Saving and Repaying
�Come on Harry, just one more.�
�Ugh, no,� Harry pushed away Hermione�s arm. �No more toast. You�re gonna make me sick.�
�Okay,� Hermione said reluctantly, �but you�d better eat a decent lunch.�
�Come on, Hermione,� Harry groaned, �if I ate as much as you�re wanting me to, I�d look like Dudley by the end of the week.�
�I resent that,� Hermione said.
�Are we interrupting?� Sheila asked as she and Melissa arrived at the table.
�Yes,� Harry and Hermione said at the same time.
�Aww, how cute!� Melissa said.
�Yeah, it�s disgusting, isn�t it?� Sheila made a face. �At least you and Draco aren�t like that.�
�Yeah, well, Draco�s not one for reading minds,� Melissa said. �Divination�s not really his strong suit.�
�Talking about me?� Draco asked, walking up to the table and sitting down next to Melissa.
�Of course not,� Melissa said sarcastically, �we�re talking about the other Draco Malfoy.�
�Really?� Draco asked in mock surprise. �Maybe someday you�ll introduce us.�
�How long do you think this conversation will last?� Hermione asked Harry in a whisper.
�Knowing those two, quite a while,� Harry muttered. He personally didn�t mind. He was just glad to be part of the group again.
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�Look at them! They�re so cute together!�
�I know,� Ginny said, grinning. �I still can�t believe it, Harry and Hermione!�
�Oh, look!� Icicle said excitedly. �Harry put his arm around her! Man, I wish Neville had to guts to do that!�
�Well, don�t be too disappointed,� Ginny said. �Seamus and I have been going out for months and he still hasn�t kissed me.�
�Out of all the guys in the school,� Icicle muttered, �we had to end up with the shy ones.�
�Well, it could be worse,� Ginny pointed out. �They could be sexist pigs.�
�Good point,� Icicle said, standing up.
�Where are you going?� Ginny asked.
�To find Neville,� Icicle said, as if it was the obvious thing to do. �He hasn�t spoken two words to me since the Yule Ball. I�m tired of waiting around for him to make the first move.�
�Good for you,� Ginny said, standing up.
�And where are you going?� Icicle asked, raising an eyebrow.
�To find Seamus,� Ginny gave a sly smile. �Maybe if I hint enough, he�ll invite me to Hogsmeade. Granted, it will be hard, since we aren�t allowed to go anymore.�
�Getting him to agree to a criminal act,� Icicle commented, nodding, �nice.�
�Well, if he won�t go there with me,� Ginny said, �there�s always the Astronomy Tower.�
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Ron sat alone at the Gryffindor table, as far away from the others as possible. He saw them laughing and wondered what they were talking about. Then, he remembered that Malfoy was with them and decided he didn�t want to know.
His eyes traveled to another part of the table, where Ginny and Icicle sat. He was considering going over to sit by them when they both stood up. They talked for a moment, giggled, and went off in different directions. Icicle went to sit with Neville while Ginny sat by Seamus.
Ron sighed his eyes wandering to the Slytherin table, where Blaise also sat alone, her vision directed downward. He looked at her and wondered if it was indeed possible for a person to change. After all, Malfoy had�
No, it wasn�t possible. Ron forced himself to look away. Malfoy was still the same as he�d always been. Eventually he would slip up, and the others would realize the truth.
You can�t change who you are.
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Blaise could feel him watching her. She wanted to talk to him, to tell him how she felt. She saw Draco and that Wilson girl together. She now knew that it wasn�t impossible.
But she was afraid. Afraid of what her father would do if he found out. Before she�d even set foot on the Hogwarts Express her first year, he�d forbidden her from even speaking to Gryffindors.
The strange thing was that she wasn�t afraid for herself. She knew he would never hurt her physically, as she was his only child. But that wouldn�t stop him from hurting her emotionally. And what better way to do that then to attack the person she might very well love?
She looked up and saw that Ron had turned away. After a minute, he glanced back and their eyes locked for a brief moment that seemed to Blaise to last forever. Then, she made herself look away and stood up to leave.
She had changed, that much was true, but her father would always be the same. And as long as her father was that way, she could never be with Ron.
