Be always gentle, every heart hides a wound that never bleeds

- Alexandra Vasiliu

When I woke up, it was still light out. I had to adjust to the bright sunlight and my head was pounding. It took me a couple minutes to realise where I was and what had happened.

Draco Malfoy had poured boiling liquifying potion over my arm. Great.

I couldn't see much of the damage, as my arm was completely wrapped in bandages. I didn't feel any pain, though.

"Oh, great, Miss Selwyn, you're awake", Madame Pomfrey said and walked over to my bed. "How are you feeling, darling?"

"A bit of a headache, but that's all."

"No pain?"

"No, I can barely feel my arm to be honest." She touched it in several places, but I didn't feel much.

"Well, I'm not surprised. Your nerves are very much in shock. But don't worry, I've got a trick or two up my sleeve. You'll have to come in every day or so to let me reapply a healing paste and your arm should be back to its normal state in a week or so."

"So nothing permanent?"

"No, your nerves just need to recover from the shock. There might be some scarring, but I'll try my best."

Madame Pomfrey continued to remove the bandage and I had to avert my eyes upon seeing the burned flesh. The skin was red, tight and cracked. Some spots were dark brown and the boils had popped open, leaving some open wounds. There were still a couple of threads from her cloak stuck to the skin and I could see indentations in my wrist where my watch had melted into it. How did I not feel any pain?

"It looks gore, but even third degree burns are no match against some proper magic", Madame Pomfrey smiled, grabbing a heavy jar of a thick, white cream. She washed the arm, picking away the last pieces of fabric, before spreading a layer of cream on top of it. The wounds covered my entire hand, lower arm and a small part of my upper arm. There were a few spots on my other hand that were a little battered too, from when I grabbed my arm to ease the pain, but luckily, my other limbs had been spared.

Madame Pomfrey wrapped my arm again and gave me a potion against the headache.

"What time is it?" I asked, enjoying the immediate magic of the potion.

"Half past eight in the morning. I suspect your friends will be here soon. They were here all night." So I had been out for almost 24 hours? How terrific.

As if it were magic, Daphne and Tracey walked in just moments later.

"Oh thank Merlin, you're alive", Tracey said as she noticed I was awake.

"Dramaqueen much", I chuckled. They sat on the edge of my bed, inspecting my bandaged arm.

"So, how are you feeling?" Daphne asked.

"I'm fine. My arm looks disgusting, but I'm not in any pain, so that's good.

"Seriously, Eleanor. The way you screamed yesterday. Such agony", Tracey said, shivering.

"Seriously, I had nightmares about it", Daphne added. "Everybody was shaken up about it."

"Even Malfoy", Tracey chimed. "Looked like a ghost for the rest of the day."

"Serves him well, I'd say. Burned my arm to a crisp."

Tracey nodded and it was quiet for a good while.

"Well, are we going to watch quidditch tryouts next Saturday? There are quite some snacks to spot", Tracey grinned.

"Watching Draco in a quidditch costume? Yes, please", Daphne sighed, a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Get the scowl off your face, girlfriend, you'll get wrinkles", Daphne snapped in front of my face.

"Yeah, look at my arm again. You're fawning over the git who mutilated me."

"I'm sure he didn't mean to." I recalled Malfoy's words from last night. I'm so, so sorry Eleanor, I didn't mean to do it.

"You should really sort out your priorities, darling. Sisters before misters", said.

We spent a couple more minutes talking before they had to go to class. Madame Pomfrey wanted me to stay one more night for check-up. I didn't really mind. I was tired and not in the mood for Defense Against the Dark Arts with Umbridge anyway.

About an hour before noon, my next visitor strolled in.

"Well well Eleanor Selwyn, you gave me quite a scare yesterday."

I smiled as Adrian took a chair and placed it next to my bed.

"Were you worried about me? How cute", I grinned.

"Well you didn't look so good when I saw you last night. I mean, your arm didn't."

"You visited me?"

"Of course I did. It was the talk of the castle, so I came as soon as I heard. Had to make sure you were still alive. I still have to convince you to go on that Hogsmeade date with me. Which is in just three weeks, by the way."

