Tense Rivalries
Harry opened his eyes slowly, feeling tired and sore. He couldn�t see anything. At first, he thought he might still be asleep, but then he realized that it was just dark. Just the same, he reached his arm out to the table by his bed and felt around until he found his glasses, putting them on. This didn�t help his vision, but it made him feel more awake.
A small amount of light across the room caught Harry�s eye and he saw Madam Pomfrey coming out of her office, holding a candle in one hand and her wand in the other. She walked right past Harry, not seeing that he was awake, and went to instead to a curtain across the room that Harry knew was drawn to hide a patient from prying eyes. Setting her candle on a nearby table, she pushed the curtain aside and slipped in too quickly for Harry to see what, or who, was behind it.
Madam Pomfrey came out several minutes later, picking up her candle again and shaking her head. As she walked past Harry�s bed, he heard her muttering to herself.
�Never seen anything like it,� she said. �Don�t know how I�ll tell them.� She went back to her office and shut the door, plunging the room into darkness again.
Harry turned his head to look at the place where she had been. Ginny must be the person behind the curtain. After all, how many students could be in the hospital wing on the first day?
Harry knew only one thing for certain. He had to see her. He had to see for his own eyes that she was all right, or he wouldn�t be able to think about anything else. He had to know why Madam Pomfrey wouldn�t let even Ron see her.
Harry sat up hesitantly, but the pain in his back was now reduced to just the slightest twinge. He swung his feet over the side of the bed and stood up, his knees shaking slightly at first, but then becoming steadier. He tiptoed across the room, trying not to make any noise. At one point, he stubbed his toe on something and almost swore, but luckily caught himself. He reached out his hand and felt around until he found the curtain. He took a deep breath, pulled it back, and stepped in.
Harry had to shut his eyes immediately as a bright light temporarily blinded him. He heard a quiet moan from somewhere in front of him and forced himself to open his eyes slightly. The light seemed to be coming from a crystal on the table, which was humming loudly and glowing. The sound he had heard, however, came from the bed next to the table.
It was Ginny, just as he�d suspected. She was lying on her side, twitching and moaning softly. At first, Harry thought she was asleep, but then he saw that her eyes were not closed, but rolled back into her head, so that only the white was visible. As Harry watched her, she whispered something that he couldn�t hear. Then, she spoke it a little louder, sounding fearful.
�Get out of my head,� she said softly, shivering violently and wrapping her arms around herself. Without warning, she turned over onto her back and screamed, �Get out of my head!� She kept repeating these words, bringing her hands up to her head. Then, to Harry�s horror she started clawing at her own face and arms. Blood flowed from the gashes her nails left in the skin, staining the white, hospital sheets.
The curtain was thrown open and Madam Pomfrey burst through. �Foolish boy,� she hissed. Harry opened his mouth to say something but she didn�t give him a chance. �Don�t just stand there! Hold her arms down!�
Harry flinched at the severity of her words and immediately grabbed Ginny�s arms to stop her from hurting herself anymore. Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand and quickly conjured ropes around Ginny�s wrists and ankles, tying her to the bed. Ginny continued to scream thrash around, but at least now she couldn�t hurt herself.
Madam Pomfrey gestured for Harry to follow her and they walked away from Ginny a few feet. Madam Pomfrey closed the curtains around Ginny�s bed and waved her wand. Ginny�s cries immediately stopped, which meant that the spell must have been a Silencing Charm.
�I�m sorry,� Harry said, bowing his head. �I didn�t mean��
�Don�t be,� Madam Pomfrey said. �You just didn�t know.�
�So, what happened to her?� Harry asked, looking back up.
�Well, as you know, dementors make a person relive the worst event of their lives,� Madam Pomfrey said. �My best guess is that she somehow got caught in a loop, which means that the event, or at least part of it, keeps replaying over and over in her mind. Do you have any idea what her worst memory might be?�
Harry was just about to say no, but then he remembered that he did know. He explained what happened in Ginny�s first year when she was taken into the Chamber of Secrets.
Madam Pomfrey shook her head sadly. �If it�s something else, I�m not sure I want to know what it is. Poor girl must be reliving the possession. It seems that she�s caught sometime between when she figured out that she was being possessed and when she became too weak to do anything about it.�
�Is she going to be all right?� Harry asked.