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Sheila opened her eyes and got up immediately. This was a busy day, even though it was Saturday. First, she had the Quidditch Final in a couple hours. That, on its own, would make it an important day.
But there was also something else. Something that wasn�t that important to her but was to Melissa and Draco for unknown reasons. Today was also the day of Pansy Parkinson�s funeral.
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Harry sat at the Gryffindor table to wait for the others. Fred and George spotted him and came over.
�Good to have ya back Harry,� Fred said grinning.
�Yeah, just in time for the Quidditch Final too,� George pointed out. �So, do we have our captain back?�
Harry pretended to think about it for a while before answering. �I guess I have nothing better to do.�
�Oh good,� Fred sighed, looking relieved, �I was afraid we�d have to deal with Sheila again. No offense,� he added quickly, looking at his brother.
�None taken,� George said. Then, he lowered his voice. �Don�t get me wrong. I like her, but she�s a bit�well��
�Sadistic?� Fred suggested. �Power hungry?�
�I was gonna say overdramatic, but that works,� George said.
�Talking about me, are you?� a voice behind George, making him turn around so fast he almost fell down.
�Answer my question George,� Sheila said, folding her arms. �Were you talking about me?�
�I�I�I�m sorry,� George stuttered, looking at Fred for help. Fred just held up his hands to show that he was staying out of this.
�Just don�t let it happen again,� Sheila said, kissing George�s cheek. �Remember, I�ll be watching.� She smirked, turned around on the spot, and walked away.
�Oh man,� Fred shook his head slowly, �and they say Melissa keeps Malfoy on a short leash.�
�Yeah, I�ve been wanting to ask,� Harry said. �Why do you put up with it?�
George gave a defeated sigh. �I�m in love,� he said simply.
A loud scream made them look up. Sheila was in the process of shoving her way through a crowd of Slytherins, shouting a few choice words the whole time.
�Damn,� Fred muttered, �you got it bad.�
�Yeah,� George nodded, �plus, if I broke up with her, there�s a pretty good chance she�d kill me.�
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Draco glided over the field of cloaked figures. He didn�t want to watch, but he couldn�t tear his eyes away. The events of the dream changed slightly each time, but the outcome was always the same.
The circle of figures parted to let two others into the center, dragging a girl between them. Draco didn�t have to see her face to know it was Melissa. The two figures brought her to the center, shoved her to the ground, and went to their spots in the circle.
As Draco watched, Melissa helplessly, he noticed for the first time just how bad of condition she was in. She was dressed in Muggle clothes that had nearly been ripped to shreds, leaving just enough to cover her. Cuts and bruises stood out on her exposed skin, and her hair hung in damp tendrils over her shoulders.
Draco screamed silently as one of the cloaked figures stepped forward, walking up to Melissa. The figure knelt beside her and seemed to be checking to see if she was all right. Melissa lifted her head slightly and tried to pull away.
The cloaked figure noticed her fear and grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. He then reached up and pulled down his hood, uncovering his face.
And Draco saw himself. Saw him, but could do nothing to stop him.
Cloaked Draco helped Melissa to her feet, wrapping her in a cloak that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. He lifted a hand to brush a strand of hair from her eyes and leaned in to kiss her.
Melissa�s eyes widened for a moment before closing. Cloaked Draco held his arm behind his back and a knife appeared in his hand. He broke off the kiss, but didn�t back up much. His eyes flashed with anger and he plunged the knife into Melissa�s chest.
No! Spirit Draco cried silently, but it was too late. In a split second, he was standing in the middle of the circle, and Melissa fell into his arms, breathing raggedly.
�Somebody help!� Draco yelled in panic, looking around at the cloaked figures. Simultaneously, they all turned their backs on him and faded into darkness. The field dissolved too, leaving only Draco and Melissa.
Draco fell to his knees, still holding Melissa. He felt her take one last, shallow breath before going limp in his arms.
