It didn't take long for Harry to find the ghost of Helena Ravenclaw. I sat with the others in the Room of Requirement, occasionally glancing over at Draco, who dawdled on the edge, seemingly uncomfortable.
"You alright?" I ask reluctantly.
He meets my eyes with a thoughtful stare.
"I just deserted everything that defined me, Granger. I'm a little shaken."
His sincerity caught me off guard, and I found myself mumbling an apology.
"If it's any consolation, I had to leave my parents too," I tell him softly, and he gave me a confused look.
"Yeah, because that's similar," he drawled sarcastically.
"I had to obliviate them. After- after He started hunting.. muggleborn families," I said, almost unwilling to share with him my greatest tragedy.
He looked away and started at the ground, and I knew he wasn't going to answer. I turned back to the group and concentrated on their conversation- something about how the quidditch finals were cancelled because of the bad weather. Typical for such a light conversation to still exist in times like these, but pulling at the brighter strings always made the situation slightly less lethal, and more of a repeat of the previous years; hopeful.
Time ticked by and Harry had not returned. Ron seemed to become distressed, but didn't voice it. I could just tell. The pitch in his voice. The distance from the conversation. He met my eyes and we both seemed to think the same thing. We both stood up and moved away from the group.
"We need to help him," Ron said, his deep voice wary and uncomfortable.
"I know. But he said we should wait here," I started.
"If he needs us, being here won't help."
"There could be death eaters in the school! We can't just leave. Think sensibly, Ronald. It's too dangerous."
He seemed to grow angry, and I took a small step away.
"I'm not just going to stand here."
I sighed, and knew he was right. I turned around and called Draco, who stood and walked hautily over to us.
"Then he's coming," I tell Ron, who's jaw drops.
"You're joking," Ron says, "he'll give us away!"
"He'd do it on his life," I reminded him.
Ron looked at Draco, and stepped closer to him.
"One move out of line, ferret, and you won't move again."
The words floated between them in an uncomfortable silence, the two boys glaring at eachother.
"Come on," I tell them.
"I don't understand why you're dragging me along, Granger," he said, "I'm as good as dead out there."
"And you're as good as dead in here. I trust my friends not to hurt me, but you, I'm not so sure about."
He remained silent. Again.
We reached the door, and Ron hesitantly opened it, listening for a moment. He swung it open enough to look around, and waved us through.
"One sound, and we hide," he whispered to us.
I nod, but I saw Draco glare. Hiding was not his forte.
We walked silently through the corridors, our ears pricked at the slightest sound.
When we heard footsteps, we would duck behind wall-sunk statues or change directions and duck behind corners. We hadn't intercepted any death eaters, and I thanked Merlin for our luck. Ron lead the way towards the Ravenclaw tower, and I was in awe of his strength and surety. That was, until we heard steps coming from the end of the corridor. We turned around, ready to hide in the nearest path. But we realized we had chosen a particularly long corridor, and we were almost at the end. Looking around for hollow curtains and sunken statues, we found none.
"Shit," Ron murmured.
The steps grew louder, clouded by a pair of voices. Ron turned to me with wide, desperate eyes. To run away would mean to have our backs turned. Which lead to no hope. Hiding wasn't an option. We were stuck. Screwed. Royally.
Suddenly, a hand grasped my back, and pushed me onto the ground. Ron followed, and he quickly struggled to get up.
"Incarcerous," Draco said.
The ropes coiled around is, binding Ron and I together. I looked over to the end of the corridor and saw Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott walking towards us. Their eyes surveying the situation.
"Malfoy, you bastard!" Ron yelled at him, struggling against the ropes.
"Well, well," Zabini said as he approached, "what do we have here?"
"What does it look like, Zabini, fucking cake?" Draco drawled.
"I didn't think you had it in you, Draco," Zabini said.
"Gee, thanks," he replied.
"Why are you not moving them?"
"Am I not allowed to take a fucking break? I've been walking them from the dungeons," Malfoy defended.
Zabini raised his hands in surrender, a large grin on his face.
"He'll be happy with you for this. Mind if I tag along?"
"What're you here for? I heard they'd sectioned off this floor for demolition."
"Yeah, we're on our way to meet with the team," Zabini said, grinning as Ron struggled again.
At this point, I was severely confused. I hadn't heard of any way that someone could lie in an unbreakable vow. According to the vow, Draco should be dead. But he looked down at me with unemotional eyes, and I saw them glint mysteriously.
"Then you'd better get on your way. I'm taking all the credit for these two," he said, waving at us, bounded and chained, "no way you're getting in on this."
Zabini shrugged, "it was worth a go, you know?"
Malfoy raised and eyebrow, and the two boys continued down the corridor.
"Wingardium Leviosa," Draco said, and Ron growled as we levitated from the ground.
"I'm going to fucking kill you, Malfoy!" Ron raged on. We turned a corner, and Draco kept walking, his expression thoughtful.
After he turned another corner, he stopped, and dropped us lightly onto the ground. Ron growled, and Draco released us from the bindings.
"If you'll take a second to use that peanut brain of yours, Weasely, you might just figure out that I save your sorry asses."