Dreams in Green and Silver Part II

Draco caught up with me moments later, and I was glad he did. I couldn't believe it. I was sobbing over the body when he came up to me and stared in shock.
"Help me!" I sobbed out, struggling to lift Justin Turner's motionless body from the cold stone floor. Draco was silent. "HELP ME!!" I screamed, managing to just lift Justin's torso from the floor. I was crying so hard I couldn't see anything but blurred lines of colour. Then Draco moved and lifted Justin. I was just too small and petite to lift a young man almost twice my height. Draco moved swiftly down the corridor, and I followed.
We ignored the crowd we began to draw. Though it was sunset, there were plenty of people about after the Feast, and they stared unashamedly. I wanted to protect Justin from their stares. I wanted Justin to be alright.

But the small silver dagger sticking out from his stomach didn't want me to be right.

Draco lowered Justin into the nearest bed to the door, relieving himself of his heavy burden. I stood near Justin's head while Madame Pomfrey cast diagnostic spells, and removed the knife. She poured potions down his throat, and repaired the damage as well as she could with spells.
I knelt at Justin's head, still sobbing, cradling his face in my hands. I turned his head toward me, watching his blood-flecked face through my tears. Draco watched me, concerned at my behaviour. No doubt he wondered....
Suddenly Justin coughed, and his eyes opened. He blinked several times before he was able to focus on my face.
"Justin," I whispered, unwilling to release him to wipe away my tears.
"I---Iris," he replied. Madame Pomfrey cast another spell, and his body twisted. He breathed out harshly, unwilling to yell, and closed his eyes hard. When he opened them I could see the pain was beginning to fade. I smiled reassuringly at him, and allowed my fingers to twist in his hair. He attempted to smile back, but didn't quite manage.
"We were attacked. I don't know where they came from. They just appeared in the Hall, like they had apparated, and started attacking people. Some used spells, some used Muggle weapons..." he gestured down at his stomach, "and some--some were half-animal, and ripped into people....The children were saved in time, and most of the women, but some stayed behind to help..."
"Shh." I said, stroking his head. Draco shifted uncomfortably. "Shh, it's okay now."
"No! No it isn't. I can still see them. I was...I was the only one left alive, Iris!" he said in a hoarse voice, unable to stop the tears this time. "One of them had me, and was going to kill me, when I remembered you were gone, and I could go too. I reversed the spell, and I appeared here...Just in time to escape with a dagger in my belly."
"I'm so sorry," I whispered, stroking his head again, and crying with him. Madame Pomfrey made as though to pull me away, and I slapped her hand. She made a worried sound, and stepped away.
"Justin, I'm so sorry," I said again, and put my forehead against his. I waited, soothing him, until he fell into a restless sleep and my knees began to ache. I demanded a seat by Justin's bed, and a change of clothes. I told Madame Pomfrey point blank that she was not going to put me back to bed, and to get away from me. She was annoyed, but understanding, and got me a padded chair, instead of the horrendous metal ones reserved for visting family members.
Draco seemed to be out of place. He kept looking between me and Justin, as though extremely confused. He really didn't know what to do. Eventually he went to Slytherin House to get one of the girls to fetch me a change of clothes, and I watched him go, bemused.
Shaking my head, I took my place at Justin's side, and threaded my fingers through his hair. I couldn't imagine being in his place.


I heard a scuffle behind me and I turned. Pansy was sitting in one of the metal chairs, still bound, waiting for Professor Snape and both the Headmaster and the Deputy Headmistress. Draco had not yet returned. Pansy threw me a dirty look, and continued to struggle with her bonds. I shook my head again, and looked back to Justin, who had begun to shake.
Tears rolled down into his hair, and I wiped them away. I felt so sorry for him, even though it wasn't my fault that I had left him there. From what I had heard Draco say, Pansy had reversed her spell, and that was when I returned to the living world around me, and not Pansy's cruel fantasy land.
Suddenly I gasped.
"You sent those people--and the creatures! You sent them to that land! I don't care if they were all imaginary, those images will stay with Justin all his life!" I exclaimed, jumping up. Pansy grinned evilly at me. I marched over to her and slapped her as hard as I could. It wasn't enough. Nothing was enough. I punched her. She screamed, and Madame Pomfrey came running.
"Miss Parkinson! Miss Parkinson! Stop arguing both of you!" I turned and told Madame Pomfrey of my revelation. She looked as horrified as I felt. I turned and punched Pansy again, just as Draco, Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall, and Headmaster Dumbledore entered.
Before anyone could reprimand me, however, Justin shouted wordlessly, and moaned.
"No, please, not them! No, don't hurt them! NO!" Justin cried, thrashing in his bed.
"Justin!" I whispered and ran to him. I was kneeling at his side, stroking his forehead, and beginning to cry before anyone could blink. Draco dropped the bundle of clothes he was carrying.
I clutched Justin's hand as his cries grew louder, and his tears rolled down his face. He turned, and fought me, trying to get away.
"Justin, Justin, Justin," I chanted, trying to calm him and myself at the same time.
"Miss Parkinson, let me," Madame Pomfrey said, gently pushing me out of the way to reach for a potion that induced dreamless sleep. I rubbed at my face, but the tears kept coming. I dropped into my seat, watching as Madame Pomfrey got the potion down Justin's throat, and he began to quiet. She arranged his limbs and covered him up again as he became still. I gripped his hand, and let my tears fall.
Draco gathered up my clothes and dropped them on the bed behind me. He went to sit on the other side of the room, his arms crossed and looking distinctly upset with the whole situation.