Great Hall w/ Moodz and Ellie

I tried to support Cira as she stood. She tried to let go of me but instead ended up leaning against me, weakened by her injuries. I was surprised at how fluidly she lied to my father, when I was rarely capable of pulling it off properly. "Yes, father, chivalry is not dead after all," I offered, giving a heroic smile and putting my left hand over my heart in a show of knighthood. He frowned and looked once again at Cira.
"Severus says that Miss Parkinson has been upset by some...misunderstandings...that have taken place today. Do you think I could speak to the two of you alone, Draco?" First I thought he meant Cira and I, and was about to point out that we were already alone, but then I realized that he meant Pansy.
"I don't think that's such a good idea, Father. I really do have to get Cira here to the hospital wing. She needs her face sutured and I'm not sure enough of myself to do it by magic."

I grimaced in pain, adding to the façade. I was sure that my arm was broken, and the slash in my face was starting to go numb in he bad way. I looked straight into. Dracos fathers eyes, keeping eye contact.
"Your son is very nice." I complimented. He was nice at sometimes, but at some times he was as rude as can be. Slytherns arelike that...

"From you, I will consider that a compliment, Miss Slytherin," dad said, giving a cold, thin smile. "I think, then, that we should all continue on towards the hospital wing and have young Pansy meet us there. Shall that be agreeable to all?" It was a question, but he said it with a certain air that made known that his will was to be followed. I nodded quickly and we carried on towards the hospital wing.
"Shouldn't a message be sent for Pansy, sir?" I asked him, and he flicked his wand in the air without a sound, producing a small piece of paper and sending it off towards the Slytherin dungeons. I was always awed by father's magic, but I supposed that he had learned from the best of them all.

I glanced at Draco, quickly thinking something up.
"Is Pansy alright? She seemed very distraught when i last saw her. It got me worried." I said, pulling my eyebrws together and cocking my head to the side. I limped along, almost clinging to Draco for support as we made our way to the Hospital Ward.

I was very nearly angry with her before I realized that she was only trying to make certain that Father didn't find out why Pansy was so upset. I certainly didn't want him to know about all of the events that had happened today. "I'm not sure what happened, honestly. Did Professor Snape say anything, Father?"
"Only that he didn't expect Miss Parkinson to class for several days due to the fact that she was positively heartbroken." He smirked and I shuddered. Father was ultimately heartless and I wondered if it was years at Lord Voldemort's side that had done this to him. I wondered if I, too, would one day sneer in arrogance and walk with a dignified cane. The thought almost made me laugh.
"If Zabini has nicked her chocolate cauldrons again, he's toast this time. I mean, I know she over-reacts, but honestly, the boy could afford them himself, with all the divorce money his mother's been getting." I decided to play along with Cira in the hopes that father wouldn't find out that Pansy was upset over me.

I bitmylip to keep from smiling, and I threw. A greatful glance to Draco.
"Zabini? I thought that it was that Branston boy." I replied, starting to have a little fun in this game. I put a look of confusion on my face to fool Mr. Malfoy. I could only hope thatit had worked.

"Branston? No, he's an upstanding boy, that one. I would have thought you had noticed this morning," I said cheekily. It was strangely thrilling, saying all these things in front of father. It was like having our own secret language.
I stopped reveling in our awkward game when I realized we had reached the hospital wing.

I rolled my eyes at him, then sighed a bit at his comment.
" He thinks to much of himself. The boy isn't hat bright, there's not much to notice." I answered him, seeing that we were at the hospital wing. My eyelids felt heavy, and right now all I wanted to do was get rid of this pounding headache and sleep.

Madam Pomfrey hustled out as if she had been waiting for us. Perhaps father had sent ahead another message without me noticing it. Immediately she was charming Cira into the air and into a bed. Then she ran around frantically grabbing bottles and spoons and tubs of salves. Father nodded approvingly. "Good to know something is being done correctly around here," he said.
I heard a slight cough and father and I turned at the same time to find Pansy at the door. "Miss Parkinson," he said, smiling genuinely this time. "It's been so long. Have a seat."

I ignored Pansy, leaning back on the bed as I got worked on. I winces as she dabbed some weird healing stuff on my cut, but was greatful that she had gotten the bleeding to stop. I pointed to my arm, indicating that it needed fixing. Sighing, I closed my eyes and listened to Pansy speak.

"At least it's broken bones this time, re-growing them would have been...eurgh...that Harry Potter..." Madam Pomfrey grumbled as she doctored Pansy.

"If you don't mind, Mr. Malfoy sir, I'd really not like to be here. I don't know why I've been called here in the first place. Whatever's wrong with Cira, I swear I didn't do it to her."

"I never blamed it on you, Pansy. I got stuckout side, and then I... Fell." I threw at her. I was feeling better already. As Pansy spoke, I knew that she probably wished that she had broken my arm and cut my face. But, I supposed that it was a good thing that she didn't.

"Oh...yeah...sure. Anyway, Mr. Malfoy, as I'm clearly not involved, I'd like to go to cl...to the dormitories." I could tell that she was still hurting and very angry and I silently willed father to just let her go, to get her out of this mess.
"No, Miss Parkinson, I believe we need to discuss some matters that you and I already chatted over some years ago. The summer after third year, if I am not mistaken?"
Pansy blushed and my eyes widened. Pansy had been at my house, talking to my father about something? It seemed my life was more planned than even I could have imagined.
Cira made a small groan and Madam Pomfrey moved her arm about to get it in a proper position to heal.

I sighed.
"They should know, Lucius. Its about time for the surprises to stop. " I said, wincing as my broken arm was moved. I opened my eyes, looking from Draco to his Father, and then to Pansy. I looked back to Dracos father, hoping that he would undersand wha I ment.

