{ 33 }
My footsteps echoed along the stone corridor. Ahead of me I can see the glow of lights in the lecture hall. Behind me, the staircase swung away from the third floor and the banister settled back over the landing.
My session with Edenfield had been tense, to say the least. He wanted to discuss my relationship with Hermione. Starting from when we were eleven years old and I first met her.
If he is trying to get me to forgive myself, reliving those memories is not going to help.
I sighed to myself and ran my hand through my hair. Then I took a deep breath before I stepped into the lecture hall.
Hermione is there. Standing in front of the round table, staring at the book under the glass case. She wants to open the damn thing so badly she can taste it. The only reason she has not attempted it yet is because I have stopped her every time she tries.
I stopped at the archway and leaned my shoulder against the stone. I stood there and simply watched her for a moment.
I can still picture her the first time I saw her. Her wide eyes were trying to take in everything Diagon Alley had to offer, all at once.
So much has changed since then. At the same time, some things never change. She still wants to know everything there is to know. About everything.
She turned around slowly. She lifted one eyebrow, crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to one side.
My eyes met hers. I hope she knows how much I regret everything. The names. The mockery. The curses.
She hesitated a moment.
"Are you alright?" She asked as she crossed the room and put her hands on my chest.
"Oh, sure." My hands settled on her waist and tugged her a little closer. "I just spent the last hour reliving the horrid way I treated you when we were younger."
I don't know what reaction I was expecting. Not for her to start laughing, I'm sure.
"You were nasty to me, weren't you?" She giggled.
I released a short huff of a laugh and held her a little tighter.
"You had your moments, too, you know." She always had given as good as she got.
"Right?" She laughed a little harder. "Good times."
I laughed with her and felt the tension draining out of my shoulders. I don't quite know if I am laughing because of the way we treated each other, or in spite of it. We really were little prats to each other, if you think about it.
And now…now we snog each other senseless. We sleep wrapped in each other's arms. We protect each other.
"What would your eleven year old self say if he could see you now?" Edenfield asked at the end of our session.
"I imagine he would hate me as much as I hate him."
And I do. I hate him for ever thinking that Hermione is somehow less because of her parents. I hate him for following blindly and never asking questions. I hate him for being a pawn in someone else's game and not even knowing it.
I hate myself for taking so bloody long to figure it all out.
She sensed the change in my mood as my laughter trailed off and I held her a little tighter.
"It's in the past, Draco." She spoke quietly. Her hands cupped my face and she stared into my eyes. "That isn't who you are anymore."
I took a deep breath, inhaling her strawberry aroma and letting it wash over me. She's right, of course. That isn't who I am anymore.
You can't change the past. You can only change your future.
My future is with her.
"You are thinking about trying to open the book again, aren't you?"
She tensed for a moment, sighed and stepped back.
"It's time to at least try."
You know she is right.
Before I could answer, the sound of grinding stone crept down the corridor. Which could only mean one thing. Someone is coming.
My eyes met hers for a moment. She moved quickly to the office and made sure the door to the sitting room beyond was closed and warded with a notice-me-not charm.
She was just returning to the lecture room with a book in her hands when Professor Bones stepped through the archway.
"Good morning, Professor." Hermione gave her a small, polite smile.
"Miss Granger. Mr. Malfoy." She nodded at both of us, skirted around the table that held Ravenclaw's book, and stood behind one of the chairs at the worktable. "I have a free period, so I thought I would see how you are coming on breaking wards."
"We have been practicing." I felt my lip quirk up on one side. Over the past week or so we have taken to placing wards around the third floor living quarters so the other has to break through them to get to the balcony or the bathroom.
Hermione walked behind me and slapped the back of my head. She had not been amused the first time I did it.
"Good. Let me see how far you have come, then."
For the next hour she tested us. She started with simple locking wards, and slowly increased the complexity.
Hermione is up now. She stood staring at the door in concentration. Her brow crinkled and she chewed on her bottom lip.
