Hundreds of shoes echoed up from the ground even before they came in sight. Making it sway, the wind played with a black cloak and hair, up in one of the high outer roof windows which normally the owls would use to enter the Great Hall for delivering their mail. Now the hall below was deserted and he stood alone, his eyes drifting over the grey lands. Clouds were still darkening the sky and a moist autumn smell hung in the air. It would be raining again today, latest at nightfall, he thought. The wet cobbles shimmered slightly in the gloom. There was no sound, but he felt he wasn’t alone.
“Didn’t anyone tell you it is not wise to break school rules, Miss Lovegood,”
“Oh I’m quite certain you won’t punish me, Sir.”, she stepped out to him from the battlements under the roof.
“Is that your belief?”
“It is, yes.”, a scarce smirk and huff left him. “Not the tower anymore?”
“Don’t ask questions of which you know the answers.”
“It’s not a bad place, Professor.”, she continued softly. “No one has been murdered up there, not really, you know that. Life isn’t entirely bad.”
“How can you know.”, he said stiff when the neat rows of marching students appeared in the front courtyard, flanked by their teachers and led by the Death Eater twins.
“I know you sacrificed a lot. But it wasn’t in vain. There’s still hope. More than you might believe, Sir. Your sacrifices haven’t been in vain.”
“We will see.”, he sighed and turned to her.
A cry of terror echoed through the ice cold air. Heads were turning in equal fear when the masses had stopped walking almost instantly. An incantation was shouted, but the cat of light was knocked away to mist by dark bony fingers without effort, so were a swan and fox, followed by a barely recognisable horse.
Several more attempts to conjure Patronuses failed as well and one of the Dementors surrounding them was heading for the Hufflepuffs, who fled into various directions, no clue where to actually run to. Just when it focused on one of the girls, a loudly screeching crow was strong enough to push it away from her, brandishing its wings wildly. But the crow was killed likely then and it wasn’t until a bright doe hit it with full force that the Dementors would finally back away from the students when it guarded those by rushing around and forming a fence of light between the frightened and the hooded.
Huffing madly, the doe confronted the attacker again, the Dementor seeming afraid itself of the power of what it was facing. Equally enraged, her caster landed between the doe and Draco, who couldn’t get into the glowing circle anymore. Some strong hand had seized him by the collar then.
“What was that, boy!”, Amycus snarled irate. “Since when can you – ”
Draco’s knees gave in and he sank to the ground when he was dropped. Amycus had been knocked over by the doe that was now standing above him. His startled face stared up at her fierce expression, unable to see properly due to the intensity of the light. Meanwhile the Dementor went for another try, but a second Patronus left the black wand, forcing it away from the students, equally blinded by the otter’s light.
Some of the students had gained enough consciousness to recognise the animal for what it was. A hare rushed down to them and together the smaller animals as well as a much brighter horse at last drove back the dark creatures, away from the courtyard, causing the air to become slightly warmer. All, but one. Though contained by the otter, the Dementor hit the hare so hard it collapsed and Luna stumbled against the archway, dangerously close to the abyss. The otter had ducked away in last second and was joined by the doe that struck at the Dementor’s head. At last that forced it to flee as well. Amycus sat up.
“The Dark Lord will not be amused when he gets to know that you – ”
“The Dark Lord,”, Severus huffed back, as mad as his Patronuses, “Has ordered them to obey me and they clearly broke their vow by attacking.”
“Certainly. But that you can create such – ”
“Do you think, I would have agreed with him to let them guard Hogwarts, if I wasn’t able to repel them? I am perfectly informed on their nature and they just prove me right themselves. Besides, tell him, if you so desperately wish to hear him laugh. He knows that I have been capable of such long before I set foot into his circle. Even he reads the Prophet at times. Or lets somebody read it to him, whatever.”
“Well, I don’t give a damn about your excuses, if that’s true.”, he got up with his sister’s help and straightened his robes. “But what are his?”, Amycus pushed Draco’s shoulder – and landed on the cobblestones again, this time without the help of a Patronus, but Alecto with him.
“Dare to touch him again,”, Severus spat, all the light vaporising after a blinding but soundless blast, “And I swear you will wish you were never born! Now get inside, everyone!”, there was no need for anymore force to make students and teachers run alike. “And don’t think that this incident changes a thing about the school rules! TOMORROW, AFTER LUNCH!”