�I don�t know,� Madam Pomfrey said. �If this lasts for too long, I know spells that can be used to keep her from starving, but I can�t wake her up. I suppose she will be all right as long as she�s in the loop, but if she starts progressing, I�m afraid her life could be in danger. It seems that last time your defeating Tom Riddle saved her, but since this Tom Riddle only exists in her mind, there�s no way to help her fight him.�
�But why did she start scratching at herself like that?� Harry asked. �She didn�t do that before.�
�Perhaps it is what she would�ve done had she been able to control her actions,� Madam Pomfrey said. �It seems that whenever someone comes near her, she feels their presence to be that of Tom Riddle and starts to panic. If she was truly being possessed, she wouldn�t be able to do anything, but since she isn�t� Anyway, that is why I didn�t tell even her brother about her condition or let anyone near her. I don�t want her panicking anymore than she has to. I tried using a mild sedation spell earlier, but it seems now that it wasn�t enough. Until I can get the spell adjusted, I must ask you not to come over here again. I will let you know when you can see her again.�
�Okay,� Harry said. He might break the rules from time to time, but he would never do anything to risk hurting Ginny.
�It seems that you�re better now,� Madam Pomfrey said, �and as it�s about time for breakfast, I suppose you may go.� She walked past Harry and toward her office.
Harry looked out the window, and, sure enough, the sun was rising. He looked at his watch (it was almost 8:00), and started for the door. Just before leaving, he glanced back at the curtains that enclosed Ginny. He didn�t feel right just leaving her, but what else could he do? How do you save someone from a captor who doesn�t exist anymore?
~~~~~~~~~~
�I don�t believe this,� Draco muttered to himself when he stepped outside his room and saw Weasley fast asleep on the red couch. He was just considering throwing something at him when Hermione�s door opened.
�Don�t even say it,� she warned. �I�m not in the mood.�
�I wasn�t going to say anything,� Draco said truthfully, as Hermione went to wake Ron. Then, he smirked. �You�re just being paranoid.�
�Better than being a twitchy little ferret who�s afraid of a paranoid Auror,� Hermione shot back.
Draco growled slightly under his breath. She brought up that ferret incident at least once a year without fail and it always got to him. It was the single most embarrassing moment of his life. And, to make matters worse, he couldn�t think of a good comeback.
�I don�t have time for this,� he said, turning his back and walking toward the portrait. When he stepped out, he almost ran right smack into someone.
�Watch it Malfoy,� a voice Draco would recognize anywhere said.
�You better watch yourself Potter,� Draco hissed, smirking. �You don�t want to end up like your parents.�
Potter looked like he was on the verge of lunging at Draco. He braced himself for a fight, but it never came. Granger had chosen that moment to come out of the common room with Weasley.
�Harry,� she said, sounding surprised, �Madam Pomfrey let you out?� She turned to Draco and stared at him as if he were something disgusting on the bottom of her shoe. �This is a private conversation, Malfoy. I suggest you get your arse out of here before we both have the unpleasantness of my foot being shoved up it.�
Draco turned back to Potter and wiggled his eyebrows. �Pretty pathetic when your girlfriend has to stand up for you, isn�t it Potter?� He tilted his head to look at Granger again and took a step toward her, looking her up and down. �Too bad it�s against the Malfoy code to hit a girl.�
�Too bad it�s against my moral code to kick a man between the legs,� Granger shot back. �Then again, I wouldn�t exactly call you a man.�
�Oh, that really hurts,� Draco said sarcastically, taking yet another step forward so that his face was now mere inches from Granger�s. �Maybe you should take a look at some of the so called �guys� you shack up with before making that assessment.�
Draco felt a sharp tug on the back of his robes and before he knew it, he flew across the hallway, hitting the wall hard. He heard a sickening snap and felt a piercing pain in his chest, but managed to get to his feet, breathing heavily.
�Don�t insult my friends Malfoy,� Potter warned.
Draco forced himself to stand up straight and gave a wheezing laugh. �Did anyone ever tell you, you throw like a girl, Potter?� he asked, but was unable to keep the pain out of his voice as he clutched at the wall to keep from falling down.
Potter started forward, but Granger threw out her arm to stop him. �Harry, don�t,� she said. �You go on to class.�
�What about you?� he asked, glaring at Draco.
