We All Go to Hell

I sucked on the tip of my quill, and thought about what I wanted to write as my last line before scribbling it down. I wrote the words onto the parchment in my scratchy writing, and nodded satisfactorily, then let it roll back up into itself.

The sun was still high outside, streaming in through the library windows, spilling beams of light across my books and finished essays laying across the table. I leaned back in my chair a little and sighed.

Today I had only a few classes in the morning, and now that I had finished the work that I needed to get done, I was free for the rest of the day. We had only been back at school for a week, and the work was already being piled on. I started to put my things back into my bags, carefully sliding everything into it.

I picked up the last two books, and went off towards the bookcases they came from. I put the book on medieval castles away back in it’s spot, then turned down a few more aisles, heading towards the potions books. When I got there, I looked for the open spot I was guessing it had come from. I actually hadn‘t gotten it myself, but Madam Pince had retrieved it for me. I noticed it was on the top shelf, and I tried to extend my arm to reach, but I couldn’t.

I let out a few choice words when I dropped the book, and it landed on my right foot.

“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumbled, hopping a little. I sat down on the ground, and pulled my shoe off. I peeled my sock off slowly, and examined my toes. A dark purple bruise was forming over three of them, and also about half of my foot. “Oh damn.”

“Are you okay?”

My head snapped up, and I was greeted by the slender figure of Harry Potter.

“Oh, um, yeah. I just squashed my foot is all,” I shrugged.

“How’d you do that?”

“I dropped that book,” I pointed and glared darkly at it, “on top of it. I couldn’t reach the top shelf to put it away.”

He walked over, and casually picked up the book. He reached up, and easily slid it into it’s slot between the other books.

“Well, ya know, it helps when you’re tall,” I said lamely. I tried to fit my sock back over my bruised toes, but winced when I did.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Harry asked, bending down next to me. “Do you want to go to the hospital wing?”

“You think I need to?” I asked, biting my lip.

He stood up, and stuck his hand out. I took it and gingerly stood up.

“Try putting some weight on it,” he said.

I put my right foot on the ground, and leaned onto it a little. It buckled beneath me, and I collapsed into Harry’s frame. He caught me, then steadied me back up.

“Yup. You definitely need to,” he nodded. “Come on. I’ll take you down.”

I scooped up my shoe and sock. We went over to the table I had been working at, and retrieved my bag. Harry wouldn’t let me carry it, and swung it over his own shoulders, much to my dismay.

“I’m Addrena, by the way,” I said after a few silent minutes of walking.

“I know,” he smiled.

“You do?” I asked, incredulously. “Most people never notice me.”

“I notice a lot of things most people don’t,” he grinned. I raised an eyebrow. “What? I do.”

I raised my eyebrow a little higher, and smirked.

“Okay fine. It might help that it spread to a few people about how you practically attacked Malfoy first day back. Apparently you were going to ‘hex him into an oblivion?’ I don‘t know. You‘re basically my hero now.”

I stopped walking.

“Because I threatened Malfoy?”

“Yup. Not a lot of people can say they did that, and emerge scratch free. I’m surprised he didn’t flip out.”

I shook my head and continued walking.

“Probably helps that my brother is his best friend,” I scoffed.

“Good point,” Harry nodded.

The rest of the walk down the corridors was silent. We made it to the entrance to the hospital wing, and he led me in through the open doors.

“Oh dear, what happened to her?” Madam Pomfrey said as soon as she saw me.

“I dropped a book on my foot,” I said sheepishly.

“Well come and sit down,” she said, gesturing towards a bed.

I carefully lowered down onto one, trying not to jar my foot at all. Harry sat across from me on another one. Madam Pomfrey came over, and began to examine my bruised foot.

“Hmm. It seems you broke a few bones,” she informed me. “Must have been some book.”

Harry laughed at this. I glared back at him.

“I can give you a potion to stop the pain, and I can fix the fractures, but you’ll have to wear a wrap for about a week.”

She tsked at my bruised foot, and left to get the potion.

“I don’t think she believed you,” Harry chuckled.

“Hey, it’s not my fault I have insanely bad luck,” I huffed, crossing my arms.

“Are you sure you’re not just clumsy?” he smirked.

I opened my mouth to snap back at him, but Madam Pomfrey came back in, with a glass.

“Drink that down,” she ordered, then pulled out her wand. She muttered a few words, and waved it at my foot.

I sniffed the liquid, and scrunched my nose in disgust.

“What is this stuff? It smells revolting.”

“Just drink it. Trust me, it’ll help,” she took out the wrap from her apron pocket, and pulled my foot over to her. I hissed at the feeling. “You going to take it now?”