~~#~~
Spiked sticks drilled into flesh, past bones and into his soul. At least that was what he felt when he tried to avoid all of their eyes. Even though he wasn’t standing alone and he didn’t really know what that was like, he now had the impression of knowing how it felt being crucified head down on a cross of poisoned nails.
Some had their arms crossed, others their fear downright dripping from their eyes. The doors behind him opened and in came a beaming figure with an anxious looking elderly woman, giving him a good excuse to turn away from the stares. When the wooden wings fell shut, it was just the silence again, until the woman gasped, noticing where she had been brought.
“Is this – oh my goodness – ”
“The DA, Professor.”, Ginevra, at Draco’s side, answered her. “`Dumbledore’s Army´. At least what’s left – and loyal.”, everyone knew that she was explicitly referring to Marietta, Cho and Zacharias who weren’t there due to having quite surprisingly lost their coins without even having noticed the fact yet.
“And him.”, Neville noted. “What’s he doing here?”
“If you’d give me time to breathe, I’d explain.”, Ginevra snapped.
“You honestly don’t want him in, do you? He wanted to kill Dumbledore!”
“No one ever said he wanted to,”, Hannah noted with a sideglance at Neville.
“And he’s in Slytherin. Do you see any other Slytherins here? Why’s that, I ask – oh yes, even Harry understood that they’re just trouble! I see no reason to accept him! He’s a Death Eater, if you haven’t noticed!”
“Do you know a real Death Eater who can conjure a Patronus?”, Luna meant but was ignored likewise.
“You let an enemy in our rows! Great leader, you are!”
“If you’d let us breathe, Longbottom,”, Draco hissed, “We’d explain! I wouldn’t be here, if she hadn’t asked me to come,”
“Great! There we – ”
“I’d do that on my own without you as well!”
“Doing what on your own, huh?”
“Your group seems perfectly organised, Miss Weasley.”, McGonagall sighed.
“I’d explain, if you’D let me!”, Draco raged.
“You think I’d want to listen to anything you think you got to – ”
“SHUT UP!”
Everyone jumped at the yell and the blast wave that erupted from the otherwise so gentle and angelic girl who now panted like a Dragon that had been hit on the tail with a huge hammer. Even McGonagall backed away from her in shock. Sure she had total control over her colleagues, Luna calmed down to speak with her usual voice, though without the tiniest hint of a smile, but utter confidence in her words.
“We need him. He’s great at Occlumency, can conjure a full corporeal and quite effective Patronus, is determined and has influence on Professor Snape. Draco is as much a Death Eater as any of us here is. There had been circumstances that made him end up being branded with the Dark Mark, but that means only greater use for us. If any, we need him. He’s the perfect spy. And just because he was sorted into Slytherin, it doesn’t mean that he can’t be as wise as a true Ravenclaw, as brave as a true Gryffindor or as much a great friend as a true Hufflepuff. Ginny and I believe, he can be all of that, and combined with his cunningness, he’s the best option we have.”
“If that’s true and you’re right,”, Neville continued calm as well, “You think Harry would want him in?”
“Harry’s not here. He’s not leading this group anymore.”, Ginny pointed out as determined as Luna. “We are.”
“I think, he’d want to have him in, once he found out what really drives Draco.”, Luna went on. “It’s nothing more than what drives each of us. He fears for his family. He’s got the same motive. Didn’t you hear what the Sorting Hat said? We shall not judge hastily. There’s always more to a person than what meets the eye, Neville. You know that yourself. And if anyone has better arguments than the ones I just gave you, say it out loud and we’ll discuss that.”
~~#~~
An enchanted melody drifted up from the ground floor, reaching his ears when he walked the castle for getting his mind off, like so many times in the past. A book clutched tightly in hand, he snorted at the setting sun through a window. Slightly upset, he made his way through the corridor, down the marble staircase and into the Entrance Hall, where the oaken front gate was securely shut, but the gilded doors of the Great Hall stood widely open. Sitting at the piano, Flitwick backed the choir that stood in full uniform as usual, lined up in four rows. Surprising him a little, placed between choir and piano, Luna sang a solo, sticking out above all in a powerful way he had never heard her singing alike.
