Chapter 19
They all turned around and Draco could see his father coming towards them. As quickly as he could he turned around and started running in the direction of the owlery. He could hear the other's following him.
Draco kept on running not really knowing which way he went. He was surprised that any way he turned he still didn't meet a dead end. But he knew just as well as the others that his luck wouldn't last for long, he needed to think of something else soon.
He ran passed the staircase up to the owlery knowing that that would definitively trap them because there was only one entrance there and he really didn't want his father to see him helping the famous Harry Potter.
He stopped when he reached another staircase painted in dark green. He had never been this far up in the school before because they must have passed the owlery ages ago.
'Why are you stopping?' Potter asked angrily and took a step up the stairs. 'If we don't hurry up we will all be dead,' Draco faced him.
'You and Parvati go,' he said. 'If I carry on my father will spot me helping you, and I can't let that happen,'
'So you still don't want to loose your reputation,' Potter said staring with disbelief at Draco but carried on walking up the stairs, Parvati following him. Draco was well aware of that both of them saw this as selfishness but Draco had a plan. He hurried to sit down on the stairs and pulled Padma down next to him.
'Pretend like we are on a date and deep in a conversation,' he whispered. 'Well everybody likes ice cream don't they? I mean everyone who has tried it,' Padma stared at him. 'Don't you like it?' he asked raising his eyebrows to make her understand.
'Oh yes, my favourite,' she answered. Suddenly her eyes left Draco and stared at something down the corridor. Draco turned around too and saw his father and another smaller man running towards them. He put a surprised expression on his face.
'Father, what are you doing here?' he asked when they came into earshot. His father stared at him.
'Draco? What are you doing out of bed this late?' he asked in a surprised tone ignoring Draco's question.
'What are you doing in school?' Draco carried on. 'You are not allowed to are you?'
'Well...' Lucius Malfoy started but stopped instantly at seeing Padma. 'Who is this?' he asked rudely. Padma didn't answer.
'This is Padma Patil, a Rawenclaw,' he explained. He could see his father's face twisting into a frown.
'You have a twin in Gryffindor, don't you?' he asked. Padma nodded. 'Now you didn't by any chance see her, did you? Maybe with Harry Potter?' There was an awkward silence.
'I did, father,' Draco answered. 'They ran that way,' he pointed towards the thin corridor to the left of him. He watched the small man's face turn into a smile.
'Let's go,' he muttered in a hoarse voice.
'Thank you, son,' Draco's dad said and slowly started walking in the direction Draco had pointed in. Draco watched them move out of site.
'Let's go back to the party,' he then said remembering his "bathroom break". He stood up and gave his hand to Padma and pulled her up.
'What about if your father finds Parvati and Harry? What will happen?' Padma asked in a worried tone.
'He won't,' Draco said. 'I have been Potter's enemy for ages and I know that he is not stupid enough to be seen in front of a Malfoy that he wants to keep away from,' Padma kept silent. Draco could tell she was thinking. 'My father trusts me, and he will not think I fooled him in giving directions,' Draco said at seeing Padma's face. 'He won't even try that staircase we were sitting on,'
'Where have you been?' Millicent Bullstrode asked angrily when Draco and Padma got back to the prom. She was glaring angrily at Padma.
'I went to the bathroom,' Draco answered simply.
'I am sorry, but I just can't stand all this,' Millicent suddenly said. 'Being away for an hour not even minding that I will have to wait is not exactly what I fall for! I think I can do better,' At those words Draco realised that Padma's date Ernie Macmillan was standing next to Millicent.
'Come on Millie, let's go,' he muttered and stared angrily at Padma who had a sad expression on her face.
'I am sorry Ernie,' she called after him as he and Millicent left for the dance floor. Draco could see her pretty face looking very sad. 'What am I going to do?' she asked.
'Let's dance,' Draco said not believing that he actually dared saying it. Padma looked up at him and smiled.
'Ok,' she said and let herself be led away towards the dance floor clutching Draco's hand.
