Annoyed the Ice Until It Melted

I groaned as I walked down the stairs of the girls’ dormitory, having been sick for almost a week—from Thursday to Monday. Needless to say, the weekend hadn’t been very fun for me. I hadn’t even bothered going to the Hospital wing because I believed that my body would heal on its own- as long as I slept, and drank liquids. Problem was, I could barely sleep a few hours, let alone a whole night.

Boy was I stupid— Neville and my brother had all been telling me to go to the Hospital Wing. But of course I didn’t listen. I lied and told them that I had already been, and because they were so trusting, they’d believed me. Zoey was trying to see what was wrong, so she could go all Healer on me but I told her that I was fine and she didn’t need to bother because it was just a stupid bug.

That morning, I was the last one to wake up. Zoey had probably thought that I needed the rest. But more importantly, guess what? I realized at that minute, that I had missed an entire weekend of possible pranks and bothering Malfoy. I had let out a groan as I remembered that I needed to go to class.



As I was running through the corridors I noticed that I was the only one that wasn’t in class on time, I think I passed a kid or two but surely this was a good day for Hogwartian history. I huffed, putting my hands on my knees catching my breath as I stood in front of the Muggle Studies classroom trying to catch my breath. After a few seconds I dared to straighten up, only to groan loudly because my head was hurting, as well as my lungs.

I rubbed my sore legs, then pushed open the door too hard, causing a loud bang as the door smacked the wall. Everyone turned to stare at me, so I waved weakly with a forced grin. I sighed in relief as I noticed the Professor wasn’t in the class yet. I walked over to Draco in a wonky line, and since there was no seat available beside him I pushed a boy from Ravenclaw off the chair at his right.

“Malfoy…” I moaned, dropping into my second row seat in Muggle Studies whilst clutching at my head. “I think I’m dying!” I lay my head on the table; not letting go of it, for fear that the room would spin more.

Although I didn’t look up at his face, I knew he was rolling his eyes. “Whatever,” he muttered and continued picking his nails as he waited for the Professor to walk in and begin the class.

“Malfoy,” I whined, sitting back up rolling my head lazily to look over at him; “I really don’t feel too…” I never finished my sentence, as at that moment I passed out and fell sideways just as everything went black.



“Hart?!” Draco Malfoy shouted as Maddy toppled towards the ground- he leapt out of his seat and just managed to grab a hold of her before her head smacked the stone flagged ground. Gently lifting her up he placed her bridal style in his arms and began to make his way out of the room, ignoring the panicked cries of their classmates.

“Mr. Malfoy,” Slowing down, Draco sighed when he heard the Professor’s worried voice coming towards him. So now she decides to turn up? He thought angrily. “What did you do to her?!” She gasped as her hands roved pointlessly over Madeline’s still body.

“Excuse me, Professor. I did not do anything- Hart collapsed and I’m taking her to the hospital wing,” Draco replied coolly, desperately trying to prevent himself from exploding.

“Right, well then- I’ll take her to the hospital wing...” Professor What’s-Her-Face said as she pulled out her wand.

“No.” He sneered turning Maddy away from her.

“M-Mr. Malfoy?” She stuttered out dropping her wand with a questioning look.

“No.” He repeated firmly as he stepped around the pudgy teacher and moved quickly towards the hospital wing.



Draco growled when he saw Maddy’s Gryffindor friends surrounding her bed although she lay limp and unmoving. He would have stayed beside her bed all day if he hadn’t been forced out by the crazy grandma who ran the wing.

He sighed. There was only one way around this, and that required breaking curfew. He felt an inexplicable need to make sure she was okay; like he wouldn't be able to think straight until he heard her voice, or at least saw that she wasn’t in some horrid coma.

She had been out for two days by then and Madam Pomfrey had explained that her body had literally been drained of energy and was pretty much demanding to sleep to recharge. God, she’s mental! Draco fumed silently. I mean, who doesn’t go to the hospital when they're sick?



When I woke up, I immediately clutched my throat which felt drier than the Sahara. Glancing around, I noticed that it was obviously late at night- all the lamps had been extinguished and no light shone through the thin curtains covering the large windows of the hospital wing.

I glanced around the room, and spotted a shiny head of platinum hair lying beside my hand on the bed. I sighed... so that was why my hand felt extremely warm. Ignoring him, I continued to look around the dark hospital wing and noticed that at the end of the cot, there were various flowers and ‘Get Well’ cards which were completely covering the table and at the right side of the bed there was another table, this one groaning under the weight of thousands of sweets and chocolates.

Looking to the left of where Draco lay soundly I spotted a glass of water on the other bedside table, I carefully reached over Draco with my free hand which closed around the glass and eagerly chugged down its contents. I quietly contemplated whether I should wake the sleeping Slytherin, whilst looking down at him. I sighed, deciding against waking him for my own entertainment.

