PRINCESS ➳ harry potter , draco malfoy (OLD VERSION)

114 || Mischief Managed

Everything was dark. There was a dull rumble of noise in her ears — as if there was movement around her but all sounds were foggy, giving off the effect that she was underwater. She was aware of the cool floor beneath her, and the cool air blowing on her face.

Was this death? An eternity of total darkness in which she could hear nothing but the mumble of other lost souls. It could have been worse, she supposed. She could have been dammed to suffer all eternity in a burning city and fiery pits — a land of pain and punishment.

Then she heard it, the soft sound of Draco Malfoy's voice, growing steadily louder in her ears. Someone else was with him. Katerina recognised this voice too. It was Ginny.

"She doesn't have a pulse, Draco," she told him, yet Katie could tell by the croakiness of Ginny's voice that she was crying. "It's been ten minutes, Madam Pomfrey done all that she can, she's not waking up."

"She will!" Draco protested. "She will wake up!"

Their voices sounded distant, like they were part of a dream. Suddenly, as if it had never been there at all, the rumble in Katie's ears vanished, and she could hear mutterings, the patter of footsteps, and even some laughter. Then she became aware of her own heart beating rhythmically against her ribcage. It was pumping blood throughout her body... it was keeping her alive...

Katerina Blair's eyes fluttered open and she was momentarily blinded by the light. For a second, she believed she was dead once more, staring up into the heavens, but then she recognised the ceiling of the Great Hall. It was lighter than it had been when she collapsed, yet still a pale navy, as the smallest bit of rising sunlight crept inside the windows of the Great Hall.

"Rina!" Draco cried. "She's alive! Ginny, she's alive!"

Soft, cold hands caressed Katie's cheeks. She was confused. She did not know what was going on, but a familiar face above her came into focus. Pale, silver eyes bloodshot, cheeks streaked with tears — Draco Malfoy was smiling down at her and crying with relief.

He kissed her forehead and cradled her head, and she couldn't help but smile. Ginny was also kneeling by Katie's side, clutching one of her frail hands.

"You said she had no pulse." Draco said to Ginny, yet his voice was filled with too much joy to sound even the slightest bit angry.

"It — it just have been really faint," Ginny responded. "Bloody hell, Katie, we thought you were gone."

"So did I." Katie chuckled. She tried to sit up but her ribs ached and she groaned in pain.

"Broken ribs." Draco muttered, then he called Madam Pomfrey over.

The woman gave Katie an odd purple potion that mended her broken bones in a heartbeat, then she gave her some chocolate for good measure, and Katie was reminded, with a stab of grief, of Remus Lupin.

"Where's Harry?" Katie asked. "Ron? Hermione?"

"They went up to Dumbledore's office," Draco answered. "They didn't want to see you like this. They thought you were dead too."

Having almost died only minutes before, Katie found that she had a new appreciation for the smallest things in life. She lay her head back in Draco's lap, breathing the crisp dawn air that was seeping in through the open doors. Ginny rubbed circles on her hand and Draco stroked her hair, which had long fallen out of its braid. As she gazed up into his face, Katerina noticed something that she had never noticed before.

Tiny, pale dots, almost invisible specks of a slightly darker colour than Draco's skin lay scattered in an odd pattern across his nose and upper cheeks. She giggled and he raised an eyebrow.