So, so sorry for the delay! So to make up for it this chapter is UNBETA'D...just thought I'd warn you that. I rushed through it because I felt so bad for taking so long. Again, my apologies! -Cassia
Chapter 12 For those who ask for it
"Cut the crap, Draco. I know what's going on," I said, deadly serious.
"Enlighten me," he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Draco, this is serious. I know about your mission.
All traces of emotion disappeared as a cold mask of indifference set in.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"BS," I spat. "I know that you-know-who gave you a mission, and you'd better bloody tell me what it is right now or so help me, I will freaking burst into that room and get it out of Bellatrix Lestrange herself."
He held my eyes for a moment, startled.
"Fine."
Wait. What? Fine? Was he actually going to tell me?
"Will anyone overhear us?" he stalled.
"No." I bit back a sarcastic remark. I normally wouldn't miss an opportunity as such, but I wanted him to get to the point.
"You know what, I don't have to-" he changed his mind in an instant.
"Oh yes you do!" I snarled. "You'd better tell me right now, Draco. Do you hear what I'm saying? Right now!"
"Fine! Keep your voice down!" he hissed.
I rolled my eyes. "Are the books going to let the cat out of the bag?"
"There will be no cat to let out unless you let me talk."
That shut me up real fast. I crossed my arms expectantly.
"Astoria, I can't do it, I can't," he gasped, stumbling forward as I held my arms out to him in surprise. He took several deep, shuddering breaths. I put my face in between his shoulder and neck, anger slipping away. I was shocked at-here I was, holding Draco as he tried to regain his composure, something I'd never seen him lose.
"You can tell me, Draco. You can trust me," I murmured as he pulled back, cheeks dry but eyes red.
"It's not you I don't trust," he whispered. "He-he's making me fix the...the vanishing cabinet," he shuddered.
"The...vanishing cabinet? What could he possible want with a vanishing cabinet?" I asked softly. Inside, it felt like a load of bricks had been lifted off my lungs. No one was getting hurt-if Draco was mending something, there was no purpose, right? You-know-who was probably just testing his loyalty. A vanishing cabinet isn't even a dark object. In fact, the school used to have one, until a student got stuck in it...although he did manage to escape.
"And if I fail, he'll kill me," he whispered.
And the bricks came crashing down again.
"No...no...he can't just..." my vision blurred. I felt like someone was slowly pulling the oxygen out of my lungs.
"Why are you crying?" he whispered.
"I'm not," I lied as the first tear spilled over; he surprised me by brushing it away with his thumb before it traced to my jawline.
"You idiot," I gave him a watery smile. "Can't you see I still love you?" Even in the midst of what we'd just been talking about, the happiest smile I had ever seen anyone wear broke out over his face. "I can't go losing you, now can I?" The tears vanish silently as he pulls me into his arms. Familiar and comforting, I didn't realize how much I had been missing them.
"And do you really think I stopped loving you, Tori?"
"If we both never stopped loving each other, why did we break up, ever?"
"There are other factors in a relationship, Tori," Draco told me darkly. "Things like evil." His arms tightened around me and we stayed like this for almost a minute before I spoke again.
"So..the vanishing cabinet, that's all you have to do?"
"Yes...my...task, is only for revenge on my family, for my father failing. You-know-who wants me to fail."
"How did your father fail him?"
"He failed him in the department of mysteries." He shifted his weight to his left foot.
"I'm going to try and...think of a way to get you out of this. You don't support him, do you? And you're not a death eater, right, Draco? Because, he couldn't want a sixteen year old, could he?" I bark a nervous laugh.
"No, of course not," he reassured me evenly. "And, Astoria, this is why we couldn't tell people about our relationship. I was-and still am-afraid that if I don't work fast enough on my task, or if I fail, or if anything at all goes wrong-he'll not only take it out on me, but the people that I love."
"He'll be defeated someday, Draco," I vowed. "And the cabinet-why does he need it?"
"I-don't know why he needs it, he wouldn't tell me," he whispered.
"Alright. So no more secrets?"
"None. Now, as much as I would like to stay here with you, we still can't get caught," he said in my ear.
We pulled apart and shared a secret smile. Now that I knew the cause for the secretiveness, it was more bearable. We strode off in opposite directions.
"Julie!" I called as I saw her talking with Daphne a ways off. She said a few more words to my sister and walked toward me as Daphne strode the other direction.
"I was listening, but they cast a silencing charm so I left," I said hurriedly.
I swore under my breath. "Did they hear you?" I asked anxiously.
"Oh, no. I don't think so. It was just an extra precaution. And by the way, they should be coming to let us out in-"
"Greengrass! Hendrickson! When are we getting out of this bloody library?" Draco came up behind us.
