TESS/THERESA
Tess was a little nervous.
Draco was angrier than she'd ever seen him. He was dragging her up to the school, muttering things about stupid rumors and idiot third years. The grip on her arm was very tight, a sure sign of fury.
He led her into the castle and shoved her in a niche in the wall. "Any minute now," he said, his voice dangerously low. Then he must have heard something, for he turned to Tess and kissed her.
Tess was a little surprised, but if he was kissing her then he probably wasn't actually Pansy Parkinson's boyfriend, which meant that he wasn't just using her, which was good. She didn't want to go through the turmoil of breaking up with someone. She slowly put one of her arms around Draco's middle, while the other hand crept up his chest to his shoulder.
People started walking past, and Tess realized that they'd just gotten out of lunch. She heard surprised whispers, some eeew's, and a lot of gasps. Draco pulled away and whispered, "See? End to the rumors." He kissed her again, and Tess, more prepared this time, kissed him back.
"Theresa," Draco said, "I have something to tell you . . ."
Tess blinked at him. They were sitting across from one another at Ravenclaw table during dinner, sharing a dish of cheese chili. It was something very American, but Tess had wanted to try it, so the elves in the kitchen had prepared it.
Draco was looking distinctly uncomfortable. He swallowed, stabbing the same piece of chicken in the bowl over and over again with his fork. His gray eyes lifted. If Tess hadn't known better, she would have thought that she saw guilt and sadness in them.
"What's wrong?" she asked, just to be sure.
Draco looked down at his plate. "Tess . . . your friend, Raven . . ."
Tess felt her eyes widen, a hollow feeling entering her bones. "No . . ."
"I'm sorry," Draco whispered. "She . . . the curse."
A wave of rage washed over Tess and she stood up. "Qui—Jefferies is going DOWN." She hopped over the bench and offered her hand to Draco across the table. "I'm going to find as many spells as possible to use on that *cough*. Would you like to come with me?"
A faint smile passed over Draco's face. "I would like nothing better," he said, taking Tess's hand briefly. "Library?"
"Room Number Two," Tess exclaimed incredulously. "Duh."
In the second Room of Requirement, they stayed up way later than they should have. They also had a pillow fight with couch pillows, until Tess whacked Draco in the chest and he doubled over, squeaking with pain. (Tess had to laugh at the squeak because it was so unlike him.)
April came and went. On May 1st, they stayed up long into the night hours. Tess fell asleep with her head on a book. She was woken by a large crash and a scream of "COWARD" from outside the door. Draco was already standing up, poised for action, his wand in hand.
Tess drew her wand and crept up the ladder. Keeping her head very close to the floor of the hall, she peeked outside the Room of Requirement Number Two just in time to see Harry Potter and Luna Lovegood emerge from seemingly out of nowhere and rush into a classroom.
"Come on," she hissed over her shoulder at Draco. She hopped out of the wall and peered around the corner of the classroom. Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, and Slughorn were looking out of a window with Harry and Luna.
Tess decided to make her presence known. "You're back, Harry," she said, moving into the doorway.
Behind her, she heard Draco make a low noise of disgust. She reached back and found his hand, twining her fingers with his.
Everyone in the room spun. Harry looked surprised, then somewhat revolted, then impassive, when he saw Tess holding hands with Draco. Luna smiled.
"Miss Wilford . . . Malfoy," Flitwick said slowly. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"We've been researching the entire night," Tess explained. "When we heard the commotion, we decided to come out here. Are we going to fight Voldemort?"
"I am," Harry corrected. "No one else is."
"Excuse me, Potter?" Harry's Head of House turned on him with a stern glare. "We will help you fight."
"Everyone of age," Flitwick said.
Suddenly Harry gasped, his hand flying to his scar. "Volde—You-Know-Who's coming!"
"Preparations," McGonagall snapped, eyes blazing. "Horace, collect the students and bring them to the Great Hall. Filius, Pomona, start protecting the school with the necessary charms. Potter, go look for that Horcrux."
