Time Alone

~~~~~

"Mister Malfoy, your turn."

Draco stands and walks to the front of the classroom. McGonagall points her wand menacingly at him. I watch. Around me the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs sit in total silence.

"Now, when I transform you I want to you pay close attention. When the change is complete you must then attempt to reverse it using the methods you've been taught. You don't want to look over your notes again?"

"No professor." Even if he did, I know he wouldn't.

"Very well then. Morphus Sillabub."

It's over quickly. Where Draco was standing is a pale gold tomcat, seated calmly. Only the tip of his tail flicks back and forth.

The cat stands and stretches, muscles rippling from its shoulders and down its back. Professor McGonagall frowns. He should be trying to change.

"Malfoy."

The cat ignores her and begins to saunter down the aisle. The students stare, amazed.

"Malfoy!"

Nothing.

"Emma, shut the door," a Hufflepuff girl jumps to obey but Draco bursts into a run, tearing out the door before she can even stand up.

I scramble out of my seat along with the class as McGonagall dashes past us, moving faster than I've ever seen her do.

But we only catch a glimpse of a yellow streak before he disappears around a corner. McGonagall clenches her fist around her wand, trying not to swear in front of us.

"That boy will be the death of me one day," she manages to hiss. Then she turns around, and we fall back as one.

"All of you stay in that classroom and begin your homework. Leila, come with me."

"Where are we going?" I ask as I run to catch up with her.

"Dumbledore."

~~~~~

"Do you have any idea where he might have gone, Leila?"

"No sir, none at all. He said yesterday that he wished he could take a break, just for a while, but he didn't say anything about where."

Dumbledore turns to his desk and quickly writes a note, which he folds twice and gives to Fawkes. "Give this to Professor Sprout in greenhouse three. Quickly please." The phoenix takes the paper and flies straight out the open window.

"I'm calling Mister Potter to Gryffindor tower, we can meet him there."

"Why sir?" The two Professors and I begin to descend the stairs from the headmaster's office.

"I believe he has something that may help us find mister Malfoy."

His map.

~~~~~

"Mister Potter, may we borrow a certain piece of old parchment from you?"

"Parchment?"

"They need your map to find Draco," I explain.

"Oh." Without question, thankfully, Harry runs up to his dorm. A minute later he is back with the activated map.

"Thankyou kindly," Dumbledore smiles, and hands it straight to McGonagall. She scans over the tiny pictures and names.

"How did you know about the map sir?" Harry asks the headmaster.

"Your father had his share of belongings confiscated Harry."

"Oh."

"He's not on the map Dumbledore. I'm afraid he's left Hogwarts already."

Harry gives me a reassuring smile but I can't return it.

~~~~~

I sit alone at the table at dinner, listening to the headmaster as he addresses the students.

"If anyone finds or sees the cat, they are to immediately tell a teacher and if possible catch it. If anyone finds Mister Malfoy in his normal form the same applies. But until he is found, try to continue your lives as usual," he looks at me when he says this last sentence.

I doubt if can follow his advice so easily.

~~~~~

"Hsst, wake up."

"Draco?"

"No, Harry."

"Oh," I open my eyes, trying to focus on his scruffy black hair and green eyes. "Sorry. I thought they'd found him."

"It's alright. If Ron disappeared I'd be the same," he sits back on his heels, kneeling beside me. I try to wake up properly.

"What do you want?"

"For you to be happy."

"Huh?"

He laughs softly, little more than an exhalation.

"I've got a surprise for you."

"Surprise?" I frown. Doesn't he realise my twin is -

"Leila, I know what you're thinking. But I know this guy, he may be a ferret but he's smart. If Draco doesn't want to be a cat then I'll bet he isn't. He's probably in Hogsmeade getting drunk and having fun."

The frown is by now a fully-fledged glare.

"Seriously, it's only been a day and a half since he went. If he was in trouble you'd know, right?"

I look down. Yes, I would know.

"So I think you need some time alone as well. Now get dressed and come on."

"What sort of 'surprise' is this?"

"You'll see."

~~~~~

The night sky. I stop in the middle of the pitch. And I stare heavenward.

Harry lets his cloak slip to the ground, uncovering us, and I know he's smiling at me as I take in the stars.

They're like diamonds. Like tiny sparkling jewels scattered millions of miles above us. It makes me feel small, taking in the width and depth of the sky, but I still like the feeling. It's like all my worries are for naught, because there's a reason the world is as it is.

"Come on," Harry touches my arm. "Let's fly."

~~~~~

There is a way to make the world stand still. That way is to forget that the world even exists. My life has been simplified to what I'm feeling now; cool, soft, fast, velvet, silk, air, light and shadows. There is nothing that matters except my grip on the old broom and the wind in my hair and way the starlight makes my skin glow.

"You look so much like Draco," Harry comments as he flies beside me.

"You're the first to say that."

"It's true. You've got the same silver eyes, same hair if his was longer, same skin. The same smile even. Both of you are like - fallen angels or something." That speech cost him, he's blushing a little.

I display the smile again. "We are twins, Harry."

"Not identical though."

"No."

I tilt downward, and he follows. We land and dismount.

"Why'd you stop?"

"We've been out a while - "

"Not very long." He pauses, and I see his eyes go to my borrowed school broom. He holds his out to me. "Want a turn?"

"On your broom?"

"You've been deprived with those Cleansweeps. Go on, give it a whirl."

I glance around from some kind of paranoia, but there's still no one here excepting us.

"Alright."

Harry takes my broom and hands me his Firebolt. It's warm, not just from the magic, and shines silver where the moonlight hits it. Still I hesitate.

"Off you go," he smiles, the Cleansweep over his shoulder.

I mount and kick off. And I am amazed.

The broom is light and agile, like riding a sunbeam. I don't go too high, but try a few low circles and turns. It seems that it responds to a mere thought; not a shift in position.

"Faster Leila. Have some fun."

I flash him a Malfoy smile. Lightening fast I pull up, ripping the wind to pieces. I turn and spin in a downward spiral, then curve out of it again. I soar up and around the stands, through the goal hoops and back around the stands again. Far below Harry waves to me.

Anyone could fly well on a broom like this. It's so easy.

On a night like this, I can believe that my life is worth something. When I feel like this, I might even believe that I'm beautiful.

As I lean forward to swoop down to the grass, I gasp. Sudden pain knifes through me as if I've impaled myself on an upheld sword. I shake my head to clear my eyes and fly lower, managing until I'm about six feet from the ground. Then I simply fall.

Harry drops my broom and runs to where I curl on my side, clenching my teeth to stop myself screaming.

"Leila! What is it? What is it?"

"Draco!" the name is torn out of me and I bite down on the howl that wants to follow it. I know this feeling. But it belongs in darkness and cold and damp, deep in the earth beneath Malfoy Manor.

Father has my brother. And he's hurting him.

~~~~~