"There is no shame if you want to pass on this one, Granger." I teased. I leaned back against the work table and crossed my arms over my chest.
"Shut it, Malfoy." She didn't turn away from her task.
I smirked to myself as I watched her study the wards. After a few more moments, she rolled her shoulders back and took a deep breath. She raised her wand.
I had my own wand in hand…just in case. It was a good thing, too.
She may as well have cast a bombarda. It felt like an explosion shook the room.
Before I had time to think about what was happening or what I was doing, I propelled myself forward. My arms wrapped around Hermione and I shouted out a shield charm. The shock wave hit my shield half a heartbeat later.
Distantly I heard the sounds of the tables being overturned and glass breaking.
I held her long after the dust had settled around us.
"Draco. You can let go now."
I'm not sure I can, actually.
"Are you alright?" I asked instead.
"I am. Thanks to you." Her hand settled over mine and squeezed gently.
I slowly relaxed my shoulders and dropped the shield.
"Damn it, Hermione." I released a deep sigh and ran my hand through my hair. "Don't scare me like that."
"I don't know what went wrong. I thought I had it." She stepped forward again and started examining the wards.
I looked back to see Bones watching us with a look somewhere between amused and concerned. She had a shield protecting her, which she kept in place.
I faced the wards and started examining them myself, even as Hermione was doing so also.
The pattern is odd. The closer I look, the more I realize that there is no discernable pattern. It's haphazard.
No. That isn't right either. They are layered. One on top of another. Each one with a different starting point. Hermione had pulled on the wrong one.
"Do you see it?" She asked quietly.
"I count four layers?" They seem to intertwine. "Which one is on top, though?"
"Not the one that starts in the bottom right hand corner." The sarcasm in her voice made me laugh.
"Duly noted." That had to have been the one she tried, and we both know how well that turned out.
One by one we located the remaining strands. It was only after careful observation of each that we were able to deduce which strand to pull on first. I stood by, ready to cast a shield charm as soon as she muttered the counter.
I breathed a sigh of relief as the ward unraveled. We had to go through the same process two more times, until all four of the simple locking wards were gone and the door opened freely once again.
"Very good, both of you." Professor Bones clapped when the door opened. "What did you learn from this test?"
"Be prepared if something goes wrong." If I had been a split second later, Hermione or myself could have been seriously harmed.
"Work together. I should have asked for help in the first place." Hermione pushed her hair back behind her ears and released a deep sigh.
She turned around for the first time. Her eyes widened and her hand covered her mouth as she gasped.
"Oh, Merlin!"
I turned to see what she was looking at. My heart stopped in my chest for a long moment. The tables and chairs had all been shoved up against the far wall. Some of them lay in splinters.
What would have happened if I hadn't cast that shield charm? My stomach rolled just thinking about it.
"I did warn you that these things can kill you, did I not?" Bones stepped closer. "You have to rely on each other in this. Like you just did."
She glanced at her watch.
"I need to be going. I trust the two of you will clean up this mess, yes?" She did not wait for a response before she left the room as quickly as she could.
"What was that about?" Hermione watched the doorway for several moments after Bones disappeared.
I don't know why she is asking me. I haven't a clue.
I started moving the tables and chairs back into place whilst Hermione started to collect the various books and loose parchment that had accumulated on the floor.
The round table was lying on its side but was otherwise unharmed. I pulled it back. Broken glass littered the floor.
I felt something, a warm, inviting current spreading from the vicinity of the broken glass.
Hermione was reaching into the pile of debris before I recognized what it was.
"No. Stop!" I reached for her hand.
I was too late.
Her fingers brushed over the leather-bound book just as my hand circled her wrist.
Warmth settled over me like a blanket. A sense of calm and peace flowed through me.
"Draco?" Her voice was an awed whisper.
"I feel it." I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat. She was right. The wards are keyed to us. Impossible as that may be.