Slowly, the choristers began to notice him, but that was already the biggest distraction he was. Stubborn, they continued singing as though he wasn’t there. Flitwick, however, didn’t see him.
Stepping lively, he approached the group through the middle corridor, his shoes resounding demonstratively, which made Flitwick’s head turn, whereupon he slipped and had to skip a bar to get back into the song, the nervousness obvious. What finally stopped him; and the choir in consequence; was the lid being closed down onto the keys. He could just pull back his fingers. Disgruntled, he glared up at the much taller, grim man.
“I can not remember having given you permission. According to Educational Decree number twenty-four, you are running an illegal organisation and I find myself forced to disband it.”
“You can’t do this!”, Flitwick climbed onto the stool to be able to look him directly in the eyes. “Defending us from Dementors but forbidding the choir – ”
“I am Headmaster of this school and you are to follow my command. Unless you wish yourself or your students to be punished for your violation, I ask you to leave this hall immediately. They all are close to receiving detention anyway. It is nearly eight o’clock. They’d do well to have returned to their Houses by that time. For the moment, I remain with a warning. But should I obtain knowledge of another meeting of this kind, I see myself forced to take legal measures. And when have you decided to return to this dreadful group anyway, Miss Lovegood?”, he didn’t take his eyes off Flitwick, who gritted his teeth.
“Oh, I haven’t.”, answered Luna. “I am singing the soli, which doesn’t make me a part of the choir in whole, but rather an additional singer and I’m not standing in the rows either.”
“The choir is all you left me.”, Flitwick hissed under his breath, taking his wand from his pocket and holding it at Severus’ throat. “You cannot take that away from me as well.”
“As far as I can recall, you are still a teacher. Or does teaching not give you any pleasure anymore? No? Fine, then it is settled.”, Severus snarled. “And put away your wand. Otherwise – ”
“Otherwise what? Are you going to kill me?”
“Not nearly as insufficient. You would die fast without having time to think about your errors.”
“Ah I see – going to torture me then, you coward? Oh come on. Kill me. You want it quick, I know it. I know you want me away. Why don’t you do it now? Right in front of the students so they see what a monster you are.”
“I said, put away your wand.”, Severus placed his book on top of the piano.
“No.”
“And sit down.”, he then opened the lid again.
“What?”
“Shut up and sit down.”, Flitwick only grunted but finally did as he was told, yet his body seemed to struggle a little. “And now put your hands on the keys.”, the small man did.
Luna was the only one not to wince or gasp or scream apart from Severus, when the cry of pain echoed through the hall above the chilling sound of the keys and far out through the open doors. He had slammed the lid shut, crushing Flitwick’s fingers. Thick tears stood in Flitwick’s eyes and he tried to breathe anyhow. They had cracked where the wood had met with them the moment the keys had had no more space to give in. Not the slightest flicker of regret could be seen on Severus’ cold expression. He was still breathing calmly when he opened the lid to reveal the bruised, contorted fingers that were starting to swell. The pain becoming worse, Flitwick slid off the stool and hurtled from the hall, upstairs.
“Now, who else wishes to question my authority?”, Severus said quite softly to the shocked teenagers. “I will not say, he didn’t force you to come. Therefore you get away with the warning I have spoken. Leave before I actually lose myself.”
None had to be told twice. Real panic in their faces, they left the Great Hall running. Not even turning, he closed the doors with a wave of his hand when he couldn’t hear them anymore. There was some blood on the keys where Flitwick’s fingers had been. Sighing, Severus wiped it off with a handkerchief he pulled from his trousers, whereby the strings gave a mournful sounding chime. Thoughtful, he played those keys – and played them again. It had been months since he had last played on his piano and the notes – they reminded him of a melody he had – actually it was an entire song.
The moment he sat down and started playing it, the one he had written it for, appeared before his closed eyes, dancing along with the sad melody. In truth she had danced to another song, but it had been then that the melody had come to him, locking away the music of the band or the people around or the one she had danced with. The memories of the evening spinning in his head, he played the song she had never heard. And that was probably the biggest regret he had ever felt. That he had told her so many times how much he loved her, but that he had never played that song to her and now she was gone somewhere, out of reach. The tears that trailed down his cheeks until he came to the song’s end, didn’t manage to lift the weight on his heart.
