The Death Eater's Daughter

Chapter Twenty-Six - The Look

Luci's small body struck the floor with force, and she knew her ankle was broken. She could also feel her elbow throbbing. She looked up and her eyes landed on Ginny, who gave her a smug grin. Did she...? How dare she!

Hermione and Harry rushed to Luci's side. She sprang to her feet, enraged, tears pouring from her eyes.

"All you alright?" asked Harry, looking as if he wanted to help her up.

Luci flew at him, driving at his chest and sobbing, "Dammit, Harry, I told you, I hate this game!"

He looked like he wanted to get away from her, and she ceased, stepping back in shame.

Hermione contributed, "You and me both."

"That was quite a fall," said Ron, touching the ground. "You alright?"

Luci could only nod at him. She must look like such a baby. At least her ankle was back in place.

Harry moved toward her. "Sorry, I didn't know anyone could be that bad at Quidditch."

"Yeah, well," she spat at him.

Then she looked back up, met Ginny's gaze, and gave her the most hateful glare she could muster.

"So can Draco play or not?" she asked Harry crossly. "Don't tell me I did that crap for nothing."

Him and his stupid little girlfriend.

He considered for a moment and then agreed, "If you'll be here to keep him in line."

Like I'd leave him alone with you people, she thought, but only said, "Deal."

Then she staggered from the room, as quickly as she could on her sore ankle.

"What the hell happened to you?" Draco questioned immediately, when she got back to his room.

"I got you into the game," answered Luci irritably, imagining that she looked like a wreck.

"By fighting a Centaur?" frowned her brother.

She sighed. "No. They made me play. And I'm rubbish. And... I had a fall."

"Those pissers! I'll-"

"It's okay," Luci cut him off. "You're in. That's all that matters. You can play tomorrow."

Draco grinned. "Thanks. You're awesome. I owe you one."

And she couldn't help smiling back.

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Later that evening, she went to talk to Ginny again. Obviously, that crazy bitch still thought that Luci was competition. It was ridiculous, of course, and she had to set things straight.

"Go away," said the red-head, upon seeing her.

"No," Luci insisted, letting herself into the room. Hermione wasn't there. "Why did you knock me from my broom?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," smirked Ginny.

Luci shook her head. "Give me a fucking break. Why did you do it? You can't possibly think I'm after your boyfriend, who I haven't spoken to in like a month. So why?"

She shrugged. "Anyone who's that bad at Quidditch shouldn't play. Thought it'd teach you a lesson. Not to try to weasel your way into our game."

"I see," Luci replied. "Well, I don't play Quidditch. I think it's ridiculous. But Draco does. And he will. In your game. So deal with it."

"We don't want him!" hissed Ginny.

"Don't you think I know that?" Luci launched back. "We know that no one wants us around. But think of someone besides yourself. He needs that game."

"Draco Malfoy is evil," she said matter-of-factly.

Luci's hands went to her hips. "Well, to me, it looks like Ginny Weasley is evil too. Which is weird, because everyone says such wonderful things about you. So why do I only see the jealous, possessive side? Perhaps there's a side to Draco that you're not seeing."

Ginny looked flabbergasted.

"I'm not going to judge you on the one side I've seen, because I don't know you. So don't judge Draco, because you don't know him."

She was being more generous than she wanted to be. But she didn't need to be on the bad side of Harry's girlfriend.

The red-head was flushed.

"Fine. Sorry about the Bludger."

She sighed. "Me too. You made me look like an idiot."

Ginny laughed. "It was kind of hilarious."

"I'm sure you thought so," Luci managed to smile.

She left Ginny's room feeling like she may have at least solved one her multitude of problems.

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Luci and Draco were approaching the Quidditch pitch.

"Are you excited?" she asked her brother.

"Kinda," he grimaced, "but mostly annoyed to have to play with those losers."

"You'll tolerate it," Luci replied. "And you'll have a blast."

"Let's hope so."

They arrived just in time to see Ron going in to kiss Hermione.

Luci felt instant envy of their mutual love.

Draco made a gagging noise.

"Disgusting. Are we in the wrong room? I'm looking for Quidditch."

Luci shoved her elbow into his side to quiet him, and he scowled down at her.

"Are we in time for a game?" she questioned the room.

Everyone was staring at them, but Harry met her eyes, and she felt a tremor go through her.

