Acidic Sugar

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Chapter Three: Madam Pomfrey's Assistant

It was hours later and Draco woke to the comforting warmth of a bed. He found it hard to open his eyes. There was also an immense, sharp pain that stabbed his insides every time he tried to intake breath. Laying his head back into the softness of his pillow he tried to remember how he got here. Was it Quidditch? Closing his eyes tightly he shook his head 'no'.

"Couldn't be Quidditch," he said aloud and when he spoke, he heard a soft gasp coming from just in front of him. Opening his eyes, he saw Madam Pomfrey before him holding a vial of medicine and a spoon. He blinked a couple times as she walked over to his side. She poured out a clear liquid and fed it to him. It burned on its way down his throat. He opened his eyes a little bit and looked around. "What happened?"

"Lucky for you," she began as she felt his head for his temperature and then lifted up the bed sheet to look at his ribs. They were bandaged. She smiled with a sigh and then looked back at him. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger brought you in. They said they found you lying at the bottom of some stairs. It seems that you were unconscious, so they brought you here and you've been here since your Potions class."

Draco mumbled slightly to himself. He replayed everything she had said and then something flipped on like a light switch in his head. He sat up quickly, which he found quite hard. His head was spinning and he felt like he wanted to throw up. Madam Pomfrey gasped again and laid him back down on to his pillow. She 'tsked' him and then shook her head briskly. Draco was now very sure about why he was in there and he would not leave this school year without making Weasley pay for it.

"Don't do that ever again," chided Madam Pomfrey. She shook her head and then mumbled something disjointed which Draco didn't even hear. He slumped back into his pillow and then thought about the moments just before he lost consciousness. He relived each and every blow he received from Ron. Then he heard Madam Pomfrey speak again, this time in an understanding manner. "Now lay still, very still. It'll take a while for that medicine to work and heal those ribs of yours. In the meantime, my assistant will be up here shortly to watch over you. If you need anything, feel free to ask."

"You have an assistant?"

"Yes, I do. Now don't speak, just sleep." With that, she turned on her heal and seemed to galloped off to her office. He watched as the door closed behind her and then commenced staring at the ceiling. Another door opened but he didn't have the strength to turn and view who it was that was coming through it. He heard the person gasped though. Funny, he thought that gasp sounded rather familiar. Turning slightly, he saw the person whom he'd wanted to see for the longest time. Even if his eye was bulged shut, seeing her with one of his eyes made it quite worth having broken ribs.

She walked over to him with a grace he thought only angels carried. His eyes followed her every move. He watched as she pulled a chair out and placed it next to his bed. There was a sparkle about her that only he'd notice. How lucky he was to have her attend his wounds. She went into the backroom, took out a washing pan and filled it up with water. He watched as she took a cloth that was folded neatly in a cupboard and placed it in the pan of water. As she walked over to the chair she'd placed there earlier he closed his eyes a little bit more. He watched her through the small crack that he had left open.

"How did you get yourself into this mess?" she asked softly. He didn't answer her. She sighed deeply and pressed on with caring for him. Taking the rag out of the pan of water, she squeezed it of its fluids. Once the cloth was damp enough but not too damp, she proceeded to wipe his forehead. Draco felt himself flinch a little as her hand came down on him. Her fingers were so soft.

She took the material and slowly drew it across his forehead. She dipped it back into the pan and repeated her steps, dampening it. She then did both of his cheeks and went over his eyes carefully. Taking the cloth back into the water and dampening it again she dared to touch his lips. There was a large cut on it and the blood was already dried up. Draco felt her lean in closer to him as her hand came down on his lips. The dampness of the cloth on his skin made him balk. He must have balked rather hard because she drew back quickly.

"Sorry, did that sting?" Draco opened his eyes and looked to her. Her voice was one of a seraph. Draco viewed her features and noticed her hair was coming down from its neat bun. The loose strands framed her pretty face. Draco locked his eyes on hers. He felt his heart warming. She turned away from him and brushed some of her hair out of her eyes. Draco still kept his eyes on her. She turned back and looked at him and they locked eyes once again. But this time Draco averted his. He followed down an imaginary line on her face and landed his ice greys on her pink lips. They looked so soft. He wanted to taste them.

"I didn't mean to wake you." There was something about her that reminded him of his childhood. He didn't know what it was but something was there. She eyed him curiously and then she turned back around to the pan that sat on the corner table. She put the cloth back in it and then looked back at him. Draco really wanted to say something but his breath was lost in his throat and he wished he knew the language of the heavens so that he could converse with her in her own tongue, for he felt the English language could never impress her. Then she spoke again. The sound of her voice was soothing against his ears. "Are you ok?"

He nodded. Then she nodded and turned back to the cloth. He watched as her hand dipped into the water and she brought the white cloth back out of it. Wringing out some of its water she wrapped it around her own hand. Then she turned back and looked at him. Draco couldn't avert his eyes from her. She was so genuine, so pure.

"What are you staring at, Malfoy?" The angry tone in her voice left him feeling flat. He closed his eyes tightly and re-opened them. There she was, still sending him those questioning glances. He only knew one way to answer.

"You, Chang."

He let his eyes close as his sly grin appeared across his thin lips.