Nor did the flask he searched for in his pouch or the stream of memories he extracted into it. Taking a deep, trembling breath, he wiped off his tears, stoppered the flask and turned to the girl, holding up the small vessel. The warmth of her fingers against his that were unusually cold, made him startle a little when she took it and eyed it with interest, before she conjured a white string and knotted it around the neck of the flask. She hung it around her own neck and hid it under her clothes.
“If I should be – ”, he aspirated and swallowed, “Gone – before the war is over – give it to Harry. But – please – wait until – he is ready. Otherwise he wouldn’t understand the meaning.”
“Alright, Sir.”, Luna whispered with a smile and helped him up when she found him having troubles.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. Good night, Professor.”
“Yes.”, Severus sighed, “Good night, Miss Lovegood.”, and left through the backdoor.
~~#~~
Not even a third through the following breakfast time, the reason for Professor Flitwick’s absence from it had spread in the hall like a bush fire and scornful looks hit the middle of the staff table, but he was used to such. Ignoring them, he took a bite off his bread and studied the thick raindrops hitting and gliding down the high windows. And there was indeed a shield around him, Alecto Carrow was forced to realise when she wanted to bend closer to him for having a word, her head bouncing against an invisible wall. The malicious smirk reached the corner of his mouth similarly quick as she rubbed her head and was gone by the moment she frowned at him, not only anymore because of the purple scarf with silvery stars he wore to his purple embroidered black robe today.
It was then that the attention of most people got drawn to a blonde hopping into the hall, her long waves bumping up and down with her lively movement. To her chest, she held a book and instead of going for the Ravenclaw table by the fireplace, she took the central corridor, straight up to the Headmaster, more and more eyes following her. He couldn’t help seeing the smiling girl as well of course and frowned at her like the woman to his right did.
“Good morning, Headmaster.”, she came to halt right before him, not even out of breath.
“Good morning, Miss Lovegood,”, Severus replied, a little unsure what she wanted to achieve by this more than direct move.
“You forgot that yesterday.”, Luna held the book over the table and it crossed the shield as though that didn’t exist.
“Well, thank you.”, he gave her a bored chuckle and sigh, putting the book down between her and his plate. “Yes? Any more to say?”
“Oh, nothing, Sir. Just that it’s wise.”
“What is wise, Miss Lovegood?
“Wearing that scarf today. It seems it is getting colder now.”
For some moments, his empty stare and her soft smile only faced one another. Then her smile grew bigger and she faintly winked at him before she hopped off to her House table, not caring that her shoes were the only sound left in the otherwise motionless hall and sat down, starting her breakfast with topmost joy. Draco slipped an amused grunt into his hand, ignoring like her, the glances he received and raised early for his first lesson, swallowing down his knowledge with his last spoonful of cereals.
Thoughts going wild in his mind, he made a detour over a lavatory to brush his teeth. Just when he spat out the paste, he nearly choked from the additional face in the mirror.
“Haven’t seen you in my toilet for a long time, Draco.”, Myrtle snickered.
“Sorry. I’ve been busy. How are you?”
“Well, dead.”, she moaned childishly.
“And apart from that tragedy?”
“Oh, I don’t know,”, the ghost sang and floated away while Draco washed his mouth. “How should I be feeling, lonely as I am?”
“Ever tried talking to any of the other ghosts?”
“I’ve been dead for more than twice as long as you’ve been alive. Guess.”, grunted Myrtle and sat down on top of an open cabin door, her head in her hands.
“If you stopped being sarcastic towards them, they might like you as the girl you actually are. Hard to admit, but it seems to be working for me. At least in some cases. I gotta go now. Defence starts soon. See you.”
“Bye,”, she smiled after him and he could hear her disappear splashing in a toilet.
In some cases – and they were outnumbered and though stubborn, unable to fully convince the others. That was the downside of telling only half of the truth, he considered, sighing to himself as he took the last steps up the tower to the classroom. When he entered it through the already open door, he found it empty. Almost empty, actually. Someone sat on a bench in the front row and studied the rain against the window by that desk. Gently dropping his bag on the floor, he sat down at her right and she turned her head to him with a sad smirk.