"What do we do now?" She didn't move. Her hand is still resting on Ravenclaw's book. My hand is still on her wrist.
"I don't know." The implications of those wards accepting us are too great to comprehend right now. I cleared my throat. "Let's finish cleaning up this mess. Then we can figure it out."
It took great effort to pull her hand away. Once contact was broken, the feelings of calm and peace dissipated, but the warm, tingling sensation remained.
The glass case had protected us from the inviting aura of the wards. Now that the case is gone, the allure of the book is hard to resist.
"Repairo." Hermione directed the spell at the broken shards of glass lying on the floor. One by one, they reassembled themselves into a flawlessly smooth glass case. She placed the case in the center of the round table and I levitated the book and lowered it inside.
With that done, we made quick work of cleaning up the remaining mess.
As anxious as I am to finally see what is in that book, a part of me does not want to know. Knowing that the wards are keyed to Hermione and I does not make me feel any better about it.
"Should we go to lunch?" She asked quietly. She is standing in front of the table, staring at the book once again. Except now, she knows she can open it. And yet, she is as reluctant as I.
"I could eat."
Her eyes met mine for a moment. An understanding passed between us.
Just because we can read the book, does not mean that we should.
[ - - - ]
The Great Hall is loud today. With the weather changing for the worse, more students are opting to eat lunch inside.
Theo, Blaise and Pansy are already sitting at the Slytherin table. I took my seat next to Theo and started filling my plate.
I admit, I am distracted. Knowing that book is upstairs and we can read it anytime we want is both exciting and terrifying at the same time.
I was only pulled from those thoughts by Theo nudging my arm. I blinked quickly as I followed his gaze.
Astoria stood across the table. She hesitated a moment, then sat next to Pansy, directly across from Hermione.
"Hello," she said softly. Her lips tilted up on the end in a nervous smile. "Is it alright if I sit here?"
Pansy froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth.
"Of course, Astoria. How are you?" Hermione replied politely.
"Good." Her eyes darted around our group.
Pansy lowered her spoon slowly. Blaise openly glared at the girl. Theo avoided looking at her altogether, opting to stare at his food instead.
I chose to watch her carefully. She has rarely spoken to any of us, except Hermione for some reason. I have to assume there is a reason she is sitting with us now rather than with her friends.
She cleared her throat.
"Pansy," she lowered her voice so only those of us sitting close could hear. "You should know that Daphne told Mother that you are associating with known blood traitors."
I cringed. It would only be a matter of time before Pansy's mother knew, then.
Pansy's shoulders relaxed and she exhaled slowly.
"If I didn't know better, I would think you were worried about me." Her tone reeked of sarcasm and the smile on her lips was sardonic at best. "As truly touching as that is, you should be more worried about yourself."
Astoria's eyebrow rose. She hesitated a moment, as though she were waiting for Pansy to continue. After a moment she smiled and released a short laugh.
"I'm not worried at all." Her shoulder lifted in a shrug and her smile grew brighter. "Mother is well aware that I refuse to follow the same path as she. I was written out of the family ages ago."
Her eyes darted around the table, lingering for just a moment on each of us.
All in all, she seemed entirely unphased. I felt my lip tilt up on one side. My eyes met hers. I can tell by her easy smile that she and I have something in common.
We have both accepted our fates. No matter where they may take us.
[ - - - ]
"You seemed surprised by Astoria's admission." Hermione held onto my hand as we climbed the stairs to the third floor.
She isn't wrong. I was surprised.
"And you were not surprised at all."
"Of course not." She rolled her eyes and laughed. "It's been rather obvious from the get go which side she was on."
Again, she isn't wrong. Ever since we started sitting together and a split has happened at the Slytherin table, Astoria has never sat at the end of the table with her sister. In fact, I don't recall her ever sitting near us. Or associating with Daphne in the common room.
I chalked it up to a simple sibling rivalry. Apparently it goes much deeper than that.