She glanced at Luna and Tess and Draco in turn. "Go to the Great Hall."
"We could do something," Tess protested.
"Great. Hall," McGonagall commanded.
Luna joined Tess and Draco. "We should probably run."
Tess agreed. Luna took the lead, but when they reached the entrance to the Great Hall she flew past it. Harry pulled up on Tess's side, gave her a nod, shot Draco a half-glare, and overtook them, reaching Luna. "Where are you going?"
"The Room of Requirement, of course," Luna said, managing to sound dreamy even when running.
"Right," Harry said.
They reached the Room of Requirement to find it packed full of people. Draco saw this and muttered, "I'll be outside."
Tess had seen Ginny talking with a brown-haired Gryffindor and nodded once at Draco before jogging over. "Ivy, is it?" she asked the Gryffindor.
"Yeah," the girl said, "and you're Tess, right?"
"Nice to meet you," Tess said. "Ginny, are you going to be fighting?"
"Shh," Ginny said, her eyes flaring. She lowered her voice. "Yes, but don't tell my mum, she made me promise I would stay in here. I was crossing my fingers, of course."
"Of course," Ivy said, grinning. She saw someone over Tess's shoulder and gave a small gasp of excitement. "Fred!"
She pushed past Tess, who turned to watch her embrace one of the Weasley twins fiercely. "Hey, Day—. . . I mean, Ivy," he said.
"Oh, just call me Daya," Ivy said, pushing at his chest. "The secret's got to get out someday."
Tess was puzzled by this but chose not to ask. "Are you scared?"
"Nervous, more," Ginny admitted. "You?"
"I don't think it's quite sunk in yet," Tess said. "I'm mostly feeling adrenalized."
Ginny shrugged.
The voice of Professor McGonagall echoed through the room. "All students report to the Great Hall at once!"
Tess pushed through the crowd, Ginny and Luna on her heels. Outside, Draco was nowhere in sight. A spark of fear drifted up in her and she sent her Patronus to find him and report back, then raced after Ginny and Luna.
In the Great Hall, McGonagall said that all underage wizards who did not want to participate could leave, escorted by Madam Pomfrey and Caretaker Filch through the passage to the Hog's Head Inn in the Room of Requirement.
Suddenly a voice that could only be Voldemort's echoed through the Great Hall. "I know that you are preparing to fight," he said. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
Pansy Parkinson saw Harry, at the front of the Gryffindors. "Grab him," she shrieked.
As one, the Gryffindors all rose and pointed their wands at the Slytherins. Noting a feeling of exhilaration rising up in her, Tess stood also, her wand specifically aimed at Pansy, followed by Luna and all the other Ravenclaws. Hufflepuff followed suit.
McGonagall raised an eyebrow. "Slytherin house will also be evacuated, aside from those of age who wish to stay. The Horcrux, Mr. Potter!"
Harry nodded and dashed from the room.
The Slytherins started filing out, towards the passage to the Hog's Head. Tess stood on tiptoes, hating her short height, and tried to find Draco's pale hair in the group. She couldn't.
"McGonagall's calling you," said Luna quietly. Tess went to the professor. Also with the Gryffindor head of House were Ginny, Neville Longbottom, and Seamus Finnigan. "Go down and destroy the wooden bridge," she commanded. "Hurry, there isn't much time."
"Come on," Neville commanded, suddenly looking very much like a Gryffindor. He turned and ran from the Great Hall. Tess was the first to follow.
They were almost at the bridge when the castle shook. Now Tess felt the nervousness, the fear. This was real.
"Someone's got to go across and destroy it from the other side," Neville gasped upon reaching the bridge. "It's way too long!"
Tess wasn't sure why she stepped up, raising her hand. "I'll do it."
"No way," Neville and Seamus said instantly, turning their backs on the bridge to bar her way.
"What?" Tess challenged. "You think a girl isn't capable of blowing something up? Look at her!" She pointed at Ginny. "She's better at the Reductor Curse than the person who taught it to her!"
