Chapter 19: Into the Room of Requirement
"Is that all?" Hermione asked as she folded Emily's clothes placing them in a neat pile on the hospital bed.
"Yeah, I think so." Emily replied glancing around the room for any lost items.
Her eyes fell upon the bay window where only three days ago she and Harry had sat. She was surprised by the painful ache that spread over her body. Her heart burned, her stomach tightened. She felt as if she couldn't breathe. She hadn't seen Harry since that moment and the forced separation only confirmed what she knew to be true. He was accepting her demand that they keep away from each other. Yet despite his sudden distance, a part of her, if she really focused, could still feel that warming gentle touch that radiated through her when he held her hands in his. With a large sigh, she conceded that it was a feeling she was likely to never forget.
"Do you have your potion from Ms. Pomfrey?" Hermione asked tearing Emily out of her thoughts.
"Um…yeah, I think so." Emily said remembering that she had already sent it in the other load.
"Em, are you okay? You've been pretty out of it the past couple of days."
"I'm fine, Hermione. Just a little bit nervous about returning to class after everything that's happened." Emily smiled as best she could as her hands gripped the cold railing of her hospital bed.
"You're not a very good liar you know." Hermione's light brown eyes never left her. Emily couldn't tell whether she was amused or hurt.
"You seem to be the only person whose noticed."
"What can I say, I have a knack for sorting out the truth. This down cast spirit wouldn't happen to have anything to do with the recent absence of Harry would it?"
"Harry's been busy, Hermione, he can't spend all his time in a hospital wing. Not with everything that is going on outside of Hogwarts." Emily smiled again this time more convincing. The last thing she wanted was Hermione making a big deal out of the situation. Yet, she knew sooner or later her and Ron would pick up on it. Emily chose denial, at least at this point. "Come on, we had better go. I have spent enough time in here already. No more downcast spirit, I promise. Getting out of here will help that."
"You're right, let's get back to the common room." Hermione said as she waved her wand sending each last trunk with all of its belongings to their dormitory.
Emily gathered her robe and followed Hermione out the door. She had not gone more than ten steps when her breath become short and her body weakened.
"We'll take our time." Hermione said with a caring smile as she came around her to allow Emily to take her arm.
"I thought this would be easier by now, but it seems it's been harder the last couple of days."
"It'll come soon once you get back to a normal routine and not held up here in the infirmary."
"I hope so." Emily nodded at her as they made their way slowly down the staircase.
She knew why her pace was slowing and it had nothing to do with being cooped up in the infirmary, it had everything to do with Harry. The distance between the two of them seemed to have slowed down her healing. Madame Pomfrey herself was taken aback by it. Commenting fervently about the curiosity of it all, about how well she had been doing, and she must not have been taking her potions. Yet despite the turn in progress there really was no need for her to be there anymore, so she had been dismissed. Emily just had to promise to take things slow and to return if she did not get better. Under her circumstances Emily knew now more than ever she needed to avoid all male company, which made her even more grateful for Hermione's friendship.
"Thanks for everything, Hermione. It's meant a lot to me to have a friend like you."
"I'm just glad that I finally have someone to talk to that doesn't think about Quidditch every ten seconds."
Emily clutched onto Hermione's steady arm as the two of them carefully made their way down from the hospital wing to the Gryffindor common room. Students passed by bundled up in their warmest attire. Their faces seemed surprised to see her, some even smiled and wished her well. It was nice to finally be free of the same room. More than anything she was looking forward to sitting by the fire in the common room.
"Hey, Black." Came a voice from the end of the hallway. "I see you finally got out of the hospital wing. Have any trees fallen on you recently?" Draco mocked as he strutted towards them.
"Nice to see you too, Malfoy." Emily replied. "It seems what you lack in good manners, you make up in stupidity." Emily stated with a smile. Emily and Hermione turned to walk past him when Draco forcefully stepped in front of them.
"I need to talk to you." Draco's blue eyes were piercing as he stared at Emily. His voice had completely changed, he went from bitter to serious in less than a second.
"Really? What may I ask do you need to speak with me about?" Emily said jokingly as she moved to leave.
"It's private." He replied glancing from her to Hermione.
"Move aside Draco, we've had enough of your games to last us a lifetime"
"This has nothing to do with you Gra—Hermione."
Emily could tell that Draco was trying to not only stifle his sudden frustration but also his impatience. Telling by the look on Hermione's face, Draco had shocked even her.
"Please, it's important." Draco persisted. Emily glanced at Hermione, then back at Draco. There seemed not only an urgency but a desperation in his eyes that took her aback.
"Okay." Emily consented. "But only for a couple of minutes."
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked concerned.