"Quit yelling, Malfoy, we're right here. Probably in the next five minutes, probably."
Julie eyed Draco suspiciously, opening her mouth to talk-
"Julie, will you help me with something?" I pulled her to the side before she could object.
"What?" she asked, surprised.
"Don't ask him about what you heard."
"Why? What's going on?"
"It was a misunderstanding. Don't worry about it." Boy, was my conscious eating at me now. It was like it had a double personality-each side screaming at me, telling me that they were the correct one-
"You know something that you're not telling me," she crosses her arms, adopting the very stance I had taken against Draco when he was withholding information from me.
I sighed, quickly wracking my brain. "He just had to...get into Azkaban to deliver a message to his father, that's all," I quickly assure her. Her eyes searched me for any hint that what I'd told her was anything less than the truth-
"Astoria, Daphne?" My mother's voice calls. I can't read her emotion.
"Yes, mum?" I respond.
"You can all go to your rooms now. Tori, will you show Draco to the guest room in the end hallway? That's where he and his mother will be staying. And Julie, I'm sure you and Astoria will be staying in her room?"
"Okay, mum," I answer as we slip past, filing out of the library. Daphne departed after saying her goodnights.
"Goodnight, mum. I love you," I held her gaze, trying to convey to her silently-be strong. Don't let the death eaters walk all over you.
"Love you too, Tori," she lifts my chin with her finger. She walks back to the dining room with her head held high. Just maybe, I think. Maybe, she had gotten my message.
I turned and looked down to Draco and Julie, who hadn't seen the exchange between my mother and I and were arguing back and forth.
"Julie, you want to go to our room and I'll take Malfoy to his?" I interrupt their bickering.
"You sure you want to handle that alone?" she looks at him with distaste.
"Yes, it's fine. I have it under control," I reassure her.
"Alright..." she gives Draco one more pointed glare, than walks away.
(Draco's POV)
Draco hoped his newly mastered, but already highly developed, skills of Occlumency would hide that Astoria knew about the vanishing cabinet. He knew that she still didn't have knowledge of the purpose of mending the cabinet, or his other, less pleasant, mission...his latest attempt had been careful flattery of Professor Slughorn, leading him into thinking that by the generosity of the Malfoys, he could present Dumbledore with a case of (poisoned) wine. He had thrown together the plan in a hurry, so wishing he could back out silently, but now with Bellatrix practically breathing down his neck there was no way he couldn't make another attempt.
He just had to be especially careful with Astoria, because if the death eaters knew about the two of them, Astoria would be in the utmost precarious position.
But for now, Draco decided not to think about any of that, at least tonight, and just focus on the fact that he could spend Christmas with his girlfriend.
"So, how long-
(Astoria's POV)
"-are you staying?" I jar Draco out of his thoughts once we were alone and strolling up toward the adjoined rooms where he and his mother would be staying. His hand brushed against mine for the second time now and he grabbed it, lacing his fingers through mine.
"I don't know," he mused thoughtfully. "For the week, maybe."
"Good. What do you want?" I asked.
"What do I want?"
"For Christmas," I clarified.
"Don't get me anything," he groaned. "I really don't need anything else. Don't spend your money on me."
"But I want to!" I protested. "I'm going to get you something anyway, so it may as well be something that you like," I grinned cheekily at him.
"How about a kiss?" he grinned.
"You can have one of those now," I stood on my toes to do so, putting my hands on his shoulders. "And Christmas."
On the Eve of Christmas Eve, and Julie and I called it, we helped decorate the Christmas tree. It was huge and glittering, and now the Christmas mood had settled among us like the fresh blanket of snow that had settled on the ground outside.
Most of the death eaters had left, except the Malfoys, who were staying over, because, as my mother claimed, "We should be supporting them, like good friends and fellow pure-bloods should do, in their time of loss." Lucius. Colorfully wrapped presents began appearing under the Christmas tree, and I had finally decided what I was going to get Draco-a magical camera, that, of course, took moving pictures. So after spending most of the day shopping at an assortment of wizarding shops in Diagon Alley, I sent Draco a letter by owl-he was out for the day visiting family. Which, I suspected, was some classified death eater meeting that my parents' hadn't been deemed worthy enough to attend because of the absence of the dark mark on their left forearm.
(Author's note- Astoria is in italics, and Draco is in bold.)
Draco, I was wondering-where is the vanishing cabinet? Why does he need you so specifically to do the job? What have you tried so far?
Which of those questions do you want answered first?
How about all of them, Mr. Staller?