�I�ll be fine,� Granger said, as she turned back to look at Draco. �Just make sure Ron gets to class on time too.� She saw the look of apprehension on his face and added, �Really, I�ll be fine.�
Potter hesitated for a moment before nodding. He grabbed the sleeve of Weasley�s robes and led him away, leaving Draco and Granger alone. She stepped forward and folded her arms, looking down at him without the least bit of sympathy.
�You�re hurt,� she said simply. It was not with concern, just a statement of fact.
�It�s not bad,� Draco muttered, trying in vain to straighten back up again. He hated when people could look down at him.
�Not bad?� Granger gave a dry laugh. �You left a blood stain on the wall.�
Draco leaned away from the wall enough to look at it. There was indeed a large, dark red stain on the stone, drips starting to run down the wall toward the floor. Draco gently touched the back of his robes and was horrified when he felt something sharp sticking out of his back. When he took his hand away, it was covered in blood.
Draco was able to compose himself enough to reply, �What�s your point?�
�My point,� Granger said impatiently, �is that you need to go to the hospital wing. It�s my duty as Head Girl to make sure you get there.�
�And it�s my duty as Head Boy to tell you to fuck off,� Draco growled, narrowing his eyes at her as his vision blurred slightly.
�Okay then,� Granger said, crossing her arms, �if you�re so sure you can make it on your own, let go of the wall and start walking.�
Not about to be proven wrong by a Gryffindor, Draco took a deep breath and stepped away from the wall. He immediately felt lightheaded, but still wanted to show up Granger. He took another step forward. Unfortunately, his foot hit the ground at the wrong angle and twisted painfully, causing him to fall to his knees, wincing as the thing sticking out of his back shifted, probably tearing through more of his skin. He had to bite his lip to keep from yelling.
Granger came over swiftly and crouched down next to him. �As I see it, you have two choices,� she said. �You can either come willingly, or�� she pulled out her wand, �I can show you what a full body bind feels like.�
�Okay, fine,� Draco said, unable to keep this up any longer. �You Gryffindors are about as reasonable as rabid werewolves during the full moon.�
�Or I could just wait for you to pass out from the blood loss,� Granger added, smiling slyly, but she grabbed his arm anyway, pulling him to his feet. She then wrapped his arm around her shoulders and started leading him down the hallway. Draco would�ve made more sarcastic comments, but he was feeling too faint to do much more that limp along next to her, trying not to lean on her more than he had to.
It seemed to take forever to get to the hospital wing, during which time Draco was sure he must�ve blacked out at least once. When they finally got there, he could barely even stand anymore, even with Granger helping him.
�Madam Pomfrey,� Granger called as she pushed the door open and quickly led Draco over to the nearest bed. When she�d made sure he didn�t need to be held up anymore, she visibly shuddered. Across the room, Madam Pomfrey came out from behind a curtain, shutting it quickly behind her so they couldn�t see what was behind it.
�What happened?� she asked, not sounding the least bit surprised. Draco was always getting into fights with Potter and ending up here.
�He got into a fight,� Granger said before Draco could answer.
�Okay,� Madam Pomfrey said, �I�m going to ask you to wait out here while I heal him.� Before Granger could answer, she shut the curtains around Draco�s bed so that Granger could no longer see them. Then, she turned to Draco. �All right, off with the robe. And don�t give me that look, you students� minds would do good to get out of the gutters.�
Draco sighed and silently thanked the fact that they wore clothes that slightly resembled those of Muggles under their robes. He took off the robe and his shirt so that he was now naked from the waist up.
Madam Pomfrey drew in a sharp breath when she saw how badly he�d been injured. Draco was similarly surprised. It seemed that the thing he�d felt sticking out of his back was one of his ribs that had broken and pierced through the skin. Now that it was uncovered, the wound bled freely.
�All right, hold still,� Madam Pomfrey said, pulling out her wand and pointing it at the place where the bone was sticking out. �Resarcio!�
Draco shuddered involuntarily as he watched as his bone slowly moved back into place and the skin healed over it. It didn�t hurt, but it still made him feel a bit nauseous.