A sudden thought stopped me in my tracks. We had just started down the corridor towards the lecture hall. Hermione took two more steps. My hand is still wrapped around hers. Rather than letting go, I tugged her back towards me.
"What are you doing?" She laughed as she turned and collided against my chest.
"That's why she turned Theo down." I closed my eyes as a wave of emotion tumbled over me. I can't place it. Grief, maybe? Sadness? Anger? She hurt him so much when she rejected him. "She didn't want to associate with a future death eater."
Hermione slid her arms around my neck.
"Oh, come on, Draco." She waited until I looked her in the eye before she continued. "You know there is more to it than that."
"Like what?" My brow crinkled. What else could there be?
Her eyes searched mine. She is trying to get me to understand something, but I don't.
I don't know what she knows that I don't know.
She licked her lips. I can practically see the debate going on inside her head.
"When you issued your father that challenge, what was his next move?"
What the fuck does that have to do with anything?
"I don't know. He tried to draw up a betrothal contract between Pansy and I?"
"Exactly!" She smiled, then she waited.
What is she waiting for? That has nothing to do with anything.
"And?" I prompted her. She has to have a point somehow.
She sighed dramatically and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"And…all pureblood elite men think the same way, apparently. There might be some kind of handbook out there on how to destroy your children's futures." She raised her brow and stared at me expectantly.
What in the bloody hell is she talking about?
"I would be willing to bet that they all have a copy of it. The handbook. You know…your father…Astoria's father." She waited a few seconds. Her eyes rolled so far back I swear she was looking at the ceiling. "Theo's father…"
Merlin and Salazar.
Is she saying what I think she is saying?
My eyes widened in sudden understanding.
"That took long enough." She rolled her eyes again and her lip pulled up in a smug grin.
If Astoria's father was trying to secure a betrothal contract with the House of Nott, that would certainly change things a bit. Especially if she did not want anything to do with society.
Did Theo know?
When he asked her out? Did he know there was something in the works?
Perhaps more importantly, how would Hermione know about it?
"Don't give me that look." She took my hand and pulled me down the corridor towards the lecture room. "She told me all about it when I was coloring her hair at the quidditch match."
At the archway I stopped her again. This time I pulled her back towards me, turned and pressed her back against the wall in one fluid motion, effectively trapping her between myself and the stone of the archway.
"You never cease to amaze me." I rested my forehead against hers and closed my eyes.
Her hands slid around my neck. Her fingers tangled in my air. Then her lips were against mine. Warmth filled my chest and spread throughout my body. It was several long moments before we broke apart. My eyes searched hers briefly before she lay her head against my chest, wrapped her arms around my waist, and squeezed me in a tight hug.
[ - - - ]
"I suppose we should open it. Yes?" Hermione sat beside me. The book rested on the table in front of us. We had spent the last ten minutes at least just staring at it.
She took a deep breath and sat forward. Her fingertips skimmed the blue leather for a moment before wrapping around the binding.
The cover opened easily.
On the first page, there was a benediction. Hermione read it out loud.
"This book is dedicated to the Soldiers of the Light. In the never-ending battle against the Darkness, may they persevere."
"Well, that is truly heartwarming."
Hermione released a short laugh at the sarcasm in my voice as she turned to the title page.
Written in large scrolling letters across the page was the title, "The Serpent and The Phoenix".
Hermione's fingertips ran across the lettering as she mumbled the words under her breath.
"Wasn't that the fable we had to translate in runes?" My brow crinkled in confusion. I remember completing that assignment, but not much more. If I recall correctly, the story was tedious and boring.
She turned to the next page only to find that, sure enough, it is a handwritten story.
"That's rather anticlimactic, don't you think?" I released a deep breath. I don't know what I expected to find inside, but I never expected this.
"I don't understand." She muttered quietly. "What is the point in writing down an old fable, putting heavy wards on the book and hiding it in a statue?"
"Perhaps there is more to it than that?" I took the book from her hands and fanned through the pages. It seems to be quite a bit longer than the fable we translated in runes.