"Just getting started," he answered. "What'll you play, Malfoy?"

Her brother responded coldly, "Seeker, of course."

"I'm Seeker," Ginny protested loudly.

Draco glared, "Not anymore."

Luci took his wrist, leading him inside, and reprimanded him, "Draco, we're guests, remember?"

Everyone looked very put-out that they were there, and she knew that Draco wanted to dart out as much as she did. She kept thinking that maybe they should...

Harry stepped forward and snapped, "Look, Malfoy, do you think you can handle playing Chaser?"

"Why not Beater?" asked her brother petulantly.

"Because I don't trust you with a Bludger."

Draco glowered, and Luci wanted to tell Harry that it was Ginny who he couldn't trust with a Bludger.

Instead, she agreed, "He'll play Chaser," and shoved a broomstick into her brother's hands.

"Fine," he hissed, and then he was in the air, demanding, "Well, are you lot coming or not?"

He was a beautiful flyer. Luci wondered why she hadn't received those genes.

"Keep an eye on him," warned Harry, next to her.

Luci nodded, "Oh, I will, in between catching up on my reading, of course."

She sat down on the bleachers next to Hermione, who inquired, "What have you got?"

Luci showed her the book and responded, "Ancient Runes."

A boisterous laugh came from Harry, and Luci raised her eyebrow at him.

He shook his head. "You two will have your own kind of fun then."

Harry joined the others in the sky, and Hermione blew the whistle, before asking Luci, "How do you like it? Ancient Runes?"

"It's interesting," Luci replied slowly. "Draco doesn't agree, though, and I'm having a hard time teaching it, as a subject. It's like language."

Hermione grinned. "Yes, it's just like language! How far have you read?"

"Oh, I've gone all the way through. I'm just reviewing, creating a syllabus, sort of."

"Wow," breathed Hermione. "What else are you reading?"

Luci was about to answer, but heard bickering coming from above. She looked up to see her brother swerving threateningly at Ron.

"Don't make me come up there!" she called to the players, and Draco laid off.

"Boys," she said to Hermione.

"Tell me about it," laughed the brunette. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm surrounded by children."

Luci smiled.

"Ginny told me you came to see her," said Hermione cautiously. "She's sorry about hitting you."

Luci gritted her teeth. "Why does she hate me so much?"

"She doesn't hate you. She loves Harry. She's... possessive, I'm afraid." Hermione shrugged apologetically.

"Well, I don't blame her. It's just that she has no reason to be."

"Really?"

"Of course," blurted Luci. "What do you mean? Yes, really."

Hermione tilted her head to one side. "The way you look at him..."

"He spoke to me yesterday for the first time in ages!" cried Luci, exasperated. "I don't look at him!"

Her heart was pumping with fear. Hermione could see.

"Alright," the brunette relented, her hands up. "I'm just trying to protect Ginny."

"I know. And you should. But I meant it when I said that they belong together."

Saying it out loud still made her want to throw up. She wished that it wasn't so obviously true.

Hermione looked up affectionately at the pair of them. "They really do, don't they?"

Luci sighed sadly. "Yeah."

"So what else are you reading?"

"A little of everything, really, to keep Draco on his toes."

"What's your favorite?" prodded Hermione.

"I dunno... maybe Potions?"

"Are you any good at Divination?" she asked curiously.

"Eh, I get by," Luci responded. "It's not... exact enough for me. Why?"

"Oh, I know, I feel the same! It's guesswork, isn't it? Absurd."

"Yeah, I like rules," Luci concurred. "Which is why I enjoy Potions, I guess."

"Academics are obviously your strength, so why are you an Auror?"

Luci frowned. "I dunno, half the time. When they do all of that testing to see what you'd be good at, it always told me to try being an Auror. But, truthfully, I'm not that great at it."

"Hmm," contemplated Hermione. "Interesting. What would you do instead?"

"Teach, maybe."

"Ooh, what would be your focus?"

Luci spent the rest of the game discussing magical theory and subjects with Hermione, who seemed eager to compare notes. She enjoyed the conversation thoroughly, but was restless, knowing Harry wasn't far away, and hoping that he and her brother could be civil.

Harsh words were often exchanged in the air, but overall, the Quidditch game was a success, and it seemed that Draco might be almost welcome to play again.

