaningfully. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, we can discuss that in private, Minerva," he said to her. "What I'd like to know is how you've all done it alive?"

Harry explained everything from his point of view, telling them I'd appeared just in time to destroy the diary, and that Fawkes had saved him with his tears. Ginny also talked about her role with the diary, and Dumbledore explained how Voldemort had roots as Tom Riddle.

"I d-didn't know," she sobbed. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it—"

I felt Malfoy tense from beside me. He wouldn't look at any of us.

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore said firmly. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort."

Then, to my surprise, he turned to me. "And Lila, Draco here has told me that you've suffered a severe concussion? You should go up as well and get your rest. He's offered to escort you there."

I tried to protest, but the pain in my spine came surging back and I winced.

"Oh, alright," I said, though I glared at Malfoy. He looked away innocently, which almost brought a smile to my face. Almost.

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice - I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment." Dumbledore said. This did bring the smile to my face.

"So Hermione's okay!" Ron exclaimed, voicing my thoughts.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," Dumblefore assured her.

The Weasleys, minus Ron, left the bathroom. Malfoy and I exchanged a look and followed. The two of us held back several meters, Malfoy suddenly scowling again and dragging his feet.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He only shook his head. He stared up at the Weasley's with a forlorn look in his eye, and it clicked. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Malfoy, you can't take responsibility for your fathers actions, whether you share the same surname or not," I told him. When he didn't respond, I tried again. "You did all you could. You probably saved Hermione's life."