Shiver

I don’t sleep.  Not after last night’s humiliating ‘detention’.  I took two showers, scrubbing every inch of my body until finally collapsing in tears.

And even now I can’t stop thinking of all the things I did wrong.  I should have called him out, I should have told to stop, to get the hell off of me. I never should have sat in his lap—what is wrong with me? 

But the more I go over it in my head, the more I relive what happened, and the more anger I feel.  Why didn’t I just tell him to stop?

I asked him to let me go back to my room, like it wasn’t even happening, and he must have taken sick pleasure in that, me, not pointing out the obvious ‘Oh, and could you kindly move your penis?’

I laugh out loud, but I feel  bitter.  And I have to go see him today, because we have lessons together  with the other.

I feel  sick to my stomach and consider staying in bed but I don’t want to let him have the satisfaction.   I go to class, fully prepared to battle.

I sit there, tense, glaring at him, and as he returns our essays he cocks his head to the side inquisitively, as if baffled by my glares.

‘Today we will be observed by the headmaster.  Please, form pairs and begin working from page three hundred seven.’

I glance around, and no one is available.  It seems someone else decided to sit out sick.

‘Hermione, why not work with me, ‘Says Mr. Collins, the boy whose name I don’t remember.

He is working with a girl who introduces herself as Sara Cure and I learn that both are Slytherins but we work well together.  I am so relieved that I don’t have to deal with drama that I completely miss my chance to speak to the headmistress.

She is on her way out the door and I gain a burst of courage and go to chase her down but as I do so Hestia Carrow sticks out her foot and I trip, landing hard, but also bumping into the cauldron, which lands on me.

The potion drenches my lower extremities, and I scream in pain because it burns. 

I can feel dozens of eyes on me, but no one comes to help, and I point my finger at her, ‘You bitch!’

‘Ms. Granger!’ Comes the shocked tone of the Headmistress.

I look at her, but she is moving quickly to correct the issue, ‘Can you please take care of her, Professor Malfoy? I will look after your class.’

‘Of course.’

Malfoy moves to scoop me up in his arms and I frantically shake my head but my legs are in such pain and I grab his robes, squeezing them tightly to stop from crying more.

'Don't worry Ms. Granger,' The headmistress reassures me, 'You are in very capable hands.'

Malfoy smiles reassuringly at me, but I recognize the strange light in his eyes. Before I can argue, he takes me out the door, his fingers digging painfully into my sides.

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