Colder Than Ice

Chapter Fourteen

Paisley blinked a couple of times waiting patiently for her eyes to adjust to the blinding lights of what she deduced was the infirmary.

She could make out three figures who she, after a couple of seconds, recognized as Neville, Luna, and Emily.

“Cheers.” She said, her voice cracking as she swallowed some dry blood that was caked on the inside of her throat. “How did I get here?”

The last thing she remembered was getting hit with the torture spell and blacking out. Neville explained that no one knew who had brought her here, that Madame Pomfrey had found you in a bed after hearing the door to the Hospital Wing shut loudly.

Emily however, gave her a look seeming to say, 'I have something to tell you.'

“Paisley! Thank Merlin your alright.” Said Neville moving in for a hug. Paisley shifted away from him, not because she was mad but because she needed to know something first.

“Nev,” He smiled when she used his nickname, “Did you tell Gran?”

Neville smiled sheepishly, any chance of him getting back in his sisters good graces, were shot to hell.

“Neville!” Shouted Paisley, the shout alerted Madame Pomfrey of her consciousness and tried to usher everyone out.

Paisley pulled out her Slytherin characteristics, being cunning and sly to get her way. After some sweet talking, she convinced the old biddy to let Emily stay for a few minutes. When Pomfrey went to the supply closet for some more Skele-grow, Paisley motioned Emily over to her bed side.

“The girls in the Common Room have been talking relentlessly.” She groaned, “The ones who were with Pansy when they attacked you.”

“And . . .” Paisley pressed, impatiently. She wanted to know what Emily knew.

“They were saying that Malfoy saw them all and he just flipped, like, throwing hexes left and right. Then they said that he picked you up and carried you here.” She said, her voice low, “Pansy is on a war path, she has it out for you even more now.”

“Wasn't beating me to a bloody pulp good enough for that hag?” Asked Paisley, laying back in her bed.

“She fancies him even more than Lavender fancies Ron.” Laughed Emily. Her smile fell as she struggled to get a question out of her mouth, “Are you, seeing Draco?”

Emily fancied Draco and Paisley knew that she hated it when he did his regular 'Breakfast Choosing', Frankly, Paisley thought it was stupid, but every girl in Slytherin always dolled up for breakfast and sprayed perfume on their left shoulders.

“No, not even if 'He-who-must-not-be-named' held his wand to my throat.” Said Paisley, shaking the thought. “Why even ask?”

“Well, he hasn't 'chosen' anyone at breakfast for over a week, and the only thing that's changed this year for him, is you.” She said, her eyes downcast.

“Wait, how long have I been out for?” Asked Paisley, her eyebrows creasing, surly not for more than a couple of hours.

“A week, you've missed so much homework, oh and here's the cherry on top of the cake, Malfoy is to help you catch up, I wish I were you, on the bright side I found an acne potion to help clear mine up . . .”

Paisley had to be one of the most unlucky people in the world, right next to Harry Potter. Another thought plagued her mind. Draco didn't have enough of a heart to care whether or not she was in danger so why in Merlin's name would he save her?

Draco Malfoy was sexually frustrated, for some reason he couldn't even think about picking a shag at breakfast, he was worried about Longbottomette, it had took him a week to realize that he did, in fact, care about her well being.

A week ago after he had brought Paisley to the Hospital Wing he cornered Pansy down by the dungeons.

She had asked in her high pitched voice whether he had changed his mind about being with her.

It was then she noticed his lethal glare, he advanced on her, wand drawn and pointing at her with an unwavering hand.

“She's a Longbottom, she will never love you.” Said Pansy, in a desperate attempt to get Draco to see her side.

“If you go near her again, I will do much worse.” He said, still advancing slowly, only making the anticipation and fear worse.

“Why are you so protective of her?”

“She's a Slytherin, we don't disrespect fellow House mates.” He said, in a cool voice, determined to not let Pansy get to him.

“I wonder how your father with react when he find out you fancy a worthless Longbott-” her sentence was cut short as Draco stiffened his wand arm and whispered a curse.

“Crucio.”

He silenced Pansy as her screams filled the hallway. Maybe now she would finally leave him alone.

Draco sat at the lunch table, Pansy was absent and Millicent was sending him death glares as per usual. Suddenly, the doors of the Great Hall bursts open revealing Paisley and an older looking woman wearing a bright red hat with a raven perched on the rim.

He almost found himself smiling when he saw Paisley fully clothed, lack of dried blood on her skin, walking, and . . . shouting?

“GRAN! I'M FINE!” She screamed, everyone stopped what they were doing as looked after Paisley and her Gran, as Paisley ran in between the tables. She was running from her Gran, who was chasing after her.

“Get back here young lady.” Yelled her Gran, having trouble keeping up with her granddaughter. Paisley was running near the Slytherin table when she spotted a blond haired boy looking at her, much like everyone else.

She yanked him up, using him to shield herself from her Gran. He tried to rip himself away from her grasp but stopped when she leaned into whisper in his ear.

“Thanks for taking me to the infirmary, ferret face.” She said quietly, she kissed him on the cheek, and everyone in the Great Hall, either screamed or gasped.

“GRAN! I HAVEN'T GONE MAD, I WANT TO STAY HERE!” She shouted as she dashed out of the hall, followed closely by her Gran, then Dumbledore, who walked out at a leisurely pace, a smile on his face as he went to go talk down Augusta Longbottom.