I was left emotionally fatigued by the confrontation in Dumbledore's office, and I put myself straight to bed when I got back to the dormitory. Unfortunately, images of the orb flooded my mind and I tried my best to mentally block out the concept of myself with black eyes surrounded by hellish flames. The result was an entire night of trembling in my bed and sniffling through uncontrollable tears. I still had not heard back from my parents, and I badly wanted to go home before this god-awful wedding.
The next morning to no surprise Draco was leaning against the arched opening leading to the girl's room in his forest green robes. His eyes were bright and silvery, glittering with burning curiosity. "You look dismal, are you alright? What happened with that walking corpse of a headmaster?" he blurted out immediately. I could tell the entire affair had upset him just from the way he was flexing his fingers.
I sighed heavily out in the hallway, and allowed my eyes to point at the ceiling. I was still extremely tired from a patchy sleep the night before, "Et was just 'arry, arguing dat I needed to be separated from you." I couldn't possibly tell him the whole story of the mystic orb from Trelawney and how I would perhaps turn out to be some kind of demonic version of myself; it was simply too embarrassing.
Draco broke out in an angry rant, "I knew it. Fucking Potter, he's rife with execution. Who does he think he is? I don't have time to constantly defend our relationship and I'm fed up. Perhaps I should remind him of how unforgiving I can be when he gets in my way. You're my girlfriend, why can't he just accept-"
"Your girlfriend huh? I don' remember 'aving dat discussion." I cut into his long winded speech as we arrived on the first floor of the castle. There was a tense atmosphere in the busy hallway due to midterms being that week.
He stopped abruptly and pulled on my arm. I spun around, dropping two of my books by accident. He looked threateningly into my eyes, "You are my girlfriend. You're more than that, in three weeks we'll be married."
I laughed gently at the irritation and worry laced into his features. "It's not funny," he angrily continued. He reached across and pulled me towards him by my hand. I dropped my last book intentionally and it flopped open to moving images of wizards at a table studying bizarre Divination practices and my arms slid over his shoulders.
"Don' worry Draco, you can call me your girlfriend," I consoled him and pushed up on my tip toes to kiss him, pressing myself against him. His lips were soft and his tongue was minty, and I was completely addicted to him. The kisses were slow and my fingers tangled eagerly in his soft platinum hair as we shifted closely together. I could feel the pull of his fingers on my waist.
It was not very long before it was ruined by a snarky comment from a passerby.
"Merlin, someone pull my eyes out of my head," someone said in a dreary, irritated voice. We turned to see that Ronald Weasley and Seamus Finnigan had just walked past us, glaring at the public display of affection. I dropped my hands from Draco in embarrassment and started collecting my books from the floor.
"Gladly, Wallenby," Draco shot back with a short laugh, using the nickname that had stuck to Ron like glue ever since Professor Slughorn had incorrectly coined his last name. "Although I'd be surprised if your family could even afford such a cosmetic procedure."
Ron stopped walking at the jab and time seemed to freeze. Seamus tried to catch his fingers in Ron's red robes but missed by an inch as Ron rapidly approached us with burning blue eyes. I was bent over with the last book in my hand as he swerved towards Draco and in one fell swing he'd clocked him in the face.
Draco's skull hit the bricks behind him momentarily before his arms shot forwards in precision response time, yanking Ron towards him. He kneed him deeply in the stomach and then shoved him into the corridor wall. He quickly had his wand out, pointed at one of Ron's eyes menacingly.
"Still want those eyes out, Weasley? I'm sure we can mechanically remove them the good old fashioned way," he said in a very dark voice. There was blood now running from his nose and I stood there in shock with my hands over my face. He still had a bruise from getting into a different fight mere days prior.
Seamus also had his wand out at Malfoy's back, "Oi, it's two against one, Malfoy. Let 'im go." He looked at me interactively as if to encourage me to help mitigate. "You wouldn't want yer girlfriend to 'ave to see you get tossed."
Ron was wheezing from being gutted moments before, and I wondered if he might hurl. His eyes flickered towards me with disgust as he panted, as though I had been involved in his demise.
"Get out of here Madeleine," Draco demanded sharply without taking his eyes off of Ron. "But mark my words Finnigan, I won't be the one getting tossed. You'll probably light yourself on fire before you can even get to me."
"It was one time!" Seamus raged at him, prodding Draco's shoulder with his wand. Several students were now hanging around, giggling inappropriately.
"Let's just leave together," I pleaded, trying to pull Draco's arm down from where he had Ron pinned to the wall. "Please, no more fighting."
Professor Sprout pushed her way through the growing crowd encircling us, her tall brown hat could be seen weaving between students before she herself in her short stature appeared. Her voice was a horrid high pitch as she noticed Draco's wand directed at Ron, and Seamus' at Draco. I was surprised she didn't drop the angry magical plant in her arms that was chewing on her lab coat, "Malfoy! Finnigan! Drop those wands at once! All of you, scatter!" She had always been known to be more benign in her punishments, opting to encourage students to simply disappear versus deduct house points or anything worse.
Draco backed away swiftly and pushed me through the thick cluster of nosey students, rubbing blood from his nose onto his green and black robes. Down the hallway I breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't apprehended for further suspension or even expulsion. His track record that year had become extremely messy and it was undoubtedly on the edge of the limit.
At the precipice of the classroom doorway he suddenly ripped on my sweater to drag me towards the outdoors instead. "I don't feel like going to class right now. Follow me," he directed in a thin voice. I entertained him, being avidly aware that he was truly upset by the incident.
