Chapter 8
A couple of days later, I was spending time with Harry, Ron, and Hermione discussing the impending Gryffindor Hufflepuff quidditch game. Snape was refereeing and Harry was scared that Snape would try and attack him. We were coming up with ideas on what he should do when Neville toppled into the common room. His legs were stuck together in what seemed to be a leg locker curse. Everyone was laughing as Hermione walked over to him and performed the countercurse.
"What happened," Hermione asked.
"I saw Malfoy outside of the library. He said he'd been looking for someone to practice that on" Neville said.
"We should go get McGonagall"
"NO. that would only make it worse"
"Well you have to stand up for yourself Neville," Ron said
"You can't let him push you around," I said
"He already told me I'm not brave enough to be in Gryffindor. I don't need you guys to tell me that"
"I'll talk to him. Besides the sorting hat put you here. You belong, Neville. Promise" I reached down and pulled him into a hug.
"You belong here, and Malfoy belongs in stinking Slytherin- no offense Maggy" Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate frog and gave it to Neville.
"Thanks, you guys. I think I'm going to head to bed" He opened the chocolate frog and pulled out the card and handed it to Harry, "I know you collect them"
Neville went upstairs and Harry took a look at his chocolate frog card.
"That's it! I knew I read about him somewhere!" he exclaimed.
"What is it, Harry?" I asked.
"I've found Flamel. I got Dumbledore and it says, ''Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the Dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel'!"
"Stay here," Hermione said. She raced upstairs and came back down with a big book that she used for light reading, and shushed everyone until she found what she was looking for.
"Can we speak now?" Ron grumbled.
"Nicolas Flamel (665) is the only known maker of the sorcerer's stone!" Hermione whispered excitedly.
I gasped, while the two boys looked clueless.
"Is that supposed to mean something?" Ron asked
"Don't you two read?" Hermione and I asked.
"The sorcerer's stone not only transforms any metal into pure gold but also produces the Elixir of Life, which makes the drinker immortal!" I exclaimed.
"That's what Fluffy and Dumbledore are hiding!" Hermione concluded excitedly.
"A stone that makes gold and stops you from ever dying!" said Harry. "No wonder Snape's after it! Anyone would want it."
"And no wonder we couldn't find Flamel in that Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry," said Ron. "He's not exactly recent if he's six hundred and sixty-five, is he?"
After our exciting discovery, I begrudgingly headed back to the dungeons. I faced the cellar and mumbled, "Salazar". When it opened up I saw Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, and Millicent laughing on the couch.
"I caught him outside the library and that's when I did it. He hopped all the way back to his common room!" Draco exclaimed.
"Serves the worthless prat right!" Pansy shrilled.
I just knew that they were talking about what Draco did to Neville. Before they could see me, I crept on the side table next to them, where their wands lay, and quickly hid them in my robes.
"That's not right you know. You're acting absolutely horrible to him for no reason." I said bravely.
"It was a bit of fun Roberts. Why do you care?" Malfoy sneered.
"Yeah, do you fancy the blood traitor?" Goyle mocked me.
I took a big gulp before raising my want.
"Floberts loves Schlongbottom!" Millicent laughed.
That was the last straw.
"Locomotor Wibbly" I cast at Crabbe, Goyle, and Milicent. The three of them got hit by my Jelly Legs Jinx and they collapsed. Malfoy and Pansy were desperately searching for their wands, but it was no use, the wands were in the pockets of my robes.
"Locomotor Mortis" I cried and hit both Pansy and Draco with a Leg Locker Curse.
I walked over to the frozen Malfoy.
"That's for messing with my friends, Malfoy." I spat in his face
I took out their wands and placed them on the mantle of the fireplace, just out of reach, and walked back to my dormitory. As I left, I heard Pansy cry for help while Crabbe and Goyle tried to perform "Unjellify". I laughed, knowing full well that it would take a while before a prefect saw them and performed a counter curse, and that they would think twice before messing with me or my friends again.
The next morning, I sat at the Slytherin table and ate breakfast with Theo, Blaise, Daphne, and Tracey. We were all talking about the quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. If the Gryffindors won, the next game would be Gryffindor vs Slytherin. But with Snape being the referee, we were sure that Gryffindor would lose. We were discussing this when Malfoy and his gang from last night trudged into the Great Hall. They all seemed tired and slightly annoyed but said nothing to me as they sat down and started their breakfast. It seemed that either they were going to plot revenge, or they were actually listening to me and becoming better people for once. I hoped it was the second one.
