"Don't worry, I've got that covered," Draco told me.
He stepped to my side and held my upper arm. What are you doing, I wondered. He must have seen my look because he immediately smiled down at me.
"When we get there, I'll put a hand at your back, between your shoulder blades, and push you into the Great Hall towards the Gryffindor table. You have to make it look like I caught you somewhere you shouldn't be. I'll stop at the end of the table and watch you go sit down. I'll look like I'm really peeved at you but just remember that I'm acting. You'll have to play it up as well," he explained.
"Alright, but how do I explain it to the boys when I go to sit with them?"
"Say I caught you lurking in the restricted section, and if they ask why I either of us was there, say you were looking for something that would explain what happened in divination and for me that you must have left the doors open when you went in and I was probably walking pass them and saw you."
"What about the Slytherins? If they ask, what will you tell them?"
"The same, only from my perspective and different than yours."
Draco pulled me down the hall a ways with his hand still holding my upper arm. He looked around as if checking for anyone to over-hear or see us talking. When he was satisfied he stopped and looked at me as if expecting my answer that I was going to ask.
"Different how, exactly?"
"I'll tell them I wasn't very hungry so I went to the library to chill out. I was walking pass the restricted section when I saw the door was open. Someone went in and was close to the doorway then you came into view. I thought that if your friends saw you missing and me, they would think something was between us. I'll let them know there isn't anything though, even if I could have sworn I enjoyed this morning and thought you did too."
I blushed at his mention of things between us and was sure my face was beet red when our kiss came up. Draco just chuckled and guided me down the hall. It was strange walking with Draco alone in an empty corridor. My face stopped burning with embarrassment and I relaxed just a degree.
"But wait," I stopped again, "the library is the other way. They'll get suspicious if we come the way we are."
"Hmm, good point. If I remember right there is secret door that leads to the library but it's through a tunnel of sorts. It's right down here."
Draco pointed down the hall toward a solitary painting. He released my arm and walked towards it. I followed closely behind him. There was no one or thing in the picture just a library bookshelf painted on it. He lifted the painting from the wall and turned it face down.
"Just in case," he whispered.
Behind it there was doorknob, but no door. I looked skeptically at him and he grabbed the doorknob. Instantly, the lines of a door came out of the wall. It still looked like the stone wall, but it had the outlines of a small square attic door. When Draco pulled on it didn't budge. He tugged it as hard as he could and it swung open, nearly throwing him to the floor. Draco climbed up through it and turned to help me up. I grabbed his outstretched hand and climbed up.
"There now that was easy." He huffed.
He laid down on his stomach and reached for the painting he had leaned against the wall. He turned it around and put it back down. Sitting up, he closed the door and pulled out his wand. He whispered a charm so low I couldn't hear it or even read his lips in the darkness around us. I heard something hit the now sealed wall behind us and I jumped. A hand grabbed my shoulder and I shrieked. I covered my mouth as the hand travelled to my elbow and pulled me to my feet.
"Hush! It's alright, that thump was just the painting coming back to the wall so snoopy first years won't get curious. And its okay to stand up this tunnel isn't the size of the door, I promise." It was Draco.
I had known he was there with me but I wasn't expecting him to clamp a hand on me so fast. I mashed myself to his chest with relief and fright. There could be all kinds of things lurking just within the shadows. I breathed in his scent as I held tight. It was his intoxicating cologne and it relaxed me. I felt one arm go around me and hold me close while the other didn't touch me. A sudden light blinded me and I had to shield my eyes until they adjusted.
I still held on to Draco like my life depended on it. I wanted to do nothing other than leave. I lifted my head from his chest and looked around. I pulled out my wand and cast the Lumos spell. There wasn't much in the tunnel except for the torches that sat unlit on the walls and the perfectly paved stones that made up the wall and floor. I relaxed a little and breathed easier.
With one arm around each other we made our way down the tunnel. I saw a movement in the corner of my eye and I whirled around to face it. Only a moth flitted from the wall. I zapped it with the petrifying hex and it froze and fell. I glared down at it. Draco returned his arm that I had dislodged and pulled me closer. I wrapped my arm around his waist and looked up at him. He was looking at me questioningly.
"I'm sorry," I said, "I don't have a strong relationship with unknown animals. After Scabbers, became Peter Pettigrew and Rita Skeeter was found to be animangi and Voldemort's left over Death Eaters all over, well, I don't trust many random animals. Harry and I don't know where they've all gone so I have to be on an edge."
"Oh. Well, I can answer that question for you. Many of the leftovers are spending time trying to find ways to remove their marks, hexes and charms, potions of all kinds. The crazier ones like Bellatrix are re-grouping, trying to come together and bring Voldemort back. She needs her 'love' back apparently. I don't think she ever really loved Rodolpus, you know?"
