She didn't know what was going on or where he was. It was terrifying.

-

Taylor

"Tiny?" He was standing right in front of her. Her wand was still raised, she only lowered it when she saw he was staring at it. He seemed different now. Maybe it was his messy hair or his clothing. She noticed the red cup in his hand, he was drunk. She wanted to be alone, that's why she was here. She didn't like Draco Malfoy, he was rude and stuck-up. For whatever reason, she wasn't mad at him. She wasn't mad about the things he had said to her, or that he was here. Taylor felt oddly calm in his presence. "What do you want?" She tried to sound snarky, tried to pretend she was more upset than she was.

"I didn't know you'd be here. I can go." Suddenly, she felt panic. She was scared he would turn around and leave. Her words got caught in her throat. She wanted to talk to him. Taylor couldn't talk to any of her friends about what was going on, and she found it ironic how Draco Malfoy knew more about it than them. He had seen her not eating, he had seen her throwing up by the lake. She wanted him to stay. She doesn't like him, but he was there.

"No. You can stay." Taylor tucked her wand back into her waistband. She wasn't sure what to say. She looked at him, his light blond hair, his grey-blue eyes. He was much taller than her, which, most people were. She shouldn't feel so comfortable with him. Just days ago he was messing with her. Just days ago, he called her a Mudblood. Just days ago he apologized. "Are you drunk?" 

At first, he didn't say anything. He just stared at her. He shrugged, "A little. There's a party in the Slytherin common room." She nodded. "Oh... cool." 

"You could come back with me. Hang out, party." His facial expressions didn't change. It was hard to read him. Taylor thought that surely this was a trap. She'd show up and everyone would laugh at her. Confusion must've been all over her face because Draco immediately started clearing it up. "No one's going to do anything. Think of it as an apology. Pansy owes you that much." 

Taylor didn't know what to think of this. So Pansy was the one who gave her the potion. Surely, surely nothing good could happen if she went to this party. But... It would take her mind off of everything. She could go. Have a few drinks and dance. She did want to dance. Since Draco got to the Astronomy Tower, they never broke eye contact. Taylor was trying to think of all of the reasons not to go. It was a bad idea. Still, she could only think of the reasons why she should go. She could drink, she could dance. She could talk to Draco.

"You know what? Fuck it. Let's go." She spoke calmly, not looking away from the tall boy standing in front of her. A small smile formed on his face. "I've never seen the Slytherin common room."

"I think you'll like it. This is the best party Blaise has thrown." He extended his hand to Taylor. She held onto it, following him quietly down the stairs and through empty corridors. They reached the common room, Draco said the password and she followed closely behind him. It was packed with Slytherin students. The lights were flashing and the music was loud. There must be a silencing charm on the doorway because she couldn't hear a thing outside. Pansy caught her eye.

"Oh no. Definitely not." She laughed. "Draco, what are you doing bringing a Mudblood in here?"

"You owe her for that potion." He said firmly. Pansy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just don't talk to me and don't drink all of the firewhiskey." And with that, she walked away. That was easy. Draco leads her to a table with the alcohol. He poured her a cup of it and handed it to her. It was awkward for the first few minutes, they didn't speak much.

Taylor was a lightweight. She was less than 100 pounds and very short. It didn't take much to get her drunk. Before she knew it, she was chatting away with other Slytherins and dancing. She befriended Daphne Greengrass, an interesting character. She suddenly remembered halfway through a conversation that she came here with Draco. She looked around the crowded room for him. She saw him in a corner talking to Blaise. 

"This party is fucking amazing." She was smiling from ear to ear. Blaise had walked away with some girl and went up the stairs, probably to a dorm. "Dance with me." Draco shook his head. "I'm not really a dancer."

"Oh come on, you wanted to make it up to me, so dance with me." She grabbed his hand and was pulling him to the center of the room. He didn't resist her, which she thought was a good sign. They danced like idiots for what seemed like hours, laughing and out of breath. 

-

Draco

She was terribly difficult to say no to. He hadn't seen her smile and laugh like this. They got multiple refills of firewhiskey. Draco was drunk, and he wondered how Taylor was still standing. There had been no problems the entire night. Pansy stayed away from them and the other Slytherins didn't seem to mind that Taylor was there. As they danced and stopped for more drinks, the night got better. She was actually speaking to him. He never thought she would talk to him like he was a friend. Of course, they didn't have much time to talk one on one. They were busy dancing and drinking. She kept repeating how much fun she was having, though.

She took a sip from her cup and looked sadly into it when there was nothing there. "I'm getting more, be right back!" He didn't hear her at first, with the music so loud and the alcohol clouding his thoughts. He pieced it together when he saw her pouring for firewhiskey into her cup. He walked over to her, "I think that's enough, Tiny." He was laughing at how much of a partier she was. He honestly didn't expect her to last so long.

"Mhm, yeah. I totally hear what you're saying but think, what about this. What about we keep drinking?" She held up her cup and smiled up at him. He raised an eyebrow, "You realize that you should be dead by now, with how much you've drunk?" 