�Why?� Draco whispered his question into the darkness. �Why is this happening?�
Then, when he looked down at Melissa again, he saw it. A deep gash ran down the left side of her face and over her eye, and a bruise surrounded her right eye. Draco unconsciously reached up a hand to touch his own scar over his left eye. He pulled the cloak back from Melissa�s arms and looked back and forth between them and his own, mentally matching his old scars with her new cuts and bruises. She had the same injuries he�d gotten over Easter Holidays.
But that would mean�
�No!� Draco snatched Melissa�s left arm and turned it so her palm was facing upward. He had one glimpse of the blackened outline of a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth before it all disappeared and he woke up.
Draco sat up immediately, staring down at his hands in horror. The dream became more real every time. He half expected that one day he would wake up, and she would still be there, cold and limp in his arms.
Draco shook his head, trying to get these thoughts out of his head. He had other things to worry about, namely the Quidditch Final and Pansy�s funeral.
The Quidditch Final! Draco looked at his watch and swore under his breath. The match started in twenty minutes! He got up and quickly changed into his green Quidditch robes. He grabbed his broom and started down the stairs.
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Melissa paced the hallway impatiently, looking at her watch every ten seconds. The match started in twenty minutes and Draco still hadn�t gotten up yet.
�If you don�t stop that you�re gonna wear a hole in the floor,� Hermione said from where she stood, leaning against the wall. �I think Snape�s room is one floor down. I don�t think you�d fancy falling in on him when he�s asleep.�
Melissa shuddered at the thought and stopped pacing, looking up at the portrait that led to the Slytherin common room. �Sorry, it�s just that I�m worried about him. He seems really tired all the time and he�s losing weight. I know that it�s probably nothing but he�s acting a bit like��
�Like Harry did,� Hermione finished nodding. �I�ve noticed it too. If I were you, I�d keep an eye on him. There�s no telling what he might do.�
�You don�t think he�d��
�No, I don�t,� Hermione interrupted, �but I didn�t think Harry would either.�
�Sorry I�m late,� Draco said as he came out of the common room. �I just woke up about three minutes ago. Let�s go. We don�t wanna be late.�
Hermione looked at Melissa, who nodded to show that she should go on ahead of them. Hermione gave a small smile and walked on ahead. Draco started walking too.
�Wait,� Melissa said, grabbing Draco�s arm to stop him. He flinched, but didn�t pull away. �Are you okay?� she asked, giving him a look that said he wouldn�t be able to dodge the question.
�Yeah, I�m fine,� Draco said unconvincingly. Melissa saw his eyes briefly lower to his arm, right above where she held his wrist.
Melissa knew he was lying. She took a step toward him, still holding onto his wrist, turned his arm over, and pulled his sleeve up to his elbow.
Right there, contrasting greatly against the pale skin, was the thing that stood between Melissa and Draco. The Dark Mark was etched in thick, black lines between his elbow and his wrist. Upon closer inspection, Melissa could see that the skin surrounding the Mark was turning dark red.
�It�s getting worse, isn�t it,� Melissa said quietly. It was more of a statement than a question, as she already knew the answer.
Draco pulled his arm out of her grasp, covering the Mark with his sleeve again. �We should go,� he said and walked off before she could stop him.
�What�s happening to you Draco?� Melissa whispered. Then she shook her head in defeat and ran to catch up with him.
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Harry looked at his watch impatiently. Melissa and Hermione were supposed to meet them out here before the match. The match started in ten minutes and they were nowhere in sight.
�She�ll be here,� Sheila said.
�I know, but what am I supposed to tell the team?� Harry asked, gesturing toward the other five members, who were looking at him for instruction.
�I�ll take care of that,� Sheila said. �You just wait for them.� She went to talk to the team.
�Harry!� Hermione was running across the field toward him. She stopped right in front of him and tried to catch her breath.
�Mr. Potter,� Madam Hooch came over, her hands on her hips, �the captain of the Slytherin team isn�t here. Would you like to force a forfeit?�
Harry looked at Hermione, who shook her head. �They�ll be here,� she said. �Draco woke up late, but they�re on their way. Just give them five minutes.�
Harry looked back to Madam Hooch. �What she said,� he shrugged. As if on cue, Melissa and Draco came out onto the field, walking right up to where they stood.