"Yes, she was a little protective of her 'Dark Lordship' wasn't she?" I giggled at the thought of Voldemort in love. Draco didn't answer me or even look at me. He looked straight ahead.
"She was crazy, wasn't she? Always shrieking and strutting like a drunk. Maybe she followed Voldemort because she did love him and wanted his affections in kind. Maybe all those threats and killings were a way to show him she was the one for him." I continued.
Draco's response was so quiet, if there had been people around us I wouldn't have heard him. "People will do anything for those they love, even kill. If they were in trouble, you'd fight against any odds. If they were hurt, you'd find those who hurt your love and destroy them."
"And if they needed help making a decision, one you couldn't make for them?"
"You'd help however you could."
"If they were in pain, what then?" At this he stopped and turned toward me.
"I'd find a way to take it away. I'd try to make her smile again, to laugh."
He looked directly into my eyes, willing me to believe him. He was leaning in toward my face and I watched his eyes the whole time. They darted to my lips and back to my eyes again. We were inches apart, lips barely touching, when he stopped. He rested his forehead against mine. I could tell from his eyes that he was troubled. He wants to kiss you again but doesn't want you to get upset with him, I thought.
"Hermione, you don't know how badly I want to kiss you right know. I want you to choose me and I probably won't ever get over it if you don't." he said in a rush.
"Draco, you can't, I want to but I know somehow someone will find out and whisper in Ron's ear. I know you wouldn't want revenge on me but I can't say the same for him."
Tears welled up in my eyes rolled down my face. My whole body turned numb and I saw rather than felt his fingers brush the tears away. I closed my eyes and pressed my cheek into his knuckles. I heard him suck in air. I looked up at him and before I could ask him what was wrong he pulled me into a bear hug. His grip was too tight for me to try and escape it, so I gave in, leaning my head on his shoulder and hugging him back.
"I won't ever let him hurt you. No matter how you choose, me or him, I will always be there for you. Don't you ever doubt that."
I could smell his cologne again, an intoxicating scent that drew me in. he moved away slightly but kept a hand on my arm. He looked me directly in the eye.
"Don't ever let him bring you down. You are your own person and there is no reason you have to listen to anyone like that."
"Ron loves me, that much I do know. But I've seen him doubt his closest friends, seen fury burn in his eyes. If someone did something that really drove him over the edge, I don't know how he'd handle it."
Draco's hand slid to mine. Our fingers intertwined and he squeezed my hand. I regained my feeling and relaxed. He smiled gently down at me and kissed my forehead. I looked down the tunnel trying to see beyond the light if our still lit wands. He followed my gaze and pulled me along behind him. We sped down the tunnel as fast as we could go and I didn't even know why. He stopped suddenly and I bumped into him.
Draco looked back and smiled at me. I tried to look past his shoulder but I couldn't. He must have seen my failed attempts because he stepped aside and so I could see. It was a wall just like the one behind the painting we had left. There was a small carved out section in the stone. Draco went for that. He put his hand there and the stone glowed with the lines of the door. He spoke the charm again and again I couldn't hear it.
I heard movement, though, on the other side of the wall. He pushed open the door slowly and poked his head out. I peeked out and saw that the bottom of the doorway was a good six feet up. Opening the door more, he slid through feet first and landed gracefully on his feet. Next it was my turn. I held the door frame and pushed myself out. I landed a little less gracefully and Draco grabbed my forearm to steady me.
"Careful there." He said quietly.
I smiled.
"Thanks, I-" The bells cut me off. It felt like we had passed a good 30 minutes in this tunnel. Apparently, we spent more time than I thought.
"Oh bloody hell. They'll find us!" He hissed.
"No they won't. Follow me to the fountain."
He fixed up the door and painting. Then he nodded and we bolted through the library. People hadn't left the Great Hall yet as we raced through the corridors and down to the main courtyard. I took the stairs in 2's and 3's with Draco right behind. He pulled me to a stop right before we got to the courtyard.
"Change of story, okay? I want you to go and cry."
I gave him a curious look.
"Just go sit down on the fountain rim and make up a story about it. I'll catch my breath and come ask you what's wrong. When the guys come out they'll see us and probably rush over to ask you the same thing. I'll take Harry aside while you tell Ron. I have some things I need to talk to him about anyway."
"Alright."
I'm sorry for taking so long. I started school again and it's more time consuming than you'd think. It's more like crazy. I seriously am craving your reviews. NO E-MAILS NOW PLEASE. I don't want them! I've been dying without feedback. Dying I tell you! LEAVE REVIEWS PLEASE!
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