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The next morning, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were not at breakfast. Ginny told everyone that they had all played Quidditch late into the night, and they were sleeping in. Luci thought this seemed fishy, however, especially because Ginny wasn't sleeping in. She tried not to think much of it.

She later checked at the pitch, hoping that Draco could play again, and no one was there. But Molly didn't seem to be worried, like she would be if something was wrong, so Luci tried not to worry either.

Until the three of them weren't in the kitchen for lunch. Maybe they were just late...

"And in my third year," Draco was saying between bites, going on again about his Quidditch successes.

Luci found the ramblings entirely dull, as she cared less for the game now than she had before her incident. But she listened intently anyway. The excitement in his voice, the way his eyes lit up - it was worth the boring details.

Out of the corner of her vision, she saw someone enter the kitchen, but she kept her gaze on Draco anyway, until there was a groan. She glanced up, and he was clutching the doorframe, and there was so much blood...

"Harry!" she heard herself shriek, before she could prevent it.

She flew from the table, knocking her plate to the floor, and then tumbling over the bench. She fell onto her palms, and she felt the skin scrape right off, but she crawled on her hands anyway, toward his limp body, which had now slumped to the floor. Her wounds were already healed by the time she'd reached him.

"Harry," she said again. "Harry, you've gotta wake up!"

She put her hands to his face, tapping him lighting, trying to rouse him. Then she reached for whatever was protruding from his chest.

"Don't!" warned Remus, from her right. "It could make it worse."

"We need to get him upstairs," said Arthur, who bent down, lifting Harry, and then he started into the hallway, where he stopped abruptly.

Luci looked past the pair of them and saw Ron, alongside an unconscious Hermione, on the entry floor. Far more blood. In fact, she realized that most of the blood covering Harry probably belonged to Ron.

Where had they been?

"I'll take him," Remus said to Arthur, and the redheaded man handed over Harry and moved towards his son.

Luci's first instinct was to accompany Remus upstairs and to look after Harry, but she'd already made such a spectacle of herself. Ginny was glaring at her and her brother was standing in the doorway of the kitchen, looking dumbstruck.

"Is there anything that I can do?" she asked Molly, who was tearing at Ron's bloody clothing.

"Arthur, we have to take him to St. Mungo's," she said to her husband, and then turned to Luci and answered, "Put Hermione into bed."

At this, Hermione seemed to come to, and she protested, "Absolutely not! I'm going wherever Ron goes!"

"There's nothing more you can do for him, dear," Arthur replied.

"But-"

"Up to bed, go on now," encouraged Tonks, who was on her way up the stairs too.

Hermione made to get to her feet, but she fell dizzily back onto her knees.

Luci rushed to her, pulling her up and leading her toward the stairs.

"Take care of Ron," she called woozily.

"He'll be okay," Luci tried to reassure her.

"He's hurt," she murmured.

"I know."

Once in the room that Hermione shared with Ginny, Luci draped her over her bed.

"Are you alright? Are you cut anywhere? Anything that you need?"

"I'm fine," responded Hermione, her voice weak.

"Rest, then. Do you wanna change?"

Hermione nodded and began to pull off her shoes. Luci didn't feel the need to be present for this, so she had started for the door.

"Wait, where's Harry?" she heard Hermione call after her.

Luci turned back, unsure of how to answer.

"What?" Hermione asked in alarm.

"I... I don't know what's wrong with him. They took him to his room."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Why are you... why do you look so scared?"

Luci blinked, but before she could reply, the brunette girl had continued, "Why didn't they take him to St. Mungo's with Ron?"

"I don't know," said Luci, shaking her head.

A continued expression of suspicion was evident on her face, but Hermione concluded, "I can manage now. Thanks."

Luci merely nodded and made to leave again.

"You have feelings for Harry," she heard Hermione stop her a second time. "I knew it."

She turned abruptly. "What?"

"I saw the look on your face."

"I... there was no look."

Hermione was studying her, and under the scrutiny, Luci averted her eyes.

"He loves Ginny."

Luci's gaze snapped up again. Then, she choked, "I know."

"Good. As long as you know."

Luci clenched her jaw and hurried away.

Her eyes were stinging. She'd been found out. Would Hermione say anything? Certainly not. She obviously wanted to protect his relationship with Ginny. Still though... Her cheeks were burning with guilt.