Beauty and the Beast [Draco Malfoy]

Chapter Fifteen

Draco's POV:

I flew shamelessly down the corridors from my last class to the the hospital wing. My robes were billowing out behind me in a flurry and my bag thumped against my right leg with every stride. Students saw me coming and leapt out of my way, knowing I wouldn't stop for anyone.

It was time.

McGonagall told me that Snape had finished the antidote that morning and they would be giving it to Liz after classes. I wanted to be there as quickly as I could, so as soon as the professor had dismissed us, I had jumped up and sprinted away. There was no way I was going to miss Lizzie waking up. Not for the world.

I skidded around corner after corner and skipped up set after set of staircases. One unlucky second year hadn't seen me in time, and had been sent to the floor after I had bumped shoulders rather harshly with him.

When I reached the giant hospital wing doors, I heaved my weight into one and forced it open. McGonagall and Pomfrey stood beside Lizzie's bed and looked at me oddly when they saw me.

"Mr. Malfoy, I figured you would be here in a rush," Madam Pomfrey chuckled with a raised eyebrow. I hurried over to the chair beside them and sat down, a stitch in my side made me double over heaving for air.

"You needn't have run, however," McGonagall remarked.

"Sorry - Professor. I - didn't want - to - miss - her," I croaked between breaths.

"You know we would not have followed through without you, Mr. Malfoy," Pomfrey conceded. I nodded and continued to heave. Quidditch had kept me in shape, but sprinting across the castle had left me weak.

Slowly, my breathing returned to normal. My heart, however, remained pounding. I sat up and looked at the two women in front of me.

"How will this work, Professors?" I asked.

"I'll simply pour this flask into her mouth," Madam Pomfrey dictated, sweeping her hand to a clear bottle glinting in the light on Liz's bed side table. It contained a deep purple potion that reminded me of the night sky. "We're just waiting for Mr. Potter to arrive, and then I'll administer the potion." My gaze snapped up from Lizzie's sleeping form to Madam Pomfrey.

"Potter?" I seethed.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, Harry requested that he be here when Ms. Samuels wakes up," McGonagall declared.

Of course Potter wanted to be there when she woke up. Saint Potter felt responsible for Liz now that he thought they were friends. He had to live out that bloody hero part he was playing.

I was about to argue when the doors opened and none other than Harry Potter strode into the room. He strut across the floor and stood beside me.

"Malfoy," he greeted me civilly.

"Potter," I answered trying not to show how much I detested that he was standing so close to me.

"Alright, now that everyone is here, let's get this started. Poppy, if you would please," McGonagall requested.

For the first time, I wondered why McGonagall was involved with all of this. Snape was our head of house after all, not McGonagall, and it wasn't like she was the Headmaster.

Madam Pomfrey nodded and picked up the bottle. She gently placed a hand on Lizzie's chin and opened her mouth a bit more than it already was. Very slowly, Pomfrey placed the rim of the bottle on Lizzie's lips and poured the liquid in. She paused every few seconds to allow the liquid to slide completely down Liz's throat.

Once all of the purple solution was inside Lizzie's mouth, Pomfrey closed her mouth. I sat on the edge of my chair and held my breath.

This was it. Lizzie was finally going to wake up. After an agonizing month I was finally going to be able to apologize properly.