(Draco's POV)
Draco clenched his jaw-how was he supposed to answer that? He was already putting a whole lot to chance and throwing the remaining pieces to luck-and on top of that, he had locked himself in a bedroom at one of the death eaters' safe houses under the pretense off falling ill once he had been alerted to his owl tapping on the window. Thankfully, he had been alone at the time, and had therefore been the only one to notice.
He knew he had to do something-but he didn't know what, and he didn't know when. He hated feeling helpless.
You're the only thing keeping me sane, you know?
I know.
Draco could hear the laughing in those two words.
Have you heard of Occlumency, and legimens, and that sort of magic?
Yes. What does that have to do with anything?
That's why I can't tell you much else. You-know-who is the most accomplished Legimens ever. He might be able to get into my mind if he wanted-but that isn't for sure. I've gotten pretty good at Legimens myself and can block out even Sna-Draco erased that last bit. He wouldn't say anything about Snape. Can block out someone who's almost as good as Dumbledore. So I may be able to shield my mind. But if I can't...
You can block out Severus Snape, can't you?
Draco looked at the paper, dumbfounded.
How did you know that?
You should be careful where you hold these conversations.
You were eavesdropping?
No, Draco! You weren't there, you wouldn't understand. But Draco, we can get help, we can go to Dumbledore, he can protect you and your family.
Astoria, I'm too far into this. I can't get out and no one can pull me out. My only chance is to succeed and not let anyone invade my mind. Not even Dumbledore can protect us.
He can, Draco, please!
Give me until the end of March. At the end of March, and I haven't succeeded, we'll go for Dumbledore. I promise. And, I love you.
Later, back at the Greengrass's, Draco knew he was getting himself into trouble when he agreed to go to Dumbledore when he failed. After all, he was supposed to kill the man! What was he going to do? He prepared for a dark blanket of despair to settle over him, but instead, miraculously, hope fluttered eagerly, and Draco knew that, for once, something was going to go right.
Something big was going to change.
(Astoria's POV)
Christmas morning passed in a blur of happiness, and even Narcissa's pursed lips turned up into a smile once or twice.
Draco and I met up later that night and had our own exchange of presents-he assured me that he loved the camera, and then pulled out a present for me.
It was a beautiful necklace, the pendant was the small bronze Ravenclaw eagle, adorned with a tiny sapphire on the tip of the wing. I proudly wore it every day, but to everyone else it was a gift from my distant cousin James. Who just happened to not exist. Of course, this story wasn't going to fly with my family, so the necklace was kept under wraps when they were around.
The Malfoys left two days after Christmas, and the remainder of the Holiday break was spent death eater free. In a blink the return to Hogwarts was upon us, and we frantically took our last day home to pack (which we had procrastinated) and to quickly throw together some hurried homework (which had lay forgotten, shoved down to the bottom of our trunks).
And a few days after New Year's Eve, we found ourselves at Hogwarts again, getting back into the regular routine of school.
Little did I know that it would soon change.
Over the next few days I kept mulling over what Draco and I were supposed to say to Dumbledore. What, "Gee, sir, my boyfriend here has pledged to you-know-who and has been assigned a mission that he can't really tell me about because we all might die! And how was your holiday, professor?"
Somehow, I didn't think that was going to fly.
So I was delighted to seize the chance to get my mind off my newly added-to pile of stress-my relief came in the form of a poster tacked onto the common room notice board the first day of the term.
Apparation Lessons
If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before the 31st of August next, you are eligible for a 12-week course of apparition lessons from a ministry of magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost: 12 Galleons.
Lucy, Sarah, Julie, and I were all for this course, all four of our birthdays falling within the next five months. Mine being June 21st.. I signed up and made my way to the first class of my day.
Walking there I saw a very tight lipped Hermione looking pointedly away from Ron and Lavender, who were kissing (and wrestling at the same time, or so it seemed-I desperately tried to hold in my overpowering urge to laugh-that would be completely inappropriate but I was seriously considering bursting out guffawing just to relieve the tension) furiously, in between Lavender's cries of, "Won-Won!"
"Won-Won?" I snorted as I quickly caught up to Hermione. She barked a harsh laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry, he's your friend, and-"
"Oh no, I feel exactly the same way. I mean, look at them," Hermione whispered fiercely.
"I really can't see them lasting much longer. What they have is 100% physical. There's nothing...there, you know?"
"Oh, there's something there, all right," Hermione gave a small smile, looking at me with humor in her eyes. I cracked a smile. "Seriously, thought-you really think so?"
"Yeah. Definitely."