Tears were already pricking at his eyes as we reached one of the exits to a small courtyard. I could feel my own face drooping in anguish at his pain, stealing sideways glances at his arm raising to dry his eyes. The fight had arguably not been fair - he'd not even started it.
The miniature courtyard was one of the quieter, less visited areas of the castle. Tiny ornamental trees stood naked in the harshness of the winter in their tree pit openings. Typically in the spring time they blossomed with pink scented flowers and the contrast of the dark grey brick with the floral array made the space quite aesthetic.
Draco dropped onto a wobbly stone bench and wept openly in the abandoned expanse. His hands flew to his face as he bent over, and I ran my fingers over his shaking shoulders. "I'm tired, Madeleine," he cried, "None of them comprehend. It's so easy for those fucking Gryffindor's to walk around like they're always in the right."
I leaned over him and wrapped my arms around the front of his chest. He slumped his fluffy white hair against me. "Et es okay, Draco. De year is almost over," I feebly replied, kissing his hair gently.
He actively wiped away tears as he spoke, "You don't understand, everything is going to change. This year will be the last year for anyone," he said in a trembling voice and my jaw dropped in confusion.
"What-?" I began, but was abruptly cut off.
"They're coming. The dark lord and his followers. He's going to make an example out of this useless school and Potter. He's asked me to...asked me..." he lost control of his voice, soaking my shoulder with distressed tears. I could feel my heart dropping in my chest quickly. My face suddenly felt cold as the blood drained away with a prickling terror.
"Draco, what 'ave dey asked you to do? We 'ave to tell Dumbledore," I said quietly.
He sat up and shook me by my shoulders, his eyes red around the edges from his weeping, "You can't tell anyone. It's too late. They'll kill you if you tell anyone, they'll kill my parents. Trust me, they've already won."
I shook my head rapidly, "Non, non we 'ave to tell dem. We 'ave to warn everyone." I was struck by a onslaught of adrenaline, my heart fluttered awfully in my chest. I stood shaking and gasping for air as a panic attack engulfed my reality. "Oh mon dieu, OH mon dieu Draco," I wheezed as my vision became blurry.
"Just sit down," he pulled at my sleeve, his voice cracking, but I veered away from his attempt to seat me. I was shaking out my hands and struggling to take full breaths that weren't weak little spurts of inhalation. He followed me across the courtyard with his fingers outstretched desperately. "Madeleine, there's nothing we can do. You'll put our whole family at risk." I kept ripping my robes free of his grasp in disbelief at what he was saying.
"'ow can you say dat?" I shouted through watery eyes. Dumbledore had just told me less than twenty four hours ago to watch out for Draco's course. There will come a time when you need to draw on your influence and guide him in the right direction.
He panted, "I meant to tell you earlier. I just didn't want you to panic. You know that I don't have a choice." I spun to look at him with his hands outstretched towards me, his face covered in tears. "Please, I can't lose you. You're the only thing getting me through this."
I had my hands up in the air as though he were pointing a loaded gun at me, "I just-I cannot...I don' agree wit' it, I cannot stand behind dis. Innocent people will die, Draco, not just your family is at risk. I 'ave to tell my father."
"No! No, no, you can't do that!" His voice pitched to a higher degree of panic. "He works in the French Ministry right?"
"So what?" I spat. I knew I was glaring at him from the horrible pain in his eyes.
"It's too dangerous, imagine what that would start. Besides, he hasn't even spoken to you in months." I wanted to smack him hard for the words coming out of his mouth. My eyes drifted up to the windows of the castle to check if there was any eavesdroppers or witnesses but the windows were all dark and empty. He looked back to check as well and then moved closer to me, his voice softening to a trembling whisper. His hands fell on either side of my face, "Listen to me sweetheart. I know this is a lot to process right now but if you act irrationally you'll endanger us gravely. Dumbledore knows. He always knows everything. He'll have a plan to get Potter through. We just have to play our part."
I shook my head and the plea in his eyes intensified, "What is your part, Draco?" My voice was a fraction of its normal volume. A freezing February wind chewed at our huddling forms. I looked into his crystal blue eyes, all of the shades of silver and turquoise were intensified by his tears and the sunlight.
"Get them inside," he choked out barely audibly. Hot tears were flowing uninterrupted down his cheeks as he watched me shatter in his hands.
My knees gave out and he caught me just barely in his arms. I banged my closed fists against his chest, struggling against him like a child, "You won't do it! You won't!"
He let slip light cries as he tried to stop me from wrestling myself to the ground. "I will do it, if it means protecting you and my family." I was shrieking like a toddler, sure to draw attention soon.
I finally managed to tear free from his fingers and I backed away on unstable legs, just in time to avoid igniting his robes dangerously. My hands had broken out into neon blue flames and I raised my arms out towards him. A flat wall of flames formed between us like a glass pane.
His hand flew to his mouth in shock as he tripped away from the heat of the wandless magic. I let it drop and he maintained his distance, probably just as incredulous as I was. I hadn't mentioned the flames yet to him, unsure if they were even real. They hadn't appeared in so long I'd basically written them off as an angry delusion.
My heart was aching with what he'd said to me, and I knew I would need space to think before acting on it. Growling, I grabbed my bag and stopped at the doorway to the castle hallway. My eyes met his, "When?"
He gaped silently and I could see he didn't want to tell me any more information in case I was planning to blab. "I'm not going to tell on you because you won't do it. Tell me - when?"
He rolled his neck towards me, his face looked devastated, "I will do it Madeleine. Immediately after our wedding."
I stomped my foot harshly, "Den stay away from me, you monster." I left him crying in the courtyard, my face was hot and my heart was melting as I ran past the classroom and back to my bed. The day had only just begun but I just wanted to vomit and hide under my covers.