Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
Chapter Fourteen
Emily, scanning the letter quickly, saw this was true. "Lets go and find him now Harry," she tumbled out in a rush, "just me and you!"
Harry, looking into her pleading eyes, shook his head. "Well I don't know Emily..."
"Please Harry...or I'll go by myself!"
A subdued hush fell on the room, and Harry thought hard.
The Seconds ticking by seemed to last forever, as Emily watched and waited.
Finally, Harry spoke. "Do you really mean you would follow him on your own?"
Emily nodded her head vigorously.
"Then I'll go with you!" Harry sighed.
---
Throwing her arms around Harry, Emily breathed her 'Thank yous' into the crook of his neck. "Oh, thank you Harry! Thank you so much... We should leave right away...this minute!" She mumbled away happily.
An unbidden flush sprung onto Harry's cheeks.
"Um... Emily," Harry muttered uncomfortably, feeling quite overwhelmed by her attentions. "I don't think we should leave right now... Why not wait until morning?"
"But Harry!" wailed Emily, finally letting go of him. "If we wait till then, he could be gone!"
"I really don't think so Em... Wherever they are, I don't think they'll be leaving tonight. Anyway, there are things to sort out, things to consider... Emily, have you not thought it may be a trap?"
At these words, Emily started. She had not thought of that at all. The notion had simply not occurred to her. Draco wouldn't do anything to harm me, I'm sure, ran through her suddenly troubled mind. However, instinctively, she knew that she could not be certain. Despite of a deep-seated convictionEmily knew that she held little knowledge on Malfoy, in fact, in reality, she knew nothing at all! He wouldn't hurt me, would he? she questioned herself again.
Harry stood watching Emily closely as she pondered over his words and Harry felt a strange despondency descend on him. Emily, quite obviously to him, definitely had feelings for Draco. She might deny it with her words, but her eyes gave her away. He sighed discontentedly and pushed his feelings away. This was not the time to give in to his feelings, his new and disturbing feelings. No, now was the time to guide Emily in the right direction. Pushing his glasses back up his nose, Harry cleared his throat nervously and spoke again. "I think we need to talk things over," he told her calmly, sitting himself back down on the sofa.
Emily, still bewildered by the new thoughts that Harry had brought to her already distressed mind, followed his lead and sat down beside him. Looking at him with hurt filled eyes, she waited for him to continue.
Harry blinked rapidly three times and opened his mouth to speak.
---
A million miles away, in the Witches Brew Tavern, Draco Malfoy sat squirming, uncomfortably, under the heat of Snape's baleful glare.
I am not squirming... Malfoys do not squirm! Draco just about managed to convince himself, squaring himself up against the intensity of Snape's murderous gaze. Severus and hangovers definitely do not mix, he thought distractedly to himself, trying to ignore the painful throbbing in his temple.
"You did what?" Snape's incredulous voice thundered through his musings.
"I owled Emily Carlisle last night! Really Severus, I have told you two times already, do you really need me to tell you again?" Draco stated for the third time that morning, the exasperation rising in his tone.
Severus ignored his tone and contemplated. The fact that Emily Carlisle had not turned up last night with a hundred Aurors in tow deeply troubled him and made him nervous. "It simply makes no sense," he muttered aloud to nobody but himself.
Draco, on hearing Severus' proclamation, secretly agreed. It made no sense at all!
When he had been shaken awake, earlier that morning, he had been sure that Dumbledore's Army of Aurors were there. Imagining Emily's sweet face before him, he had opened his eyes to see a furious Snape...glowering at him. Stifling a groan, he had quickly closed his eyes again, hoping against hope that the fuming form would disappear. However, he had no such luck! Snape had continued to glower over him until he could endure it no more. He had sat up and, in his fragile state of health, he had allowed Snape to question him thoroughly. So unfitting for a Malfoyhe had bemoaned to himself, secretly wondering if the Malfoy name was indeed in decline.
After what had seemed like hours of interrogation, but in reality, had been a mere ten minutes or so... Draco had learnt that Izzy, the traitorous barmaid, had seen him sending for the owl and that with a soul filled full with spite, she had betrayed him. However, voicing this opinion to Snape had only earned him a curl of the lip and a roll of the eyes.
Gone were the days when his Potion Master would treat him with his due respect... With Lucius no longer a figure of significance, of no more importance in the wizarding world, Draco had been forced to receive his admonishment like any ordinary young wizard. He soon found he did not like it and recollecting himself back to the present, Draco sighed. Severus seemed still deep in thought, he noted and with another sigh and he moved to go.
Snape's eyes snapped straight back to him. "And just where do you think you are going?" Snape enquired with his eyebrows raised questioningly.
"I was going to perform my toilette, if that is permitted...sir?" Draco replied, his tone sullen.