"I thought I had already kindly declined your offer. This is getting embarrassing, Adrian", I smirked. What if he'd ask me again, would I go? I wanted to, but it was not a smart idea.

"I'm not giving up until you say yes, darling."

"Well, good luck with that."

"So, we've got quidditch tryouts next Saturday. Are you coming to watch?" he asked.

"You too? Tracey was going on about it as well."

"That means you definitely need to come", he smirked.

"Give me one good reason why I should. It's the beginning of October, it's getting cold and I don't know if I feel like freezing in those stands for two hours straight", I crossed my arms.

"Well if you cheer for me, you won't be cold."

"And why in the world would I cheer for you, Pucey?" I smiled coyly. He narrowed his eyes, a smile lurking around his lips. He was trying to figure me out, but failing miserably. There were many, many walls in his way.

"Come on Eleanor, I need a lucky charm", he said softly, putting his hand on mine very shortly, before pulling away again, knowing I didn't like to be touched without explicit permission.

"You and I both know you're going to make the team, Adrian. You've been on the team for the past four years."

"I'm not talking about making the team. Snape is going to decide who's going to be the new team captain this year. It's between me and Montague", he said, looking surprisingly nervous.

"Team captain? Well I guess I could see you being a good captain", I mumbled, imagining the situation. It sure was ... attractive.

"Did Eleanor Selwyn just give me a compliment?" he laughed. I shook my head and turned away from his piercing eyes.

"Don't get used to it, Pucey."

We chatted for a little while until Madame Pomfrey sent him to lunch. Adrian Pucey, what was I going to do with him?

The girls came back at lunch break and after classes to tell me the gossip of that day. Apparently Malfoy still looked a little shaken by the situation, but when Tracey told him to go apologize, he just sneered at her to mind her own business. So much for remorse.

Benji came to visit for a little bit too, but he was rather quiet. It was something I had to figure out soon.

But then, at nine o'clock, just an hour before curfew, he walked in.

"Malfoy, to what do I owe this ... pleasure?" I said sarcastically. He stopped walking for a while and I could see in his eyes that he was debating on turning back, but eventually his feet moved again and he sat down in the chair next to my bed.

"Does it still hurt?" he asked.

"No, not anymore."

It was quiet for a while. This was bound to be an awkward conversation.

"I'm sorry", he said eventually. "I didn't ... I didn't mean for you to get hurt."

"You could've fooled me", I chuckled. It was meant as a joke, but he didn't take it that way.

"I might dislike you, but that doesn't mean I'd try to mutilate you. My mother is going to kill me when she finds out." I had written to Narcissa only once this year. Should I tell her about it, just to get Malfoy in trouble? It was an alluring offer, but then again, I had to stop throwing gasoline on the fire. Sure most of this was absolutely not my fault, but I'd rather just let it pass and stay out of trouble then making the situation worse.

"I won't tell her, don't worry", I sighed eventually. Fighting with Malfoy had resulted in a trip to the Hospital Wing, so it was better to cease fire for a while.

"What's with the sudden change of heart?" he asked. "I did just put you in the infirmary."

"Yeah and I'd like for it to be a one-time occurrence", I chuckled.

"I mean it, I didn't mean to do it. I'm sorry", he sighed. I don't think I'd ever heard Malfoy apologize before. But then again, he had never done something this bad either.

Our eyes met and I smiled. I then realised what I was doing and I looked away. Malfoy was an arse and I shouldn't smile at him. He ruined my arm for Merlin's sake.

"Well, I'm going to get ready for patrol. See you around", he said and stood up.

"Patrol? But it's Tuesday." We normally had patrol on Monday and Thursday.

"I switched with Padgett. Had a lot going on last night", he mumbled, rubbing his neck.

"Oh, I'll ask Madame Pomfrey if I can-"

"Eleanor, please", he interrupted. "Stay put. I'm doing patrol on my own and you're staying in your bed."

I wanted to give a sassy remark, but I couldn't come up with something rude, so I just kept quiet.

"Have a good recovery", he said, and then he left.