[ - - - ]
We spent the rest of the afternoon reading the story that Ravenclaw had recorded in that book centuries earlier.
We soon discovered that the tale we translated in Ancient Runes had merely been a synopsis. Ravenclaw's story held much more detail.
The first chapter described the childhood of the Serpent, who had been raised to be a soldier of the Darkness.
Halfway through the chapter, I noticed how much it resonates with me. I can empathize with the character. It left me feeling empty. Hollow.
"Merlin, this is depressing." Hermione closed the book and pushed it away. She rubbed at her temples with both hands.
"Are you alright?" Now that I look, I can see the furrow in her brow.
"Fine. I just need a break." She stood and walked over to the window.
She is lying. Her head is hurting again. I wonder if she lies about it on purpose? Or does she even realize she is doing it?
"It's nearly time for dinner anyway. This is a good place to stop." I settled my hands on her shoulders and tried to rub away some of the tension that had accumulated there.
She relaxed as I massaged her neck and shoulders. After several minutes she sighed and leaned back against me.
"I don't think we should tell anyone that we can open that book." She spoke quietly, as though anyone besides me would be able to hear her. "At least, not until we know what it means."
"It's a fairy tale, Love." I pulled her closer and placed a kiss just below her ear. "It doesn't mean anything."
She cleared her throat then turned her head so she could look me in the eye.
"The Deathly Hallows is a fairy tale as well, but it is based on truths. The hallows exist. The stone. The cloak. The elder wand. They are real." Her eyes searched mine for a moment. The seriousness that lay in her hazel depths convinced me that she could be on to something. "There is a reason that Ravenclaw recorded this story. There is a reason why she warded the book so thoroughly. And there is a reason why the two of us can open it and read it."
I swallowed hard. I knew all of that already, but hearing her say it out loud made it real somehow.
[ - - - ]
The next morning, we sat at the table with Ravenclaw's book between us and started reading through the second chapter.
This chapter spoke of the Phoenix. A creature born from the Light, her purpose was to protect those in the Forest from the Darkness. The Darkness saw her as a threat and targeted her. They viciously attacked her, over and over again.
This chapter left me feeling just as bereft as the previous had.
"Ravenclaw had a twisted sense of entertainment, I'll give her that." In fact, this is the darkest story I have ever read.
"It has to get better, right? I mean, the Serpent saves the Phoenix' life."
I rolled my eyes at her optimism.
"The way this is going, the Serpent is probably the one that nearly kills her to begin with."
Hermione groaned and dropped her head on my shoulder.
"I don't know if I want to keep reading this." She sighed.
I want to remind her that it is just a story. A tale, written for the purpose of…what? What would be the purpose of such a terrible story?
"Let's practice breaking wards for awhile." Anything to get our minds off that book.
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing just that.
After dinner, I went flying and she went to her session with Edenfield. The whole time, that story was in the back of my mind.
I couldn't shake it, no matter how fast I flew.
[ - - - ]
The Soldiers of the Darkness captured the Phoenix.
The Serpent watched in horror as the Darkness pulled her feathers out and sank its talons into her flesh.
My stomach rolled.
I held Hermione as she cried.
It would be days before either one of us picked up that book again.
[ - - - ]
A battle raged throughout the Forest. The Light versus the Darkness. Good versus Evil. A never-ending battle that saw lives destroyed, friendships broken and tested the faith of many soldiers - on both sides of the battle.
In the end, it was the Light that won. They were able to push the Darkness back into the shadows.
Soldiers of the Light celebrated their victory and mourned their losses at the same time. There was one soldier missing, though.
The Phoenix lay mortally wounded, alone in the Forest. Her wings were broken. Blood dripped from wounds that would not heal.
That is how the Serpent found her. He approached carefully, curious. He had seen the Light that she carried within herself. It was dim and weak, but still there.
She watched wearily as he approached. Cautiously, he coiled around her. She thought this would surely be the end.
