Ginny Weasely was the one to tell us the location of the first DA meeting. She came bounding up to me and Cho Chang when we were walking through one of the corridors.
"DA meeting... Room of Requirement... Opposite dancing trolls... Walk three times..." she panted, and then ran off to catch Neville a little way in front of us.
At seven o'clock, Cho, Luna and Marietta and me made our way to the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. As one stumbled over another causing a domino effect with the sounds of ripping and a lot of sheer fabric exploding out of the mess, we paced our way in front of the opposite wall three times. Dark Arts, Dumbledore's Army, we need to learn how to fight... I thought, and as I turned back for the fourth time, a large oak door appeared in front of us, with a shining brass handle. We had barely knocked when it swung open, and we saw before us the rest of DA waiting for us.
The room was large and spacious, lined with shelves full of books and odd gadgets like Sneakoscopes and a Foe Glass. On the floor, several large cushions were spread out. We got straight down to business, appointing Harry our leader, and then begun a disarming charm.
"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, and Marietta's wand went reeling out of her hand, landing some distance away. "Accio," I quickly said, retrieving it and handing it back to her, when she proceeded to disarm me and then grant me the same courtesy, handing me back my battered wand.
"I DID IT!" We heard, bellowed from across the room as Neville Longbottom successfully knocked Harry's wand out of his hand. A few of us turned around momentarily to give him a small round of applause. It was all part of the camaraderie which came with the club.
Zacharias Smith, who had previously been jeering about how uselessly simple this charm was, seemed to be having some trouble next to me. Every time he raised his hand, his wand would go flying out of it, but his duelling partner hadn't even opened his mouth. Harry walked up, seeming confused, and I followed his gaze to see Fred and George, who were evidently shooting charms at Zach and not each other. I chuckled.
The general madness continued for a time, Harry occasionally stopping the group to give a few words of encouragement. Cho saw Harry spot Marietta across the room and quickly asked me to swap partners with her. Me and Luna simply watched as he and Cho began to flirt, giggling. Marietta came storming up to us, and we all began to watch. Harry turned around to see us, and walked over. Marietta fled.
"Well done, Luna, you're really good at this," he said, not looking at Luna at all, but instead suspiciously eyeing me. "Angeline, can I speak with you for a moment?" he finally asked. I looked at Luna, but she seemed oblivious, humming to herself. I shrugged, and he led me over to the shelf with the Sneakoscopes.
"Angeline, here's the thing. I saw you with Malfoy before, and that makes me somewhat distrustful of you. Everybody here needs this, we need to know that we're doing something to rebel. I can't have anybody taking that away."
"Of course not, Harry. I need this too." I stroked my left hand. He seemed to understand. Then, I grabbed a Sneakoscope, pushing it into Harry's hands. It remained dormant. "See? I can be trusted." He nodded. He knew that if anyone had something to lose it was me. A Slytherin in such an organization as this would practically be tortured if anybody found out. Especially Malfoy.
"Be careful around Malfoy, Okay?" He asked, seeming sincere. "I've known the guy a lot longer than you have. He's a bad guy." I shook my head.
"He's just insecure. You should have seen him after the St Mungo's quip. He felt so bad about Neville..."
"How does he know about Neville?"
"His Aunt I think. Aunty Bella, he called her?"
"That's right. Bellatrix Lestrange, she's a death eater. His whole family are Death Eaters. They're dangerous if you don't know how to handle them."
"Well, that's why I'm here, isn't it?" I asked, teasingly. "To learn?"
I left then, and after another half an hour, the session was over and we all returned to our dorms. I felt that same feeling of empowerment I felt when I first did magic buzzing in my veins again, like electricity.
The electricity returned on Saturday, as it did for the rest of the school, as Slytherin prepared for its first Quidditch match of the season. Against Gryffindor.
Draco sat down next to me for breakfast, hungrily piling his plate high with food.
"Energy," he grunted through mouthfuls, "For the match." I nodded.
Stella and I both threw on our thickest robes, hats and Slytherin scarves straight after breakfast and made our way outside. It was freezing and overcast, but not raining at least. We joined a long line of Slytherins desperate to take their seats around the pitch and let the games begin. I was almost to the stairs of the bleachers when something grabbed me and tugged me away. It was Draco.
"What are you doing?" I asked, "You're supposed to be playing in five minutes!"
He didn't answer, he simply took my head in his hands and pulled it to him, kissing me. I kissed him back in return, albeit surprised, and then he let me go.
"Energy," he said with a wink, giving me a mock salute and then bounding back off to join his team. I stood, stunned, fingertips at my lips, when Stella retrieved me, pulling me back towards the stands.
The actual match was like nothing I had ever experienced. Lee Jordan screamed through a microphone which pounded through the speakers, adding in more information than was ever necessary, while the players zoomed around, hardly visible because of their speed.
"...it's Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is..."
I saw Ron Weasely letting in a few goals, one after the other, the Slytherins around me chanting...
Weasely is our King
Weasely is our King
He always lets the Quaffle in
Weasely is our King
I cheered along, refusing to sing, but internally whooping for Ron. A that moment, I saw Draco and Harry dive, neck in neck, probably having spotted the Snitch. I began to scream wildly, joined quickly by everyone else in the stands as all attention turned to the two Seekers, streaking over the goalposts and around, practically in the stalls. We called as they passed over them, screaming their names, somewhere in the distance an unnaturally realistic roaring sound coming from Luna Lovegood's hat as Harry was suddenly and violently thrown sideways by a bludger and the whistle blew. Gryffindor had won! I put on a sour face and booed, but my stomach was doing flips of excitement. I couldn't wait for DA so I could congratulate them all.
As I watched, Draco stomped towards Harry, screaming ugly things at him, words I couldn't hear and wasn't sure I wanted to. Before I knew it, Harry had lunged at Draco, tossing him to the ground. After some deliberation and a minor spat between Umbridge and McGonagall- which I would have given anything to have heard- Harry, Ron and George were banned from playing. Suddenly, reminding them of the match didn't seem like such a good idea.
After everybody had gone off to Hogsmeade and the coast was clear, I went in to the common room. It was empty, but I knew Draco hadn't left yet. Looking around again, just to make sure, I crept over to the staircase and made my way to his dorm.
I found him violently folding his Quidditch robes and shoving them in the drawer, throwing, angrily slamming it shut.
"Stupid Potter," he mumbled under his breath. He evidently hadn't heard me come in.
"Draco, are you alright?" I asked, creeping up to him and placing a comforting hand on his arm. He drew in a deep breath.
"I'm fine. It's just Potter. He always has to show me up, never lets anyone else have the victory now does he? Spoilt little Potter would never let that happen."
"What does it matter if Harry does well?"
"It matters that none of the rest of us ever do! Some of us want to make something of ourselves, want to be somebody more than what people expect of them." I assumed by people he meant his father. I nodded, understanding.
"I get it. You don't want to just live up to the boundaries other people set for you, you want to be more than that, your own person."
"Exactly!" He exclaimed, "You know Angie I really l-" he paused suddenly embarrassed. I frowned at him, wanting to hear what he had to say. He shook his head and pecked me on the cheek.
"You're great." was all he said. I wondered what he wanted to say originally? Was it a mirror image of the way my heart flipped every time he caught my eye? Was it the way my chest constricted every time he gave me that penetrating look he was giving me now? There was no way to know, so I simply smiled, leaned in, and kissed him again.
"I know.