They all turned around and Draco could see his father coming towards them. As quickly as he could he turned around and started running in the direction of the owlery. He could hear the other's following him.
Draco kept on running not really knowing which way he went. He was surprised that any way he turned he still didn't meet a dead end. But he knew just as well as the others that his luck wouldn't last for long, he needed to think of something else soon.
He ran passed the staircase up to the owlery knowing that that would definitively trap them because there was only one entrance there and he really didn't want his father to see him helping the famous Harry Potter.
He stopped when he reached another staircase painted in dark green. He had never been this far up in the school before because they must have passed the owlery ages ago.
'Why are you stopping?' Potter asked angrily and took a step up the stairs. 'If we don't hurry up we will all be dead,' Draco faced him.
'You and Parvati go,' he said. 'If I carry on my father will spot me helping you, and I can't let that happen,'
'So you still don't want to loose your reputation,' Potter said staring with disbelief at Draco but carried on walking up the stairs, Parvati following him. Draco was well aware of that both of them saw this as selfishness but Draco had a plan. He hurried to sit down on the stairs and pulled Padma down next to him.
'Pretend like we are on a date and deep in a conversation,' he whispered. 'Well everybody likes ice cream don't they? I mean everyone who has tried it,' Padma stared at him. 'Don't you like it?' he asked raising his eyebrows to make her understand.
'Oh yes, my favourite,' she answered. Suddenly her eyes left Draco and stared at something down the corridor. Draco turned around too and saw his father and another smaller man running towards them. He put a surprised expression on his face.
'Father, what are you doing here?' he asked when they came into earshot. His father stared at him.
'Draco? What are you doing out of bed this late?' he asked in a surprised tone ignoring Draco's question.
'What are you doing in school?' Draco carried on. 'You are not allowed to are you?'
'Well...' Lucius Malfoy started but stopped instantly at seeing Padma. 'Who is this?' he asked rudely. Padma didn't answer.
'This is Padma Patil, a Rawenclaw,' he explained. He could see his father's face twisting into a frown.
'You have a twin in Gryffindor, don't you?' he asked. Padma nodded. 'Now you didn't by any chance see her, did you? Maybe with Harry Potter?' There was an awkward silence.
'I did, father,' Draco answered. 'They ran that way,' he pointed towards the thin corridor to the left of him. He watched the small man's face turn into a smile.
'Let's go,' he muttered in a hoarse voice.
'Thank you, son,' Draco's dad said and slowly started walking in the direction Draco had pointed in. Draco watched them move out of site.
'Let's go back to the party,' he then said remembering his "bathroom break". He stood up and gave his hand to Padma and pulled her up.
'What about if your father finds Parvati and Harry? What will happen?' Padma asked in a worried tone.
'He won't,' Draco said. 'I have been Potter's enemy for ages and I know that he is not stupid enough to be seen in front of a Malfoy that he wants to keep away from,' Padma kept silent. Draco could tell she was thinking. 'My father trusts me, and he will not think I fooled him in giving directions,' Draco said at seeing Padma's face. 'He won't even try that staircase we were sitting on,'
'Where have you been?' Millicent Bullstrode asked angrily when Draco and Padma got back to the prom. She was glaring angrily at Padma.
'I went to the bathroom,' Draco answered simply.
'I am sorry, but I just can't stand all this,' Millicent suddenly said. 'Being away for an hour not even minding that I will have to wait is not exactly what I fall for! I think I can do better,' At those words Draco realised that Padma's date Ernie Macmillan was standing next to Millicent.
'Come on Millie, let's go,' he muttered and stared angrily at Padma who had a sad expression on her face.
'I am sorry Ernie,' she called after him as he and Millicent left for the dance floor. Draco could see her pretty face looking very sad. 'What am I going to do?' she asked.
'Let's dance,' Draco said not believing that he actually dared saying it. Padma looked up at him and smiled.
'Ok,' she said and let herself be led away towards the dance floor clutching Draco's hand.