Father looked at Cira and I wondered if he really would tell Pansy, here and now, that she could never properly have me. Would I let my life be decided like this?
"Miss Slytherin, the Dark Lord is rather...uncertain...of the circumstances which have always surrounded the situation. He wishes to leave...a backup plan...in motion in case the worst happens." Cira looked confused and I wondered if she had not been told some part of these plans.

My face darkens.
"back up plan... Meaning her?" I asked agrily, gesturing to Pansy. A shocked look came across her face. I stared at Lucius, angry that even though what had happened, he would think that eventually I would get Draco. My jaw clenched again.

"Enough, girl! You've said too much already. I knew I should've had this conversation with Draco and the girl ALONE." Father grabbed me by the elbow and jerked me out the door, slamming it once Pansy had turned and followed us out. It seemed pointless, really, as Cira would still be able to hear us and if she really wanted to say something we could hear her as well.
"Father, what's going on here? Back-up plans? The Dark Lord? You better be glad that Madam Pomfrey was out of earshot!" I whispered loudly.

I let out a loud groan, then decided to get some sleep. I hopes that when I wake up I will see Draco. Then, I mentally slapped myself for thinking that. I shouldent want him here, after all. That he did. This was so confusing. I closed my eyes, relising at how truly tired I was.

I found myself wishing I was back in the hospital wing as father droned on about pureblood interaction and the good of the future and something about Voldemort. Pansy nodded and looked obedient, while I stared at the heavy wooden door that seperated me from Cira. Honestly, I would have been better off feeling her wrath in there than out here, dealing with father going over again how important it was for Pansy and I to stick together.
"Pansy, I may be forced to go back on the oath I swore to you and your father." My eyes shot up at this and I watched as Pansy's eyes swelled up with tears.
"But you promised me, Mr. Malfoy. You told me that he'd be mine!" She tried hard not to cry and I silently applauded her for being so valiant despite my confusion.
"The Dark Lord believes that Draco is star-set with Miss Slytherin..."

Mada Pomfry caame back, sighing. She gave me something to drink, which I nearly choked on as I herd Lucius's next words. She patted my good arm.
"You will be better in no time, my dear." She assured me as she placed a bandage over the cut on my face. I nodded.
"Thank you." I muttered as she left, continuing to listen to the convorsation that was going on on the other side of the door.

I couldn't believe that he had actually told her. Was he crazy? Not only that, he had no idea that I knew, unless Snape suspected it. He would rather tell Pansy before he told me. Pansy. That was what was important here. Finally, the tears were rolling down her face and in a way she was beautiful for that moment, broken, torn.

"That's what....she meant...," she said, pressing her fingers to her face where Cira had slapped her earlier. For a moment she was quiet and I thought that, somehow, despite all her Slytherin ambition, she would accept this. But only for that moment. I felt her arms wrap around my waist and she buried her face in my chest. I couldn't determine any of her half-sobbed words except for "mine" and "kill her." I wondered how Cira was reacting in her hospital bed.

Okay, honestly, I expected more from that girl. Heck, I showed more emotion when I found that out. All I could hear was some sobbing, but it sounded the same from when I had hit her in the face with the book. Seriously. I sighed, and tried to go to sleep. I didn't know what was going on behind the door, but one could only wish to know. WHOAWHOA. Did she just actually say that she was going to kill me? That girl has some issues, if I do say so myself.
"Good luck with that." I muttered as I started to does off into dreamland. All though, I would prefer to have dreamless sleep.

Father stood silently watching us for a while, then excused himself to go speak to Professor Snape. I awkwardly petted Pansy's hair as she continued to completely soak the front of my robes. I didn't know how any of this was going to work out, and it was killing me. When would I ever regain control of my life?

*time lapse*

After I had taken Pansy back down to the dorms (well, as far as the dorm stairs would let me go, being a boy), I went back to the hospital wing to wait for Cira to wake up. Slowly, one by one, a horde of Slytherins (and a few Ravenclaws that I recognized as purebloods) began to enter the room. I smirked when I noticed that Branston was one of them. Zabini, strangely, was not. I shuddered at the thought of him being back in the common room with Pansy.

After a few hours had passed, Cira started to toss in her sleep. Madam Pomfrey said that it was a sign that the potion was beginning to wear off. A huge crowd gathered around her bed in anticipation.

As I drew back into the waking world, I heard voices around me. Crap.
"I heard that Harry Potter put a curse on her..." One voice whispered.
"I heard that she got into a huge fight with Pansy Parkinson..." Another spoke up.
"If you hear one more thing, someone is getting there head hexed off." I said, opening my eyes to see quite a few Slytherin's around my bed. And a couple Ravenclaws. Shocker. I saw Draco, then quickly glanced away, just to see that I was almost face to face with Branston. Oh, GREAT. I tried to keep from flinching.

I turned my hand when Cira looked at me, and when I looked back a few seconds later I saw that she had done the some. She was obviously threatening some of the younger, gossiping students. I wondered if anyone else caught the exasperated look that crossed her face when she found that it was none other than Branston who was front and center, merely inches away from her face, breathing his dirty traitor breath all over her. A travesty.
I stood up and walked closer to the crowd, eager to see what would happen.
"I knew you would wake up when I came, Cira, I knew it, I told them all, I said, I said, now didn't I say it, Rolf? I said, 'If she'll wake up for anyone, it'll be,' and sure enough here you are." I wasn't quite sure how much of the sentence made sense but Branston was obviously proud of himself, looking very smug at the wide-eyed faces of the younger students.