The next few days were hell. Whispers in the hallway whenever one of us
walked to class, notes being mixed up, books being stolen, curses being
cast...a fight even broke out between myself and another Slytherin. I had
broken his nose for insulting me, and got ten days detention for my
trouble.
Harry had it easier than me, his best friend was gay, and, thought it took a little while for him to accept that we were going out, Ron finally apologized for his rudeness and told Harry 'he'd deal with it.' Brilliant.
Granger hadn't spoken to Harry in well over a week, and Harry, anxious and suicidal, cut himself whenever he got a cold glance from Hermione. I had to assure him that though she was a disgusting Mudblood (a term that got an angry glare out of him), she would eventually warm up to the idea. It wasn't like we were going to stop going out because of her. Harry fretted and moaned about her opinion, and finally I had to tell him that 'If she doesn't accept you, I'm sorry, Harry, but there's nothing we can do about it.' I had developed a pretty bleak look on the remaining school years: we wouldn't be accepted. At least we'd have each other, I told Harry, kissing his eyelids, his eyelashes damp from crying yet again.
Christmas Eve was in a week, and I waited nervously at every meal time, looking out for a pure black owl that belonged to Lucius. Against my will, I was afraid, because I knew what would be in that letter. Three days before Christmas Eve, I got it. I had been right; it had contained my worst and growing fear.
Draco -
You will come home for Christmas. Then, as I am sure you remember, you will join Lord Voldemort. The train leaves at 7:00 P.M. December 24. Do not reply to this, but if you do not board the train home on Christmas Eve, you will be found, tortured, and most likely killed. Do not defy your father and your Lord.
Best wishes,
Lucius Malfoy
Best wishes! I laughed in spite of myself. What an idiot. Did he really think that I would go to join Voldemort? I would rather - and most likely, would - die then serve him. Borrowing a school owl, as I didn't want mine to be recognized again, I quickly penned a note to Harry.
Harry -
Lucius has just written to me. I am supposed to come home for Christmas and be initiated into Lord Voldemorts ranks. I'm not going, and Lucius has threatened me with torture. I don't care. I need to see you before Christmas Eve -we need to discuss what we're going to do.
I paused for a moment, then dipped my quill back in the blood red ink and wrote, very carefully, something I had never written or spoken before, though I had thought it many times:
I love you.
I received a scribbled response within ten minutes.
Draco -
I agree, we do need to meet. I've missed you; we haven't talked in a while. Same place, same time, bring your Invisibility Cloak - and please, please be careful.
Love you,
Harry
~ ~ ~
"Draco," Harry asked, resting his head of tousled black hair on my shoulder and yawning, "What are you going to do about Lucius?"
I shrugged, staring into the flickering flames. "I don't have any idea, Harry. I know he's serious. If I don't go home, he'll find me. He'll rape me, probably, as is his ritual, and then he'll give me to his group of Death Eaters, and they will have great fun torturing me." I spoke flatly, I had experienced torture and pain before, but my eyes gave me away: the cloudy grayness of them was damp and the room before me was starting to waver. I hadn't cried since the summer, I had been determined not to, but at the moment I didn't really care. Bringing up memories of the summer was never something good to do.
Harry looked at me, using his thumb to wipe away a solitary tear slipping from my eye. "Draco..can you hide anywhere? Is there any chance of escaping if you do go home, before the dinner, can you get out, go anywhere? Draco, this is life or death, I don't want you to be hurt or dead in the end, and if anything happens to you.." He fell silent, then spoke almost in a whisper. "I'll bloody kill myself."
I stared at Harry, willing him to say something else, but he only looked at me gravely, and something in his eyes told me that it was true, if anything did happen to me he would kill himself. I knew he was capable of it, he had tried it before. I felt a chill travel up my spine, raising the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. "No, you won't." I answered back finally, looking into Harrys eyes. "Because I'll be safe. I'll be fine. I promise."
"So you're going there?" he asked, again placing his head on my shoulder. "Do you have a way to escape? A place to hide?"
