The Healer- A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 4

Erica gets asked on a date and helps in the Hospital Wing.

Two nights passed since I healed Draco in the Slytherin common room, and I had no intention of seeing him again. What happened that night was an anomaly. Speaking of it to my friends would do more harm than good, anyway. In the best case, my friends would accuse me of lying, and in the worst case, they could believe me and scorn me for sharing such an intimate moment with the upperclassman they revered as a God.

I tried to steer clear of Draco, which as it turns out was not a difficult task. Draco was hardly present in the common room, and when I walked by the spots his posse would usually haunt, they were all present without him.

I rounded a corner that had a perfect view of the courtyard where Draco and his posse would hang out at in-between classes last year. Without staring, I noticed Crabbe, Goyle, Blaise, and Pansy- but no Draco. That shiny blonde head that resembled moonlight was nowhere in sight. I sighed. Strange behavior, even for him.

"Erica."

I looked over my shoulder at the male voice calling my name. To my disappointment, it was only Cade Sinclair. Cade was good-looking, but if you compared him side-by-side with Draco, Cade would look like a discount Draco knockoff. His hair was a duller shade of blonde, his skin imperfect with a few spots on his cheeks, and his height less... impressive. He would be my type if he just filled out his robes with a more mature figure.

"Hi, Cade," I greeted him as he decided to walk in step beside me.

"Sorry I haven't had the chance to say hi to you yet," Cade began, a self-assured smile on his face. "Quidditch tryouts are today. I've been practicing."

Unsure why he was telling me this information, I continued walking to my destination. "Don't worry about it." I didn't realize we were friends, is what I wanted to say. But I had the time to patronize him for a bit. "Are you going out for chaser this year?"

Cade puffed out his flat chest. "Of course. The way I see it, chasers are really what Quidditch is all about. All the other positions are just backup."

The best response I could give to his prattling was a forced scoff of agreement. I tried to speed up my walking, maybe lose him at the next intersection of the corridors, but he continued talking.

"Where are you headed?" he asked, quickening his step to keep up with me.

"The hospital wing," I replied.

His eyes widened. "Oh, are you hurt?"

"No," I smiled at his concern, "I help Madam Pomfrey."

"Oh, that's wicked. Do you think you might want to be a Healer? You know, when I was 9 I fell off my broom, broke my arm and foot. Spent a long stint at St Mungos-"

I reached the entrance to the hospital wing and turned to face Cade, preparing to say goodbye.

"I have to go now-" I began, but Cade interrupted me.

"I wanted to invite you to a party," Cade broke into an excited whisper. He positioned his left arm on the wall behind me, successfully cornering me. "Well, not exactly a party. Adrian brewed meade in the boys' toilet. Should be ready in a week. We were all going to drink it in our dorm, but we thought it would be more fun if..." he paused to search for the right words, "if you know, girls were there."

I tried to wrap my head around what exactly he was proposing. "Are you inviting me to a party a week in advance?"

Cade nodded, not seeing the issue. My face turned flushed. His attempt at asking me out was cute, but it did give me second-hand embarrassment. I desperately wanted out of this situation. So desperately, that I might just say-