She pushed past them and marched across the bridge.
"How will you get back across?" Ginny demanded.
"I'll think of something," Tess said.
She jogged to the end of the bridge.
"On three," Ginny told her, shouting to be heard.
"Okay," Tess shouted back.
"One . . . two . . . thr—"
"LOOK OUT," Neville bellowed, dashing past Ginny, throwing her behind him, and rushing across the bridge. "Stupefy!"
Tess ducked, as Neville probably knew she would. There was a thud behind her and she spun, ready to duel.
"Get back," Neville shouted, blocking a spell that came from the darkness and retaliating.
Tess backed up until she hit Ginny.
The person in the darkness cast a fiery looking spell. The Blasting Charm.
"NEVILLE," Ginny screamed, coming to the same conclusion, "COME BACK HERE!"
Snatchers were pouring onto the bridge. Neville Stunned his way through them with incredible speed. Even as the middle of the bridge exploded, he jumped. The Snatchers all fell into the ravine below. Tess gasped, wincing.
"Neville?" Ginny said in a small voice.
A hand appeared at one of the bridge's supports.
"Neville!" Tess squeaked. She rushed forward. Neville was holding onto the last intact beam before the charred parts of the bridge. She leaned down and grasped his upper arm. Together, she, Ginny, and Seamus managed to pull him onto the bridge. He lay on the wooden slats of the bridge, panting, blood streaming from a cut on his head beneath his hair. Then he scrambled to his feet, swaying a little. "We need to get back there."
Tess grabbed his arm, stopping him. "Sit down for a moment."
"I already did," Neville protested.
"You might have a concussion," Tess snapped. "Sit down."
Neville sat. Tess crouched and carefully peeled back layers of his hair until she found the cut. She touched it. Neville flinched.
"Episkey," Tess murmured, pointing her wand at the cut. It sealed up most of the way. "Okay. Now you can stand up."
They were rushing through the castle when one of the windows shattered and three Death Eaters flew in. Ginny Stunned one, Seamus blew apart the floor at another's feet, and Tess performed the Full-Body Bind on the last. They stole the wands. Ginny was about to break one over her knee when Tess stopped her. "Others will lose their wands. You should keep them."
Ginny stuck them in the waistband of her jeans. "Let's go!"
"Uh . . . guys?" Neville said. He was looking out the shattered window. "We've got a slight problem. The defenses around the school are gone."
Tess felt a bolt of stark fear, even though she was pumped and ready to kill Death Eaters. Draco, she thought. "I need to get to the Room of Requirement," she said. "You guys go!"
She ran for the Room of Requirement, meeting up with Percy and Fred Weasley. Fred seemed to be looking for someone; probably Ivy.
They burst around the corner to two Death Eaters. Fred and Percy took them on, dueling viciously. Tess hung back, offering help when needed. The hood of the Death Eater Percy was battling slipped down, revealing the Minister of Magic, Pius Thicknesse. "Hey, Minister," Percy shouted, hitting him with a sea urchin jinx. Tess noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione in front of the Room of Requirement door.
Tess wasn't sure what alerted her. Maybe it was a faint voice shouting the Blasting Charm: maybe it was instinct. She leaped in front of Fred and shrieked, "PROTEGO DUO!"
The wall exploded just as her Shield Charm went up. Large chunks of stone and rubble pounded against the shield, but Tess was not standing down. She kept the charm up until the dust cleared.
Fred was staring at her with amazement. "Wha . . . how . . ."
Tess quirked an eyebrow. "You're welcome."
There was a shout from the end of the hallway. Ivy rounded the corner and flung herself at Fred so hard he stumbled backwards.
"Percy," Ron's voice shouted.
Tess looked around for the redhead Minister's assistant, but Percy was nowhere to be seen.
Fred shoved Ivy away, his gaze hardening. "I'll make those Death Eaters wish they were never born," he vowed.
He shot off down the hall, Ivy careening after him.
Harry came up to Tess. "That was brilliant," he told her quietly. "And for my friend's sake, thank you."