“Hey.”, he whispered his concern.
“Hey.”, Hannah replied equally. “What’s with that scarf?”
“Scarf?”, Draco frowned.
“The scarf Snape’s wearing. And his robe’s different. I take it, you know the reason?”
“Yes.”
“So?”
“It’s – ”, he swallowed and stared over the table, at the stairs up to the office door behind the teacher’s desk, unsure whether to tell her. “That’s something very private.”
“You can tell me. I swear, I won’t say.”
“Today’s – ”, Draco aspirated, not daring to look at her, “It’s Hermione Granger’s birthday.”
“Er – ”, Hannah’s eyebrows narrowed. “And why would that make him wear – ”
“I said it, didn’t I?”, he huffed and she swung her legs over the bench, turning, now sitting a little closer to him and able to look at him quite straight.
“Does he love her, or what?”, she gave him a languid frown.
“He never said, but yes? Perhaps? I don’t know – it seems he does, doesn’t it?”
“I thought he tells you everything?”, Hannah meant calm and he was surprised that she reacted rather relaxed on the probable news of a relationship like that.
“No? Not even my father tells me everything he should.”
“Do you tell your father everything you should?”
“Hell, no.”, Draco chuckled stifled and startled at the touch of her fingers when she wiped a lose strand behind his left ear.
“You need a cut. Or do you want to let it grow?”
“Dunno – maybe – but it’s thin, unlike my parents’. No idea why. You’ve got nice hair,”, he considered, making her blush with a slight laugh.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Well,”, she smiled and wiped some strands behind his other ear, “I could give you some of my shampoo and we’ll see whether it works as good on yours then,”
“Yeah. That’s – that’s a good idea – ”, her warm hand on his cheek confused him a bit, but he couldn’t deny it felt good.
“I like you, you know?”, she whispered so low it was hard to catch.
“I like you too.”, Draco returned the whisper.
“I really like you.”
“I think, I really like you as well.”
“I mean, really.”
“So – do I – ”
Though she had taken the first step and it was her to softly dig her fingers into his hair when their eyes closed, he could swear it had been him to kiss her first. But it didn’t matter, actually. Nothing mattered more now than what they both did. Nothing, until they heard footsteps in their semi-consciousness and separated with a quiet, embarrassed giggle. Hannah spun again; they acted as though nothing had happened when their classmates entered, yet curious why they were sitting there, completely alone.
But who was to blame them? They hadn’t planned that at all. Many things were happening unplanned recently, despite everyone was working on the one or other plan, harder than ever. Or maybe it was due to that, that none of those plans really seemed to work out. So it was the things that happened unplanned that would herald the biggest changes.
“What’re you still talking for!”, Amycus Carrow barked when he slammed the door shut behind and the last students jumped for their seats. “Get out your books. We’re doing a little theoretical lesson today. Page forty-one, class. You will read that thoroughly and then we’ll practice. Yes?”, Parvati Patil’s hand was up.
“The Imperius Curse, Sir?”
“That’s right, chit.”, he sneered with an evil grin. “Complaining?”
“Er – no – ”, Parvati moaned and stared back down on the printed letters.
“Exactly. Nothing to complain. Now read!”, he yelled at the class and sat down himself, scanning the rows with caution. “Where’s that Hufflepuff git? That – Fetchy? Or what was it?”
“I – I’m here, Professor.”, Justin whimpered from the last row, his hand up now as well.
“Right. Close escape.”, the boy swallowed, knowing that he would have received detention if he had spoken only a second too late or too early. “Read, or you won’t get away with that. And ten points from Hufflepuff, thanks to you, hussy. Get back where you belong.”, Hannah ferociously collected her things and went to sit with Susan. “And you there, move along. No more than two students on a bench.”
That resulted in Pansy Parkinson ending up at Draco’s right, much to his discomfort. Having to share a bench with his ex-girlfriend and younger version of his aunt right after he had kissed a girl he wondrously felt something for, was the last anyone could wish for. And as if Pansy felt it though he knew he was effectively shielding his mind, she lifted her nose up high with a deep breath and concentrated on her book, sulking massively. Sighing as well, Draco rolled his eyes and looked out of the window.
