a/n: sorry for the length of this chapter and the next one!! lots of draco/lila fluff <33

The ride ended almost too soon as we hit the soggy floor of Myrtle's bathroom. The sink, which had opened for our arrival, slid back into place. Standing around us were Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, and who I assumed to be Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

There was a scream. Mrs. Weasley had pulled both Ron and Ginny to their feet and had them both in a death-grip hug.

"Ginny you're alive! You saved her! You saved her!"

"We're okay, mum," Rom was saying shakily. The rest of us helped ourselves up to our feet. I sensed movement to my left. In the corner stood Malfoy, trying hard not to look relieved. I rushed over to him immediately.

"What's my time?" I asked with a wide grin.

"Twenty five minutes." He drawled. "Lucky."

"Talented, is more like it." I chided. He rolled his eyes.

"Or reckless, impulsive, moronic—"

"Mr. Malfoy came to fetch us," said McGonagall, bringing everyone's attention to us. She looked to me. "On your instructions, he said? How are you even out of bed?"

"It's a very long story," I told her. "I'll discuss it with everyone, later."

I looked to Dumbledore meaningfully. He cleared his throat.

"Yes, we can discuss that in private, Minerva," he said to her. "What I'd like to know is how you've all done it alive?"

Harry explained everything from his point of view, telling them I'd appeared just in time to destroy the diary, and that Fawkes had saved him with his tears. Ginny also talked about her role with the diary, and Dumbledore explained how Voldemort had roots as Tom Riddle.

"I d-didn't know," she sobbed. "I found it inside one of the books Mum got me. I th-thought someone had just left it in there and forgotten about it—"

I felt Malfoy tense from beside me. He wouldn't look at any of us.

"Miss Weasley should go up to the hospital wing right away," Dumbledore said firmly. "This has been a terrible ordeal for her. There will be no punishment. Older and wiser wizards have been hoodwinked by Lord Voldemort."

Then, to my surprise, he turned to me. "And Lila, Draco here has told me that you've suffered a severe concussion? You should go up as well and get your rest. He's offered to escort you there."

I tried to protest, but the pain in my spine came surging back and I winced.

"Oh, alright," I said, though I glared at Malfoy. He looked away innocently, which almost brought a smile to my face. Almost.

"You will find that Madam Pomfrey is still awake. She's just giving out Mandrake juice - I daresay the basilisk's victims will be waking up any moment." Dumbledore said. This did bring the smile to my face.

"So Hermione's okay!" Ron exclaimed, voicing my thoughts.

"There has been no lasting harm done, Ginny," Dumblefore assured her.

The Weasleys, minus Ron, left the bathroom. Malfoy and I exchanged a look and followed. The two of us held back several meters, Malfoy suddenly scowling again and dragging his feet.

"What's wrong?" I asked him. He only shook his head. He stared up at the Weasley's with a forlorn look in his eye, and it clicked. I placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Malfoy, you can't take responsibility for your fathers actions, whether you share the same surname or not," I told him. When he didn't respond, I tried again. "You did all you could. You probably saved Hermione's life."

"I watched him buy that diary," he grimaced. "From Borgin and Burkes. And that was because he couldn't find it in Greece in that antique shop. I didn't know whose it was, or what it was for, but I should have known. He's been complaining about Weasley's fathers Muggle Protection Act all summer." He laughed dryly. "Hadn't said a thing about it when the year started."

"It's not your fault," I said gently. "Ginny's safe. We're all safe. Nobody blames you, anyway."

"How do you do it?" He asked me suddenly, looking at me again with those stormy silver eyes. "How are you so good?"

I wasn't sure how to answer this. Frankly, I didn't think I was. Any of my friends deserved to be called good more than me. I could be spiteful, petty, vengeful even. Dumbledore had said the Gaunts were unstable and temperamental, and I could see some of that in me.

"I think you're good too," I said instead of answering. "I just don't think you know it yet."

Even though he didn't respond, he stopped scowling and dragging his feet. I took it as a small success. We walked to the Hospital Wing in a calm silence.

Madam Pomfrey greeted Ginny with a happy squeal, attending to her quickly. News must have spread about Ginny's capture. She settled Ginny into a bed and fixed her a cup of hot chocolate, fussing with her blankets and trying her best to soothe her. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat at her bedside, talking quietly amongst one another until Madam Pomfrey came to attend to me.

