I blast the next doll coming at me to pieces. Sweat was dripping down my chest and soaked my trousers. I had given up on wearing a shirt or robes. I was skiping Charms right now, and I doubted that Professor Banning was impressed. As headboy I should give a good example to the other students, but at the moment I could care less. The Death Eaters were going to attack this week, and I needed to be ready for them. I needed to be ready to kill the bastard who gave me life. If I wasn't, it could cost me my life.
"Draco, stop it" a soft voice calls: "You look like shit and you have been at it for two hours. You need to stop."
I turn and look at Luna, the last dolls vanish and I close my eyes wearily: "Luna, it's going to happen this week, I need to be ready."
"You will only tire yourself out like this" Luna says: "You can't fight your father if you're dead on your legs. Stop and take a break, go read a book about hexes or something, but, please, just stop for awhile."
I give her a tired smile: "You are right, like usual. I really need a shower."
"Good to know you know it youself" she says as she walks up to me: "Are you alright?"
I smile thightly, everything was catching up on me: "I'll be fine, once this is over."
Luna smiles and hugs me to her. I wrap my arms around her and bury my head into her hair. "Yes, you'll be alright."
"What the fuck is going on here?"
Luna is glaring at the DA who have just entered. Neville is looking at me as if I am a demon.
"I saw you! What were you doing with my girlfriend?" he asks me, his voice angrier than I have ever heard him.
"I was just hugging him!" Luna says.
"You never hug anyone but me!" Neville says back: "Why were you hugging him?"
I groan and rub my eyes: "It's not what you think."
"I think it's exactly what he thinks it is" Weasley snarles: "How long has this been going on?"
The rest of the DA is glaring at me as if I killed their favourite pet.
Luna bits her lip but stays silent. I get up and growl: "It was nothing. Any feelings I might have for Luna will be totally brotherly like."
"Yeah, we saw that" Potter says, glaring at both of us.
Luna is about to say something, but she stops as I step up to Potter and say: "You know why that is, Potter? I'm gay. I don't like girls. Not at all. Pansy made sure of that." I turn around and leave the Room or Requirement.
I'm in detention for skipping charms class. Professor Snape watches me like a hawk as I make the potions he required from me. It's not helping. Brewing potions is like eating, you can think while doing it. And as my thoughts swirl trough my mind I can hardly keep up. This is the last potion I have to brew. After this one I'll have to leave to find a place where I can have a break-down. Everything is catching up with me right now. I watch silently as the potion turns light blue and reaches it's last stage.
"Very good, Mr Draco. Now, get out of my classroom" Snape says calmly. Just before I leave, he puts a hand on my shoulder. His obsidian eyes look into mine and he says softly: "Take care, Draco."
It fills me with warmth. "Thank you" I whisper, before I leave to find that dark spot to have my break-down.
I decided this morning to spent my free afternoon with Ares before training once more. I walk up to the Owlery and open the door. As I step inside two owls fly towards me and I stick out both my arms. This has happened before. Ares and his girlfriend often come together to me.
"Hello there" I say softly, watching both of them fondly, as they give each other what seems to be an owl kiss. "How are you both today? Did you have fun?"
"Malfoy" a voice says.
My head shoots up as I see Harry Potter staring at me, or more precisely, the owl on my arm.
"Yes, Potter?" I ask him tiredly, I doubt I can take more bullshit.
"Is that your owl?" he asks me, strangely polite.
"Only the black one" I answer: "The other is his girlfriend, I suppose, but I don't know who owns her."
"What's his name?" He then asks.
"His name is Ares... what's with all the questions?" I ask.
"Hedwig" he says, holding out an arm, the white owl loooks at me for a moment longer before flying of my arm and landing on Potter's.
"She's yours?" I ask him.
"Yes" he answers: "I had no idea her new friend was your owl."
"Me neither" I say, before softly stroking the wing Ares has unfolded, as if to show off.
"Do you... mind?" Potter then asks.
"Mind what? That they're togheter? No, in my opinion they're free to do whatever they want, as long as Ares doesn't leave me, because I can't afford a new owl."
"Oh" Potter whispers softly.
I raise an eyebrow, before stalking to the window to look outside. It's peaceful, I snort, the calm before the storm.
"Made a new friend, Malfoy?" Blaise asks me as I sit down next to him on the Slytherin table. Almost the entire Hall quiets down to hear my answer.
"What are you talking about, Blaise?"
"Creevey made a picture of you and Potter together in the Owlery."
