Nothing I Have Ever Seen

Chapter 9

He felt as if he´d been asleep forever. His eyes were reluctant to open. He was aware of blurry shapes moving around him. It was bright; he closed his eyes again.

"Mr Malfoy."

Somewhere in his mind he realised he was being addressed. Go away, he thought. He kept his eyes shut and hoped they´d get the message. The voice, however, persisted.

"Mr Malfoy, perhaps you would do me the courtesy of opening your eyes and paying a little attention." A sharp, clipped voice touched with a hint of sarcasm focused him and he looked up, and recognised Professor McGonagall.

"What." His head hurt, and he felt decidedly groggy.

McGonagall pursed her lips. She took a deep breath, as if she was about to explain a complicated theorem to a naughty child who really didn´t care, and Draco noticed, and felt rather patronised, and loathed her for it.

"You are in the hospital wing, Mr Malfoy. You were hit by a curse. Perhaps you recall? Avada connaise. A nasty little spell, designed to kill a person´s consciousness. I myself heard the incantation, and very fortunately for you, the curse was issued by an underage wizard who had neither the knowledge nor the power to place it effectively, but you were knocked out by the force with which it hit you." Bloody hell, get on with it. Someone should tell her we´re not in class right now. She´ll probably teach me how to cast it next if she doesn´t shut up with the text book talk.

"This is an important business, Mr Malfoy, as I´m sure you are aware, so if you would be so kind as to tell me who accompanied you in your wandering of the corridors last night we can sort this matter out immediately."

Draco sighed deeply. "I´m sorry, Professor," he lied coolly, "But I have no recollection of anyone cursing me, or being out after hours."

The disbelief obvious on her face, McGonagall pursed her lips again. "Well, I suggest then, that you come to me immediately once your memory is restored to you." Draco shrugged. "I see you have visitors. Perhaps they will jog your memory," McGonagall added rather sourly.

Draco looked towards the door of the hospital wing and saw the most unwelcome pair he could imagine.

"Draco my dear, how are you feeling today?" Pansy cooed.

"Alright," Flint nodded at him.

What the hell... This he hadn´t expected. They were acting as if nothing had happened. "Get out," Draco growled.

"Now, now Drakie," Pansy giggled. "We heard you talking to McGonagall, and you didn´t give us away. Loyalty. Bit of a Gryffindor trait, that," she sniffed. "Still, we want you to know that we didn´t mean what we said last night, we got a bit carried away. You know how it is." She smiled generously at him.

He gazed back open mouthed and entirely disbelieving. And he noted, with some irony, how Pansy emphasised `we´. If Flint had anything to do with devising her plans, he´d call Dumbledore his hero. As if.

"So, what are you saying? That planning to kill Ginny was a bit of a game for you? Just a slip of the tongue, was it?"

"Oh Draco, don´t be silly! I didn´t think for one second you´d take us seriously! Of course we wouldn´t hurt her, how could you think I´d do that!" Draco wanted to throw up. Any more of her sickening sweetness, and he would. All over Pansy, if he aimed right. "Ooh, look who it is." Pansy pointed to the doorway, where a slight figure was faltering in the shadows. "It´s your girlfriend. (Draco bristled.) Ahh, isn´t that nice? Come on Flintie, we should go, leave the lovebirds to it!" She wrinkled her pug nose at Draco in a simpering grimace, which Draco knew from years of experience to be her most sincerely insincere smile.

The two Slytherins vanished from Draco´s eyes in a flash of Weasley-red hair. She certainly knew how to take his attention.

"You will not believe what just happened," Draco muttered to her, reaching for her hand. She snatched it away from him, and the look on her face was not favourable.

"Probably not. Coming from you it´s probably just another lie anyway. That´s what you´re best at, isn´t it Draco? Lies and deceit?"

What the hell was she talking about?

"The map, Draco. Do I really need to spell it out? It´s... mine. You took it. I want it back, now."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. The ungrateful little... If he hadn´t taken the map, he wouldn´t have known about Pansy and her evil and petty little schemes, despite all she´d just said to the contrary. And who the hell gave her the right to talk to him like that? She was just a Weasley. He was a Malfoy; the mere name commanded respect. Fine. If she was going to be like that then so be it. So what if someone was plotting against her? She´d have to find out on her own. As an afterthought, he realised that not telling her was a good idea; she´d tell a teacher about it most probably, a nasty habit she´d picked up from that awful Granger. This was one problem he could deal with without their interference.

"It´s a map, Ginny. It´s not like it´s anything important. I thought you had a little more perspective, but I forget, you´re a Weasley. They do tend to blow up at the littlest things." He couldn´t resist the dig at her brother. She deserved it. Talk about uptight.

"For God´s sake, what the hell´s your problem? Anyone would think I was asking something unreasonable of you. Theft is theft, despite what you think of what you´ve taken. You´re being really petty, Malfoy," Ginny snapped. Anger surged from his heart. How dare she. He glared at her pretty brown eyes, and flaming hair, framing her tense face glaring back at him. He resented her just then, and resented himself for the feelings he had for this girl, this girl who had the power to make him so happy, but also insanely angry. He pushed the feelings away, ignoring them as he bit out his final reply,

"Give it a rest, Weasley. Anyone would think I'd care what you're saying. You want your bloody map back, take it. If you're going to force your emotional outbursts on me, do it when no one else is listening."

Ginny stared hard at him. "Emotional outbursts. Right. I´ll take them back to Gryffindor with me. I´ll try not to bother you again." And with that she got up and stalked out the door.

Draco watched her leave. His eyes remained on the empty doorway long after she´d left. He drew in a deep, faltering breath, calming his nerves. As fast as his anger had risen it subsided, leaving the aching sensation of regret in its place. His hands were visibly shaking. He cursed himself for allowing her to make him act this way. It wasn´t possible for anyone to hold power over him, his name and title said as much... but here she was, doing it anyway. And he loved her for it. Loved? Oh God...

"You´ve got to do something, you know," a small voice said beside him. He turned in surprise and saw a tiny girl, she could be no older than the first year, lying in the bed a few feet to his left, looking a rather odd shade of blue.

"What?" he snapped.

"You love her don´t you. I can tell. And you´re going to lose her unless you do something," she repeated.

"Shut it, kid, do you know who you´re talking to?" Draco hissed at her, partly because he heard the truth in her words, and partly because he didn´t want the entire hospital wing to learn his private business.

She nodded meekly at him, and turned away. Her words took effect instantly. Within two minutes, Draco was dressed and stalking towards the Gryffindor common room. If something drastic wasn´t done, he´d lose Ginny for good. He paused in front of a portrait of a repulsive looking fat lady, who tutted disapprovingly at him. Muttering quietly, he cast his spell. That moment, he knew, Ginny´s dormitory would fill with silver-white roses. All he could do now was wait.

A sudden noise behind him made him turn. The portrait was swinging aside and four figures stepped out, chattering gaily. Granger and Weasley came into view first followed by Potter... and Ginny.

The latter stopped abruptly in front of him, their closely entwined hands clearly visible. Draco stared at them, feeling nauseous. What... how... why?

"What are you doing here Malfoy? Get lost on the way to the dungeons, did we?" Weasley sneered at him.

Frowning, Draco´s eyes met those three sets of cold glares flashing at him. Ginny, he noticed, was staring at the floor, blushing to her roots, gripping Potter´s hand more tightly than ever. Draco watched as Potter squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Come on Malfoy, haven´t you got better things to do than loiter outside our common room?" Potter said, while small smirks broke onto the others´ faces.

Draco didn´t reply; he couldn´t.

*