I lied to Harry, the first time I had ever done so.
"Yes."
Harry had it easier than me, his best friend was gay, and, thought it took a little while for him to accept that we were going out, Ron finally apologized for his rudeness and told Harry 'he'd deal with it.' Brilliant.
Granger hadn't spoken to Harry in well over a week, and Harry, anxious and suicidal, cut himself whenever he got a cold glance from Hermione. I had to assure him that though she was a disgusting Mudblood (a term that got an angry glare out of him), she would eventually warm up to the idea. It wasn't like we were going to stop going out because of her. Harry fretted and moaned about her opinion, and finally I had to tell him that 'If she doesn't accept you, I'm sorry, Harry, but there's nothing we can do about it.' I had developed a pretty bleak look on the remaining school years: we wouldn't be accepted. At least we'd have each other, I told Harry, kissing his eyelids, his eyelashes damp from crying yet again.
Christmas Eve was in a week, and I waited nervously at every meal time, looking out for a pure black owl that belonged to Lucius. Against my will, I was afraid, because I knew what would be in that letter. Three days before Christmas Eve, I got it. I had been right; it had contained my worst and growing fear.
Draco -
You will come home for Christmas. Then, as I am sure you remember, you will join Lord Voldemort. The train leaves at 7:00 P.M. December 24. Do not reply to this, but if you do not board the train home on Christmas Eve, you will be found, tortured, and most likely killed. Do not defy your father and your Lord.
Best wishes,
Lucius Malfoy
Best wishes! I laughed in spite of myself. What an idiot. Did he really think that I would go to join Voldemort? I would rather - and most likely, would - die then serve him. Borrowing a school owl, as I didn't want mine to be recognized again, I quickly penned a note to Harry.
Harry -
Lucius has just written to me. I am supposed to come home for Christmas and be initiated into Lord Voldemorts ranks. I'm not going, and Lucius has threatened me with torture. I don't care. I need to see you before Christmas Eve -we need to discuss what we're going to do.
I paused for a moment, then dipped my quill back in the blood red ink and wrote, very carefully, something I had never written or spoken before, though I had thought it many times:
I love you.
I received a scribbled response within ten minutes.
Draco -
I agree, we do need to meet. I've missed you; we haven't talked in a while. Same place, same time, bring your Invisibility Cloak - and please, please be careful.
Love you,
Harry
~ ~ ~
"Draco," Harry asked, resting his head of tousled black hair on my shoulder and yawning, "What are you going to do about Lucius?"
I shrugged, staring into the flickering flames. "I don't have any idea, Harry. I know he's serious. If I don't go home, he'll find me. He'll rape me, probably, as is his ritual, and then he'll give me to his group of Death Eaters, and they will have great fun torturing me." I spoke flatly, I had experienced torture and pain before, but my eyes gave me away: the cloudy grayness of them was damp and the room before me was starting to waver. I hadn't cried since the summer, I had been determined not to, but at the moment I didn't really care. Bringing up memories of the summer was never something good to do.
Harry looked at me, using his thumb to wipe away a solitary tear slipping from my eye. "Draco..can you hide anywhere? Is there any chance of escaping if you do go home, before the dinner, can you get out, go anywhere? Draco, this is life or death, I don't want you to be hurt or dead in the end, and if anything happens to you.." He fell silent, then spoke almost in a whisper. "I'll bloody kill myself."
I stared at Harry, willing him to say something else, but he only looked at me gravely, and something in his eyes told me that it was true, if anything did happen to me he would kill himself. I knew he was capable of it, he had tried it before. I felt a chill travel up my spine, raising the tiny hairs on the back of my neck. "No, you won't." I answered back finally, looking into Harrys eyes. "Because I'll be safe. I'll be fine. I promise."
"So you're going there?" he asked, again placing his head on my shoulder. "Do you have a way to escape? A place to hide?"
I lied to Harry, the first time I had ever done so.
"Yes."