"I knew it was you. I heard you moving around over there. How could you?" he seethes at me.
There are dozens of things I want to say but instead I ask "How did you know it was me?" so quietly it was barely a whisper.
"Because I always know when you're nearby. I can sense it, feel it even." He seethes. He grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me a little. "Ari… why would you do this?" with a little less gusto this time. His hands are still on my shoulders and he squeezes down. I wince a little but don't let it show.
"Listen… I'm in Gryffindor, I hear things, whispers…" I'm trying to think fast and I'm making this up as I go along so I'm not entirely sure if he'll believe this, but it's worth a go. "I had to see for myself, what Potter and his crew were planning, I mean… if it's true, about the dark lord being my fathe-"
"Of course it's true." Draco cuts in.
"Yes well… I was just curious… I just wanted to see what they were up to… do you trust me?" I lie and a part of me wants to vomit, I look up into Draco eyes searchingly, looking for a shred of reassurance. He looks back down at me and his eyes are twinkling with the candle light of the dimly lit training room. I smile at him ever so and he doesn't smile back but instead breathes out loud for a long time. He looks so relived, he takes another step forward closing the small gap between us and I intake the faint scent of smoke and mint. He rests his forhead on mine and I find myself taken aback for a momet at the sudden skinship of our situation.
"Thank goodness. I thought you had joined the other side." He holds me tighter and now the tips of our noses touches. I choke on the inside and my stomach ties itself into knots.
"I would never, Draco." I whisper into the small gap between our parted lips. We hear a dozen footsteps approach us and I just know it was Dumbledore's army. I push Draco away and he looks startled for a second. "Stay here." I order him.
"Where are you going?" he demands.
"To… to fix it." I reply. I turn from him and run. As I rush out of the door way I clash with Nevil. I don't skip a beat however and grab him by his forearm. I drag him with me, I can't afford to stick around here, not with Draco hot on my heels. I need to find a safe zone so we can re plan and figure out where to go from here. Obviously we ran to our common room because of course no one would look for us there, I note my own sarcasm and gather that working under pressure may not be my forte. I sit with Longbottom, Lovegood and the twins and wonder how the hell am I suppose to fix things? A couple more of the group walk in and they all look at my expectantly, since when was I a leader?
I've already been filled in on where the others have gone and I stumble over myself as I continue to improvise. "I think I know where Harry has taken Umbridge." Hagrid had introduced me to his half brother earlier this year and it was the only thing I could think of that laid in the forbidden forest that had any semblance to a 'secret weapon'. "If we run to the rear entrance of the castle and meet them at the mouth of the forest I think we should be able to intercept them… that is it. that is all I have so far…" I say the last bit a little more quietly. Fred stands first. Squeezes my shoulder and starts making way for the portrait to start executing my pathetic excuse of a plan. I smile to myself and stand to, I exist first and find the rest following closely in suit.
As we approach the entrance to the mouth of the forest I have to remind myself to remain calm and level headed, to think and then re think any decisions I make from this point forward. My haunch was correct and we cross paths with the trio just as they cross the threshold back into non-forested grounds.
"We have to go somewhere, somewhere dangerous, we have to be strong, You don't have to come with me but if you do-"
"Oh shut up Harry, like you ever had a choice in weather we came along or not." I cut the bespectacled boy off and march back towards the castle, my rag tag bunch of friends hot on my heels. I feel Ron snort with laughter.
"She's got you there mate." He chuckles out as he pats Harry and the shoulder to overtake.