I glowered at the slightly clouded liquid, then gulped it down. It burned my throat, but I just continued to swallow. I started to cough when the last drop passed my lips.

“That was not pleasant,” I said plainly.

“But I bet your toes feel better.”

I wiggled them experimentally. It still hurt a little, but I didn’t get the shooting pain going up my leg. I smiled at Harry, and he stuck his thumbs up. I rolled my eyes at him. When my foot was finished getting wrapped, he helped me stand up. I stuffed my shoe into my bag, then slung it over my shoulder.

“Stop by again in a week so I can check it. If anytime before that it starts to hurt again, or you re-injure it, come back,” Madam Pomfrey ordered. She turned to Harry. “And you, help her back to her common room.”

“Yes ma’am,” he nodded seriously, but his mouth was turning up at the corners. I elbowed him. “Ow.”

“Yeah, that’s what you get,” I smirked, then started to hobble towards the door.

He caught up to me, and carefully looped his arm around my waist, to help me walk.

“You really should be more careful ya know.”

“Like that’ll ever happen,” I snorted. I glanced to his hand resting on my waist, and felt the blush heat up my cheeks. “You really don’t have to help me. I’ll be fine.”

“And have you accidentally fall down a set of stairs? Yeah, no,” he shook his head. “So wipe that blush off your face and deal with it.”

My mouth opened and closed for a few seconds, before I snapped it shut.

“Uh huh. That’s what I thought,” he smirked.

We walked past the Great Hall, and towards the main steps. Small talk was made back and forth, before we landed on the topic of classes.

“I actually think we have a couple together,” Harry said thoughtfully.

“Yeah we do. Three actually. Herbology, Astronomy, and Transfiguration,” I rattled off. He raised an eyebrow. “I’m a very observant person.”

His laughed across the stone corridor.

“And I notice things most don’t. We make quite a pair.”

A giggle slipped past my lips before I could stop it. The fact that I was so unbelievably comfortable with Harry Potter, of all people, shocked me a little. That he was even talking to me surprised me more.

“Oi! Potter!”

I groaned once, and smacked my forehead. I didn’t even bother turning around. I knew that voice.

“What did you do to my sister?”

I felt Harry turn slightly, most likely to address them.

“Hey, I had nothing to do with this. She did it all on her own.”

“It was not my fault. It was the damn book’s fault,” I huffed.

I swiveled my body around, and glared. He was standing there, Draco to his right, leaning against the wall. His eyes were averted somewhere else, most likely off daydreaming.

“So, you’re going to act like I’m related to you now?” I questioned.

“Addy, come on. You know it’s not like that,” he pleaded.

“It’s not like what Connor?” I snapped. “So sorry if I’m having trouble dealing with the fact that you pretended I didn’t exist.”

“He did it with good reason.”

My eyes flickered over to Draco, who now seemed interested in the situation.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“If you were my sister, I’d hide you too,” he smirked.

I took a small step forward, careful not to put too much weight on my damaged foot.

“Watch it Malfoy. I’m still waiting for the chance to curse you,” I glared.

“Oh wow, I’m scared now,” he rolled his eyes.

I moved forward again, but Harry pulled me back.

“Come on Addrena, he’s not worth it,” he mumbled. “Let’s just go back to your common room.”

“Yeah, Rust. Listen to the Scarhead,” Draco mocked.

I ignored Harry’s protest, and pulled my wand out of my pocket. Within seconds I had dropped my bag and launched myself onto Draco. He fell to the ground, slightly stunned.

“I am getting so sick and tired of your taunting,” I seethed. “Just because you think you’re some god damn prince, does not give you the right to pick on someone you believe to be lower than yourself. You need to realize that what you say hurts people. It cuts deep. To them, it’s not some sick, twisted little game. Maybe some people are too scared to stand up to you, but I am not. And you just happened to break the last straw.”

I stopped for a minute, and took a deep breath in. Draco’s eyes were wide, and he looked truly scared. The whole time our bodies had been pushed against each other, I couldn’t breathe. I wasn’t sure if it was the anger coursing through my veins, or the fact we fit together so well. But it really didn’t matter.

“Never forget who my parents are Malfoy. If need be, I will pull some leverage, and make your life a living hell,” I spat out. I clambered off of him, glaring as I did so. “So help me god, if I run into you again, I cannot be responsible for my actions.”

I picked up my bag, and glanced over at Harry. He seemed shocked, and in awe at the same time. I smiled lightly, then hobbled down the steps. The pain was shooting from my foot, sending little shocks up my leg. I knew I had screwed it up again, so I made my way to the hospital wing once more.

“You hurt it again, didn’t you?” Madam Pomfrey asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded, and sat down on a bed.

“Trouble just seems to follow you everywhere.”

Lady, you have no idea.