�In that case,� Madam Hooch said, �positions everybody. All non-Quidditch players off the field.�
�Remember guys,� Melissa said, looking between Harry and Draco, �I don�t care who wins or loses. I�ll be happy for either of you.� She gave them each a hug and walked off the field with Hermione.
�Hey Draco,� Sheila came over, followed by the rest of the team. She turned to Harry. �Is the game starting yet?�
�Yes it is,� Harry said. Fred and George started applauding madly as they walked out to the center of the field. Draco went across the field to join the Slytherin team and led them out to meet the Gryffindor team.
Harry and Draco moved forward and shook hands. Harry thought briefly that if someone had told him last year that there would come a day when he would willingly shake hands with Draco Malfoy, he would�ve said they were insane.
�Don�t think I�m gonna go easy on ya,� Draco smirked.
�I wouldn�t expect you to,� Harry said simply. �May the best team win.�
They both turned their backs and went back to join their teams. Madam Hooch blew the whistle to start the game and Harry took off, soaring higher than anyone else.
Harry missed flying. True, he had flown in other Quidditch games this year, but he hadn�t been paying enough attention to enjoy it. After scanning the field to make sure the Snitch was nowhere in sight, he flew a couple laps around the field just because he could. In his excitement, he almost ran right into Draco.
�Watch it, Potter!� Draco yelled as he dodged out of the way, but Harry knew he wasn�t really mad. Finally, after having flown around for about half an hour, Harry came to a stop over the tallest Gryffindor goal post to hover while searching for the Snitch.
�Having fun, Harry?� Sheila called from where she was guarding the goal posts.
�Yeah,� Harry shouted back, �how �bout you?�
�A little,� she said as she made a spectacular dive to catch the Quaffle before it went into the goal, �though, I gotta say, I�m a bit bored.�
Harry laughed as Sheila tossed the Quaffle to Katie Bell and did a couple of victory flips. To alter a quote that Melissa said several months earlier, she wasn�t suffering from insanity, she was enjoying every minute of it.
�And Gryffindor scores another goal,� Lee Jordan announced. �They now lead Slytherin 40 to 0. Gryffindor Keeper Sheila Wilson taunts the Slytherin Chasers by doing back flips while still giving an excellent performance. And, might I say, she is looking just spectacular today��
�Jordan�� Professor McGonagall�s voice said warningly.
�Sorry Professor. I wish only the best for Sheila and her boyfriend. I would like to take this opportunity to apologize to George Weasley and the future Mrs. Sheila Weas��
�Jordan!�
�Come on Professor, I was only kidding! I�m sorry, I really am! I�m done now! Please let me have the microphone back!�
Harry shook his head, laughing quietly. Lee Jordan always had a way of making Quidditch games funny. He was amazed Professor McGonagall still let him do the commentary. Though, he now realized that this would be the last game Lee would be announcing at, since he was a seventh year.
Harry sighed and started doing laps around the field again. It was sometimes hours before the Snitch was even spotted, so he had a lot of time to kill.
�Mind if I join you?� a voice said, making Harry look up in surprise. Draco was flying a few feet away, keep pace with Harry as they flew around the field.
�If I did mind, would it matter?� Harry asked, smirking. He was beginning to think Draco wasn�t so bad after all.
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Ginny put up her hand to shield her eyes from the sun and squinted out over the Quidditch field. It wasn�t a close game, but nevertheless, Gryffindor versus Slytherin games were always really exciting.
�Oh my god,� Seamus muttered, dropping his binoculars.
�What?� Ginny asked, bending to retrieve the binoculars. �What is it?�
�Look up there,� Seamus said, pointing toward the Slytherin goalposts. �You�re not gonna believe it.�
Ginny put the binoculars to her eyes looked to where Seamus was pointing. For a while, she thought he had just been seeing things, but then she saw it. Harry and Draco were flying side by side, not chasing the Snitch, but apparently just talking.
Rather than make a big deal out of it, however, Ginny just smiled as she lowered the binoculars. �You better tell Colin to take a picture,� she said. �A rare occurrence like this would surely fetch a nice price to the Daily Prophet.�
�Yeah,� Seamus said distractedly, fidgeting.
