Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
Warning: This is Ron/Draco slash with HBP spoilers.
A/N: Another big thank you to my wonderful beta, Tara.
Thank you so much for the reviews. Thanks for your recommendation, viu. I knew the website, but I appreciate it all the same. I think that website is one of the best I've ever known.
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Draco couldn't stop the slight quivering of his hands. In five minutes, the Death Eaters were to appear at the end of the Cabinet of which he was now standing in front of. Which meant, shortly afterwards, he was to confront Dumbledore one on one at the top of the Astronomy Tower had the plan worked.
When he'd finally repaired the Cabinet several hours ago, he couldn't help himself from screaming in glee. He didn't know how many hours, how many days he'd spent in the hidden room full of smuggled or forbidden items whose owners were unknown, but tonight, he would finally leave the place for good. He would be able to get rid of the constant questions and inquiring looks from Crabbe and Goyle, the persistent attention from Pansy, the annoying prying of Potter, and - the brusque indifference from Weasley.
Draco chewed his bottom lip bitterly. He let himself linger on a certain object he'd been avoiding for the first time in weeks. It seemed to him like it had been months since that kiss with Weasley. Though he still remembered the taste of his lips and the shocked expression on his face all too well, he didn't allow himself to think about them very often. They were mere distraction to him. After that short encounter, he had noticed that Weasley had been sometimes glaring in his direction during class or at meals, and he had even tried to stop Draco in the hall once. But Draco had kept ignoring him purposefully, and Weasley soon seemed to have forgotten it all, back to his normal routine of bossing about first and second years, or absorbed in the company of Potter and Granger, now that he and Brown had seemed to have broken up.
Although Draco was rather glad for this attitude of Weasley's since he virtually had no time to spare for him, he couldn't help contemplating how different their lives had become. While Weasley seemed to be busy in his own little world, Draco was going to leave Hogwarts. Tonight, he was going to leave all his innocence behind in this castle he had spent almost six years to become a murderer. It was something completely different from just receiving an ugly mark on your arm. You would never be the same again.
There were rustling noises from his side of the Vanishing Cabinet, and Draco was suddenly snapped back to reality. They were here.
Leading several Death Eaters out of the Room of Requirement to the halls of Hogwarts was something surreal. If Draco thought he was comfortable enough without his aunt to help him go through this greatest ordeal of his, it was a lie. She had told him that she had a very important something else to do on this particular night and wouldn't be able to join him. He was certain, had he carried out his plan successfully without Bellatrix's help, his attainment would appear greater in the Dark Lord's eyes. But still, he wasn't quite sure about the gaunt Death Eaters who were following him. He had hardly met them. They weren't the ones in the Dark Lord's most inner circle as far as Draco knew, but of course, most of the closest ones were in Azkaban now because of Potter.
Draco cautiously opened the door and glanced over the hallway on the seventh floor. He was certainly feeling the enormous pressure for what was coming, but currently had a more pressing issue to occupy his mind with. Just a few minutes ago, Draco had frozen to the spot when he had found out that Greyback was the last one coming out of the Cabinet. He hadn't heard that the gruesome blood-sick werewolf was joining tonight. It was something completely unexpected. Greyback's notorious name did have great effect on making threats against certain people, but Draco himself would have never wanted to see him in person.
Seeing that the hall was clear, he stepped outside the room, beckoning the others to follow suit. But once he was out in the corridor, in the dark shadow of one of the classroom doors, he spotted Weasley, with his sister and Longbottom in tow. Draco felt his blood drain from his face when their eyes met. He was aware that Potter had been prowling around this room almost every day, but Weasley? He had never seen him roam about this floor before except for the nights he had his Prefect duties. What was he doing here, on this particular day of all others?
But there was no time for him to question about that or get angry at him now. He noticed that behind him, Greyback's breathing had become faster at the sight of the Gryffindor students. Simultaneously, Draco's pulse became increasingly rapid. With his Hand of Glory in one hand, Draco quickly searched inside his pocket with the other hand to take out his Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder he had purchased from the Weasley's twin brothers by Owl Order Service. When his fingers reached it, he hastily pulled it out open and threw it in the air. Immediately, the surroundings went pitch black. Even a werewolf couldn't have eyesight in this darkness, and his sense of smell had to be almost reduced to that of a human's right now without the full moon. Draco was the only one who had proper vision in this area with his Hand of Glory.
In the darkness, he could see Weasley fumbling around, wand pointing to all directions he faced, shoving his sister and Longbottom behind him towards the wall as if to protect them. Draco wished Weasley would just flee like a coward and get himself out of here, but knew he wouldn't, and these were exactly the times that Draco became especially intolerable with the Gryffindor courage that they so prided amongst themselves, which Draco thought was nothing but futile.
"Draco, what are you doing? Lead us to the Tower, quick."
One of the Death Eaters, the stocky witch, spoke to Draco in a hiss, nudging him in the side with her elbow.
"Wait here, there's one thing I have to make sure of," said Draco, quickly pulling away from the Death Eaters and striding over to the other side of the hall to Weasley.
The Gryffindor seemed to have noticed someone approaching. His eyes grew wide and panicky, and he opened his mouth to speak, but Draco quickly placed a hand over his mouth to shut any sound coming out.
"Don't say a word and don't move an inch," hissed Draco, almost threateningly into Weasley's right ear, then added just faintly audible, "if you don't want to die." He felt Weasley go stiff under his hand, and even in this extreme situation, Draco could smell his hair, the same scent that had come out from the Amortentia, like he'd been lying in the grass under the summer sun for hours. But before the familiar sensation could overwhelm him, he quickly let go of the redhead and strode back to the awaiting Death Eaters.
He didn't allow himself to look back at Weasley after that. He couldn't be distracted, nor did he want the other Death Eaters to sense anything unnecessary. Not now.
"Something wrong, Draco?" The pudgy witch asked, looking uncertainly in Draco's direction.
"No, just made sure the coast was clear. Now, let's go."
Draco grabbed her arm making sure that the others were sticking behind her. He had to hurry before the effect of the Darkness Powder wore off.
He didn't know when he would see Weasley again, or would he ever see him again, but even if he did, he wouldn't be the same. The Draco Malfoy whom Weasley had known for six years would soon be gone. Something welled up in Draco's chest and made him hard to breathe, and he clutched tight to his Hand of Glory as if it was the only thing that guided him to the right path in all this chaos. There wasn't any other option, anyway.
As Draco headed towards the Astronomy Tower with the Death Eaters following behind, he was unconsciously tracing his finger with his thumb, where he had worn his Slytherin house ring. He could feel the imprint on his now empty finger. The ring was like a token to him of the undisturbed, innocent years of his life he'd spent at Hogwarts. He didn't know why, but he had taken it off and slipped it in the pocket of Weasley's robe. Somehow, it seemed safe there. The ring would be be kept in Weasley's pocket unharmed until Draco got to wear it someday again if that day ever came, and if Weasley never abandoned the ring.
But until then, goodbye, Weasley.
- fin -
This is the end of this fic. Thanks for reading. I know it's not a very happy ending, because I had to write this in line with Book Six, but in my mind, Ron and Draco usually end up together no matter what happens in between, and this fic is no exception. I'm thinking of writing a more lighter fic next time, though.