Chapter 19: Together could never be close enough for me
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Helps you know just a tiny bit. You guys are awesome
And on a side note, I noticed I slightly fudged the timeline a tiny bit…but meh. Anyways most of this is taken from Order of the Phoenix obviously.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Starting for page 742 (US edition) and on are from order of the Phoenix which obviously belong to JK
"Spill" Lavender said as she dramatically threw herself down on Crystal's bed. It had been a long day for all of them, but longest for Crystal. But needless to say they were all glad to be in the dorm getting ready for bed.
"Spill what Lavender?" Crystal snapped feeling the tension from the day seep through her words. "Sorry still feeling agitated from the day." She said quickly seeing Lavender's defeated features.
"It's alright" Lavender muttered as Parvati sat down next to her.
"You can't hide it from us." Parvati smiled proudly over at Crystal who was busy rummaging through her chest for her nightgown.
"Nor the whole school apparently." Crystal growled as she snatched what she was looking for a quickly threw off her uniform onto the floor.
"It's not like Malfoy was helping" Hermione pointed out as she too took a seat on Crystal's bed.
Crystal sighed, threw on her nightgown and joined the girls on the bed as well. "No, I guess not." She shook her head. "I wasn't expecting him too...be so open?" Crystal shrugged as she reached forward to grab her pillow and hold it tight.
"But when did he you know" Lavender squealed and leaned in closer "Ask you out?" She whispered with excitement. Parvati nodded in agreement, both of them were thoroughly excited.
Crystal blinked for a moment staring at the three girls who gather on her bed. She couldn't believe it. She was having a girl talk. It had to have been first. She had never experienced it before at her old school. Back at Rose Academy she was only friends with guys and even then they weren't that close. She had always been so closed up, but not anymore. She wanted to be herself. "A long time ago actually" Crystal smiled at them and thought.
"Really?" Parvati raised an eyebrow and tried thinking back. She was starting to regret not reaching out to Crystal sooner. She didn't remember much about her until recently. There was never really a time she could imagine Draco asking Crystal out. Crystal was always with Neville or the twins. When was she ever really with Draco unless it was forced?
Crystal nodded "Yeah, it was some time before Christmas break at a Hogsmeade visit I believe." She said not sure if that was right herself. It was a while ago she knew that much. Poor Draco, he had to wait all that time for a response. That had to have been heart breaking for him. Waiting all that time no doubt it worried him that he would never get a response.
"You finally said yes? When?" Lavender looked horrified. She couldn't believe Crystal let Draco hanging. Lavender wasn't a love expert but she could tell Crystal loved Draco, so why did she wait? What was going on in her head? Or was it that she knew she would be betrothed soon? She knew Crystal was a pureblood but did she really hold to what she was taught growing up?
"Last night" Crystal blushed and hid her face in her pillow.
Lavender and Parvati both let out a high pitch squeal while Hermione smile. "Honestly it's not that surprising." Hermione said offhandedly. "She was bound to say yes eventually. If it wasn't now it was going to be after the ball this summer. I'm right aren't I?" Hermione smiled but yet it seemed empty. Her eyes weren't in it. She was holding something back. She didn't want to say everything she was thinking.
"I don't want to think about the ball." Crystal lifted her head slowly from the pillow and looked at Hermione. "It will be the first one for me and it will be murderous." She confessed paying no attention to anyone but Hermione.
"We should go to bed, we still have a little of time before the OWL's start and we need all the rest we can get." Hermione said quickly and got off of Crystal's bed. "Goodnight" She smiled to the girls and headed over to her own bed.
And Hermione was right. It was a long week of homework and studying, but if they thought that was bad once the OWL's themselves came it was even worse. Crystal's only time with Draco was at meals where he wouldn't let go of her hand even for a second. She didn't object either. She wanted to be close to him and now that the rumors had died down and everyone started accepting that they were together that was much easier on the pair.
At least the OWL's seemed to be flying by fast. Crystal felt like they were a lot easier than they should have been. The only one she had been dreading was History of Magic. And she was right to dread it. She knew none of this. History of magic was always the hardest for her. It was hard for her to care at all, but there she sat next to her brother 'taking' her exam. She wasn't focusing though. She was worrying about Neville more than herself. They both spent a lot of time last night studying. It's actually how almost every night went. The two of them studied together for as long as they could. Neville wanted to do good he wanted to make his grandmother proud so Crystal said she'd help him every step of the way. And this exam was bound to be his worst.
She had abandoned her exam well she was almost done and was watching Neville ruffle his hair several times then proceed to pick up the pencil and set it back down again. But around the seventh or eighth time of watching this something else caught her eye. A couple places away was Harry who seemed to be twitching as if sleeping but more disturbed. His face was pale and he seemed to be sweating…the exam couldn't be bringing this on could it? No, he looks frightened and something else…what was going on?