Ginny saw this and tilted her head slightly, her eyes full of concern. �Are you all right?�
Seamus didn�t say anything. Instead, he took a step toward Ginny, leaned in, and kissed her. Ginny�s eyes widened in surprise. She didn�t know what she�d been expecting, but it wasn�t this.
Finally, she thought to herself as she shut her eyes and wrapped her arms around Seamus, kissing him back. She felt his arms around her waist and would�ve smiled if she could. The kiss ended all too soon as Seamus drew back, blushing brightly.
�I�m sorry,� he muttered, looking down at the ground.
�Don�t be,� Ginny said, making him look up again. �What took ya so long?�
Seamus was about to answer when someone in the crowd yelled, �Look!� Ginny reached out to take Seamus� hand, intertwining her fingers with his, and the two of them went back to watching the Quidditch game.
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Harry spotted the Snitch across the field by the Gryffindor goal post and dove after it. Draco had seen it too and was flying alongside him, smirking at him. Harry grinned back and increased his speed so that Draco�s Nimbus Two Thousand and One was left in the dust.
Then, Harry realized that he was going to fly right over the Snitch at the angle he was flying right then. It was too late to adjust without the risk of whiplash. Without thinking, Harry swung his broom around so that he was flying upside down. He reached his hands down toward the Snitch, now only hanging on by his legs.
�Got it,� Harry muttered as his hand closed over the Snitch. Unfortunately, at that point, his legs gave out and he plummeted toward the ground headfirst.
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Draco slowed to a stop, knowing that he�d lost. Harry was gonna get the Snitch first, there was no denying it. He was already almost to the Gryffindor goal post, while Draco was only at about the halfway mark. Gryffindor was gonna win.
�Who the hell does he think he is?� Draco laughed quietly as Harry hung upside down from his broom to catch the Snitch. Then, he stopped abruptly as Harry lost his grip and fell toward the ground.
Draco didn�t know why, but he immediately started focusing. He heard a roaring sound in his ears, and his vision went dark as he concentrated. And, when he reached out his mind, he felt the presence of three others, and the whisper of a fourth.
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Sheila watched in horror as Harry fell. His broom kept flying toward her and she caught it on reflex, but Harry was already too far gone for her to catch him. There was only one thing left she could do. She closed her eyes and mentally reached out to him, hoping the others would too.
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�Oh my God! Melissa, Harry�s falling!�
Melissa looked up and drew in a sharp breath. She closed her eyes for a moment and sensed Sheila�s mind already at work, but she needed help. �Hermione, calm down,� she said, grabbing Hermione�s arm. �We can help him.�
�How��
�Just concentrate,� Melissa hissed, shutting her eyes tightly again, welcoming the roaring sound in her ears as she reached out to help slow Harry�s fall. She felt Hermione�s mind follow hesitantly.
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Ron heard a loud gasp from the crowd and looked up to see Harry plummeting toward the ground. He only felt a moment of panic, however, before his vision darkened slightly and a low, barely audible buzz started in his ears. This only lasted for a couple minutes and he was left helpless to do anything for Harry.
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Harry closed his eyes and braced himself for impact, though he didn�t know what good that would do if he hit headfirst. But, instead of speeding up, Harry felt himself slow down slightly, though not by very much. He thought he heard voices whispering around him, but was sure he imagined it. He opened his eyes a bit and saw the ground still rushing up toward him.
Then, without warning, just a few feet above the ground, he was suddenly jerked to the side so that he landed hard on his left shoulder. He heard a sickening pop from somewhere by his left ear. He groaned and closed his eyes, grinding his teeth as pain laced through his arm. But he was alive, and that was what was important.
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Sheila, along with everyone else on both Quidditch teams, landed and ran toward where Harry had fallen. Madam Hooch was already there, kneeling by him, prying the Snitch out of his hand.