We packed up after breakfast and headed to the quidditch pitch to watch the game. I sat with Daphne and Tracey and as they cheered for Hufflepuff like the rest of the Slytherins, I silently cheered for Gryffindor, more importantly for Harry. The game wasn't as hectic or eventful as the last one. Harry kept on his broom and managed to catch the snitch and win the game for Gryffindor. Afterward, I walked off with the Slytherin girls to the common room. We decided to spend the night in the common room. Daphne and Pansy were doing their best Snape impressions while Millicent and I were laughing at them. Tracey was braiding my hair. It was nice to be surrounded by so many girls. I've been with my dad for so long and he always has been reserved and standoffish. We had our fun times, but for the most part, I felt so alone. Having these girls helped me feel like I had a big family filled with sisters.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when an angry Malfoy barged into the common room, his robes tattered and his face looking bruised and bloody. Without saying a word to anyone, he stormed towards the boy's dormitory. I looked after him. Even though I was still mad at him because of what he did to Neville, I felt bad for him and wanted to make sure he was okay.
"Guys this has been great, but I'm getting awfully tired. I'll see you guys in the dorm." I forced out a fake yawn and after they all chorused a goodnight, I turned and went straight for the boy's dorms.
I walked up to the door and hesitantly knocked.
"What do you want Roberts?" Malfoy growled out as he opened the door.
I looked at him closer. His robes were still tattered, almost shredded and he had bloodstained across his face and hands. I looked down at his bloody hands to see the knuckles bruised. I turned to his face. Other than the permanent scowl he always had, his right eye was swollen and bruised. He looked awful really.
I pushed past him, unbothered that I was disrupting the boy's dorms.
"What happened? Are you okay? Is that a black eye?"
"Bloody hell Roberts. D'you mind keeping it down. I have a pounding headache."
"Just answer my questions Malfoy. Are you hurt?"
I went over and sat on a bed and waited for him to explain.
"I got into a fight with Weasel at the quidditch game. Schlongbottom tried to take on Crabbe and Goyle. It was a real brawl, shame you missed it, Roberts."
"And what did you do to start the fight?" I headed to the bathroom to get some healing ointments and bandages, then headed back to sit next to him on the bed.
"Have some faith in me, Roberts. Why must you always assume the worst of me? Your pet ginger weasel could've started it you know."
I gave him a glare and started to clean and put ointment on his knuckles, trying not to pay attention to the fact that technically we were holding hands.
"Alright fine. I did start it. I called his family poor. But he was being a prat to be fair."
I wrapped his left hand and started working on the right.
"I'm sure he was but that does not mean you egg him into a fight D-Malfoy"
He smirked at me. "You almost said Draco"
I rolled my eyes and ignored his comment.
"So where are the rest of them then?"
"Schlongbottom is in the hospital wing, so are Crabbe and Goyle. I reckon the Weasel is at some Gryffindork party celebrating Potter's win."
I finished wrapping his knuckles and started to clean off the blood from his arms.
"And why aren't you at the hospital wing then?"
He winced. "Malfoys are not weak. My father would've heard and he would be mad. Besides it's not too bad," he lied.
I moved on to cleaning his face. I held his face in my hands. "It isn't weak to ask for help, Draco. Don't you ever forget that,"
We sat like that in silence as I finished cleaning up his face. It was a comfortable silence as I tried to finish my work as quickly as possible.
"This will sting a little, but you'll be good as new." I raised my hand with my wand to his eye while still holding his face in the other hand. "Hold still"
"Episkey!" I felt his face heat up and immediately cool down, the purple and black quickly going away. He touched his face, almost shocked that I healed him instead of messing with him.
He left to change into his pajamas and came back out starting to get into bed.
"You should rest Draco, that'll help you get rid of that horrid headache." I made my move to get off the bed and exit the room when he grabbed my hand pulling me in.
"Thank you, Maggy. For everything," he said softly, barely whispering.
I blushed and nodded my head, not daring to say anything.
I left the room, only staying a moment to peak at the sleeping blonde boy.
A/N: Sorry for the AVPM references. XD