"I knew something important was happening when I turned and saw you'd disappeared from your bed," she huffed, ushering me toward a bed near Ginny's. She frowned at my ink-stained robes and thrust a set of pajamas over the bedrail. "What happened to you? Lose a fight with a pen?"

When I didn't answer, she looked around me and grimaced. "Where's the rest of you?"

"They're alright," I assured her. "I think when my soul got expelled from the diary my body joined it and I ended up concussed and bruised down my whole spine."

She did not understand a word I said about the diary, but when I lifted just the back of my shirt both Malfoy and Madam Pomfrey collectively gasped.

"Merlin," Malfoy had a hand over his mouth and his cheeks were pink. "You fought with that?"

"Is it really that bad?" I turned my body to face a mirror. My whole spine, as much as I could see, was basically purple, patches of blue and green in the more painful parts.

I blanched. "Adrenaline works wonders," I murmured.

"Well, we'll get that fixed up tonight. Sit down, please, I'll grab a healing draught," Madam Pomfrey directed me onto a bed and disappeared into her storeroom. This left Malfoy and I with the Weasley's and the few, still Petrified students, covered by curtains.

"Hermione's going to be livid," I laughed suddenly. Malfoy turned to look at me, raising an eyebrow. At this, I grinned. "She hasn't had enough time to study for exams."

Malfoy laughed at this too, and the sight sent another strange pang through my chest. "That should be the least of her worries, but you're right. She'll be peeved."

Madam Pomfrey returned with the healing draught. It was sweet, and went down my throat like honey. All the parts of me that previously ached started to tingle. The sensation was strange but not unpleasant.

"Alright, then. If you'll excuse me, I must finish administering the restoration draught," Madam Pomfrey grabbed two vials from a nearby table and sped off toward the closed-off beds, leaving us alone again.

"Lila Holmes, is it?"

Mrs. Weasley stood suddenly, and her husband followed. She walked over to the two of us. Malfoy seemed to be trying to make himself invisible.

"Yes. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs. Weasley," I held out my hand for her to shake. "Most of the student population knows you from your most recent Howler."

She laughed at this as she took my hand between both of her own. "The best punishment I could deal from home, but it must have done its job. Now though, I'm just happy that Ron and Harry are okay."

"We've heard a good earful about you from Ron and the twins," Mr. Weasley added with a broad grin. "We're forever indebted to you for all you've done for our family. Truly, we cannot thank you enough."

I shook my head quickly. "Oh no, I don't deserve all that, really. That's just what friends do." I sneaked a glance at Malfoy, who met my eyes. "We protect each other."

Mr. And Mrs. Weasley followed my gaze.

"And ah, you're Lucius' boy, are you?" Mr. Weasley asked. He seemed somewhat more reserved, but not any less kind. Malfoy stiffly nodded. Surely, Ron's parents had heard an earful about Malfoy too.

"I am," he said stonily. There was hardly a moments hesitation before Mr. Weasley reached out and clapped Malfoy proudly on the shoulder.

"Thank you too," he said with a smile. "For taking initiative. Dumbledore was telling me how you and Hermione worked together to figure out Slytherin's monster."

I whipped around to stare at him, jaw dropped. He'd worked with Hermione? Of course! That's why he'd known about the note, and about the basilisk and Harry speaking Parseltongue. I felt just as proud as I was surprised — Malfoy and Hermione conducting an investigation together warmed my heart.

Much to my amusement, he seemed just as shocked as I was. His face was red now, as his mouth formed around soundless syllables.

"I— I don't usually — it was really nothing—"

"Oh, but it was everything to us," Mrs. Weasley beamed. "Without it, we could have lost Ginny, and Hermione too. So thank you, dear, truly."

I watched Malfoy flounder for an answer. I couldn't help but smile at his helplessness — I'd never seen him struggle to accept gratitude before. I decided to spare him.

"Will you bring up food from the feast?" I asked. He looked at me curiously.

"You think there will be a feast?" He seemed grateful for the distraction.

"We just killed a basilisk." I smirked at him. "And the others will be waking up any second now. There's going to be a feast."

He stared at me for a few more seconds before responding. "Anything in particular?"

I shook my head. "Surprise me."

