Aevumiter

13: Ollivander's

Draco wouldn't admit it to anyone that he was worried about Harry Potter. It was just happenstance that he was patrolling the corridors near Umbridge's office. Not too close to be conspicuous, but close enough to make sure Potter made it back to the common room.

Draco was wondering just how much longer he could procrastinate returning himself when a familiar snowy owl came barreling around the corner. She squawked and flew in circles around him. Draco wasn't an owl whisperer like Potter evidently was, but he could certainly tell when an owl was distressed.

"What is it?" Draco asked.

She flew back the way she came, and then almost bounced off the wall, flying back to Draco, before looping around him and going back. Draco got the message, and followed her. He had to jog to keep up, even though she doubled back to make sure he hadn't lost her.

He was getting rather close to Umbridge's office when he turned a corner and found a student shaped ball of Slytherin Hogwarts robes. He ran the remaining distance, sliding to a stop. 

"Potter!" Draco set a hand on a shoulder. Potter didn't react. "Potter!" Draco hissed.

He heard a muted whimper from the robes. Draco's jaw clenched, before he rolled Potter over. His breath caught in his throat. Potter was pale, sweaty, shivering- and his sleeve was stained brown, red covering his hand.

Draco wormed one arm behind Potter's shoulders, and managed to stand.  Draco was lucky Potter was so light: he was unconscious, his head lolling to the side. The prefect huffed, and then picked him up entirely.  Potter was so skinny and light that a levitation spell would be more effort than actually carrying him.

For a moment, Draco wasn't sure whether to take him to the dorms or to the hospital wing. Then he set off for the latter. Potter's bleeding hand rested on his side, his writing hand swinging with each step.

There were moments where Potter's eyelids fluttered, but other than wincing, grimacing, shivering, and shaky breaths, there was no other movement. If Potter wasn't unconscious, Draco was fairly certain that he would wish he was.

Draco pushed open the doors to the hospital wing, and took a moment to look around. It seemed like so far, Potter was the only one in need of an overnight stay. "Madam Pomfrey!" Draco called out.

He heard a bit of noise from the woman's chambers, before she exited them, wand in hand, hair in a net. Her eyes landed on Potter in Malfoy's arms. "By the heavens." She said, then pointed to a cot.

Draco obeyed the silent order, and as carefully as he could, set Potter down on it. Hedwig perched on the footboard. 

"What happened to him?" She asked, taking his hand in hers to examine it, entirely unbothered by the blood.

A heartbeat's pause before Draco answered. "He came into contact with a Dark object. A quill."

She nodded, and set the hand down, before grabbing various healing supplies, and setting to work. "How did you come across him? Was he awake or not?"

"Not. He was collapsed in the corridor." Draco said. 

"How did you know what he came into contact with?" She asked, not looking up from her work.

"Blaise and I found out yesterday. Potter's our roommate- he's been doing lines for Umbridge all week." Draco said. "'I must not tell lies'. She doesn't agree with him that the Dark Lord is back."

For only a half second, her hands froze in her work. "I see." She said, reading the words on his hand.

"Murtlap essence did well last night for his hand. I applied it this morning as well." Draco said.