It Rains

Sectumsempra

The feeling of restlessness was unbearable.

The woman raised her eyes and stared into the purple afterglow of twilight. The smell of wet grass and the thunderous chirping of crickets wafted up to the infirmary windows where Laurel sat in the deepening evening shadows.

Her hands moved slowly and precisely, applying thick poultices of dittany over the terrible cuts on Malfoy's body.

That was the second day the boy had spent in the infirmary. Laurel at first did not believe that Harry Potter was capable of casting such an abhorrent curse on a person, even if it were your so called 'enemy' Draco Malfoy. But there was no doubt, Severus was a witness and Harry had admitted it: He used a dark curse against Malfoy.

He claimed that he did not know the repercussions of using that Sectumsempra curse, that he did not intend to cause that much damage. He claimed that he only did it because the blonde was about to use a Cruciatus on him. However, he flatly refused to confess where he had learned that unknown curse.

After that incident Severus seemed more irascible than ever:

"He thinks he can do whatever he wants at this school." — he was saying as he wrote a letter to the Malfoy family informing them of Draco's condition. —"He is a liar, a cheat."

"Maybe it's true, maybe he got that curse from one of the books in the restricted section" —Laurel answered.

Severus tightened his grip on the quill and stared at the parchment:

"I know he didn't".

Laurel sighed, again removing the cloths from Draco's chest and dipping them into the bowl of dittany essence she was holding in her hands.

"Potter. Damn you, Potter".

Laurel was taken aback by the brittle voice. She snapped up her eyes to his pale face, a single tear was trickling down his temple, getting lost in the messy blonde hair.

"I suppose you remember everything, Draco".

The boy lifted his head, attempting to look at his wounded chest, his eyes taken into the severe damage of the cuts. He spared a single glance to Laurel before letting himself fall back with a groan.

"Why are you here? Where is Madam Pomfrey?"

"Oh, Professor Sprout's Tentaculas are growing fussy and attacked the students during class. Madam Pomfrey is very busy now. I hope you don't mind that I am the one tending to you".

"Snape sent you to watch me, didn't he?"

"I am here on my own initiative. If I don't treat your wounds, you may be scarred for life." —she said harshly as she applied a new layer of poultice. —"You were lucky professor Snape found you so quickly, you could have bled to death."

Draco shrank slightly as he relieved the moments after the powerful curse lacerated his body.

"Why did you fight, Draco?"

"How am I supposed to know what goes through Potter's head?! He was the one attacking me..."

"He said you were about to Crucio him.

"And they believed him?"

"The staff is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt".

"Of course..." — Draco closed his eyes and gave an exasperated snort. — "He's been following me around, as so you do. Pestering me, fuddling with my work... You know very well why we fought".