"I won't be long. Go on up, I'll be there soon." Emily said with a nod. Hermione slowly let go of her arm and turned to walk up the stairs.
"Alright, what is so important?"
"Follow me."
"No way."
"I know you don't trust me..."
"You got that right."
"As I was saying, I know you don't trust me, and that I have never given you any reason to trust me, but please just this once humor me." Draco spoke with a sudden softness in his voice.
Emily was about to say no. Her reasoning told her to simply turn and leave, but just as Emily was about to something inside her made her stop.
"Alright, but if I follow you and something happens, or you are just pulling some stupid prank, I swear that I will uphold my previous promise that I made to you on the train. Month, Malfoy, you won't be able to sit down for a month." Emily spoke with a little amusement to herself.
"I can live with those terms. This way." Draco said with a slight smile as he turned and headed towards the stairs. Emily followed him until she finally had to stop to catch her breath.
"You alright there?" Draco asked.
"I think so, the potion that I have been taking makes me weak." Emily said.
"Do you need me to help you?" He asked.
"No! I mean, no, I'll be fine. I just need to take a breather." Emily exclaimed.
"Well, okay." Draco said surprised at her reaction. "You're really independent aren't you?" He asked.
"Yeah, I am." Emily replied with a smile. "Okay, I'm good."
She continued to follow him until they came upon a door that was lit by two large candles on either side. Engraved in the door were two snakes curled around each other. Draco muttered something and the snakes began to move in a circular motion. A moment passed and the door cracked open.
"After you." Draco spoke softly as he opened the door for her. As Emily walked into the room she noticed that it was decorated in the Slytherin house colors, green and silver. There was a large fireplace, and a huge black sofa in front of it. Other than that the room was entirely bare.
"Where are we?" Emily asked as she walked towards the fire.
"This is called the Room of Requirement."
"The room of what?"
"The Room of Requirement. It allows anyone who requires or needs anything to have it. I needed a room where I can talk to you without being bothered or heard. So here we are. This allows me to speak privately with you without the fear of someone hearing me."
"How did you find this place?"
"A bunch of students were using it last year as a safe haven to study defense against the dark arts." Malfoy spoke. "I was part of a squad that found them out."
"Harry was a part of the group studying defense, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, Potter was the leader."
"So, what could be so important that you had to take precautions to tell me?" Emily asked as she sat on the couch.
"It's about Voldemort." Draco spoke without hesitation. Emily was shocked, but she tried to look unaffected.
"What does Voldemort have to do with me?" Emily asked trying not to sound flustered.
"I know that he is your grandfather." Draco said as he took a step closer.
"Excuse me, but I think you have had one to many bludgers to the head Malfoy."
"Don't play coy with me Emily, I knew from the minute I saw you on the train at the beginning of the term. Besides, the fact that you can say his name aloud without a thought gives you away. Everyone in the school cowers at even the mention of 'you-know-who'."
"How did you find out? Who told you?" Emily eyes were set on his. She could feel the tension in her body. If he knew, than how many others knew as well?
"My father."
"Why haven't you said anything sooner?"
"I have a part to play. That day on the train I was surrounded by everyone, I couldn't just walk up and introduce myself." He stated quickly as if the answer to her question was obvious.
"Yes, you could have. You didn't have to come on to me like that. Look where it got you." She said with a slight mischievous smile as she remembered him doubled over in pain.
"Thanks for reminding me. You didn't have to play so rough you know. By the way, I wasn't interested anyways." Draco spoke his eyes moving past her to the fireplace for but a moment before he looked back at her a mischievous smile spreading across his face. "Well, maybe I was." Emily just rolled her eyes at him before asking the one question that had been burning in her mind.
"Your father never cared for me. I was nothing to him or…the others."
"Despite what you might think, he and the others always had a keen interest in you. The Dark Lord always kept you a secret even to his followers. My father was always trying to understand your purpose, he kept saying you were the key."
"Why are you telling me all of this? What is there for you to gain?" Emily asked puzzled.
"I need you to know something." Draco spoke as he sat down beside her on the couch. Emily braced herself for the symptoms but they never came. Her mind raced with questions, yet there could only be one answer.
"You're a Death Eater."
"How…how did you know?" Draco asked his eyes glancing down at his covered arm.
"It doesn't matter how. Why have you brought me down here? What do you plan to do?" Emily suddenly felt apprehensive. If Draco was a Death Eater then he could be a decoy. But how could the others get into Hogwarts? Emily's mind ran through the scenarios, would Voldemort really try and sneak underneath Dumbledore's nose to get her back? Or worse to get Harry?
