November Snow

f i f t y - f o u r

I couldn't stop my curiosity, maybe it was one of my weaknesses. The moment I saw Draco leaving the Entrance Hall, his face visible with fear as he witnessed Harry and Katie Bell talking to each other, I knew I had to figure out what he was trying to do. I remembered Harry accusing him for cursing Bell and Hermione telling me how Draco kept disappearing from the Marauders Map at certain times. I had to know.

I tried following him down the hallways after abandoning my breakfast toasts and eggs, but I lost him few minutes later. He just disappeared from my sight when I turned at the corner. I sighed in frustration and walked back to the Entrance Hall, continuing my meal.

I spent a whole day wondering what he was doing, getting so deep in my thoughts I didn't even listen to my friends talking to me. They decided to drop it and leave me alone after few minutes of talking to themselves. At last, I sat alone throughout the long day with no company.

As I walked down the corridor and back to the common room, I spotted Harry behind one of the big pillars. He didn't notice me, he was fixed at something else. I squinted my eyes for a better glimpse of what or who he was watching, and I wasn't surprise to find out it was Draco who was also lurking around. Draco ran, and Harry followed quietly behind, none of them noticed that I was there. Once again, curiosity rose inside me and I trailed behind the two boys.

I picked up my pace, trying to be as quiet as I could and followed them to a boy's washroom. I hesitated at the door, wondering whether I should go in. But through the crack, I could still see what was happening inside. Draco was leaning against a sink, he gave a shudder before bursting into tears. Harry came into his sight and he spun around, pointing his wand and fired, hitting the lamp above Harry's head. My hand flew up to my mouth as Harry fired back and narrowly missed Draco, hitting the sink behind him, water swept the ceiling and rained down. Harry ran further into the end of the washroom, out of my narrow sight of the scene. Through the water, I saw Draco ran out of his hiding place and aimed at where Harry ran to.

"Cruci--"

"Sectumsempra!" Harry shouted.

I watched him horror as the strange spell hit Draco square in the chest and he flew backwards, lying on the wet floor of the washroom. I couldn't stand there and watch anymore, I burst through the wooden door and sprinted towards Draco. He was bleeding, blood seeped through his white shirt and the water around him was running red. He panted in immense pain and I kneeled down next to him.

"You're going to be okay, Draco." I soothed him "I'll get help."

Harry walked out to the scene he played a part in making, his eyes fixed on the bloody boy on the ground with utter shock. I looked at him, a part in me wanted to point my wand at him and curse.

"Stay away from him, Harry!" I shouted.

He backed away in shock, I wasn't sure if it was because he saw what he had done or because of me shouting at him. The door burst open and we whipped our heads to see. Snape looked at Draco, then at Harry before crouching down next to the injured one. He placed one hand on his chest and mumbled an eerie ancient incantation. It felt like a movie playing backwards, the blood seeped through his white shirt and back into his body, his wound sealed magically. Draco moaned in pain before completely blacking out. And by that moment, Harry was already gone.

"Take him back to the common room." Snape said. For the first time he actually talked to me in a whole year.

"No." I said "He's hurt. We have to take him to the hospital wings."

"I said back to the common room." He said, not looking at me.

"And I said he's hurt. Madam Pomfrey can help." I shouted "Look, I don't care if you're avoiding me and not wanting to listen to me, but if you care for your own student then take him to the hospital wings to get him tended or I'll do it myself."

Snape stared at me for a good minute before seizing Draco's arm from my grip and lifted him up. We weren't far from the hospital wings, fortunately, and I followed him as he took Draco there, watched him handing the unconscious boy to a concerned Madam Pomfrey. After the woman said he was fine and only had to stay in the hospital wings for one night, Snape turned to leave. I was about to follow, but he looked at me.

"Stay with him. He needs you." He said.

"He has Madam Pomfrey." I said.

"You know what I mean." And he left immediately.

I paced around in the room, constantly glancing at the unconscious Slytherin on the bed. My mind kept replaying the fight between him and Harry back in the washroom. Why was he there? Where did Harry get that strange spell? And above all, why was he crying?

Midnight, my feet started to kill me. I sat down on the chair by the bed, observing the peaceful look on Draco's face. He used to look like this, carefree and mischievous, but now all I could see was depression and stress. All these years, even though I really cared for him, I hadn't really had a chance to look carefully at his face. I leaned in closer, pushing a stray strand of blond hair out of his forehead and took in his features. He was handsome, maybe that's why Parkinson had been obsessed with him all those time. The distance reminded me of the night at the Yule Ball, we were this close too...

Suddenly, he took in a deep breath. I jumped and fell backwards to my seat, acting normal as Draco slowly opened his eyes, he glanced around and his gazed dropped on me. I pulled my normal act and smiled, but it felt rather awkward to me. My heart was bumping against my chest and I could feel the color rising up my cheeks.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Terrible, but better." He said, grinning at me.

"And yet, you're smiling." I smirked.

"What were you trying to do?" He asked suddenly, still grinning.

"What?" I asked.

"Were you trying to..." He stopped, then smirked "...kiss me?"

"What? No!" I felt my cheeks burning.

"Oh really?" He asked "Because I swear I saw you this close." He used his thumb and index finger to indicate how close our faces were.

"No I wasn't, you're imagining things." I shook my head, but refused to look at him.

"Uh huh." He sat up and leaned forward, his face closer to me "I was pretty sure."

"I should probably give you some time alone." I stood up "You need some sleep."

I was barely standing up straight when a hand grabbed my wrist and pulled me down. I lost my balance and fell on the bed with a yelp. Before I could register what had happened, I found a pair of soft lips connecting with mine and my eyes widened. Draco's eyes were closing, his left hand snaked around my waist and his right hand gently placed at the back of my neck. He pulled me closer, swiftly sat me on his lap without interrupting the session. Slowly, I melted, my eyes closed and I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck as he deepened the kiss, I could feel his lips curled up into a small smile. We broke apart after what felt like hours, when we ran out of breath. His eyes stared into mine, his gaze held such affection and I blushed.

"I've always wanted to do that." He said breathlessly.

"Then why haven't you done that sooner?" I whispered.

"I have no idea, because I kind of enjoyed it." He smirked.

"Oh yeah?" I raised my eyebrow.

"Yeah." He whispered before recapturing my lips again.