Crystal looked back at her exam not feeling any better. She stared at her question and read started to read it when her thoughts were interrupted by a scream. She looked up along with half the hall over to Harry. He began screaming so quickly and before anyone else could react he fell right on the floor. Crystal stood up along with several people in the hall but quickly sat back down, feeling stupid as she looked from Harry to her brother who was giving her the oddest look. She looked away from him and back to Harry who was being escorted by one of the examiners. Panic and fear was worn on Harry's face. What was possibly going on? She turned her attention now over to Hermione who was a lot farther up, looked just as worried as Crystal felt. But she held no answers. As she was looking back from her gaze at Hermione she caught Neville's eye and he mouthed to her.
"Find me" He mouthed and Crystal gave the tiniest nod acknowledging that she should find him after the exam. The hard part would be finding him. Because she sat next to Theodore at the exams she had a hard time escaping to the Gryffindor tower right away or let alone walk with a fellow Gryffindor, but she could do it. It might be harder now that the whole 5th year saw Harry go into a fit if you would even call it that.
She'd figure out away. The exam was forgotten. Her last question would no doubt get marked wrong, but she didn't care. No matter how many times the examiners told them to finish up their test she couldn't. Neither could Neville and probably Ron. Hermione wouldn't let anything get in her way.
The moments ticked on but finally the exam was finished. Crystal tried not to jump up to fast as they were allowed to exit. She still smiled over to Draco who was nearby and already approaching fast.
"How do you think you did, princess?" Draco returned her smile as he put his arms around her shoulders and held her close.
"I did perfect, I should be asking how you did." Crystal still found time to tease and rip her mind away from worry and the need to hurry to Neville's side.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Draco snapped as he dropped his arms and pouted slightly at Crystal.
"Oh come on mate, we all know you need all the help you can get." Theodore laughed.
"Excuse me? I am thee Draco Malfoy and I do not need to stand for this." Draco puffed out his chest half serious and half joking. Crystal wasn't laughing like she usually would though. Something was bothering her. Draco narrowed her eyes and watched her as she lazily walked forward keeping her eyes on something. What was she looking at? He tried to trace where her eyes were going but he couldn't find it. Did it have to do with Potter? He sure hoped not. "Crissy? What's wrong?" Draco couldn't help but asked as he watched her bite on her bottom lip. Something was troubling her. Crystal stopped biting her lip at once and produced the strongest smile she could. She knew how to hide her emotions and lie better than anyone else Draco knew. The only way he knew she was lying was her eyes. Her eyes were her only enemy.
"Just a bit exhausted" She reached out and gave Draco's hand a squeeze. "I'm going to go back to the Gryffindor tower for a bit and rest, is that alright?" She asked sweetly.
Draco couldn't say no. He had a bad feeling. He felt like he should make her stay by his side, but he didn't want to force her. How could he say no with that beautiful smile? "Sure I'll see you at dinner." Draco said with a quick peck on her cheek.
"Bye sis" Theodore frowned at his sister but he didn't say anything more. He too had a bad feeling about this. He didn't want her to go. Something funny was going on with her Gryffindor friends and she was running away, but if Draco didn't believe he could stop her than who was he?
"Bye" she waved quickly before weaving ahead in the wrong direction of the Gryffindor tower. She knew they would pick up right away that she wasn't going the right way, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting to Neville whom she saw slip into a deserted classroom nearby. She looked around behind her quickly before slipping in as well to find Neville sitting on a desk folding his hands and thinking hard.
"Nevs" Crystal said softly as he raised his head to look at her.
"Something's not right." He said as he jumped off the desk looking determined and ready.
"I could tell, Harry didn't look right at all." Crystal nodded her head and walked forward to Neville.
"No, you have no idea." Neville said quickly as he pushed for the door. "After rooming with Harry for five years I know enough to know he's seen something. We need to go find them now." Neville opened the door and waited for Crystal to follow.
"Like what? Something can't be wrong. I mean…you don't think it has to do with the Dark Lord do you?" Crystal asked in a harsh whisper as she headed out into the hallway.
"I have no idea, but with the way he looked as he exited the Great Hall, I'm almost sure of it." Neville left the classroom as well and shut the door softly behind them as they joined the mainstream of students filing around. "But we need to find him. We were in the D.A. together there's got to be something we can do to help, him right?" Neville's lips broke into a proud smile as he held out his fist for Crystal to bump.
She reached out and bumped his fist with her own wearing the famous Nott smirk. "Right" She responded "Now the question is where will we find them?" Crystal peaked around the students trying to find anyone familiar that might know, but there was no one that could help. They had to have been long gone by now.