“Hey! What do you think, you’re doing there?”, Amycus hissed. “Read!”
“I know everything I need to know about that curse.”, Draco mumbled to the window.
“First, no matter what we might share, I’m your teacher and you’re to address me either as `Sir´ or `Professor´, and second, when I tell you to read, you’ll do that, you got me?”
“Tz.”, Draco got out his book and slammed it on the tabletop, making Pansy wince and almost slip from the bench.
“And now you put that back in, get it out again and place it on the desk like you should.”, the boy huffed, shortly stuck the book into his bag and then got up with it. “What are you doing?”, he went towards him and dropped it between his arms with lively protest and a menacing stare.
“I put it on the desk, Professor.”, Draco snarled, gaining some disbelieving chuckles from students of all four Houses that sat separated.
“I meant, your desk.”, he picked it up again and turned to leave. “Where are you going!”
“I’m going to put it on my desk, just like you ordered me.
“And why then are you – ”
“I’ll have to leave the castle in order to do so, Sir. My desk’s at home. Didn’t fit into my trunk, you see.”, that managed to raise the mood in the class so high they laughed and clapped with cheer and someone even whistled.
“SILENCE!”, Amycus raged, on his feet and the class fell still. “GET BACK HERE IMMEDIATELY, YOU UNRULY LOUT!”, Draco turned on the spot and marched back up to him.
“What did you just call me?”, he gritted his teeth.
“You understood me quite well, boy.”, Amycus had drawn his wand. “If you claim to know so much about the Imperius Curse, why don’t you give your classmates a little example, eh? Imperio!”
Draco winced, trying to resist it. But the curse had come unexpected, was strong and hard to fight and that felt like a shell spiked with poisonous needles was closing him in. A feeling he knew well by now: it was how pure horror felt to him. His legs moved, unable to stop and he placed the book carefully where he had slammed it previously. Amycus closed up behind him. Draco heard something that sounded like a belt being opened. He had been too focused on closing his mind before the curse had hit him. That made him somewhat trapped in a state of half ability. He tried hard to reach for the book or the wand in his sleeve, anything to hit Pansy’s face with, which presented him an expression of malevolent joy about what in her opinion seemed to be justice.
“And now, we’ll see if the sissy cries like his father. Why don’t you be a good boy and give dear Miss Parkinson here a show, eh? I bet she never heard you. Never got it that far, huh? Why don’t you let her hear you scream, hmm? Be a good boy and let down your pants.”
The others were too shocked to intervene. But Draco had gained some control. His teeth pressed tightly together, he dug his fingers into the wood, the tips aching as they slid back closer to the edge for doing what Amycus wanted them to and he barely saw the trail of blood he pulled over the surface in the small gap between his lids. Someone had jumped up in the corners of those slits, but he hardly recognised the guy’s voice, shouting Protego without effect before he was knocked back over his bench and hit the table behind, accompanied by screams of horror. He had passed out and Draco’s hands were close to the edge when the classroom door crashed open.
That was enough to make the shell snap loose and he hung against the desk, panting his lungs out. He didn’t care that Pansy bent away with disgust or that someone had finally gained enough courage to come to his aid as well. He just collapsed into that person’s arms, sinking to the floor with them. By the gasp, he knew it was a girl. Due to his new position and his view clearing, he saw what had happened. Amycus was pinned to the ceiling above the teacher’s desk, struggling against some invisible force, evidently suffocating him. Then he discovered the man that had his bare hand directed up from between the desks of the first row. He couldn’t make out his expression from down there, but he knew it to be the impersonation of fury. Though the deep voice was unreally calm.
“You appear to suffer from a horrible short-term memory, Amycus. Let me jog it a little. What have I said, only seventeen days ago?”, but the other man only gargled, on the verge of death. “What was that? I couldn’t understand – oh, maybe this will help.”, a mere flick of the wrist made him crash onto the desk with his back, the cry of pain not leaving him in his quick attempt to breathe, his head hanging down, turned to the students, and the legs on the other side. “Please repeat.”, but Amycus’ face was twisted and tears ran down his forehead. “No?”