�Everyone back up,� she said, glaring at them until they all backed up to at least ten feet away. She then turned back to Harry�s fallen form and started muttering to herself. Sheila strained to hear, but all she managed to pick up was, ��could lose my job��
Then, Harry groaned and lifted his head slightly, a confused look on his face. �What happened?� he asked, trying to get up. He visibly flinched and fell back down. �Did we win?�
�Yes, Mr. Potter, now stay still,� Madam Hooch said, her eyes wide in surprise. She stood up, pulled out her wand, and conjured a stretcher. She carefully moved Harry onto the stretcher and levitated it. Then, she started off toward the school, Harry floating beside her. The crowd of Quidditch players parted to let her through. Even the Slytherins seemed too shocked to get in the way.
Sheila tore her eyes from this and began searching the crowd for Draco. When she finally spotted him, she walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.
�Let�s go find Melissa and Hermione,� she muttered. Draco nodded and they started off toward the stands, where the other students were coming out onto the field. It seemed that either nobody knew who won, or they didn�t care.
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�Ow!� Harry yelled in pain as Madam Pomfrey lifted his arm.
�Oh stop making such a fuss,� Madam Pomfrey said. �It�s just popped out of the socket. Hold still, this will hurt.� She lifted her wand and muttered a spell.
Harry yelled again as his arm slowly moved back into place. When it was done, he could move the arm, but it still hurt.
�Now, how does that feel?� Madam Pomfrey asked.
�Painful,� Harry said truthfully. To lie to Madam Pomfrey was about as safe as wondering the Forbidden Forest on the night of the full moon.
�Good,� Madam Pomfrey said, her hands on her hips. �That means we won�t have to amputate.� There was a knock at the door and she went to answer it. �Come on in, he�s fine,� she said, stepping aside to let Hermione, Melissa, Sheila, and Draco in. She then quickly stepped back in front of the door. �But I�m afraid I can�t allow too many people in here at once.� Harry looked past her and saw the rest of the Gryffindor team outside the door, waving at him.
�I�m going out here to keep the crowd back,� Madam Pomfrey said. �Professor McGonagall sent word that you four are to be allowed to stay, but the only place everyone else is staying is out.� She stepped out into the hallway and quickly shut the door behind her. A few seconds later, she opened the door again. �Miss Granger, Ronald Weasley�s out here. He says he wants to talk to you.�
�Okay,� Hermione said, looking confused. She turned to the others. �I guess I�ll be right back,� she said and started for the door.
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Hermione stepped out into the crowded hallway. �All right Ron, what is it?� she asked.
�Is he all right?� Ron asked.
�He�s fine,� Hermione said. �Why don�t you go in and see for yourself?�
�No, that�s all right,� Ron said. �I don�t really care.�
�Ron,� Hermione said, shaking her head, �we both know the only reason you won�t go in there is because Draco�s in there. You�re just going to have to accept that he�s part of the group now.�
�I�I have to finish my Divination homework,� Ron said, turning to leave.
�Ron,� Hermione grabbed his arm to stop him, �it�s hard for me to explain this, but you�re part of the group too. Somehow we were able to save Harry�s life out there together, all five of us. I heard your voice out there too, if only for a second. You can�t deny that in that one instant, you were one of the group.�
Ron looked up at Hermione, and she winced at the pain she saw in his eyes. She was right. He had known that he�d helped. And it seemed that he was having a hard time accepting this. Then, he looked away and walked off.
�What�s the matter with him?� George asked, stepping up next to Hermione.
�I don�t know,� Hermione lied. �I�m going back in to talk to Harry.�
�Hey,� Fred called from across the hall, �why does she get to go in?�
�Because she�s the girlfriend,� George called back. �The rest of us regular friends have to sit out here and rot. See ya Herms.�
�Ugh, don�t ever call me that,� Hermione grimaced as she went back to the door.
�Whatever you say, Herms,� George grinned. Hermione glared at him and stepped back into the hospital wing.
�So what did Ron want?� Harry asked.
�He just wanted to know if you�re all right,� Hermione said, not wanting to get into a big discussion. �You�ve got quite the fan club out there,� Hermione laughed as she walked back up to stand by the bed again. �How are you feeling?�
�Sore, but other than that, great,� Harry said. �I know you guys helped me, so I�d just like to say thanks.�
�Now what gave you that idea?� Sheila asked, smirking.