Ignoring the sullenness of his voice, Snape motioned him on. "Be quick Draco," he urged, "we will leave as soon as you have finished with your ablutions!" Then standing up quickly, Snape moved himself forwards the proprietors rooms.
Watching Snape's retreating back Draco opened his mouth to sigh dramatically, but stopped himself...with no one else in the room, his dramatics seemed unnecessary. Moving over to the cracked and grime stained washstand, he looked in to the mirror placed above. What he saw made him grimace.
His normally immaculate visage was ruined. His red-rimmed eyes looked back at him blearily. His hair was a tousled mess and his normally pale pallor had taken on a sickly hue. "Merlin's beard!" he exclaimed loudly, mortified by his reflection. There and then, Draco made a solemn vow to himself never to touch alcohol again.
Massaging his bloodless face, Draco wondered not for the first time, how on earth he had ended up like this. He was tired of his life and held no hope for the future. The secrets that Snape had told him yesterday had chilled him to his very core. If what Severus had said was true, Draco was in big trouble - with his life balancing precariously. With a sudden burst of temper, Draco slapped his hands to his head and dug his fingers, hard, into his temple.
Why had Emily not come...why? He had been so sure that she would. Last night he had sat in his rooms waiting, certain she would be with him soon. He had needed her last night, needed her comfort and warmth. Although he tried to constantly, convince himself that she meant little to him; his thoughts and deeds betrayed him. Berating himself severely, Draco closed his heart once more, to the notions of love, hope and trust. He had been a fool! He had been blind! His father had been right to teach him his harsh values. Trust was for fools, hope was false security and love was for the weak! Schooling his heart and mind, Draco looked back into the mirror. The perfect depiction of coldness stared back at him.
"This is me - this is who I am," he whispered quietly back to his reflection. In answer, his mirror image curled his top lip into a snarl. Draco smirked back and raised his eyebrows menacingly. "I am a Malfoy and will prevail!" And, with one final sneer, he finished his toilette quickly and made his way down to Snape.
Snape was downstairs, looking anxious. He had made all the arrangements and bribed the proprietors well. That they would keep their silence, Snape was certain. Satisfied with his mornings work, he waited anxiously for Draco to descend. When his young charge finally did come down the stairs to meet him, he failed to notice the subtle change in him. Too eager to be quickly on their way, Snape missed this important change. Touching Draco's shoulder lightly, he led him quickly out of the dingy hostilery and into the crisp, fresh, wintry air.
The day was bright, with a golden sun shining in a pale blue sky. Soft white clouds floated above them, hastened along by a biting winters wind. The dew on the grass had hardened into pure crystal, which glittered like diamonds under the suns strong beams. The trees along the roadside glistened brightly, their branches covered with winter's frost. It was a stark scene, a beautiful scene...yet both proud Slytherin's failed to notice.
"Come now Draco," Snape spoke quickly, his warm breath dancing on the cold wintry air. "We proceed to Scotland!"
Draco, mesmerised by his own thoughts, started at the sound of his voice. "Is he in Scotland?" he queried, his expression blank.
Snape simply nodded.
"Then to Scotland we go!" Draco drawled nonchalantly, his silver eyes glittering maliciously.
The winter suits him well, Snape suddenly thought, looking into his charges youthful face. An aristocratic face made of fine lines and sharp features. Yes, indeed, the winter suited him well! After all, he was the son of a man made by winters chill... Then hastily, pushing aside disturbing thoughts, Snape turned his attention to the here and now.
"Come we must go quickly, we shall enter the tree's and Apparate! there where it's less open," Snape, instructed hurrying forward.
Draco watched Snape go, through narrowed eyes. His mind was a whirl with suppressed emotion and sinister thoughts. Dark desires tingled in his bones. Draco now had a secret of his own...a deadly secret! A secret he would share with no one. He felt half out of his mind and blinded by deadly ambition.
He was no saint riding forth to save the hapless virgin from the dragon. Oh no, not he...however, he now had a mission and he would see himself to the end of it with every sneaky, conniving bone in his body. Then pushing his thoughts aside, and putting them away safely in a little box in the back of his mind, he set out after Snape.
The two dark figures of the Slytherin's soon disappeared into the trees and where they had stood just moments before the distinct sound of two pops could be heard.
---
Emily and Harry both Apparated! suddenly in front of the Witches Brew Tavern, mere seconds after the two sought after Slytherin's had disappeared into nearby woodland.
"We better not of missed them Harry," Emily's voice scolded as she threw him one of her looks.
"Don't worry Em, it's still before seven, they wont be gone yet." Harry's weary voice replied.
Emily shot him a distrustful look and without another word set off towards the tavern. Harry, shaking his head tiredly, followed on behind her.
Both of them were tired and uncertain of what they would find both of them wished for different outcomes to their search.
On reaching the tavern, Emily pushed open the heavy door ushering Harry in before her. Harry stepped in and Emily followed, the both of them entering the unknown.