Shaking with the pain, he tried to bring his arms together – Draco understood and, fully conscious again, pulled his wand when he pushed himself up from the floor. Not willing to wait, he pointed it at Amycus.
“Cru-”, the curse didn’t fully hit him as Severus had as well understood what Amycus had wanted to do and the man’s arms and legs snapped together, making him form a stiff board on the desk, head and legs now horizontally in the air. “Cio – ”, Draco aspirated the second half of the incantation, seeing that he was already so much in pain that the flat strike hadn’t had any effect at all, even if he hadn’t been bound.
“Are you all right?”, he asked when he went for Amycus’ left arm.
“Yeah – ”, the boy gargled, “I’m – I’m fine – what’re you – ”
“You, my friend, will never be foolish again so as to try calling him.”, he pushed up the sleeve and twisted the arm free from the curse; everyone heard the elbow crack. “If you should be incapable of remembering the list, maybe this – ”, upon the quick slashing of his wand he had finally pulled from his sleeve, Draco yelped and clutched his own arm, he however swallowed down the pain and Amycus was unable to express it, “Will do. Sorry, Draco. Not my fault that we are connected in that way.”, Severus turned to him. “But that is the only way apart from dying and I want him to live with his shame.”
“It’s – it’s okay,”, Draco moaned gasping, “I don’t mind. But don’t you think he might be curious why you expelled him? I mean, isn’t he the only one who – ”
“The Dark Lord entrusted me with many tasks. If he didn’t value my favours, he would have placed me on top of the Ministry. Believe me as I say, he has granted me certain permissions you wouldn’t dare to dream about. It was beautifully overwhelming to see the excitement fall from your aunt’s face when he called my name instead of hers as he announced his lieutenant. It is common news that she abhorred me, but I must say, it slightly pleases me that no word is worthy describing her new feelings for me.”
“Well,”, Draco chuckled, “Congratulations on the promotion, then.”
“Thank you.”, Severus sighed, his eyes drifting over the still anxious seventh-years, halting at the Gryffindors that dedicated to get the dizzy Neville back onto his feet.
“You – er – you got some blood on your scarf,”
“What?”, he looked down and huffed. “O fodder – ”, Severus murmured to himself and left the classroom swiftly.
“Draco?”, a timid voice came from the floor and he spun around.
“Oh my – ”, he swallowed and went back over to help Hannah up.
“Thanks.”, she smirked. “What are we – ”, he followed her eyes and slightly turned back at Amycus who still faced the ceiling, blood trickling from the cut on his arm, down onto the desktop.
“Gonna do with him?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll let him bleed.”, Draco snorted and left as well.
“Well, if you say so,”, Hannah chuckled flatly and followed him.
“Bitch.”, someone hissed.
“What?”, she stopped and turned.
“You heard me right, worthless Half-Blood.”, Pansy snarled. “You’ll regret that.”
“And what am I going to regret?”
“You know very well what.”
“Tz.”
Hannah just shook her head and went for her bag and the door, though not without a concerned glance at Neville, who gave her to understand that he was fine. It was not until she reached the basement that she caught up with Draco who stopped and turned for her, with a soft smile when he recognised her.
“You – forgot – your bag – ”, she panted and slowed down to halt in front of him.
“Oh. Thanks.”, Draco reached for taking it from her, but she cut off his move.
“Oh my god!”, Hannah gasped. “You’re – you’re bleeding!”
“Am I?”, he stared down on his fingertips like her. “Gosh – I’m bleeding! Didn’t notice. Er – there’s a plastic bag in my bag.”
“A plastic bag?”, she eyed him sceptical, but rummaged for it.
“A yellow plastic bag.”
“Got it.”
“Great.”, he pointed his wand inside and out soared a little flask which he quickly caught. “Could you drip that on my fingers, please?”
“Is that Essence of Dittany?”, she did as he asked, trying to read the thin writing, yet he had more the impression that reading was just an excuse and that she had recognised it by its apparently very faint smell or some other detail Draco himself couldn’t perceive.
“Yeah. Thanks.”, and the things went securely back into his shoulder bag which he finally took and hung where it belonged, before he gave her a kiss, making her giggle and return it.
“Where are we going now?”
“Going?”
“We have more than a period until Charms.”
