Just, Average

Recap: Rowyn overhears Terrance and Pansy discussing a NEW potion that would last longer because the current one she’s giving Draco is beginning to wear off sooner. She defied the despicable Pansy and gained a few days of detention, no big deal. The Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin was close until Draco dropped off his broom and Rowyn saved him. With all of those emotions coursing through her she decked Pansy in her face…
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And so it continues…

I shut my eyes waiting for one of the teachers to give me detention, on top of what I already have. “Domire, with me, now.” I groan inwardly and follow Prof. Snape. We finally enter his classroom after the longest awkward silence ever. He spins on his heel and his robes fly in a circle behind him. “Domire it is a privilege for you to be here. Although what you did for a fellow student was commendable, the physical altercation between you and Ms. Parkinson is inexcusable. What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I’m sorry I got caught.” I narrow my eyes at him and await my punishment.

He perks a brow and holds his head high, “Very well, one month detention-”

“But!-”

“-is what you would be getting, however; since you acted so quickly and helped another student I’m shortening your… Sentence, to two weeks, as well as taking 5 points from Slytherin.”

“Seems reasonable. Do I start Monday?”

“Yes, after classes.”

“Alright then.” I salute him and take off toward the hospital wing. I spot a group of Slytherin students standing outside the door, so I turn around and head to the common room. I enter and see several students lingering in their little groups. I almost reach the stairs when Blaise calls my name.

“Rowyn! Is it true, did you save Draco?” A few students turn their heads in our direction.

“Oh um, I performed the levicorpus charm (hex, jinx?) to stop him from falling…” My body radiated awkward nervousness. The students begin to murmur around me.

“Stopped him from- You stopped his head from cracking against the ground!”

“W-well that too I suppose.”

“And you knocked Pansy on her ass.” He perks a brow.

“I hit her if that’s what you’re referring to, I didn’t beat her up. Look, Blaise I have a bit of homework and I’m tired, I’ll talk to you later.” He smiles, nods, and walks back to his buddies. I did in fact have homework, but I wanted to get away from Blaise bombarding me with his exclamations of awe. I pat Panda on the head and play with her for a few minutes then get started on my charms homework and shortly after that my Astronomy work. Hagrid doesn’t give us much in the way of homework, more like verbal pop quizzes during class. Lastly, I finish my History of Magic work and by then it is time for supper. I put my work in my bag then take off to the Great Hall. I eat quickly and walk again to the hospital wing. I step inside and spot Draco right away, his bed is by a large window against the one of the white walls almost in the center of the room.

I walk slowly to his bed and stand at the foot of it mesmerized by his beautiful and vulnerable form. I step around the metal footboard and creep up to his side. He’s lying on his back with one arm slightly outstretched hanging a bit off the bed. I touch his hand with my fingertips and it twitches. As I watch his face, I slide my hand in his and his fingers close around my own. I use my other hand to brush his hair out of his face. He furrows his brows but doesn’t wake up. I lean forward and plant a soft kiss on his forehead and he mutters something, something I can’t understand. I take my leave heading back to the Slytherin tower. I ascend the stairs that lead to my room and sluggishly change clothes. I practically fall into my bed and dream of those blue eyes.

I wake in the middle of the night, restless. I slip on my shoes and my jacket then grab my wand and creep down the stairs and out of the painting. “Lumos,” I say and a bit of light shines from the end of my wand. I keep my wand low and my steps mostly silent as I make my way to the hospital wing for the third time. I stealthily tiptoe to Draco’s bed and find him still asleep. I wonder if he woke up when everyone left. I step closer to him and stretch out an arm to touch him when I hear someone coming and recoil. Crap, what am I to do? I do the only thing any rational person would do; I slide under the bed hoping the bed skirt around the metal frame conceals enough of me. Thank God I’m short as hell. The footsteps grow closer and stop at the side of his bed.

“I’m sorry, but I have to do this until he can make a better one. I can’t lose you to someone else.” Pansy? Is she seriously going to give him more of that after what happened? What a psychopath! I have to stop her, or at the very least take that damn potion from her. As I begin wiggling out from my hiding place, I hear Madam Pomfrey’s voice. Oh, no! I slither further back under the bed and listen as she chides Pansy.

“You are not supposed to be out of bed Ms. Parkinson, you of all people know that. Five points from Slytherin, I’ll be talking to Professor Snape in the morning.”

“I-I just needed to see him again, I’m so worried.” Because you caused it you idiot.

“I understand but rules are rules.” Don’t back down from her fake tears Madam P. They both finally leave and I crawl out from my hiding place. I take one last look at Draco and quickly head for the door. I sneak out of the hospital wing and hightail it back to the Slytherin tower. I enter the painting and scan the room, no Pansy, good. I run upstairs and practically dive into my bed then slowly fall back asleep.

I wake the next day and quickly shower and dress for work. I head down stairs and to breakfast in the dining hall. I eat a bit of breakfast and turn my head to look at the spot where Draco normally sits and he’s not there. Must still be in the hospital, Pansy’s other dose better have not done more damage. I stand and walk to the hospital wing then peek around the door to see if he’s still in the same bed. I see him standing beside his bed staring out the window. I step in and make my way to him, “How are you feeling?”

