A Change In Perspective

Placement

"Every time she goes in her office, she times herself eating a piece of cheese. That's why sometimes she's back in seconds looking pleased, and sometimes it takes her longer and she emerges looking troubled."

Harry pressed his hands over his mouth, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Madame Pomphrey gave him a suspicious look as she brought over another potion for him to drink, but didn't say anything. After coming in from the grounds, Draco had carried Harry all the way to the Hospital Wing. Harry had just woken up from a nap. He was tired, cranky, and not in the mood to be fussed over by a stranger. To solve the problem, Draco settled Harry in his lap, and distracted him by making up stories to explain why the healer had to keep running back and forth; casting diagnostic tests and handing off potions and muttering under her breath. Madame Pomphrey clearly yearned to kick the six teenagers out of her domain, but seeing Harry smile and hearing him giggle persuaded her to allow them to stay.

Pansy leaned forward with a smirk. "Don't lie to the boy Draco." She winked at Harry. "She's practicing her dance steps. Every time she disappears into her office she's practicing her moves for when she whoops it up with the girls." She grinned at Blaise and Hermione. "Show the boy how it's done."

Blaise stood up obligingly and held out his hand to Hermione. She sniffed, lips twitching, shaking her head in refusal. Without missing a beat he leaned over, scooped her up in his arms, and spun around in dizzyingly fast circles. Setting her on her feet, Hermione took two drunken steps, body swaying in oddly graceful yet spasmodic motions, before she tripped over the bed and went sprawling. Madame Pomphrey stuck her head out of her office when the raucous laughter hit her ears, took one look at Harry's flushed face and belly laughs, and left them to it.

Pansy wiped away tears of mirth. "Not quite what I had in mind," she choked out. "But an effective demonstration nonetheless."

Hermione shook her head, still lying half off the bed. "Thanks Blaise," she said dryly.

Blaise smiled down at Hermione, reaching out to gently stroke her hair off her face. "Oh anytime, Hermione." She blushed.

"You're a good dancer Hermione," Vince smiled at her tentatively. "Do you think you would want to dance with me sometime?"

Hermione shifted, bracing her upper torso with her elbows. "I… err… I… Sure Goy…Vince." She smiled at him kindly. "Sure I will. Just not in the Hospital Wing, ok?" Vince nodded, smiling widely. Pansy got a curious expression on her face, but didn't say anything; pulling out her textbooks and distracting herself instead. Hermione wandered over to join her, and the group soon slipped into a comfortable silence interspersed with Draco's whispers and Harry's giggles.

Madame Pomphrey bustled over to the bed holding two more vials of potion. "Now Harry," she began sweetly. "Just these last two for you to drink and then a quick word with the Headmaster and you can go off with your friends."

Harry looked at the potions in the healer's hand. "Professor Snape said not to take that one." He pointed to the orange vial in her left hand. "And I don't want to take any more potions from you." Harry was relieved Draco was sitting with him. He never would have had the courage to tell the lady no without his snake's help!

The healer looked offended. "Harry, I am only giving you these potions for your well being. I wouldn't do anything to harm you. I promised a lot of people I would never deliberately cause harm when I became a healer." She held out the bottle to him with a coaxing smile.

Harry looked at her solemnly, big green eyes oddly intense in his small face as he slowly shook his head no. "Sometimes people break promises without meaning to." He spoke softly, starting to tremble lightly. Draco's arms tightened convulsively around Harry.