Кассандра Клэр - Draco Veritas

Snape and Charlie had risen to their feet as well, and Charlie looked expectantly at Harry, who glanced over at Dumbledore. "I'd like to stay," he said. "If that's all right."

"Normally, outside of visiting hours, only family…" Snape began.

"I am family," Harry said.

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, you are," he said. "And you may stay."

When Ginny left Herbology in the afternoon, she found Ron and Hermione standing on the snowy path that led up from the greenhouse to school, waiting for her. They were deep in conversation, Ron's dark red head bent over Hermione's brown one, and she had to clear her throat loudly to get their attention. They spun around, looking surprised.

"Hey, Ginny," said Hermione. There was color in her cheeks and she clutched a white piece of parchment in a red-mittened fist. "I'm skipping lunch and going to see Draco in the hospital wing — I thought you might want to come along."

Ginny was surprised. "He can have visitors? He's awake?"

"He's awake," said Hermione. "And Harry's with him." She waved her parchment. "He owled down and said we should come."

"How'd Harry get there so early?" Ginny asked, starting to walk up the path.

"Spent the night on the floor," said Hermione, sounding amused. "You know how he gets when he's worried. Remember when that Bludger broke Ron's arm last year and Harry camped out in the infirmary and brought him all his homework?"

"True," said Ron. He held out a hand to help Hermione up the iced-over steps, and she took it. "But I don't think he spent the night on the floor, ever."

"Well, Draco's a bit different," said Ginny, and was about to add that Draco was different because it seemed like someone had actually tried to kill him, as opposed to his having had an accident, but Ron interrupted.

"Yeah, because if Harry didn't stay with him constantly, you know, Malfoy might stop breathing."

"Ron, don't even say that," Hermione admonished him gently. "Harry's just being a friend — he'd do it for you." Reaching the top of the stairs, she let go of Ron's hand. "In fact, we should all go visit him. You, too, Ron."

"Nooo," Ron moaned, looking mutinous. "Can't I just clean out the prefects' bathroom instead? Something fun?"

"He saved your life once," said Hermione severely.

"I saved his life twice. I'm one up on him still."

"Can't you just pretend to like him? As a favor to me?" Hermione asked.

Ron's resistance seemed to deflate like a punctured balloon. "Oh, all right."

Hermione smiled sunnily. "Let's go! Come on," and she pushed open the castle doors, gesturing for the other two to follow her. "You too, Ginny."

Ginny hesitated. "Oh, I don't know…"

"If I have to go, you have to go too," Ron said, and grabbed her wrist. She followed him, her heart pounding with nervous anticipation. Her great happiness that Draco was all right was tempered with nervousness about seeing him. Especially now that she was almost sure that he was the one who had kissed her while she was sleeping. Unless, of course, it had been Snape. But that was so very…yuck.

Madam Pomfrey let them all into the infirmary with only a perfunctory eye roll. The infirmary was warm and full of light. At the far end of the huge room, Ginny could see a small still figure lying on a bed against the wall — Malcolm Baddock, she assumed. Ginny looked quickly away, and fixed her eyes on the white-curtained bed up ahead. The curtains hung from the ceiling without visible means of suspension, and were half-transparent. She could see shadows behind them: someone sitting upright in a bed, someone in a chair beside it. She recognized the outline of Harry's messy hair, and smiled. As they drew nearer, she began to hear Harry's voice, and then Draco's in response. "The Wronski Feint is not a better move than the Luhzkin Parallel Slide! What drugs are you on, Potter?"

Hermione paused at the foot of the bed, and pulled the curtain back.

"You're talking Quidditch?" she said, sounding amused. "I can't believe you two are actually talking Quidditch."

Ginny and Ron joined her at the foot of the bed in time to see Harry look up surprised, and laugh. "Where did you all spring from?"

Ginny looked at him in surprise as he got to his feet. He looked bright-eyed and awake, almost — lively. It was as if something had shocked him out of his self-imposed exile from the rest of the world. He hugged Hermione hard, and let her go reluctantly. "I don't suppose you brought anything to eat…"

Hermione laughed and handed him something wrapped in a napkin.

"Raided the kitchens," she said, and then turned to Draco, who was sitting propped up in bed, his back against a stack of pillows that looked as if they had been pilfered from other, empty beds. Ginny said a little inward prayer of relief. He looked almost normal, perhaps a little tired, but his face was flushed with a healthy color and his bandaged shoulder looked whole. He was wearing blue-and-white striped standard-issue infirmary pajamas that made him look six years younger. "You're all right?"

Hermione asked him, her voice suddenly gentle. "I would have brought you something too, but I didn't know…"

"It's all right." Draco's voice was strong. Normal. It was hard to believe that he had been so very near death not long ago. She banished the thought of blood-stained snow. "I'm not hungry." His eyes went to Ron and Ginny. "Hello, Weasley." He paused. "Ginny."

Ron nodded at him. "Glad you're okay."

"So am I," Ginny added quickly.

Hermione sat down on the foot of the bed. "Did they tell you when you would be out?"

"Tomorrow, probably," Draco said.

"Will you be able to go to the Pub Crawl?" she asked.

Draco shrugged. "I wasn't going to go anyway," he said. "Weasley here has me hanging about pestering the sixth-years, don't you?"

Ron, who was still looking as if he wished he were elsewhere, now looked uncomfortable. "Well, you volunteered," he said.

"Oh, but that won't take all night!" said Hermione, looking anxious. "Will it? You should still go, Draco — you only get one Pub Crawl." She twisted herself around and looked at Ron. "He doesn't have to stay at school all night, does he?"

Ron looked even more uncomfortable. "Well…"

Draco shrugged, looking piteous. "I'll see how I feel. I mean, I did agree to do it…although perhaps if I'm feeling very weak and ill it might not be the best thing for — "

"Malfoy," said Ron, sounding exasperated. "If you're well enough to be let out, you're well enough to sit in the Great Hall and watch the door!"

Draco looked even more piteous. Ginny wanted to hug him, but restrained the impulse. "But I don't want to," he said.

Ron smiled at him brightly. "Haven't you ever heard the expression, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade?'"

"No," said Draco. "I've heard the expression, 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then throw it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you originally asked for.'"

Harry started to laugh, and Ron glared at him. Before he could say anything, however, the curtain was drawn aside, and Madam Pomfrey peered in, her expression amused. "There's someone here to see you, Draco," she said.

It was Blaise. Ginny instinctively drew back as Draco's girlfriend stalked into the room, her green eyes blazing and her fiery hair tumbling around her shoulders. Hermione leaped up from where she had been sitting on the bed and backed away as Blaise advanced on Draco, who looked alarmed. "Blaise…?" he began.

"Darling!" Blaise launched herself onto the bed and threw her arms around Draco, embracing him fiercely. Draco yelled in pain. Harry leaped up to get out of the way of the windmilling limbs, and went to stand near Hermione, looking amused. "I came as soon as I possibly could! I was absolutely frightened to death!"