She did not fight it.
A single tear rolled from her eye. It dropped onto the Serpent's scales, rolled along his body, and slid onto her chest. The wound there began to heal itself.
Suddenly, she understood. The Serpent was helping her, allowing her to heal. More tears fell until soon the Phoenix was returned to health.
The Light she carried within grew brighter and brighter. It enveloped the Serpent, warmed him. He vowed never to return to the Darkness.
However, this is not the end of the story. For the Serpent and the Phoenix, this is only the beginning.
Together they brought the Light to the shadows. They revealed the heart of the Darkness.
They brought peace to the Forest.
[ - - - ]
The final chapter in the story.
I stared at the words on the page. The ending had been as we suspected. I don't have any sense of closure, though. There is something missing.
Hermione released a deep sigh and turned the page.
On the left hand page were the words "Their story continues here…"
On the right side of the page there was a drawing. It was an incredibly detailed sketch of a phoenix, with a snake coiled around it.
I swallowed hard around the sudden lump in my throat. I've seen that image before. In a portrait. Right here on the third floor.
Hermione pulled the book closer and studied the image. Before I had the chance to tell her that I have seen it before, she turned and opened her bag.
"What are you doing?"
Instead of answering me, she pulled her journal from her bag and started fanning through the pages. She stopped about halfway through the book. Her eyes darted back and forth from her book to Ravenclaw's and back again.
My stomach sank to the floor. I didn't have to look to know she had drawn the same thing. She placed her journal on the table next to Ravenclaw's book.
Side by side, the images were almost identical. The only difference was that the image Hermione had drawn was enclosed by a picture frame and hung on a wall at the top of a staircase.
I cleared my throat.
"I've seen this painting before."
Her eyes snapped to mine. She studied me for a long moment.
"Where?"
I knew she was going to ask me that.
"Come on." I took a deep breath, stood and held out my hand for her. "I'll show you."
She hesitated a moment. She closed both books and stored them in her bag. Only then did she take my hand.
I hesitated just a bit as I led her across the lecture room. It's not like I want to hide it from her. Or that I don't want her to know where it is. It's just, I know how that room affected her, without her even stepping foot inside.
Granted, that was months ago. And she's walked past that door hundreds of times since then without issue. Hell, we were just casting wards on that door and taking turns opening it. She didn't even flinch.
So I'm sure it will be fine.
Probably.
Maybe.
"Where are you going?" She asked when I did not guide her towards the archway.
"Just trust me, Granger." I smirked back at her.
She rolled her eyes, then followed me. I guided her over to the door for the storage room.
She stared at it for a long moment. Several heartbeats.
"You're kidding, right?" She swallowed hard.
I opened the door and walked inside. She waited for several long seconds before she released a deep sigh and followed.
Her eyes darted around, taking in the vacant room. In the middle of the room she turned and caught sight of the painting. She crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head to one side as she studied it.
"That's definitely it. I've seen it several times in my dreams." She retrieved her sketchbook from her bag and sat down against the wall directly opposite of the door. "I don't recall seeing it the last time I was in here. Of course, I was trying not to get eaten by a three headed dog at the moment."
I watched her for a moment, then I sat beside her. She flipped through the pages of her book quickly. Too fast for me to comprehend what was on each page. Until she stopped on a drawing of the portrait.
Again, there was a staircase leading up to it.
She started flipping through pages again. The next time she stopped it was yet another drawing of the same portrait. This time, there was a wider view. Stairs led up to the portrait and the door could be seen below the stairs.
I studied the image, then studied the scene in front of me.
This portrait means something. It has to, or she wouldn't be having recurring dreams about it.
Aside from the staircase, the only difference I see is that the door is closed.
I lifted my wand and pushed the door shut.
As soon as the door was sealed, a warm gust of wind blew through the room. The pages of the book flipped in the wind. Hermione's hair whipped around. Her hand found mine and we both stood with our backs against the wall. The wind was blowing so hard, I don't think we could get to the door if we wanted to.