"Which way did Draco go?" Tess demanded.
Harry pointed.
Tess ran. She fled past at least six Death Eaters, who barely even noticed her. She was running up a staircase when she saw Draco. He was being held at wandpoint by a Death Eater and pleading that he was on their side.
Tess fired six different spells at the Death Eater. The first one bounced off.
Draco tugged at his turtleneck and was turning to Tess when someone invisible punched him in the face, making him fall to the floor with the force packed behind it. "Thank her, you scumbag," a voice a lot like Ron's hissed.
"Not necessary," Tess muttered, taking the stairs three at a time to reach her boyfriend. There was a whispered word of apology.
Draco staggered to his feet, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve. "I suppose I deserved that," he admitted quietly.
Tess reached his side and put a hand on his arm. "What do you mean?"
Draco sank to the floor, resting his forearms on his knees, and leaned against the wall. "I've been nothing but a pain since I saw them. I deserve a hell of a lot more than a single punch—two, if you count Mudblood Granger—I mean, Granger"—he corrected himself quickly at Tess's death glare—"slapping me in third year. I deserved the Sectumsempra curse. I deserve—"
"Shh," Tess whispered, hearing something. She'd stayed on her feet. "Someone's coming."
Draco staggered up again. His knuckles were white from gripping his wand so tightly. Footsteps could be heard.
Then someone shrieked a curse word, and sounds of magic followed. Tess was trotting down the staircase as fast as she could before Draco could stop her. The steps were too small to run down properly.
"Tess—" Draco called, sounding panicked.
Tess cast a Shield Charm in front of her and turned. "Do you want to defend this school or not, Draco? It's been your home and mine for the past seven years. Don't let it go to waste."
She turned and saw Neville and Dean Thomas battling four Death Eaters, somehow managing, but the opponents could not land a hit on each other. It looked to Tess like Neville was having more trouble, so she sent a Stun down at one of the Death Eaters. He fell. The other Death Eater Neville was battling turned, and Neville threw some sort of plant at him. It wrapped around his throat.
Neville moved on to the Death Eaters battling Dean. They went down quickly. "You guys good?" Tess shouted down.
"Fine," Neville answered.
Dean's eyes widened and he pointed wordlessly up the stairs.
Tess looked up. Draco was standing in front of four Death Eaters.
"Draco," one of them said. "Good. You're helping. Finish them off." He pointed.
"Go to hell," Draco spat, and cursed one of them. Tess, bounding up the stairs, shot three with a Stun. They were all blocked.
The Death Eaters forced them down the stairs, but then Neville and Dean joined Tess and Draco, fighting with more determination than ever. The Death Eaters fell one by one.
Tess was by now bleeding in several places and thoroughly exhausted. What she needed was a long nap. When Voldemort's voice echoed through the castle again, she hardly listened.
"An armistice," Neville exclaimed. Blood was pouring down the side of his face once more. The cut in his hair must have reopened. "Why would he call an armistice?"
"One hour to surrender Harry Potter, or die," Dean murmured.
Tess looked at Draco, noticed a cut above his eyebrow. She dabbed at it with her fingers, making him wince. "One hour to treat the injured," Draco muttered. "Treat your dead with dignity."
His gray eyes were full of emotional confusion. Neville and Dean must have sensed that he wanted to talk to Tess alone, because they faded into the background. Tess pushed Draco's hair out of his face. "What's wrong?"
"The only reason I became a Death Eater was to keep my family safe," Draco whispered. "If I didn't, they'd die. And now they may well die anyway. What if I'm forced to choose? Between family and here?" He gestured around at the ruined castle. "Family and good? Family and you? Which path can I take?"
"You won't," Tess assured him, hoping it was true. "You'll be fine."
Draco stared down at her. "Whatever happens, promise we won't split up. Promise you'll stay right by my side."
Tess felt her heart squeeze and she choked up, unable to speak.
"Promise!" Draco pleaded.
Tess found her voice. "I promise."