He comes out of his reverie and turns to me, “Weak, Madam Pomfrey says I should be able to go back to classes Monday.”

“Good, good.”

He steps closer to me, “Blaise said that you saved me.”

I nod, “I did, from falling to the ground. I shall yet save your mind and heart though.” I spin on my heel and quickly walk out of the hospital wing and the castle. I sigh on the way to work, pondering and pondering. The day went by slowly, but I felt proud when I took my pay and opened a bank account. My first account! I saunter back to the castle all the way to the dining hall for supper. I eat and realize that Pansy isn’t at her usual spot. I wonder if Terrance has started his precious new potion. I stand and practically jog out of the dining hall, as I turn down the hall toward the hospital wing I hear my name.

“Rowyn.”

I sigh and turn around, “Yes?”

“Where are you going?”

“To see how Draco’s doing.”

“Oh Pansy already “walked” him back to his room, Madam Pomfrey let him leave.” I grit my teeth and internally growl with frustration.

“Okay then, I suppose I’m heading to my room.” I ambulate toward the Slytherin tower with Blaise trailing behind me. We enter the painting and although several students sit chatting around the room, there is no Draco. She is dosing him again, I bet. I grunt, say a small goodnight to Blaise, and walk upstairs to my bed. I snuggle up with Pandora and feel utterly defeated.

The days begin to blend and I succeed in my classes but that’s all I do. I don’t seek out Draco anymore, I hardly speak to Harry or Hermione, but I keep flying. However, the detention sentence with Snape was rather interesting. He made me clean… A lot. Then I had to do random homework assignments. I avoid Pansy and Terrance at all costs and spend most of my time with Pandora. I do save my money after each payday in hopes of purchasing a gorgeous gown for the Christmas ball. I WILL free Draco, I just have to have the perfect plan for the ball. He hasn’t had to go back to the hospital I know that for sure, but that’s all I know.

I wonder how he’s doing in his classes. My energetic and amicable personality is replaced by detachment and lassitude. It just makes it much easier to be sitting right next to him in a certain class if I’m almost mentally gone. I wonder what Pansy thinks will happen when Draco’s parents, who I’m told are pretty freaking mean, see their son acting like a sickly sappy little puppy? What if Pansy convinced Draco’s mum that he was trying to get close to some unworthy impoverished girl with no propriety? Would she believe it and rashly decide he should be with her or no one? If that is the case, his mum is either mental or desperate. Ugh, shut up brain!

It’s now the first week of December (Friday) and I suddenly remember, now that the fog is seeping from my brain finally, that Blaise asked me to the Slytherin Christmas ball. Without Blaise my plan, if you want to call such limited details a plan, won’t be able to come together. I step into Transfiguration and am the last student to sit down thanks to my seemingly infinite fleeting thoughts. As Professor McGonagall begins her lecture, I stare out of a nearby window, until she speaks of human transfiguration. Which is either changing someone into an animal or object, or changing yourself. Oh? I become incredibly excited at that point. She tells us to get up and stand in front of the many mirrors she placed in the room. We then go through practicing changing our eyebrow color. I successfully turn mine bright hot pink. I wiggle them at Hermione and Harry, they chuckle.

By the end of class I am finally back to my old self. A History of Magic went by as slow as ever, but I absorbed a lot about giants. On my way to lunch, I see Blaise with a blonde headed girl. Crap, am I losing my “place”? “Blaise!” I wave to get his attention. He sidesteps the blonde after, I assume, saying goodbye to her. Though, the look she gives me tells me otherwise.

“Hello.” He says.

“I just wanted to say hi and sorry for being so reclusive lately.”

“I was wondering what was going on with you.” I doubt it.

“Just craziness. So um, when is the Malfoy’s dance again? Or were you asking her to go with you?” I questioned honestly.

“Who? Oh her?” He yanks his thumb up and points it behind him, “No, I hadn’t given up on you yet.” We both laugh and walk to the Great Hall. He sits with Draco’s gang and I sit in my spot. I eat in silence as per my normal routine then finish up and set off toward charms class. I enter the room and a couple of students are already seated talking to one another. I take out my spiral and jot some notes down about Draco and what this new love potion may do to him. In potions, we learned that a hate potion could cancel out the love potion. I quickly take out my potions book and look up the ingredients. Great, there are so many. Where do I get them? Snape’s little closet? I hurriedly write up a plan to get each ingredient bit by bit over the next few days. As more students file into the room I shut my spiral and put it away, then take out my parchment waiting for class to begin.

Finally, I actually have a plan now. I fidget all through class until the end when I gather my things and set off toward the library. I pull down any book I can get my hands on about hate potions. There are many more instances of wrongly using these potions than I thought there would be. Perhaps I should make two, if I can, and give one to Pansy, yes make her despise Draco. After several minutes, probably an hour, I return my books to their proper places and exit the library. I grin to myself as I make my way back to the Slytherin common room.