Chapter XII – The Astronomy Tower - Part II

The circular Astronomy Tower was almost completely open to the elements, except for an expanse of wall which ran halfway around the tower. The other half of the tower had waist-high railings around the perimeter, so that students had access to the night's sky during their Astronomy lessons.

It was dark atop the tower and the blackness of the night was somewhat softened by the cloudy sky. Dark, grey clouds covered the inky expanse. It was well past sundown and the lit torches on the walls provided the only source of light. Their flickering pinpricks cast shadows on the smooth stone walls. It reminded her of the dungeons, as if the sky around her were the walls of the Potions classroom.

He was already there, immediately recognizable against the dark backdrop. Draco stood at the far end of the circular tower, gripping the hand rails and looking out onto the landscape below.

Hermione paused as she took in her surroundings and his turned form. She didn't want to break the silence, and instead approached him without saying anything. Either Draco heard the creak of the weathered floorboards or he intrinsically noted her presence, because he swiftly twisted around, and looked her straight in the eye.

He wore a tense, almost conflicted expression. She could see it along in his forehead and buried in his eyes, and wondered again what had brought her here and what the matter was.

They simply stared at each other for what seemed like ages to Hermione. Draco's gaze seemed to pin her to the spot, and she was unable to look away. Then, with a blink his gaze softened and he leaned back on the railings.

"I thought you wouldn't come."

Hermione took a deep breath before responding.

"Well… I did. What was it that you wanted to talk about?"

Draco tensed, and didn't say anything, just looked at Hermione appraisingly.

"There's no good way of going about this, I realize…"

He looked away from her then, and Hermione felt a little annoyed at him again. She had enough of his melodramatic antics, and just wanted it out.

"Look, Draco, could you please just tell me what's going on? I didn't risk coming up here just so we could stand around in the cold."

Draco sighed, as one would at the end of a long day. Then in one movement, he leaned down and sat on the cold floor boards. Draco looked just defeated with his legs crossed. After a moment, Hermione felt a bit silly standing, so she walked over and sat down next to him, her back also against the railings.

He wasn't looking at her. It seemed that he was just closely examining the wall ahead of him. She didn't know what to say; somehow Draco's mood had completely wiped away her irritation with him.

Hermione looked up when she heard him let out a long breath.

"Over the summer I was approached by my father and the… Dark Lord about a task. The Dark Lord had already decided that I would be the one to do it, and I didn't have any choice in the matter."

The light breeze caught a strand of Hermione's hair and tugged it out of place.

"I never wanted it…I, I didn't have any choice. I've been trying this entire year, but I just can't do it. I really just can't do it anymore."

Everything fell away when she looked at him. No-one should ever have to look like that; he looked destroyed. Something in his face was off and the crease between his eyebrows looked etched there.

Draco looked up and their gazes locked, as he told her the final piece.

"He told me that I had to kill Dumbledore."

Hermione froze in shock, eyes wide.

Draco looked up at her then,

"Believe me, I never wanted it." He said earnestly, almost beseechingly.

Draco looked up and reached a hand out to cup her face.

"Believe me, Hermione," Draco repeated.

Against everything that was happening then, Hermione felt the familiar curling in her chest as Draco's hand gently caressed her cheek. It was that which made her find her voice.

"You don't have to do this." She said finally. "You are your own person. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do."

"He said he'd kill me; kill my entire family if I didn't obey. What other alternative is there?"

"There's always an alternative, Draco."

"Not for me, no. It's this or I die."

"Listen to me," Hermione said softly and shook his leg. "I know what to do."

"What?" He looked at her, the question in his eyes.

Her hand found his and she gave it a gentle squeeze.

"We go to Dumbledore."

Suggested musical accompaniment: 'Maybe I'm Amazed' by Paul McCartney.

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