"That's the best part!" She said walking back into the main part of the room. There were fewer people now, but the room was still pretty full. He admired her. The way her hair fell perfectly down her back, how her eyes were so incredibly blue. Was he falling for her? Or was he just drunk? He could see how thin she was. She was wearing a tank top and jean shorts. It couldn't have been healthy, but he was too drunk to say something helpful. Then, she started singing.

Taylor had surprised him multiple times tonight. She sang the song that was blasting through the room. Between the chorus and the verse she told him while giggling, "I love this song!" He was mesmerized. Her voice was so melodic. It was perfect. He could only hear her. He could only see her. It was only her.

Another hour passed, it was almost 1 am. He saw her stumbling and let her use him for support. "Woah, you gonna make it Tiny?" She nodded, smiling still. She looked up at him, about to speak. Her eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed into his arms. "Shit! Tiny? Taylor, wake up." 

She wasn't just asleep, she had passed out. He shook her, but she didn't wake. She didn't move. He had to do something. What should he do? Fuck. He was too drunk for this. Madam Pomfrey could help, right? He scooped her up and carried her through the passageway. He put on his sober face and took her to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey was asking what happened. Should he lie? Should he tell her about the drinking? About the party? He started talking, not even thinking about what he was saying.

"We were hanging out and dancing. She hasn't been eating and she passed out." It wasn't a lie, just not the full truth. After an examination Madam Pomfrey told him that she was severely underweight. Because of her Muggle parents and the extremity of the situation, she would be transferred to a Muggle hospital. They would be able to better care for her there. Nothing was magically wrong with her, and while Madam Pomfrey could treat anything magical, Bulimia wasn't in her field. 

Draco felt paralyzed. If Taylor was sent to a Muggle hospital, he wouldn't be able to see her. "How long would she be gone?"

"However long it takes until she's better."

Draco stood staring at Taylor, unconscious on the little bed. "Where?" Draco hoped the hospital wouldn't be far. Maybe he could apparate there. "Emersons." That didn't help. He didn't know what the fuck Emersons was, let alone where. Madam Pomfrey wouldn't tell him either, it'd be against the rules for him to visit. Draco didn't care about breaking the rules, but Madam Pomfrey did. He asked if he could stay until she woke up, but she told him to go to sleep. He could come back in the morning. Draco felt like she wouldn't be there in the morning.

He was right. Taylor was already gone when he showed up. It was only 7 am. He should have said something sooner. He should have tried to help her. He had a hangover and felt miserable. His head was pounding and he was worried about Taylor. Maybe it was time to talk to her blond friend. He couldn't even remember her name. What would everyone think if they found out Draco was worried about a Hufflepuff? Fucking idiot why would you even think that!

-

Taylor

She woke up in a room with white walls and a blinding light staring down at her. There was something in her arm, it was uncomfortable. She was alone in this room but she could hear the voices and footsteps of other people beyond the walls. She looked down at her arm where she saw a small tube in the base of her wrist. She didn't like it. The tube was connected to a bag of some strange yellow liquid. She ripped the tape off and pulled at the tube. She sat up in the bed on white sheets. She stood and walked over to the window. The building she was in was huge, it wrapped almost completely around the parking lot. This was how she knew it was a Muggle Hospital. 

A nurse walked into the room, and began to speak, "Taylor Bristol? Your parents will be here- Did you take out your IV?" Taylor wasn't sure what an IV was. She guessed it was the weird liquid and the tube in her hand. "It was uncomfortable. Do I need it?"

The nurse sighed and rummaged through objects on a cart she was pushing. "Yes, you need to keep that in." She motioned for Taylor to come to her. But she didn't want to. She wasn't sure why she was here. "Look, Miss Bristol, you need to have an IV vitamin drip because you are underweight." Taylor shook her head. "I don't know what that is."

"An IV drip uses a small tube called a catheter," she held up the tube that was in Taylor's hand moments ago, "and a saline-based electrolyte solution that contains your selected vitamins and nutrients. It'll deliver them directly into your bloodstream." She knew this was an explanation, but was still oblivious. She reluctantly walked over to the nurse and held out her arm. The nurse replaced the tube back in her hand. It hurt. She wanted to leave.

"There we go. Now, leave that be. Stay put and your parents should be here soon. Visiting hours are from nine to seven." And then she left. Taylor was extremely confused. She sat on the bed and thought about the night before. She was having fun with Draco at the Slytherin party. Pansy Parkinson didn't bother her. She was dancing. Taylor decided she wasn't going to stay here. 

Within seconds she disapparated to Hogsmeade. From there she could go back to Hogwarts through a secret passage. She didn't know how far it was and she knew the risks of getting splinched. But it was empty and lonely here. 

She took the only route she knew back to the castle. She emerged in a broom closet somewhere on the third floor. Taylor found her way back to her common room. As soon as Heidi saw her, she flew up from the couch and flung her arms around her. "Where did you go? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"Well last night I went to a party but I woke up in some hospital." Heidi looked concerned. "Shouldn't you be there then? They only send you somewhere else if they can't treat it or it's really bad." Taylor didn't want to talk about it. "I'm fine, Heidi. Just tired. I'm going to sleep." She went up to her dorm and crashed on her bed. She didn't notice the folded note sitting on her nightstand.