"Calm down, jeez, I brought you down here to tell you that Voldemort is planning something. I don't know what and I don't know when, but it's something that he is excited about. He has been calling all of the Death Eaters to him for the last couple of months. It has something to do with Harry. I think he is going to try and finally kill him." Draco focused his attention on her trying to see her reaction to his information. Yet Emily just smiled. Draco didn't understand why.
"I know he is planning something, Malfoy, why else do you think I am here." Draco stood up from the couch and backed away, his eyes wide with shock. Emily suddenly realized he had misunderstood her. "I'm not here for him, Draco. I am here against his wishes." Draco looked relieved as if he could breath again. "Look at us both. In the last minute we both have thought the worst about the other, afraid to be handed to him. Fear is his greatest weapon."
"Leverage." Draco muttered. "Leverage that causes fear."
Emily felt as if she was seeing Draco for the first time. Sitting here beside her, his face was devoid of arrogance, his voice sober almost tired, as if he had been playing a part for too long, the weight of it becoming too much.
"Why do you care Draco? It's been pretty obvious to everyone here that you hate Harry."
"I know." Draco spoke, his voice hard as if the thought of Harry made him on edge.
"Why then?" Emily asked as she placed her hand upon his. Her sudden touch made him flinch yet he did not move it. Draco seemed lost in his thought for a moment before he turned to face her again.
"I have never cared for Potter, you're right. He stands for everything that my family despises. He is the one who destroyed the Dark Lord. But I don't hate him." Draco's eyes found hers. "You care about him don't you?"
"Of course, I do, Harry and I are friends." Emily stated easily.
"Just as obvious as it is to the whole school that me and Potter are arch enemies, it's just as obvious that he is completely in love with you." Draco said with a smile as he placed his other hand on top of hers. Emily could feel herself blushing at what Draco had spoken, and she could see a deeper smile spreading across his face. "So you know, interesting."
"Harry is and can be nothing more than a friend, Draco. You of all people should understand why."
"Leverage." Draco muttered as he felt Emily withdraw her hands as if physically saying that part of the conversation was over.
"How much do you know, the plans I mean?"
"He is planning to attack here."
"When?" Emily took a breath.
"I don't know, nobody knows."
"You do know that you could be killed for giving me this information."
"I know." Draco nodded. "I guess I have realized that maybe the right thing to do is to not follow the path that has been laid in front of me. I mean look at you; you are the daughter of Slytherin. Yet you are fighting against it. I'm just fed up with everything that my father wants me to be. I don't want to do my service to the Lord. I want to make my own decisions, to be free of the Death-Eaters, the evil, the Dark Lord's biding, and my father's forcing views forever." Draco said trying not to let his emotions show.
"Well, Draco, I do believe that I was wrong about you. I thought that you were this evil snob who was completely obsessed with his so-called place in the wizarding world, but your not."
"I was. But now I guess, that is sort of my cover up. I play it well, I might add." Draco laughed more to himself. "Don't get me wrong I used to love the power that I had by being Lucius Malfoy's son. I guess I just figured out the hypocrisy in all of it. "
"So you are working for both sides."
"Yeah, Professor Snape has been my mentor. He has trained me to do Occulumcy so that Voldemort won't be able to tell whether or not I actually am on both sides. So far it has been okay."
"and your father…"
"So far he has no clue, but I just hope that it can stay that way."
"I appreciate you telling me about his plans, but you need to tell Dumbledore." Emily suggested.
"That's Professor Snape's job."
"I know, but he could really help you…."
"I don't need his help."
"I knew that egotistical boy was still in there some where. It was too good to be true that the arrogant Draco Malfoy was completely turned into this caring young man." Emily stated sarcastically.
"Maybe it is."
"Listen to me Draco. Voldemort has the power of your mind, maybe not your thoughts, but if he gets wind of you working both sides he will just use you for his own purposes. He is an expert at the mind games. He can force you once again to become a willing and devoted servant to him, even if you don't recognize you are doing it. Don't listen to his lies, no matter what it may cost you. Please remember these words." Emily said as she took a chance and pushed a piece of his white blond hair behind his ear.
"I will." Draco said quietly. An awkward silence passed between them, and both Draco and Emily realized that this was the beginning of a somewhat secretive friendship.
"Well I guess I had better head back. Hermione will probably be worried." Emily said as she got up and headed towards the door.
"Uh… yeah, right. I'll help you back to your common room." Draco suggested, as he too got up.
"Thanks. Draco you do know that you can talk to me when ever you need to. As long as its this you that's talking."
"I'll think about it, Black." He replied with a smirk.
The two walked back through the dark corridors and down the steep stairs towards the Gryffindor dormitory. When they got there they both went their separate ways, yet as they did both had an undefined knowledge that this wouldn't be their last private talk.