Madam Pomfrey stood back to admire her work and shook her head sadly. �Too thin,� he heard her mutter to herself. Then she blinked a couple of times and spoke her next words more loudly. �Is there anything else?�
�Yeah,� Draco said, stretching out his leg, �I think I twisted my ankle.�
Madam Pomfrey bent to examine the ankle and jerked her head. �No, it�s sprained.� She said a spell that Draco didn�t quite catch and his ankle suddenly felt much better.
�All right,� Madam Pomfrey said. She waited for Draco to put his shirt and robe back on before opening the curtain so that Granger could see in again. �You should be fine to go, Mr. Malfoy, but you might still be a little weak from the blood loss, so don�t over do it. I�ll write you two late passes for your classes.� She went to her office, leaving Draco and Granger to glare at each other.
Granger was the first to break the silence, speaking slowly and carefully, as though each word pained her. �You know, I don�t agree with what Harry did.�
Draco smirked and tilted his head to the side. �What, when he threw me against the bloody wall and damn near killed me?�
�He shouldn�t have done it,� Granger said through gritted teeth, and Draco knew he was grinding her nerves.
�I agree,� Draco said, raising his eyebrows. �He should�ve thrown himself at the wall.�
�That�s it!� Granger snapped, her eyes flashing. �I tried to be nice, but even I have limits!�
Draco kept his face calm and emotionless as he replied. �I don�t need the pity of a smart ass Mudblood.�
�I�� Granger stopped as Madam Pomfrey stepped out of her office.
�Not fighting, are we?� Madam Pomfrey asked, eyeing them suspiciously. �If there�s one thing I won�t tolerate, it�s unnecessary bloodshed. Too much of that in here as it is.�
Draco gave the closest thing he could to a smile and shook his head. After all, he hadn�t been fighting. He�d just been stating the facts.
�All right,� Madam Pomfrey said, handing them each a piece of parchment with a note written on it, �I put that you�re to be in your class no less than ten minutes from now, so no trying to skip. Go on, I have another patient.�
�How is Ginny?� Granger asked.
�I�m afraid I still can�t tell you,� Madam Pomfrey said, shaking her head. �You�ll understand in time.�
Draco walked out the door, wanting to get out quick so he wouldn�t be seen with Granger. Rumors spread quickly in Hogwarts. Draco should know, he started most of them. He pushed his bangs out of his eyes and started down the hallway towards the Charms corridor.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry watched in amazement as Hermione walked into the Transfiguration classroom. She was never late. And yet there she was, apologizing to Professor McGonagall and giving her a note to explain where she�d been. Professor McGonagall nodded and pointed to the empty seat next to Harry. Hermione immediately came over and sat down, folding her hands on the desk and leaning forward to listen.
�At the beginning of your first year,� Professor McGonagall said, �you saw me turn this desk into a pig and back, like so.� She waved her wand and did just that. �Now you will be learning how. Now, remember, the trick is to picture it in your mind. If you don�t, you could end up with anything from a giant flobberworm to a baby dragon. The spell itself is Vicissitudo. To reverse it, just say the spell again and imagine the pig to be a desk. Everyone partner up and practice on one desk. That way if the spells go wrong I�ll only lose half as many desks.�
�Harry,� Hermione whispered, leaning towards him, �will you be my partner? Ron�s kinda out of it.�
�Sure,� Harry said. He had some questions to ask her anyway. �What about Ron?�
�Professor McGonagall will pair him up with someone,� she said offhandedly. Then she pointed. �See?�
Harry looked and sure enough, Ron was getting paired up with a Ravenclaw whose name Harry didn�t know.
�All right, let�s get to work,� Hermione said, rolling up her sleeves. She pointed her wand at the desk and sounded almost bored when she said, �Vicissitudo!� The desk immediately turned into a pig. She said it again and it turned back again. �You�re turn.�
Harry took a deep breath and looked at the desk hesitantly. �Vicissitudo!� he said. The desk seemed to almost think for a moment before shrinking down into the form of a raven. The bird cawed and took off into the air.
Hermione doubled over, laughing and gasping for breath. �Not even close,� she managed to say before giggling again.
Professor McGonagall sighed and waved her wand so that the raven became a desk again and fell to the floor with a loud crash. �This is why I hate teaching this spell,� she muttered, going back to the book she�d been reading.
