Hope you guys enjoy this chapter…it's a lot more action-packed and Drastoria-y. Thanks to all your reviews by the way! Really appreciate 'em. You people are awesome! :')
This chapter is dedicated to Anisah…coz, well, she's AWESOME! :D
Chapter Nine – Betrayal
I didn't sleep a wink that night. The same questions were wandering through my head all night. I must've reread it about twenty times by wandlight. What if it was a trap? And if it wasn't…what did she want to talk to me about?
Well, these thoughts were getting me nowhere at all. I checked the time.
Five minutes till midnight. I had to decide now; was I going or staying?
I decided to go and see, once again, what was waiting for me in the Astronomy Tower.
…
Ten minutes past twelve.
The Astronomy Tower.
Silence.
I strained my ears, trying to detect some sort of sound, but there was none. Not a whisper, not a breath. Knowing I'd probably regret it, I pushed the door and it slowly creaked open. I sighed with relief when I saw Astoria stood in there. She appeared to be alone, so I went in.
"So you did get my note. I was starting to think you wouldn't come." She said.
"Why wouldn't I?"
She shrugged as I asked the question that'd been preying on my mind.
"So, uh…what do you want to talk to me about?"
"This." She replied. She pulled up the sleeve on her arm. "This isn't normal. It keeps hurting really badly." On the inside of her arm was a huge gash that stretched from her elbow to her wrist, red and raw. Some blood had dried onto her skin and the huge cut hadn't quite knitted together yet and was still bleeding, but only slightly.
I should've stopped her from speaking to me since Bellatrix used the Cruciatus Curse on her. I was putting her in danger. She could get killed because of me. It was time to end it right now. No more messing around. Still, I hated the idea of not talking to her.
But I wanted her to be safe.
"What the hell happened?" I probably looked more terrified than she did, and she was the one who almost got sliced to pieces!
"It doesn't matter what happened but I told you to come here because I need to tell you something," she cleared her throat and was about to go on when I interrupted her.
"Astoria, I…I don't think we should talk any more."
"W…what?"
"I'm putting you in danger. If Bellatrix finds out that we don't…talk anymore she'll leave you alone, won't she? It makes sense."
"Yeah, but then she'll start on someone else, won't she? She'll do anything to get what she wants! She-"
"You're being crazy, just look at your arm! I'm not stupid…I know she did that to you! It doesn't take a genius to figure it out, you know."
"So that's it?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Don't you understand? She's nearly killed you! The first time you nearly get burned alive, then you get literally get mutilated…Why would you still want to even be in the same room as me if all that's my fault?" I swallowed. This had all happened too fast.
She sighed. "But I thought that was it. I thought she asked you for the Polyjuice Potion ingredients and that was it. Isn't it over now?"
"Yeah, but she'll keep doing it! If she ever wants something or wants to get into Hogwarts, she'll use me. She's done it once and she'll do it again, and do whatever it takes to get it, even if it means killing you. It'll take her less than a second to do it, too."
"So…that's it?"
"Yes," I replied, and walked out of the Astronomy Tower. I felt like my best friend had just died or something. Like something wasn't right. I felt like there was something missing…incomplete.
I would've gone straight back down to the common room, but a shrill shriek stopped me.
"I thought I told you…NOT TO DO IT TILL I SAID!"
Bellatrix.
I crept slowly back up the stairs, trying to make no noise at all.
"It wasn't my fault, he just left!" Astoria replied, her voice shaky and loud.
"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO STOP HIM?" Bellatrix screamed.
"What was I supposed to do? Handcuff him to the damn door or something?"
SLAP!
"What was that for?"
"You being a stupid coward and letting him go!" Bellatrix replied harshly.
"I'm sorry! He stormed out before I could stop him!" Astoria yelled.
I couldn't listen to it anymore. I barged through the door. Astoria had been crying again and Bellatrix looked angry. Extremely angry.
"What the hell's going on here?"
"Oh, look! It's Draco! Come to save the day again?" Belllatrix sneered.
"Draco, don't listen to her! Don't listen to a word she says, she's lying!" Astoria cried as Bellatrix cackled with laughter.
"About what? What're you talking about?"
Bellatrix grabbed hold of Astoria's arm and walked towards me, dragging her behind. "Go on then! Tell him!"
A tear fell from her eye and she looked down, shaking her head.
"Someone tell me. Now!"
"Isn't she just a wonderful actress, Draco?" Bellatrix said as she smiled evilly at both of us.