After slowly removing my left hand from Draco’s grasp, I immediately starting grabbing for the assortment different sweets. I hastily opened a chocolate frog packet, catching it quickly and proceeded to bite its head off. I practically groaned out loud at the wondrous taste it released into my mouth.

As I continued to stuff my face, the outside world became unknown to me- even when Malfoy started to stir in his sleep. However he eventually woke up, and noticed movement coming from the bed.

In mid-bite of the frog’s bum Malfoy sleepily sniped; “I see that sleeping for two days made you no less graceful,” A small smirk covering his features.

I quickly grabbed another chocolate frog and smashed it against his mouth as my greeting. His eyes opened wide in shock, and grinning cheekily I passed him a couple of small boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, two Licorice Wands, two Pumpkin Pasties, then slowly added a few chocolate frogs, mindful that if I were this generous often, I wouldn’t have much left for myself.

Turning back to Draco, I grimaced as he was now licking his face trying to get the chocolate off. “What?” He managed to get out, though a mouthful of chocolate.

“Mate, you’re just as graceful as I am.”

Malfoy grinned, and I couldn’t help but smile too. When he smiled, and really smiled (not that annoying smirk that he obviously copied from me) it was so full of childish happiness that you couldn’t help but grin too. Then suddenly the light left his face and he looked down at his pile of sugary goodness and started fiddling, refusing to make eye contact.

A few seconds later he stuck out his pinkie finger and said; “Pinkie promise you’ll never scare me like that again,” As he intently stared into my eyes.

I examined him quietly, staring into his eyes and tried to determine the reasons behind such concern for the well being of someone who frequently dumped goo on his head, along with many other foul substances.

Deciding that no harm could come for making such a promise, I stared down at our hands as I linked my fifth finger with his. Two golden rings clashed against each other, and the deal was done.



“Oi fatty!” I shouted at Draco, slapping his hands as they reached for the hundredth time for more sweets. “Those are mine!”

I glared at him as he sneered at me, turning his nose up in the air; “Sharing is caring, cheapskate!”

“Ahh!” I let out a war yell, and leaped towards him to repeatedly slap his head, “How’s that for cheapskate!”

We yelled at each other as we wrestled all over the hospital cot, screaming profanities at each other. Soon enough Madam Pomfrey came bursting out of her office with her wand at the ready.

“Mister Malfoy!” She scolded; her frazzled hair flying over the place, her white nightgown was billowing as she thundered over. “I don‘t think it‘s appropriate for you to be here at this time of night, you are breaking curfew! Not to mention disturbing everyone else in the wing! Return to your common room immediately!”

Draco and I jumped apart from each other. He glanced around the empty hospital wing, and sneered at her, “First of all, there is no one else in here!” Then he crossed his arms against his chest and smirked; “Secondly, you’re going to have to make me.”

Madam Pomfrey gasped and whipped out her wand out and levitated a pillow from a neighboring cot and aimed it so that it would repeatedly hit Draco in the face. I shrugged my shoulders, ignoring the yelps coming from Malfoy’s direction and reached over to the side table so I could grab another chocolate frog to shove into my mouth.

Once Pomfrey had managed to get rid of the blond ferret, she turned around and gasped once again; “Miss Hart! You shouldn’t be eating those!” My eyes widened as I watched the nurse levitate all the sweets and chocolate away from my hands, and I was left hyperventilating at the loss of my goodies.



“Madeline-Rae Hart!”

I visibly cringed as I heard my full name being shouted and looked up to glare at whoever dare say my full name, only to widen my eyes as I watched my best friend come charging into the hospital wing. Her blonde hair and school robes flowing furiously behind her.

“Why did you tell me it was some stupid bug! You should have just let me heal you!”

I watched with wide eyes as Zoey came stomping towards me, and jumped when she slammed her hands down on the bed by my legs. I leaned away from her as she looked at me, anger clearly written in her eyes.

“What the bloody hell is wrong with you?”

I furrowed my eyebrows in worry as her eyes instantly glossed over with tears, she sighed heavily as she sat down beside the bed, all the fight drained from her body; “You were asleep for two whole days Mads.” She looked up and caught my gaze staring at me intently; “It’ll be eight years in four weeks Maddy… If I ever lost you to an illness too…”

I swallowed and reached over to hug her, wrapping my arms tightly around her and sighed, tears flooding my eyes; “I’m so sorry Zee… I didn’t even think about that.”

“Don’t ever do that to me again Mads.” She whispered, her voice wobbling terribly and her small shoulders beginning to tremble with the oncoming tears.

♥