One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

Madam Pomfrey concluded that Draco had two broken ribs, one near his lungs and one that pierced his stomach. But he puked because he had a concussion. Nothing could be done about that, expect maybe a bit of pain potion. But as for the broken ribs that Madam Pomfrey mended, she advised Draco to get more calcium in his bones because for a boy his age he shouldn’t have broken anything from that small spill.

“Well, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” Fallon laughed uncertainly, trying to be careful with her words.

“That’s right,” Madam Pomfrey asserted while she forced a potion down Draco’s throat. “Well, you can leave Mr. Malfoy. It wouldn’t damage anything for you to carry on your day. But Fallon, could you please make sure he doesn’t fall asleep tonight? He can sleep tomorrow but we just want to wait a day just to make sure.” Fallon nodded as she eased Draco out of the bed and guided him towards the exit.

“I’m tired,” he whined, slumping on Fallon’s shoulder. Fallon almost collapsed under the weight, but forced her body to move on.

“You’re not heavy at all Draco. So you can lean on me all you want. You are as light as a feather after all,” she grunted sarcastically. After about two minutes, Fallon was pretty much doing a squat walk and she gave Draco a pissed off look. She hadn’t even made it down the corridor.

“Alright Draco, get off. Now!” she yelled through her teeth as she still barred his weight. “You’re really fucking heavy! Get. Off. Seriously, I was starting to think you were a real human being but now you're just being cruel.” Fallon was breathless, and almost on the verge of tears. Draco made her have major mood swings that hit her like a freight train, and no one could stop them.

Draco’s features softened, something very unlike his character. He stood up quite straight and helped her upright. “Sorry,” he said tenderly as he fingered one of her curls.

Fallon considered backing away from his touch, but instead, without thinking, her body leaned into it. “We seem to say that a little too much to each other this year,” she laughed slightly, looking down at her feet while they stepped on each other.

“You’re the only girl I’m trying to treat like a woman, and not a whore,” he stated, dropping his hand letting it slide down her arm.

“Great, at least I’m not your bitch,” she rolled her eyes and started to drift away from him.

“You can’t say you wouldn’t want to be,” he smirked, standing in a way that showed off his body as he beamed in glory.

“I can’t argue with that,” she smirked back, still getting further and further away.

“Hey, why don’t we hang out today?” he called out after her.

She turned around, but kept walking while sheepishly saying, “I’m busy, we still have classes; how ’bout some other time?”

“Don’t you have to make sure I don’t fall asleep?” Draco felt himself almost pleading, something he would never think about doing. But you have to get along with you’re best friend’s family right?

Fallon turned back around. Right, she forgot about that. Fallon nodded in acknowledgement. “But you still have classes too. If you want me to look after you later you have to come to class with me. You have the same ones as me, am I correct?”

Draco wrinkled his nose. “You’re a hag,” he huffed walking over to her and pulling her to class.

“I’m being reasonable. Deal with it.” Honestly, Fallon saw Draco more as child than anything else. If anything happened between them, may it be friends or lovers, he would have to mature considerably. Fallon knew he was smart, but she rather him act smart than to feel as if she was a mother scolding her child half the time. But she did enjoy being in his company, that’s for sure.

It was now lunch time and Draco forced Fallon to sit with the Slytherins. “Feed me,” he demanded while he sat staring at her with his chin in his hand.

“You’ve got to be kidding me Draco,” she seethed, shoving a massive forkful into his mouth hoping to shut him up. But Draco easily swallowed it and opened his mouth signalling her to feed him more. Fallon just shook her head and scraped the plate over to his side and crossed her arms over her chest. Draco smiled to himself and he began to eat.

The two of them sat in silence for a long time; Draco eating happily and Fallon death glaring him. “Look, it’s my two favourite people,” Aiden cheered walking up to them. Fallon redirected her glare. “Hey, stop it.” Fallon punched him. Aiden howled in pain as he nursed his now throbbing arm.

“Today, is not the day Aiden,” Fallon informed him while she rubbed her temples. This was way beyond anything she could handle. She rarely socialized, because of the whirlwind of emotions she usually felt. And Draco was mostly the cause. She wasn’t going to lie to herself, she did have fun with Draco, but at the same time she wanted to hex his ass.

Fallon started to slap her own forehead several times. Aiden and Draco made to move when Fallon popped herself up and stalked off to god knows where. Soon she found herself on the seventh floor, dangerously close to the Gryffindor common room. Fallon couldn’t stand Gryffindors; they had more pride than all the Slytherins put together.

“Geneva, what are you doing with Malfoy?” a certain raven-haired boy asked. Fallon’s eyes widened and her fists clenched as she bit her lip to stop herself from screaming in irritation.

“Leave me alone, Potter. God, I’m already on the brink of insanity and I don’t need another person to drive me around the fricken corner,” she said in a low voice.

Harry backed away slowly, “I just wanted to warn you-”

“I don’t want to hear it, I don’t want to hear it,” she repeated over and over as she held one hand up and started to speed walk away. Fallon couldn’t process what she was feeling. Her hands were going numb, a constant shiver went up and down her spine, her legs felt like they were on fire and with every step she took it made her heart sink lower and lower.

“Fallon, are you feeling well?” an airy voice asked. Fallon stiffened, then relaxed. She turned around and smiled sadly.

“I’m fine, thanks Luna. Do you have Charms?”

“Well, as a matter of fact I do. But I just saw some nargles up in the arch way and I was going to get rid of them. Though, it wouldn’t be to good to skip the first day of lessons right?” Fallon nodded. There was a certain mystique to Luna that calmed Fallon down so much she almost felt refreshed. She wished it would last longer than a brief three minutes she only had until she knew Draco would arrive for class.

Even though Fallon is a Ravenclaw, she’s never been so confused, so frazzled, in her entire life.