Chapter Eleven
The Room of Requirement
Draco set his wand down and sighed. Another day, another trial. He hated it somedays. He just didn't want to do it any more. He wanted to stop before it was too late to redeem himself. But this wasn't for him. It was for his father.
He knew Prince Potter was looking for him and the room. He wasn't particularly caring right now so he didn't even bother looking to see where the prat was. He had a map that would let him see where everyone was in the castle. But it seemed useless right now. He wouldn't find him unless he somehow figured out what Draco was doing.
What he was doing. The words echoed harshly in his mind. He was being bullied. It was a strange turn of events when you thought about it. All his life he had been raised to think he was better than everyone else. That he should and could do what ever he wanted. But now he was being pressured into this. Something he would never ever dreamed of doing.
He sat down in a comfortable chair the room provided. It was fun as a child, pretending to be better than everyone else, getting Dad's approval. Fun and harmless... or so he thought.
Then it got serious. Dinner parties where his father talked about his future in the Death Eater Ranks. For a while Draco thought he was kidding. Then the terrible truth slowly dawned. His father wasn't kidding. He was expected to take over his father's place.
He was expected to kill.
They said the first time was the hardest, but Draco couldn' even imagine killing once. Let alone more than that. He didn't want to. But now he was being asked to.
He buried his head in his hands, feeling frustration rise up in him. His throat hitched and he ground the heels of his palms into his eyes to stop the tears before they could start.
It was then he noticed the mirror. Out of curiosity he got up and walked over to it. It was a large ornate mirror with some latin phrase scrawled across the top. He studied it for a moment but his Latin was so rusty he couldn't make sense of it.
He looked down at himself. He was a few inches over average height, nothing spectacular, but taller than Potter. His green/gray eyes were rimmed in red and his silver blonde hair was mussed. He smiled softly at himself. Nothing all that great.
Then the image began to change. He was slightly taller. The smile was a full one. He was dressed in casual clothes and there was no mark on his arm.
As Draco watched, his image turned his head and the smile widened. He turned fully and a young woman leapt into his arms. He caught her and spun her around, laughing. Finnaly he set her down and kissed her. Draco stared as he got his first real glimpse of the girl.
It was Ginny Weasley.
888
Myrtle was sitting in the U bend of the central toilet of the boys bathroom when she heard the door. Her curiousity was piqued. No one ever came here during this time of the day. All the dorms had their own bathrooms so this late in the evening few people ever came here. She thought about leaving when she heard the unmistakable sound of crying.
She rose up out of the toilet and peered through the door. A good looking boy sat in center of the room. He was clinging to the rim of the sink. She felt sorry for him and started over. Then she stopped herself. Maybe he would be ashamed. A lot of boys were.
"Excuse me?" She said as quietly as she could.
He started and looked around at her.
"Sorry." He said. "Don't mind me."
"Oh, I don't!"
"I'll just-"
"Please don't!"
He stopped in the act of getting up. He twisted his long legs until he was sitting crosslegged. Tears still clung to his cheeks. Despite the red eyes and slightly botchy face, he was attractive and Myrtle wished she was alive again. Maybe one of her alive friends could help him. Not that she had many.
"Is... is there anything I can do?"
Draco looked up at her. Maybe there was. Before he lost his nerve, he began to talk.
(A/N: Ohhh! This chapter makes me insanely happy! I don't know why, but I just loved writing it!