Draco's face suddenly fell and the little color he had left drained from his face as his eyes alighted on something - or someone - behind Harry. His eyes got wide and he dropped Harry's hands, suddenly becoming the panicked and fearfulboyhe had been all year. Harry, now acutely aware of his surroundings and their particular situation, did a double take before whirling around, wand outstretched. To his surprise, Professor Snape stood before him, looking as surprised as his impassive face would allow.
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"Mr. Potter," he intoned, successfully masking any emotion he might be feeling. "I don't suppose you and Mr. Malfoy are practicing potions at this hour, so what exactly are you doing wandering about the castle?" He cocked one eyebrow inquisitorially, looking from one boy to the next, awaiting an explanation.

"We weren't wandering about the castle, sir," Harry supplied with no small amount of bitterness after Draco made it quite clear he was incapable of speaking.

"No?" Professor Snape responded after a moment. "Then perhaps you were up to something?" Each word carried its own weight, as if he were in no hurry to get the two of them back to bed.

Draco and Harry exchanged glances, unable to come up with an acceptable response. They were suddenly glad for the dim lighting, as it masked the color in each of their cheeks. Snape, seeing no obvious response readily available and both boys neglecting to say anything useful, assigned them both detention to be servedtomorrow evening.

Looking pointedly at Draco, he added, "Mr. Malfoy will serve detention with me, as he is of my house. Mr. Potter, you will serve detention with Professor McGonagall, as she is head of yours."

Draco felt intense panic rising in his chest; if he was serving detention with Snapetomorrow evening, then he had to open theVanishingCabinet and kill Dumbledore; he wouldn't have a choice. And Harry wouldn't even be there to help him through it! Harry was also feeling the pressure, albeit slightly less than Draco. He was going to have to find a way to see Draco during detention tomorrow, that much was certain.

Breathlessly, Harry re-entered the Gryffindor common room. His mind was racing and he desperately needed someone to bounce ideas off of - unfortunately, everyone else was in bed and wouldn't even begin to understand. Agitated and unsure of what to
do next, Harry threw himself onto his four-poster and tossed and turned until the first rays of dawn began to shine through the heavy curtains obscuring the windows. As soon as day began to break, he anxiously got up, glad to have free roam of
the castle again. The fact that he was still wearing the same robes as yesterday seemed inconsequential compared to the fact that the castle was about to be stormed by Death Eaters and Dumbledore killed by the boy whom he loved.

Seemingly on autopilot, Harry found himself in the owlery - a place he was sure not to encounter anyone. Hedwig flew over to him, alighting on his arm. Even amongst all the turmoil, Harry could always rely on Hedwig to restore him to a sense of calm.
His head began to clear amongst the quiet sounds of the birds, and he felt a plan begin to form. Even if he was in detention, he might be able to prevent the attack - but he was going to need some help. Pulling out a piece of loose parchment,
Harry scrawled a note and attached it to Hedwig's leg.

"Quick now, Hedwig," Harry whispered as she flew off into the brisk morning air. The sun broke over the horizon just as she disappeared from sight; unable to wait for a reply, Harry wandered back towards the castle, thinking and wondering what one
blonde-haired boy might be doing right at this moment.

Draco awoke - he had collapsed from sheer exhaustion just moments after entering his room - and had just one moment of peace before the absolute dread of what today held set in with full force. Eyes growing wide with terror and fingers gripping the
sheets he lay on, Draco felt paralyzed. Getting up would mean accepting his fate; ignoring it would seal it. Only the thought of seeing Harry aroused him enough to get out of bed. Slipping silently through the halls, Draco debated what his next
move should be. Seeing as he didn't know where Harry was and had little chance of seeing him without arousing suspicion, he was going to have to wait until breakfast; seeing as that was still an hour or two off, he had some time to kill.And that's not theonlything,his
mind muttered darkly. He set out for a brisk walk about the courtyard to clear his head, desperately hoping to meet the dark-haired boy along the way.

Circumstances were not so lucky; the two did not again meet until breakfast, at which point all they could exchange was meaningful glances.

"Where ya been, mate?" Ron greeted Harry roughly as his best friend joined him at the table.

"Morning walk," Harry replied distractedly, eyes darting constantly to the Slytherin table. "I went to see Hedwig."

"Hedwig? That's what got you out of bed so early? Bloody hell, that bird means more to you than my sister!" Ron replied, seeking to get a rise out of Harry but remaining unsuccessful. A sharp jab from Hermione curbed his efforts; soon the three were
eating in silence, Ron and Hermione pointedly avoiding the fact that Harry seemed far more interested in Draco than them.

Unable to refrain from seeing him any longer, Harry stood up suddenly from the table. The movement drew everyone's attention, but he had eyes only for Draco; a look passed between them, and soon the two were darting out of the Great Hall together,
much to the surprise of the other students. Rumors began flying almost immediately, almost none of which were true. Draco and Harry payed them no mind, however, as they had far more important things to discuss.

"I had to see you," Harry whispered, pulling Draco close and holding him tightly.

Draco returned the embrace, replying, "I know. I had to see you, too."

Draco kissed Harry lightly on the cheek before pulling away. His skin was paler than usual, and his cheeks were sallow. The once sparking grey eyes were now dull, and his hair was matted and unclean. Draco looked a mess, to be sure, but inside he
was warmer than he had ever been. Terrified, yes, but still glowing at the attention he was receiving.

Pulling him over to a side corridor, Harry whispered, "I have a plan." Before he could begin to explain it, however, Hedwig showed up with a letter. Tearing it open, Harry grinned.

"Perfect," he said hopefully, "this is just what I need."