'Look, I know his mum is marrying Sirius, and so maybe Harry feels like they have to get along now, but I'm telling you — he isn't trustworthy and he isn't nice. He's one of those people who will smile and stab you in the back. Ginny…'
He reached for her hand then, but she took a step back. 'I still don't understand why you're telling me this. Did Draco…did Malfoy tell you there was something going on with us?'
'No. He just threatened to beat me to death with a shovel if I ever hurt you.'
Ginny gasped, then recollected herself. 'Oh. That's…very weird.'
Seamus shook his head. 'You must think I'm stupid.'
'No! No. Look, Seamus…' Ginny knotted her hands together. 'If you think I'm not being fair to you…I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have agreed to go to the Yule Ball with you.'
Seamus looked at her for a moment in surprise and then smiled. His eyes were not precisely blue: they had a green cast, like blue water in a green glass. 'Relax,' he said. 'All I did was ask you to the Yule Ball; we're not getting married. I'm not angry with you. I just wanted to…'
'Warn me?'
Seamus shrugged. 'All right, maybe a little bit. Draco Malfoy is not a nice person. He was a pretty revolting kid and I haven't seen any evidence that he's changed.'
'That's not fair. He has changed, a lot, this past year. He's different.'
'Different than he used to be? That's faint praise. Look…' he added quickly, seeing perhaps some resistance in her expression. 'It's all right. I just want to take you to the Yule Ball. I don't need to hear any more about you and Malfoy, if there ever was a you and Malfoy.'
'Well, there certainly isn't now,' said Ginny firmly.
'Good,' said Seamus, and slung his rucksack over his shoulder. 'I'm off to History of Magic — you want to walk with me?'
'Sure.'
He reached to take her hand as they walked down the corridor, and this time she let him.
'You're sure he'll be all right?'
'I'm sure.' Lupin tried to make his voice as soothing as possible — Sirius was looking extremely anxious. Lupin was sure that some of the heat radiating out from the fire through which he they were conversing was Sirius' anxiety, and not the flames. 'He's already fine. Perfectly fine. Just worn out and his shoulder has to heal.'
'And you're sure we shouldn't come to school?' There were dark lines of strain around Sirius' eyes. He looked tired, and uncomfortable — he was wearing Muggle clothes, at least from the shoulders up (which was all that was visible in the office fireplace): a white shirt and an unknotted dark tie. Lupin had asked him what he'd been doing but had been brushed off with the response, 'Auror business. Dull stuff.'
'I'm sure, Sirius. There's no need. Draco is fine and if you come here, it'll just panic him and all his friends, make them think something serious is going on — '
'Something serious? He could have died!'
'Right, I know. But so could we, dozens of times. How many times did you land in the hospital wing?'
'Because we were being stupid. If it was Harry — but Draco, he doesn't do reckless things. He's too careful for that. Whatever happened, he wasn't expecting it.'
Lupin sighed, and leaned back against the legs of the chair he'd pulled up to the fireplace. 'It was a puncture wound, a regular puncture wound -
possibly a knife wound, or an arrow. Whatever it was had been pulled out.
There are plenty of spells that could accomplish that effect. It could have been a duel gone wrong…or even a spell Draco was trying to cast himself could have backfired. We just don't know.'
'Is that supposed to make me feel better?'
'If it's any consolation, Draco himself doesn't seem very worried.'
'No. It's no consolation.' Sirius raked a hand through his black hair — no gray yet, although Lupin had a feeling that if Harry and Draco kept up their near-brushes with death, that would change. 'You're sure we shouldn't come?'
'Dumbledore specifically said no.' Lupin hesitated. 'How's Narcissa?'
Sirius' eyes darkened. 'Not very well. She's lying down — she had to take half a philter of Tranquility Solution.'
Lupin sighed. 'I'm sorry. It'd be harder for her, wouldn't it? I mean, you must remember that time you dueled with Snape?'
Sirius chuckled.
'He threw that curse at you that practically took your arm off.'
Sirius looked rebellious. 'I was about to win that duel before you interfered.'
'Sirius! Your hand fell off!'
'Madam Pomfrey put it back on,' Sirius pointed out cheerfully. 'James was always a better second than you. He never got in the way.' His eyebrows knitted. 'Which makes me think…maybe you should ask Snape if it looks like some kind of Hex wound?'
'Already have done,' said Lupin. 'He's looking into it.'
Sirius expelled a breath. 'And Draco doesn't seem… panicked at all?'