In fact, I'm sure it was picking up speed. It roared through the room.
Despite our best efforts, we were pushed away from the wall.
"Draco!" Hermione's voice carried over the wind.
I hooked my arm around her waist and pulled her back against me.
"Go to the center of the room." I had to yell so she could hear me. She turned around to face me, burying her head against my chest.
We moved together, shuffling step by step until we got to the center of the room.
As soon as we got there, the wind stopped as suddenly as it had started.
Neither one of us moved in the dead silence for several long seconds.
"Are you alright?" I asked, not daring to step back long enough to look for myself.
"I'm never going to get my hair combed out after that." She laughed. "Otherwise I'm fine. You?"
My hands spread out across her back and I held her a little tighter.
"I'm good." Shaken, but fine. "What the hell was that?"
She shook her head. She didn't know either.
Before I could say anything else, the sound of stone grinding against stone filled the room.
"Draco, look!"
I had to turn around to see what she was seeing. The wall above the door, where the portrait was hanging, shifted backwards. It continued shifting as we watched. The stones moved, rearranging themselves on their own. All the way down the wall and around the room.
When the stones had settled into place and the only sound that remained was our beating hearts, there was a staircase circling the room. It ended on a small landing above the door, directly in front of the portrait of a phoenix and a snake.
Hermione stepped back slowly. Carefully. Her eyes darted around the room. Watching. Waiting.
I ran my hand through my hair and smoothed it down the best I could. My heart is still beating wildly in my chest.
What in the actual fuck just happened?
I stared at the staircase. The room now looks exactly like it does in Hermione's drawings.
"Shall we take a closer look?" I motioned to the staircase. There is a reason that she is dreaming about this portrait. We need to figure out what it is.
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
"Right." She collected her bag and her sketchbook from where they had fallen to the floor. Then she took my hand and we walked up the newly formed stairs.
[ - - - ]
The portrait is incredibly detailed.
"It isn't moving." It may be the only portrait I have ever seen that is completely static.
"Such an odd choice." Her fingers drifted across the canvas.
The phoenix had a gash across it's chest. The snake was wrapped around it and a tear leaked from the phoenix' eyes.
"Draco, look." Her fingers followed the trajectory of the tear. Directly beneath it, there is another tear on the snake's scales. And another rolling down the scales. "The snake isn't killing the phoenix. It's helping it."
I followed the rivulets. She's right. The tears were rolling down the snake's scales, directly to the wound on the phoenix' chest.
"Just like Ravenclaw's story." I lifted my hand to trace the plume of the phoenix just as Hermione was tracing the scales of the snake.
As soon as my fingers touched the canvas another warm breeze blew through the room. This one was subtle and lasted only a moment. When it ended the portrait swung backwards, revealing a corridor beyond.
I swallowed hard around the lump in my throat.
Hermione cast a lumos and stepped into the corridor. I stayed right where I was, staring into the darkness beyond. Her hand found mine.
"Are you coming?" She asked with amusement in her voice.
The truth is, I don't think I want to know what is at the other end of that corridor. I hesitated just long enough that her lip quirked up on one side.
"Come on, Malfoy. Let's have an adventure."
An adventure. Right.
"You realize that most of your adventures end up in near-death experiences?" I pulled on her hand, bringing her back to me. I captured her lips in a heated kiss.
"It'll be fine." She told me after we separated several moments later. "It's an old hidden corridor. What's the worst that could happen?"
She turned and started down said corridor before I could answer her.
Of course, I followed.
AN: Okay…big chapter here! I am considering ending this story soon and starting a part two. IDK. For now I'm going to do it all in one I guess. Let me know your thoughts - keep going in this fic or wrap this one up and start a sequel?
So they finally opened and read Ravenclaw's book and found a hidden passageway behind the portrait. I'd love to know your thoughts.
As always, thanks for reading!
Until next time.
-mezy