"What're you talking about?"
"I'm talking about her! She's been playing you all along! And you were so vulnerable…stupid, just like your father."
"What?"
"Don't you understand?" Bellatrix yelped. "She's been telling me everything. About every conversation, every single time you were together. I know about all of it."
"You're lying!" I shouted at Bellatrix. "Why are you doing this to me?"
"Believe me, I am not the one that's lying! It's her!" Bellatrix pushed Astoria forward, towards me again. "I know about everything, Draco. She was just using you the whole time."
I felt a stab of pain. This wasn't happening.
"So you just…betrayed me?" I couldn't believe it. She'd been sneaking around behind my back telling Bellatrix everything. How could she do this to me? I wanted to leave, but my feet were rooted into the ground.
"I didn't mean to, honestly! She threatened to kill me and my family if I didn't do what she said. This is what I wanted to talk about; I was going to tell you everything!"
"Even though I told you not to?" Bellatrix yelled. "So you've been lying to both of us, have you?"
"IT ISN'T LIKE THAT!"
I didn't know who to believe.
"You foul, disgusting brat! How dare you? CRUCIO-" Bellatrix screamed. I pulled Astoria out of the way just in time. The spell just missed her.
"GET OUT! RUN, NOW! GET DUMBLEDORE" I yelled as Bellatrix tried another wand. "PROTEGO!" I bolted for the door and slammed it shut. "Colloportus!"
I knew it wouldn't hold her off for long. Then I remembered – she'd found a way to Apparate inside Hogwarts. I was completely out of ideas.
I sprinted down the stairs as quick as I could while she was still locked in there, praying that Astoria was trying to find Dumbledore. I reached the corridor and found Dumbledore and Astoria at the bottom of the staircase. I was out of breath by the time I reached them. I opened my mouth to start explaining, but Dumbledore stopped me. "Miss Greengrass has already explained everything. You two are two wait in my office." I brushed past him as soon as he said it.
"Draco, wait, I need to explain!" I heard Astoria say from behind me.
"You don't need to explain anything," I replied calmly, "Bellatrix did that for you."
"You don't understand! She didn't explain everything!"
"I don't care. It doesn't matter." She'd caught up with me now.
"If you don't care, why are you storming off like this?"
"BECAUSE," I shouted. Oops…I didn't mean for it to come out that loud. "Because you deserve more than a Death Eater."
"Don't call yourself that," she said gently. "You're not one of them."
"Well I probably will be soon, then what?"
She looked down and shrugged.
"Look, we'll…we'll sort this out later. We should get to Dumbledore's office.
…
Dumbledore barged through the door of his office as me and Astoria stood side by side, waiting. "No sign of her. She'd disappeared before I got up there. Now, you two get to the Great Hall and join the other students immediately. I'll be there in a while."
Every single student was talking about what happened and why they had been told to get out of bed at such a late hour. For once, the houses were mixing, when usually they stood separately. Potter, Weasley and Granger were stood alone talking. I suddenly had an idea as I walked over to The Golden Trio.
"Granger…I mean – Hermione…could I talk to you?" I asked as I saw her pull a confused face.
"Course," she replied suspiciously. God, I knew she hated me but it wasn't like I was about to bite her head off, was it?
"Over there, now." I pointed to a spot where nobody was stood, near the Hufflepuff's table.
"So, what do you want?"
"Your help. In fact, I need your help."
"And just why would I help you, Malfoy? You positively hate me. What makes you think I'd do anything for you?"
"OK, seriously, right now I need you to forget that you hate me and help me! You don't understand how much I need your help!" I pleaded. Ugh…I regretted this now.
"Why? Why'd you need help?"
"I can't tell you."
"Then I can't help you. Sorry Malfoy, you'll have to get someone else's help."
"No…wait."
So I told her. I told her everything. "But you can't tell anyone."
She nodded and narrowed her eyes again. "What's in it for me?"
"Whatever! I'll do whatever you want…Hermione, I'm desperate!"
"Fine…I'll meet you outside your common room after our Potions lesson later." She muttered. She was probably as astounded as me. I nodded at the agreed arrangement.
…
"Stupefy!" I tried again.
"Don't worry, it takes a few times. Besides, there isn't a certain wand movement that goes with the spell. Look, try it again, but keep a firm grip on your wand and keep it still." Hermione said.
Yes…I'd reached a new low. I'd asked her to help me defend myself. But if it stopped Bellatrix, it was probably worth it.