"I'm pretty sure I saw Ron and Hermione head that way." Neville pointed up the staircase to their right.
It was there best chance. Crystal nodded and followed closely at Neville's heels. They weren't running but they were walking fast enough. They had wasted enough time in idle chit-chat Crystal had to have with Draco and enough time finding Neville. Who knows how far of a head start they were. They still walked on trying to find any sign of any of them. But the more the climbed the stairs the more confused they got. They were hearing snippets of conversations about a hallway being closed off because of some kind of gas. Neville and Crystal barely needed to look at each other before they were heading off in that direction. By the time they got there it seemed to be too late. Someone was attempting to be dragging another person away. Neville was already running forward.
"Ginny!" He cried and completely forgot his wand and ran towards Warrington, some Slyhterin Crystal assumed to be a 7th year in the inquisitorial squad. She didn't bother processing the situation. She was already running towards Neville who was now being punch by Warrington as Ginny attempted to make her escape. Crystal cried out as Crabbe had now grabbed onto Neville and was pulling him from behind into a painful looking choke hold.
"Neville! Ginny!" Crystal cried as Neville struggled and Ginny tried to fight her way out of a burly looking girl's arms. Crystal didn't think twice. She pulled out her wand as she made it to the top of the stairs. All the Slytherin's in the area stopped in amazement as she pointed her wand in attempt to free her friends. "Let them go" She cried quickly.
"Nott what the fuck are you doing?" Warrington sneered at her with much distaste.
"Warrington, just ignore her" Crabbe pulled his grip tighter on Neville who was fighting his hardest to break free. "We don't want Draco to flip."
"Shut up Crabbe" Warrington glared at Crabbe before turning his attention to Crystal "Like I give a fuck about Malfoy."
Crystal had a small fraction to react she swished her wand in hope to ensnare Warrington in a body bind curse, but she was too slow. He was already shielding himself and in that small amount of time arms closed around Crystal as well and held her tight. Whoever it was they weren't that strong because Crystal was able to wiggle her way out and bust into a run towards Neville who looked desperate to escape. But she didn't make it. Warrington caught her and was already holding her tightly by the stomach.
"Come on let's take this lot to Umbridge's office." He said as best as he could as Crystal attempted to bite his arm. She succeeded once but stopped after he shifted to hold her in a one arm grab so he could punch her in the face. She cried out in pain as his fist collided with her cheek. She felt it bruise almost instantly and decided it was best to keep her mouth shut as they were awkwardly carried into Umbridge's office. Crystal couldn't help but look around at who was being dragged in. Ron was there being held by one arm by Goyle, but he was busy looking worriedly at his sister. Luna was looking merely bored as she was being dragged. But Ginny, Ginny was looking at Crystal eyeing her up with curiosity as she too attempted to fight her way out like Neville.
Crystal hadn't really spoken much to Ginny, but she had a lot of respect for her. So considering they had barely spoken, why was Ginny giving her that look? Crystal didn't have much time to ponder. They were already in Umbridge's office and her face was beginning to swell uncomfortably from were Warrington punched her. She tried to ignore it and look forward. She winched as she saw Harry being pulled by Umbridge and Hermione pinned to the wall by Bulstrode. She couldn't help feeling this was a bad predicament she had gotten herself into.
"Got 'em all," Warrington's voice boomed on Crystal back as he held her tight and made sure everyone made it in the room. "That one-" He poked his fat finger at Neville while Crystal whipped her hair angrily in his face. "Tried to stop me from taking" He now turned his attention to Ginny and pointed at her as his grip tightened on Crystal who was trying not to take in the scene. She could vaguely see Ginny kicking the shins of the burly girl, but she tried ignore that as a pair of icey eyes landed on her. "her so I simply brought him along too."
"Good, good," Umbridge watched Ginny struggle as her lips twisted into a deadly smile. "Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?"
Malfoy laughed loudly and sycophantically as did a couple other Slyhterin's. But Draco's eyes didn't meet the laugh. He did find this funny. He truly did but what was Crystal doing there?
Umbridge seemed to be thinking the same things as her lips contorted farther into a smile and she said down into her chintz-covered arm-chair. "And what about the Nott girl?" All eyes seemed to turn to her. Even Harry looked amazed as he struggled to asset the situation.
"She was attempting to free everyone." Warrington answered with no mirth and no lies.