The next morning, I was taken out of potions-which I had mixed feelings about. I normally liked potions, but Slughorn's lecture on Golpatt's third law something or other had just about put me to sleep. I was being called, again, to Dumbledore's office-I warily gathered my things after I had gotten the assignment, hoping the headmaster wouldn't be asking for another memory.
No, I had a feeling this would be something different.
Again, Dumbledore was waiting for me beside the stone gargoyle, greeting me warmly and leading me up the spiral staircase. My eyes lingered on his still blackened hand, and I wondered why it still looked the same as it had in September-shouldn't it have healed? Even a little bit?
"Sir, what happened to your hand?" I blurted before I could think as we walked into his office.
"Oh, a careless mistake on my part, Miss Greengrass. Nothing to worry about, although I do commend you on your questioning. Most students would not ask and leave their brains to come up with a story of their own imagination to bridge the gap of misunderstanding. Questions are the base of learning," he smiled, his bright blue eyes twinkling at me over his half-moon spectacles.
"Alright, sir," I said, baffled at how he pulled such a piece of advice just out of the hat like that. I was already searching my want-to-be healer mind for things that could possibly help along the mending process.
"This is becoming a regularity, isn't it, my dear?"
"What is, sir?"
"Meeting in my office. Cockroach Cluster?"
"Oh-no thanks, professor."
"Now, I shall get to the point, as I'm sure you have been eagerly awaiting," he smiled, closing an open door of a cabinet that held several old looking volumes of dusty, leather-bound books. "Do you recall what you were doing several days before the holidays, on the night of Professor Slughorn's Christmas party, to be exact?"
I was sure my face had never been redder as he looked at me knowingly, like my thoughts were spread out like a book before both of us and he was dissecting them.
"Oh, uh, I," I stuttered.
"Do not worry, I have not summoned you here to punish you, Astoria. I merely wished to ask you a few questions. Did you, by any means, overhead a conversation between a certain Draco Malfoy and Professor Snape?" I felt compelled to lift my eyes from my hands that I had been twisting in my lap, to meet his gaze. I knew he wasn't using Occlumency, but I had a feeling he already knew what had happened that night and that asking me was merely a formality.
"Yes," I whispered, unable to turn away my gaze now that I had looked into his eyes.
"Ah, love. It's a powerful thing, isn't it?" Dumbledore mused, peering again at me over his spectacles and giving me a look I had grown accustomed to. The smile of someone who knew more about what had happened than you yourself did.
"Yes, sir," I said automatically. Suddenly I felt the needs to busy my hands with something, for some reason-I couldn't just stand there with my arms limply to my sides so I twisted my robes between my hands.
"Miss Greengrass, have you told anyone about this conversation? Have you talked about it with Harry, perhaps? Or maybe, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Uh, Draco doesn't know this, and Harry and I haven't talked about it. I assumed he and you have talked, right?"
He nodded. "I see. Now, Astoria, may I have your word to keep this specific event to yourself, with the knowledge of trusting me that you did not fully grasp-yes, I presume you have managed to pull together certain elements, you would not be a Ravenclaw if you had not tried-but you must place your faith in me that you do not know the story from beginning to end."
"I give you my word." I shiver raced up my back like a spark. My words seemed to carry more meaning than normal as they traveled from my mouth.
"Now, I think it would be wise not to dwell on this and simply move on to the next event," he clasped his hands together, his was of telling me to forget about it.
"Yes, sir," I replied obediently.
"Good. I assure you, it is not your burden to carry. Ah, now that we have this behind us...is there something you wish to tell me?" it seemed as if he was peering straight down into my soul. How did he know so much? I wondered as I met his gaze.
"No, sir," I lied, fearing the fib was as blatantly obvious to him as it was to me.
"I see...remember, Astoria, that help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it."
The end of March...the end of March...that's what the background noise of the common room seemed to whisper to me as I glared at the date that I had written on my defense essay-January tenth. We had celebrated Lucy's birthday five days ago and she was overjoyed to be officially of age and able to do magic outside of school, although she hadn't had opportunity to exploit this particular freedom quite yet. She seemed more of an adult than the rest of us now, even though she was no different, really, than a week ago. It was my study hall before lunch, but I really wasn't in the mood to do more schoolwork. Why did they have to give us homework, anyway? The concept itself was contradictory. It was the teachers saying-we didn't do a good enough job of teaching it to you the first time, so you must learn it again.
I sighed, standing up to leave the common room.
"Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it..." Dumbledore's words repeated in my mind. I was mulling more over this and not taking into consideration that the stairs were shifting underneath my very feet and taking me to a very different destination than the great hall.
"What?" I asked aloud I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere in the massive expanse of hallways, something I hadn't done since about 3rd year.