"Stupefy!" I repeated. A beam of red light shot out of my wand.
"Rennervate!" She said, completely blocking the spell.
"What'd you do that for? I finally got it right!"
"Because," she said as she put her wand back in her pocket, "I didn't want to be knocked unconscious! Anyway, you've been trying that same spell for about an hour. Why don't you just take a break?"
"Way ahead of you." I muttered as I flopped down on one of the grassy banks that surrounded the school. Granger had chosen a deserted part of the school grounds during our free lesson.
"Going to the Yule Ball tonight then?" I began. "Shouldn't you be getting ready or something?"
She glared at me. "Yes, I am going."
"With?"
"I don't see how that's any of your business! Honestly. Ron, Harry, now you! Why's everyone asking me the same question?"
"So that we can laugh at you when you tell us your embarrassing date…if someone's asked you, that is."
She looked outraged. "Of course someone's asked me! I just don't want to tell you who it is!"
"Why not?"
"If I tell you will you promise to shut up? You already owe me anyway."
"Promise."
"Viktor." She grimaced as she waited for my response, as if she thought it was going to be a bad one.
"Oh."
"What? That's all you're going to say? Not going to laugh? Not going to call me a filthy little Mudblood?" She snapped.
"No," I mumbled. "Because you've just helped me out big time."
"Exactly." She muttered. "Heard anything about Bellatrix today?"
Bloody hell…she was actually asking me about my private life. Had I stepped into some sort of parallel universe? First Ronald…now Hermione. What was going on here?
"No."
"And Astoria? Are you going to talk to her or not?"
"No…because it'll put her in danger."
Hermione sighed. "You really care about her don't you?"
I thought about protesting, but eventually decided it was pointless. "Yes."
"Does she know?"
"No. Don't think so anyway."
Hermione took a breath to start talking, but we were interrupted by a loud, growly voice behind us. We whirled round and saw Fenrir Greyback stood with…Bellatrix.
"Fraternising with a Mudblood are we, Draco? Someone's reached a new low!"
Hermione and I backed away slowly. "Granger…you're used to this kind of thing…what do we do?"
"Run!" She hissed.
"What? That's you plan?"
"When I say so…1…2…3…" We carried on backing away, our wands pointed straight at Greyback and Bellatrix. "NOW!" We sprinted for what seemed like forever, often whirling round and casting spells. "STUPEFY!" Hermione shouted and Greyback flew backwards and hit the grassy floor. Hard. I continued to run until I thought my heart would burst and stopped when we reached the first few trees of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione kept running.
"What the hell are you doing? That's the Forbidden Forest!" I exclaimed.
"COME ON!" She yelled. Blimey…she could be downright scary at times. Despite it being just past noon, the Forbidden Forest was as dark and eerie as ever. It was also freezing cold and a thick layer of fog had settled upon the treetops and just above the ground.
"Quick, hide behind that tree!" Hermione hissed, pointing to what looked like the hugest tree in the entire forest. We listened for Bellatrix but we couldn't hear her. We peered around the trunk of the abnormally huge tree but we couldn't find her. "We lost her. Thank god." Hermione whispered.
"Let's go then."
"No! She could be just round the corner you narrow-minded fool! Don't you ever think?"
"Alright, alright. No need to be so…"
She narrowed her eyes and I shut up.
…
I recognized the room we were stood in. I recognized the long table the stretched from one end of the room to the other, the pictures on the mantelpiece, the portraits hung on the walls.
They'd brought me home. They'd brought me back to Malfoy Manor.
Bellatrix muttered something to the other Death Eaters. Greyback and Astoria were stood to one side while the Voldemort's other followers decided the young girls' fate. While they discussed how they'd kill her.
"GREYBACK!" Bellatrix yelled. "TAKE THE BOY AWAY, NOW!" Fenrir suddenly grabbed me and threw me out of the room and locked the door. "NOW DO IT! DO IT,QUICKLY!" Bellatrix screamed at him.
There was about five seconds of silence, until it was filled with the sound of Astoria screaming. I had to get back in there…What were they doing to her?
"Alohomora!" The door unlocked itself and I saw Astoria lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood…
"Draco, wake up!" Said a soft voice from above me. I groaned in reply and opened my eyes to see Dumbledore stood above me. I sat up.
"What is it, sir?"
"Miss Greengrass…she's gone missing…"
How about that for a cliff hanger, guys? Haha, hope you enjoyed…