�Why don�t you try it again?� Hermione suggested, as she straightened back up, clutching her side.
Harry raised an eyebrow, but turned back to the desk, trying to concentrate. �Vicissitudo!� he said and watched in embarrassment as the desk turned into a chicken.
Hermione looked like she wasn�t trying to laugh again as she patted Harry on the back. �You�re doing better,� she said, waving her wand so the chicken became a desk again. �At least it was a farm animal this time.�
Harry sighed and threw his wand down at the ground. �I can�t do it,� he growled.
�Oh Harry, of course you can,� Hermione said, bending to pick up Harry�s wand and giving it back to him. �You�re not doing any worse than everyone else. I mean, look at Seamus.�
Harry looked up and had to fight back a laugh as he watched Seamus being chased around the room by a large, snow white dog. In the end, Dean Thomas ended up having to run forward and turn it back into a desk.
�All right, I�ll try one more time,� Harry said, turning toward the desk again. This time, he shut his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could. �Vicissitudo!� He opened his eyes and, to his relief, saw that his desk had turned into a pig.
�Nice,� Hermione nodded. �but if I were you, I�d wouldn�t close my eyes next time. You almost missed.�
�Vicissitudo!� Harry repeated so that the pig once again became a desk. Then, he turned to Hermione, shaking his head. �You always find a way to criticize.�
�It�s a gift,� Hermione said as Professor McGonagall came over.
�Excellent,� she said, �five points to Gryffindor for each of you. Since you two seem to have gotten the hang of it faster than the other students, you may talk quietly for the rest of the class if you like.� She went back to her desk and resumed her reading.
�She must be in a good mood,� Harry muttered as they went to sit in the unused desks on the other side of the room.
�Yeah,� Hermione said, �I guess no one�s gotten on her nerves yet today.�
�So, where were you before class?� Harry asked, eyeing her suspiciously. �You�re never late.�
Hermione hesitated for a moment before speaking. �Promise you won�t be mad?�
�Mad?� Harry asked. �Why would I be mad?�
�Well, if you must know,� Hermione said, �I was taking Malfoy to the hospital wing.�
�What?� Harry could hardly believe what he was hearing. �Malfoy?�
�Yes,� Hermione said, nodding solemnly, �it�s my job as Head Girl to make sure injured students get to the hospital wing.�
�But still�� Harry said, grimacing at the thought. �Malfoy?�
Hermione just nodded this time and seemed to be avoiding Harry�s eye.
Harry thought for a moment before saying under his breath, �I hope he was really hurt.�
�He was,� Hermione said and now she was definitely avoiding his eye. �You hurt him pretty bad. I think you broke at least one of his ribs.�
�Good,� Harry muttered. Then, something suddenly dawned on him. �Are you okay? Did he hurt you? If he did, I�ll kill him��
�No,� Hermione said quickly, grabbing his arm, �he didn�t. He was a bit nasty, but he didn�t. Harry, please try not to start more fights with him.�
�Why?� Harry asked, completely thrown off by this request. �Like Ron said yesterday, he�s made our lives miserable since we met him.�
�Yeah, but lately�� Hermione broke off, seeming to be lost for words momentarily before continuing, �I don�t know, I�ve just started feeling sorry for him.�
�Why?� Harry asked again.
�Because I don�t think he can help how he is,� Hermione said, lowering her voice slightly as though afraid she�d be overheard. �It�s how he was raised, so he doesn�t now anything different. If anyone�s to blame, it should be his father.�
Harry was silent after she finished, not knowing what to say. Hermione seemed to notice this and shook her head. �I�m not asking you to lay off completely,� she said and gave a small smile. �Just try not to kill him.�
�Okay,� Harry said, �I guess that�s a reasonable request. I don�t think I�d go to that extreme unless he went insane and started choking me.�
�Well, if he does that, you have my permission,� Hermione said. Then, she became serious again. �I asked about Ginny, but Madam Pomfrey still wouldn�t tell me anything.�
This time, it was Harry who wouldn�t meet Hermione�s eye. He looked down at his desk instead, pretending to be fascinated by a line that seemed to have been carved into the wood.
�What is it?� Hermione asked, tilting her head. When Harry didn�t answer, she grabbed his hand and repeated the question.