"What are you yapping about, missy?" snapped a grumpy-voiced portrait. Turning to face the cranky portrait I put my hands on my hips.
"Who, me?" I asked.
"No, the one behind you," she said sarcastically. I didn't feel like standing here and talking to a painting with a nastier temper than Pansy, so rolling my eyes I left, walking toward the room of requirement. Maybe I was supposed to find my way here, or something...
"Oh, great," I thought to myself. "Now I'm starting to sound like Trelawny. As the old seer (or not) would say, "The universe was sending me a sign."
"Draco!" I gasped, surprised as I saw him yelling animatedly at two young Slytherin girls who seemed to be shrinking back from him in fear. He didn't hear me at first, still continuing to reprimand the girls-
Wait.
The girls.
The same ones. Again. For the third time.
"-actually manage to stay awake this time?" his voice carried further than he probably intended it to.
"Malfoy!" I called again, this time getting his attention, and as he turned I saw the frustration that was evident in his eyes.
"What, Greengrass?" he snapped.
"What are you doing with these little girls? They look terrified of you!" I hissed, hoping that he could see that this annoyance was not just for show because we had an audience.
"I am a prefect, Greengrass, and I was merely reminding these girls so kindly to keep walking," he hissed through clenched teeth.
"Were they sleepwalking then?" I asked dryly. "You told them to stay awake this time," I explained once I saw his confused look. "What, are they keeping watch for you or something?" His eyes flashed murderously at this, and he opened his mouth to respond but one of the girls timidly pulled on his sleeve.
"What?" he hissed, spinning around to face her.
"I-we..." she widened her eyes meaningfully and pointed to her hair.
The hair that almost looked to be getting shorter...and darker...
Both girls attempted to hide it, gazes flickering back and forth between Draco and me nervously. Draco swore, pushing them both down the hallway quickly.
But not before I could see their bizarre transformation extend to past their hair-
It had thickened and had seemed to be slowly pulled back into their skulls, and their small bodies gained mass-both vertically and horizontally. Not enough for me to make out more than that before they were whisked away.
What had just bloody happened? I was totally, completely, utterly baffled. Maybe I was going crazy. Maybe I should be sent to the mentally disturbed ward in St. Mungo's...
I almost didn't realize the door changing as I stood there, questioning me sanity. But I did, and I ducked inside quickly before the empty hall would become populated with curious eyes. Closing the door behind me I took in the view of the room, blinking twice to make sure the familiarity of the layout wasn't just my imagination.
It was still there after blinking.
My eyes widened as I looked into the huge room-windows high on the ceiling cast light upon the cathedral size room, and what was filling it. Neatly stacked towers and haphazard mountains of possessions piled up in the room; it would take years to sift through the numerous objects. Several of what appeared to be Fanged Frisbees flew half-heartedly over the piles of junk, some of which included broken furniture, a library full of in-some-way-damaged books, items from Filch's lengthy "Banned Possessions" list, an array of assorted clothing and accessories like hats and scarves The several broken brooms reminded me of the three matches I had been allowed to play in since the bludger incident-two if which we had lost due to stupid mistakes by me. But overall, we were in second place for the house cup.
There were also weapons, potions bottles, house banners, disfigured trophies-the sad disarray that which these objects were left in made me to believe that this particular branch of the room of requirement had opened up thousands of times for students who wished to stash something unneeded...
Or to hide something.
I looked up at the vanishing cabinet looming before me. Somehow, I think I knew from the moment I realized this was where all the unwanted objects went, that the thing was in here. Montague had gotten lost in it last year, barely surviving by apparating out without even taking lessons.
Oh, no...no, no, no...the Vanishing Cabinet! How could I have been so stupid? I had even heard the stories last year, and I should have known they wouldn't have thrown something like this away!
So did that mean...well, what did that mean, exactly? Was Voldemort going to use it to lure people inside and trap them? But...Draco was trying to fix it, so that couldn't be it...I knew without a doubt that this was what Draco was trying to mend, but why? What would it do? Draco said he didn't know...but what if that wasn't true?
"Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it..." I hightailed it out of there-suddenly the voice seemed creepily haunting.
I was determined to find Draco- screw the end of March. We were going to find Dumbledore today.
Whew. Again, THIS CHAPTER WAS UNBETA'D so I am sorry for whatever offending errors you found, but I'm sure you guys would rather have this now with a few errors than a week from now with my than\then issue corrected. PLEASE REVIEW! I love reviews:) And thank you to all of you first-timers who just jumped on board at this last chapter-you guys are truly honestly amazing. And Thanks to my beta and 2cool4you.
Cassia