“Oh. Didn’t think about that. Well, but if you insist, I believe to know a place.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“And we’ll be alone there?”
“If no one else has exactly the same idea,”, Draco considered, “Yes, we’ll be alone. And they’re coming already, so let’s go.”
Indeed some of their classmates could be heard climbing downstairs, forcing them onward. Nevertheless they took a cautious glance around every corner just in case, therefore needing almost twice as long for their way up as they would have under normal circumstances, although they took every shortcut possible.
Still holding hands, Draco pushed aside the tapestry and they stepped out into the seventh floor corridor towards an infamous wall. Once the door was there, Draco opened it for them and they slipped in, closing it behind.
“Oh wow!”, Hannah was astonished and Draco saw soon why, though puffing a little at the discovery. “That’s absolutely beautiful!”
She directly went for the white four-poster with silky curtains, dropping her cloak, bag and shoes on the way, and jumped in lively, costing Draco a laugh. There was no visible source of the soft light, but everything about the cosy small room with golden wallpaper was draped artistically with silk alike and though that was not in the slightest what he had intended the room to become, he couldn’t deny he liked it as much as Hannah did, who now crawled under the soft looking white blanket, her blond hair spread on the big white pillow. Draco left the same of his things by the foot of the bed and joined her in the more than comfortable bed for a few tender kisses.
“I had no idea you were such a charmer.”, the girl giggled and fondled his cheek.
“You think, I had?”, he chuckled back, raising a bright laugh from her.
“You know,”, she continued when they cuddled together, “I never had a boyfriend before.”
“Nor had I.”, Draco said dazed.
“Would have surely shocked Pansy.”
“Er – what? Hey!”, he moaned at the canopy. “I – yeah. That too. But I actually meant, I never had a girlfriend.”
“And – Pansy?”
“She hadn’t either.”, Draco winked. “No, seriously, I never really felt something for her. Sure, we were friends and she totally fancies me, still, and she’s kinda pretty and we kissed and all, but I wasn’t, well – er – happy. I mean, I’ve hardly ever been happy, but with her, I definitely wasn’t.”
“Are you happy now?”
“I’d be the worst liar in the world if I said I’m not. I have no idea how you do that – erasing – distress – ”
Draco waited for an answer, but she only smiled at it and so he shut his eyes like her, enjoying the closeness and warmth. The classroom seemed so far away now, as if years had passed since. He could gladly say that he was in fact happy. So happy that he forgot time. So happy that it needed a soft kiss on his cheek for him to wake up. His own smile was back. Though something didn’t fit. This hadn’t been her lips. He knew that touch, far better than hers and she was still lying beside him in a way she couldn’t have kissed him. Especially not on that cheek. Realising that all in probably a single second, he startled up, unintentionally waking her with a grunt. While she still rubbed her eyes with slight upset, his were wide open, seeking for the disturber, whom he found at his right by the bed, sitting on a chair that hadn’t been there before.
“Good morning,”, he said softly and quiet, showing an amused but gentle smirk.
“What the – ”, Draco mumbled, awake as if thrown into a pool of icy water. “Hey!”, he moaned. “What are you doing here! And how d’you get in!”
“You are getting late for Charms.”
“Oh my god!”, Hannah gasped and sat straight, but Draco fell back onto the bed, huffing.
“I’m not going.”, the boy mumbled to the canopy and closed his eyes again.
“No one will blame you.”, he heard Severus say. “But you should.”
“And how I should!”, Hannah muttered, gave Draco a quick, hesitant kiss and slipped out at the other side of the bed for getting her things. “See you!”, she giggled from the door, audibly embarrassed, and was gone.
“Thanks.”, Draco growled and rolled onto his left, pulling the blanket over his head.
“As I said, no one will blame you of all, after what happened, but she is Head Girl as well. If the others have recovered enough for going to their next lessons, it is necessary for her to go, more than for anyone else. She has responsibility now and that includes, not only but as well, being a role model for every student of this school.”
“What’re you doing?”
“You posses remarkable hearing, Draco.”, Severus smirked and climbed under the blanket, having hung his robe and scarf onto the backrest of the chair and placed his shoes below.
“If you say so,”, he sighed, turned to him and comforted himself against his chest, welcoming the hand that stroked his head.
~~#~~