Harry looked up from the desk, but focused on the front of the room, still not wanting to look at her. �Last night,� he said, his voice barely a whisper, �I got up and went to a closed curtain on the other side of the hospital wing. Hermione,� he forced himself to look at her, aware that his voice was shaking, �I saw her.�
Hermione drew in a sharp breath and her hand tightened around his. �Is she all right?� she asked immediately.
Harry shook his head, turning his eyes back to his desk. �She�s in really bad shape. When the dementors attacked, she had to relive her worst memory, and�� Harry�s voice broke off.
�What?� Hermione asked, leaning closer so that her face was now mere inches from his.
Harry forced himself to continue. �She�s trapped,� he said, shutting his eyes quickly as they started to sting. �She keeps reliving it in her mind.�
�Isn�t her worst memory�� Hermione started.
�Yeah,� Harry interrupted, �it is. When I saw her, she went into a fit, screaming at him to get out of her head. And then�� He didn�t want to say it, but he had to tell someone. �She started clawing at herself to try to get rid of him.�
Hermione gasped, her grip on his hand tightening painfully. �I had no idea,� she whispered. �Poor Ginny.�
Harry opened his eyes and looked up at Hermione again. �Madam Pomfrey said that she only does that when there are people around her,� he said. �She said we can go see her when she�s found a way to keep her from hurting herself.�
Hermione was silent for a moment, looking shocked. When she finally spoke, it was in a very low voice that made Harry lean forward to hear her. �Don�t tell Ron,� she said finally. �Knowing something like this might just make him worse.�
Harry nodded. He�d been thinking just the same thing. Hermione quickly changed the subject to that of the upcoming Quidditch season, but Harry was only partially paying attention. In his mind, he still couldn�t shake the image of Ginny clawing at her face in an attempt to rid herself of Tom Riddle�s spirit. What bothered him the most was that there wasn�t a damned thing he could do to help her.
~~~~~~~~~~
When the bell rang for the end of the last class, Draco stood up quickly and was the first one out the door. Arithmancy was a horribly boring class, but his father made him take it because it was one of the hardest subjects and it was expected that a Malfoy would take only the most useful classes. To take a useless class such as Muggle Studies or Divination was unheard of.
Draco held his head high as he walked through the hallways toward the Great Hall, resisting the urge to laugh as people ran out of his way. It seemed that word spread quickly after he�d been a prefect for a couple years that if you get in his way, you�ll get a detention. Of course, now that he was Head Boy, the fear was intensified, as teachers were less likely to disagree with a detention that he handed out.
�Drakie!� Draco groaned as Pansy Parkinson threw her arms around him and proceeded to nearly choke the life out of him. �I missed you at breakfast! Where were you?�
�I was busy,� Draco gasped as he wrenched her arms off of his neck and following her back to the Slytherin table. �I told you that at lunch. Being Head Boy isn�t all fun and games you know.�
�Oh, I wish you didn�t have to be Head Boy,� Pansy pouted, moving as close to him as she could without sitting in his lap. �I can�t believe you have to room with that Gryffindor Mudblood. What am I gonna do without you around?�
�You�ll live,� Draco muttered. Pansy had been his girlfriend for a couple weeks in fourth year, but when he tried to break up with her, she didn�t take him seriously. Since then, she seized every opportunity she had with him to make sure everyone knew that he wasn�t available.
�Oh Drakie,� Pansy giggled and reached across the table to grab a bowl, from which she started piling some kind of strange food that Draco had never seen before on his plate. �Now, come on, you have to eat something. Look at you, you�re skin and bones!�
After Madam Pomfrey�s comment about him being too thin, this was the last straw for Draco. �I�m not hungry,� he growled and stood up so suddenly that Pansy almost fell over. �I�m going upstairs.�
�Fine, go!� Pansy called angrily after him, but Draco knew that she�d have forgotten that she was mad at him by the next day. She always did, unfortunately.
Draco walked through the hallways slowly, not really wanting to go up to the common room. He would�ve gone to the Slytherin common room if he could, but he didn�t know the password. He shuddered at the thought of going back and asking someone with Pansy there. She�d be hanging all over him again before he got out two words. The only choice was to go up to the Head Boy and Girl common room.
�Hey Malfoy!� Draco groaned as he turned around to face the person who�d thrown him against the wall this morning. Granger and Weasley were with him too, of course.