�Well, for one thing I heard you,� Harry said, �and for another, I fell over fifty feet, headfirst. By all laws, Muggle and magical, I should be dead.�
�Well, when you put it that way�� Melissa pretended to think about it for a while, �maybe we should�ve let you fall.�
�I second that,� Draco said immediately, making them all laugh. �Seriously though, what the hell did you think you were doing Potter? Viktor Krum couldn�t pull off a move like that.�
�Wait a minute,� Harry said, narrowing his eyes. �Are you saying Viktor Krum is better than me?�
�Maybe Granger would be a better person to answer that,� Draco said, turning to Hermione.
�Wait, how did I get dragged into this?� Hermione asked.
�Well, luckily for you, we don�t have time for this,� Melissa said, looking at her watch. �Pansy�s funeral starts soon. That is, if all of you are going.�
�Well,� Sheila said, getting up, �I suppose I have to since I promised.�
Hermione stood up too. �Normally I wouldn�t,� she said, �but since it�s important to you, I�ll go too.�
Draco didn�t say a word, but also stood up.
�Harry, I�m sorry you can�t go,� Hermione said.
�What do you mean I can�t go?� Harry asked, sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. �I�m not injured. I just popped my arm out of its socket, and look, it�s fine now. Besides, if Madam Pomfrey will probably just be glad that she doesn�t have to guard the door anymore.�
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After the funeral service, everyone started getting up to leave. Melissa looked over at Draco, but he was staring at the ground, his face hidden from her. She gave him a small hug and stood up. She went walked between the chairs, up to where the coffin was.
The funeral had been on the grounds, near the Forbidden Forest. Most of the students who came were Slytherins, although there were a few Ravenclaws too. Melissa, Sheila, Hermione, and Harry were the only Gryffindors though.
Melissa stood beside the coffin, looking at Pansy�s lifeless form. She was ghostly white, but otherwise looked to be just fine. Her eyes were closed and she looked like she might just wake up at any moment.
Pansy had warned her not to let Harry go down to the lake anymore. Melissa suspected that this was because she knew that Voldemort�s servant was out there. She told Melissa about the Dragon Prophecy, and how it was referring to Draco. She had done all of this, so Melissa felt she had to do something for her.
Melissa thought of the night that Pansy�s spirit had come to her and glanced back at Draco, who was still looking at the ground. �If I could have one wish, it would be to be able to look upon his face one last time,� Pansy had said. When Melissa had asked why Pansy couldn�t see him, she had replied, �As long as my mortal eyes remain closed, I am afraid I will never see him again.�
Melissa looked around to make sure no one was watching her. Pansy�s family was over by the lake, speaking to Professor Snape about something. Besides that, the only person in sight was Draco, and Melissa felt that he should be there.
�Lumen Expositus,� Melissa muttered, waving her hand over Pansy�s face. Her hand glowed momentarily and Pansy�s eyelids opened. Melissa shuddered as she saw the eyes, now wide and unfocused, staring up at nothing.
A chill wind blew through the trees to Melissa�s right, making her shiver. The wind carried with it a whisper that anyone else would�ve thought was just the rustling of leaves. But Melissa knew better.
�Thank you,� the voice whispered.
�No, thank you,� Melissa said quietly and turned to walk back to where Draco was sitting. Pansy had gotten her last wish, and Melissa had repaid the debt she owed.
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Author's note: Okay, let's start with the first big event: the kiss. I've been kinda neglecting the Ginny character, so I thought she deserved something big for this chapter. That said, let's get to the more relevent stuff. Harry being saved...not really much to say there 'cept what else would you expect? Now, to the more debated topic, the fate of Ron. I ain't tellin' ya. You'll just have to wait to find out. As for the funeral, it's to show that Pansy's spirit is finally at peace. Draco, however, still has issues, as is evident by the reoccuring dream that once again reared its ugly head.
Next chapter, look forward to the dreaded OWL's. Also, Sheila's hidden message revealing spell will come in handy once again. We will revist a place we've been to in an earlier chapter. And be ready for a couple other surprises near the end. After that chapter, there will be an epilogue and after that the rest of the story will be left for sequels, prequels, and interludes.
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