"Okay, I think you can go around and there'll be a window that they used to keep open. I'll go in. You stay here and don't get yourself hurt," Draco instructed as he began to walk away.
"Wait, what?" Harry interjected confusedly.
"You're not thinking straight. He's your best friend and you didn't even notice he was gone. There's something you need to think over and come to a conclusion about. I don't know what it is but I could tell from the look on your face. Besides, you could get lost. I know my way around in there," Draco countered. Harry loved how simple and clear his statements were. It was so much easier than talking to Ron and Hermione. They were always hiding something or other.
"Yeah but, Malf – Black – Draco, he won't trust you. You haven't exactly earned our trust, no offense," Harry replied, as nicely as he could.
"That's true…" Draco was silent for a moment as he thought, "Alright, follow me and be quiet."
The two boys crept silently forward, flat against the wall. Harry copied Draco's every movement. He didn't want to mess up and he had a suspicion that Draco's odd occasional twitching movements were actually helping them dodge some sort of invisible floating traps. After about twenty minutes, they reached a gothic style window. "Fuck," Draco whispered. Harry looked at the window expectantly, wondering if that was the password. Seeing that the window did not change Harry realized this was not a password but an exclamation of frustration.
"What?" He asked, "We found the window."
"Can't you feel it?"
"No. What, Draco?"
"Fucking widow's enchanted. Shit. Only one of us can get through. I know the way but I'll do no good if he won't come with me."
"So, tell me the way. I'm not stupid."
"See that's just not true, you're pretty dumb, Potter. In any case… you need this on your arm to get through the doors," Draco pulled back the left sleeve of robe. His wrist was scarred. Harry could see horizontal lines to Draco's elbow and little hearts carved in here and there. In the middle of this horrifying mess was faintly glowing Dark Mark that looked like it had recently scabbed over. Harry tried not to gasp.
"Aha! I knew it! This was a trap! Ron's not actually in there, is he?" Harry shouted, ignoring the other marks on Draco's hand and singling out the one Mark.
"You didn't know I was once a Death Eater? Were you not there that night at Hogwarts? I'm not now. This isn't the time. Trust me," was all Draco had to say and then instructed Harry, "find a stick on the ground or something. I need something sharp."
"Um, A) I don't think I want you near any sharp objects and B) what about getting to Ron? Oh, and C) why?"
"You need to be a Death Eater, to get in, dumbwit. Find a stick, please," Draco stopped talking as he watched Harry search the ground momentarily until he resurfaced, twig in hand. Harry still didn't understand, but then again, he didn't understand much recently, "That'll be fine. Pass it." Harry handed it to Draco, "SHERAC," Draco whispered to the twig, causing it to grow a much sharper edge. Draco pulled down his left sleeve and pulled up his right one. He drew a vertical line across it. Silently, he took Harry's right arm, and did the same to him. Harry focused all his energy on gnashing his teeth together, so as not to make any noise. The boys pressed their wrists together and let the blood flow freely between them for a moment before simultaneously whispering different healing spells.
"Okay, now go!" Draco whispered to Harry, giving a hand into the first floor window.