An hour or two later, after a shower to wash all the ink and sweat off my body, I was awoken by the sound of voices. I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep, but my ears picked up the sound of Hermione's startled squeal.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going—" she paused. "Oh. Malfoy, it's you."

"Granger." He greeted her. "I'm," he paused too, "happy to see you're awake."

"Well, I'm happy to be seeing at all now." She huffed, sounding amused. "Oh, there's Lila! Is she still—"

"No, she was just concussed. She's getting her rest." Malfoy said meaningfully. Hermione quickly lowered her voice.

"Oh, so that's what the foods for," she noted. Her stomach grumbled loudly. Malfoy snickered, and she promptly hissed at him to "shut up!"

"You should go see your friends again. They miss you." He told her. "I'll tell her you said hello."

There were a few moments of silence before Hermione responded softly. "Thank you, Malfoy."

I had a feeling the gratitude was for much more than him saying hello for her, but this was left unsaid.

When I heard the door open and close, footsteps approached and I heard the sound of a plate being set on my nightstand. I pretended like I'd woken up a few minutes later, slowly blinking awake. The Weasley's were asleep, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley resting their heads on one another and Ginny breathing softly in her bed.

"Hey," I greeted Malfoy, my nose picking up on the scent of food.

He nodded at me in response. "Hey."

"My back feels much better," I yawned and stretched. The pain was gone. I picked up the plate beside me and the silverware he'd brought with it. "Did you bring back the whole feast?"

Malfoy cracked a smile. "You have a choice of potatoes, peas, steak, chicken, asparagus, and boiled carrots." He gestured to a smaller plate beside it. "I also brought up a plate of every kind of fruit I could find."

"That sounds marvelous. I will take it all." I beamed. When I noticed he didn't get up to leave, my eyes fell to the plate in his lap.

"You didn't want to be at the feast?" I asked. He shook his head.

"No, it's too loud." He shoveled some peas onto a spoon. "Pansy complained when I told her I wasn't staying but I told her to suck it up and talk to Blaise."

They must have made up some since the last time I'd seen them really interact together, when Pansy had dragged me away after dueling club.

"What's with you and her, anyway?" I asked him, curious. "I don't think I ever realized how close you actually are."

He looked thoughtful, as if deciding how to answer. It struck me how quiet Malfoy had been this whole time, and how different it was from how he usually acted. He was reserved, almost, and softer. I was sure he was feeling a lot of things after today. I hoped the conversation might distract him.

"We've been friends for a long time. She's er, very protective." He chuckled. "Everyone thinks we're in love or something, but we're not. Our parents want us to get married. I think I would rather die."

I scoffed. "Really?"

"She's a good friend but at times I can't stand her." Malfoy rolled his eyes at my surprise. "As it is with most good friends, I suppose. It just wouldn't work."

"I see." I hummed. Another moment of silence extended between us as we ate.

"What about you and Thomas?" He asked suddenly.

"Sorry?" I wasn't aware my crush on Dean had been so obvious. The sound of his name didn't send me into a tizzy like it used to, which surprised me. Maybe I was just tired. "Oh, well, we're not dating. Yet, I guess." I flushed. "He asked me to go on a date with him next year, when Hogsmeade opens."

I shoveled some vegetables into my mouth and avoided his eyes. For some reason, I wasn't sure I wanted to see his reaction.

"You don't sound too excited."

When I looked up, he was looking at me curiously. Stony grey eyes boring into the hazel of mine.

"I am, trust me." I said quickly. "It's just weird. Before it was all I could think about — dating him and maybe being his girlfriend." I paused, wondering why I was sharing so much about this with Malfoy anyway. "But something changed."

He raised an eyebrow at me, searching my face — for what, I didn't know. "Something?"

I held his gaze, feeling my own thoughts get cloudy. My heart rate was accelerating again. I could do hardly more than repeat what I'd already said. "Something."

Whatever moment had transpired between us suddenly passed. Malfoy, finished with his food, set down his plate. It made a clunking noise on the floor.

"Well, at least if he breaks your heart you have a big hole to push him into," he said slyly.

"Draco Malfoy!" I gasped. "You insult me!"

"I'm being so serious right now, too." Malfoy smirked. "I say you do it anyways."

"You're a menace." I laughed. He laughed along with me, and for some reason I could still hear it long after he had left for bed.