Crystal turned her bruised cheek on the group and kicked Warrington as hard as she could. Nothing she said anymore would make a difference. Warrington, Crabbe, Goyle, and a couple of other Slytherin's witnessed her actions. She was as good as dead now. It didn't matter what she did. There was a shift in positions as Umbridge began to talk and try to get word out of Harry. Crystal had a hard time listening to what was going on. Warrington was handing her over to someone else. The arms that found their way around her felt familiar as they locked her tight in a hold. Crystal didn't ponder it as she dared to look up just as Draco was leaving to fetch Professor Snape. His eyes held disappointment as they locked for a moment before he left. She tried not to cry out, but she knew there was nothing to say. Instead she looked around seeming to have the most freedom of the group. Ron who had been held moments ago by some Slytherin she didn't know was now held in a half nelson by Warrington and was supporting a bloody lip that was staining the carpet a deep red. Ginny on the other hand was fighting harder as she stomped on the burly girl's feet. Poor Neville was starting to turn purple in the face as Crabbe no doubt was suffocating him. And Hermione was attempting at a sad attempt to throw Bulstrode off, but there was no way she could do it. Bulstrode was twice her size. Luna seemed to have the right idea. The grip on her was the loosest, next to Crystals, as she stood their lazily in her captors arms.
In no time at all Snape appeared but the situation still looked no brighter. It was dim no matter how Crystal looked at it. They were all in trouble and Crystal really wasn't sure over what. Obviously Harry broke into her office, but what for? Who was he really communicating too? Crystal stood there lazily as she stared at her captor's arms wondering why it felt so familiar and what Harry was up too. As she stared at her captor's arms it hit her. Her brother was holding her. Her eyes widened as she looked up at Draco who was standing lazily in the corner twirling what appeared to be Harry's wand. She was in so much trouble. She wanted to cry out and scream, but everyone else was a lot worse off than she was right now. She'd be in trouble when she got home, not now. Right now Umbridge seemed deranged as Snape refused to give her the Veritaserum. He was just about to leave when Harry called out causing confusion on several faces except for Ron, Hermione and Ginny.
"He's got Padfoot!" He shouted in what seemed his last attempt to figure something out. "He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!"
Crystal's eyes widened in fear, Voldemort had someone! That's the only answer. But Snape didn't acknowledge his response. Not in the way he normally would. Umbridge was listening to closely. This was bad something serious was happening to someone and Harry…all of them were trapped in here. And what good did telling Snape do? Sure he was supposedly for Dumbledore's side, but was this really true? If he was whoever Voldemort has would surely be saved and there was nothing they would need to do. Crystal shook her head, no she couldn't do anything. She couldn't risk herself any more than she had today.
She toned out the rest of the conversation that Umbridge was exchanging until the Harry, Hermione and Umbridge left the room. It was then the room seemed to shrink in size and Crystal began to feel weak.
"Crystal what the hell are you thinking!" Draco cried the minute the door was closed and they were left to guard the captive students. He took several steps forward as Crystal looked around at her friends. They were all looking at her with anticipation and worry. She read them right away and knew what she had to do. Her brother already dropped her hold on her and she began to walk to Draco and pull him in a hug.
"He tricked me!" She cried into his shoulder wondering if she was doing the right thing.
"Who tricked you?" Draco pulled her away gently as he rested his hands on her shoulders so he could look into her eyes. It was useless though she was covering her face with her hands and sobbing. He couldn't tell if it was real or not. Her eyes were hidden.
"Neville" She cried a bit more as there was a bit more commotion in the room. She pulled her hands away and noticed that everyone was watching but Ginny was still fighting. She had to get Ginny free. The girl was feisty and could help them escape best. Harry needed them.
"Princess" Draco gave her a sympathetic look before leaning in to kiss her.
She didn't protest. She welcomed his warm lips and attempted to convey an apology as her lips moved on his. She opened her eyes quickly and without giving it a second thought moved her hand for her wand and pulled it over and stunned the girl holding Ginny.
Everything happened so fast. The minute Crystal hexed the burly girl Ginny busted free and managed to hex several Slyhterin's so fast no one had time to react. Crystal joined in as her lips pulled away from Draco and they managed someone to take everyone out.
"Let's get out of here!" Ginny shouted as they began to step over the bodies.
Crystal smiled at their handy work but frowned over at her brother and Draco. "I'm sorry" she said before she left after Luna.
"Pretty convincing act you had there." Ron wiped the blood off his lip and looked over at Crystal.
"I'll say, I thought for sure you were going to leave us for your lover boy." Neville said with anger rising slighting in the last part.
"I thought about slithering out, but Harry needs us doesn't he Ron?" Crystal started smiled over at her friends who were looking at her proud.
"He does, but now is not the time. We need to get going." Ron said while looking shiftily at the door which was hiding some of the commotion going on in there. "We all have our wands back?"
"Yes" Ginny grinned broadly answering for everyone.
"Then we better hurry to the forbidden forest. I saw Harry and Hermione head that way." Luna said in her dreamy voice.
Ron swallowed hard "Then we better go." He looked at everyone before they all began to run hoping that everything was alright. But none of them could shake the feelings taking over them. This was not right. They needed to hurry.