"Huh" was my smart answer. "Nice for him." I stood up with my quickly gathered dinner and left: "See you later Blaise, got to study." Of course it was a lie, I didn't even want to study. I wanted to beat Lucius' arse into pulp before gaining the Malfoy title for myself, like I deserve.
Luna has red eyes. I would like to kill the person who made her cry, but they'll apologize when they see I'm right. I closed my eyes softly and pressed her into my side. "We'll be okay, Luna, I can promise you, after the war I'll do anything to make everything okay, okay?"
"I'll hold you to it" she whispered into my chest. She looked up with her dreamy blue eyes, though they were still slightly red.
"Then I'd better do my utmost best to make sure it happens, shouldn't I?" I asked her.
"Yes" she whispers, before reaching up and pressing a kiss on my cheek. "Brother."
I close my eyes and whisper back: "Sister."
"I always wanted an older brother" she says, smiling at me.
"And I always wanted a sibling. Soon I'll have two." I smile at her.
"You will take care of Pansy's son?" she asks me.
"Pansy's son is a Malfoy and my brother. Malfoys always take care of each other."
The doors of the Great Hall slam open as Luna runs inside, straight to me, where I am seated at the Slytherin table. She casts herself in my lap, under glares of Pansy and the Gryffindor friends of Neville. She sobs into my chest.
"Luna?" I ask her, slowly rocking her.
"Wrackspurts" she mumbles: "So many, coming before dawn. And... others. Monsters, no idea what. Brother... need to be prepared."
I stand and till her up. The training has made me stronger, I'm aware. "Everything will be okay, Luna. I'll make sure of it. Okay?"
She nods, buries her head into my chest, and slowly falls asleep. I reckon she can sleep in my bed, I am not going to sleep tonight anyway. I don't need to prepare myself this time, I need to prepare the castle. I need to get the Death Eater Slytherins out of the castle so the Dark Lord can't take it from the inside, and I need to make sure the rest of the students are safe. The teachers need to be warned and the DA, I suppose. They are ready. They have to be ready!
"Potter!" I call out as I see him just before he reaches the Fat Lady."
He turns: "What do you want this time, Malfoy? To tell me that there are Wrackspurts attacking the castle?" he sneers, causing Weasley to laugh, but Granger looks at me with a half scared look.
"Actually..." I start.
"Leave it, Malfoy, I don't believe scumbags like you" Potter says, waving his hand as if to wave me off.
"Death Eaters are attacking before dawn. If you want to be prepared you'd better call the DA. Or you can choose not to believe me and get surprised" I say: "I'm going to warn the teachers, if they don't know yet."
"Who's your source, Malfoy? Lovegood?" Weasley asked: "Loony doesn't even know her normal creatures!"
"Talking about creatures, I doubt that the Dark Lord will only take his Death Eaters with him as he marches on Hogwarts."
Weasley and Potter snort and I shrug before turning to walk away.
"Wait!" Granger says at once and I turn once more: "Did Luna really say that Malfoy, today? Are you sure?"
"Granger, I'd give you right hand if it weren't true."
"We should prepare" she said, turning to the two boys.
"What? You are going to believe the slimy snake?" Weasley snarls.
"Yes" Granger says: "And if you don't, than that's your problem, not mine. Draco, what do you think should happen?"
"Under no circumstances should we tell the students already what we know" Draco said: "We need to get them calmly to the Great Hall just before the attack. I need to get the Death Eaters in Slytherin out of the castle, otherwise they could take the castle from the inside. I can pretend the Dark Lord told me so. They never totally believed I turned side. I'll tell them it was to become close to the Golden Trio and exchange information to the Dark Lord about you. I know how to manipulate them. You need to have the DA ready and get some of them who refer healing in the hospital wing, we need them there. The teachers need to be warned, Dumbledore knows how to make sure everything works. Professor Snape can help me convince the Slytherins. Then, when the attack starts, I hope we can have enough Aurors in the castle, and members of the Order of the Phoenix, if they still exist. We need to have a quick attack. Potter needs to get the Dark Lord killed then" I say then mumble: "And I can kill my father."
When I see their faces, I know they will help me.
So, I wrote again! Hooray!
I hope it makes you happy and don't mind that you had to wait so long for this chapter.
I think the next chapter will be the fight, but I'm not sure. The preparations will be in there as well.
I hope to update soon, but I can't be too sure.
And thanks for the reviews, I hope you will review once more! (or for the first time)
Lady K. Malfoy