Blinding | Draco Malfoy

twenty

Harry had told the others what had happened. He was afraid of what he had done, and he was ashamed. Ginny walked over to him and comforted him. "I'm afraid Aurora will never forgive me."

"You have to get rid of it. Today." She insisted, and he nodded in agreement. She took his hand and the two of them went to the Room of Requirement to hide it. "We need to hide the Half-Blood Prince's book. Where no one will ever find it, including you."

They heard a rustling, then looked at each other as they spoke at the same time. "What was that?"

They located the source of the rustling, stepping over to a tall cabinet with a drape over it. He opened it, allowing a bird to fly out. "See, you never know what you'll find up here." Ginny approached him and gently removed the book from his hands that she could tell he reluctantly wanted to let go of. "Alright, close your eyes. That way, you can't be tempted." He trusted her, so he did. She hid the book in a good spot, and she'd be the only person to know about it. Once she did. She came back over and kissed him, finally. "That can stay hidden up here too, if you'd like."

He chuckled slightly, and when he opened his eyes, he was gone. "So, did you and Ginny do it, then?"

"Do what?" Harry asked quickly as Ron approached him. He thought back to how angry he was over her and Dean. He probably wouldn't like it if they were together.

"Hide the book." Ron shrugged as he caught up with him.

"Oh, yeah." Harry nodded, stopping when Slughorn came around a corner.

"Oh, uh, yeah." He said awkwardly, turning around and going back the way he came. Harry sighed.

"Still no luck with Slughorn, I take it?" Ron glanced over at him.

"No..." He paused. "Luck. That's it. All I need's a bit of luck."

Draco woke up the next day. Aurora had missed all her classes to be with him, not like she really needed them. She raised her head from his bed where she had drifted off to sleep. She was still holding his hand, though. She watched him closely as he moved around, his body probably asleep from lying there for so long. He rubbed his eyes with his free hand, the other gripping hers. Finally, he looked over at her. "Hey, darling."

"Hey," She whispered, sitting up in her seat. "How do you feel?"

"Sore, and weak." He mumbled out. "Thirsty."

"Madame Pomfrey, he's awake!" She called. She rushed over to them, giving Draco a quick examination as she gave him some medication. He gladly drank the glass of water she gave him. She left them alone before too long.

"I thought you were dead." She frowned at him.

"Yeah, me too." He mumbled, barely able to talk loudly. He still seemed exhausted, but she couldn't blame him. If Snape had gotten there a second later, he would've been gone. She was very thankful for him. "I told you he was going to kill me."

"I don't know why he did that. He knows your situation, about how you're trapped. I told him you were good, and he believed me. I don't know what came over him." She shook her head, at a loss. She'd been tossing it over and over in her mind, but nothing made sense. She didn't understand why he did that. Sure, Draco had casted the first spell, but they could've just talked. She was there, she could've reasoned with both of them.

"I think he'll always hate me. I hate me, too, after everything I've done to everyone, especially you." He looked up at the ceiling then.

"Don't say that." She furrowed her eyebrows at him, wondering why he was being like this.