�What Potter?� Draco asked, smirking. �Did you forget your way?�
�Hey Malfoy,� Potter yelled back, �the village called, they want their idiot back!�
Draco shook his head at Potter�s idiocy. �Temper, temper,� he said without missing a beat. �I�m afraid that kind of disrespect warrants a day�s detention. Though, I should make it two for your stupidity if it took you all day to come up with that.�
Potter was about to answer, but Granger grabbed his arm and Draco saw her mouth the word �don�t.� Draco would�ve been happier if he�d been able to start a fight, but this suited him well enough.
�Still letting your girlfriend tell you what to do,� Draco gave a small laugh and shook his head. �No wonder so many people feel sorry for you.� He knew then that the only thing keeping Potter from trying to kill him was Granger, and this amused him greatly. He was hoping that one day he�d be able to start a real fight with Potter. And by a real fight, that meant him sending that Muggle lover to the hospital wing, or maybe even the grave.
But that day was not today. Draco turned his back on the still fuming Potter. Much as he wanted to get back at him for throwing him against the wall, Draco knew this wasn�t the time. He couldn�t afford the shame of being sent to Azkaban this early in life. No, he would wait at least until he graduated and was safely within the ranks of the Death Eaters. Then, and only then, could he make Potter pay for daring to make a fool of Draco Malfoy.
When Draco reached the common room he went straight to his room, not wanting to run into Granger when she came up. He strongly suspected that she would want to bring Weasley again. Draco remembered how Granger had asked about the Weasley girl in the hospital wing and supposed that was what he was so upset about.
Upon entering his room, Draco flung himself onto his bed, not even bothering to undress. Though he would never admit it, he was feeling rather lightheaded, probably from the blood loss he�d experienced earlier that day. He would kill Potter if he ever got the chance. He moved to the edge of his bed and reached down to pick the diary up from where he�d dropped it.
Except it wasn�t there. Draco had a moment of panic as he searched frantically for it, but then he spotted it on the table next to his bed. He was temporarily relieved, but then he suddenly let it go and it fell to the floor again. He knew he�d left it right there next to his bed. How had it moved to his table if he hadn�t put it there?
As though in answer to his question, the diary shifted slightly. Draco thought that he must�ve imagined it, but then something happened that he knew couldn�t be a trick. The diary lifted into the air, hovering for a moment, before coming to rest on the table, turned upside down so that the name Tom Marvolo Riddle was clearly visible, glowing briefly before going back to its usual dull gold color.
Draco stared at the diary with a mix of fascination and fear. The latter was quickly dismissed however, as he was sure his father would never give him anything dangerous. He�d known since the incident on the Hogwarts Express that there was something strange about the diary. Rather than scare him, this only made him more anxious to receive instructions on what to do with it.
~~~~~~~~~~
�Why�d you stop me?� Harry asked, turning on Hermione now that Malfoy was gone.
�Because he�s just trying to get a rise out of you,� Hermione said promptly, grabbing Ron�s arm as they continued to walk down the hallway, �and you know it�
Harry didn�t know how to answer, so he didn�t. They walked the rest of the way to Hermione�s common room in silence. When they got to the portrait, Hermione turned to Harry.
�Can you make sure Ron gets to Gryffindor Tower all right?� she asked. �He slept on my couch last night, but I don�t think I want to push Malfoy anymore than I have to.�
�Sure,� Harry said. Then, he raised an eyebrow at Hermione. �Are you sure he slept on the couch?�
�Very funny Harry,� Hermione said, shaking her head. �For your information, we agreed only to do that over the summer. Too many nosy portraits and suits of armor around here to enjoy ourselves.�
�Okay, I was just joking,� Harry said, �but now you�re starting to scare me. Whatever happened to the nice girl from first year who never broke the rules?�
�She took a holiday,� Hermione said simply. Then, she gave the password for the portrait and stepped through without another word. Harry shook his head in mock disgust and turned to go down the hallway toward Gryffindor Tower, turning every once in a while to make sure Ron was following him.
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Author's note: Don't let the initial lightheartedness of this story fool you. It's going to get very serious, very fast. It's already started with Ginny. And, if you think you know how this story's gonna end, guess again, 'cause I don't even know the ending yet.
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