Just in case || Draco Malfoy

Fifty Six - Figures

"I wish time had better timing for you and me"

-Paul Perry

...

I had told myself I would die for you. And now I had the chance to prove it. I can't leave you there.

...

I stood clutching the two pieces of paper in my hand, tears fogging up my eyes, desperately trying to stifle my sniffles as I stood at the foot of my parents empty bed. It had arrived when they were in town. I wouldn't let myself hide in fear while he put himself in life threatening danger. I wouldn't.

I tucked the other piece of paper under the blanket draped over my parent's bed so that it was just poking out and visible. I had read it for one final time.

"Mother, Father.

I can't put you in anymore danger than I already have. I have to leave. I have lied to you. I didn't stay at Hogwarts. The past few weeks I have spent at Malfoy manor. I'm sorry I did not tell you. But the death eaters will be coming for my throat. I lied to them. I told them I was on their side. I have fallen in love with the son of Lucius Malfoy. He is on our side. And he is in danger.

I'm leaving. I've put you in enough danger as it is, coming here while the death eaters would kill all of us on sight if they say me. I'm sorry. And I won't put you in that danger any longer.

I have been told by Draco. We are going to war. I do not know if I will make it back. But I won't lead you into this war after me and be responsible for you not making it. You know who, he knows where Harry Potter is and they are going to him. They are going to war. I can't let Draco fight alone.

I will never give in but if I don't make it back, I love you both so much. Thank you so much. For everything. I'm sobbing as I write this as I know there is every chance it will be my final goodbye. No. I won't let it. I will come back I swear to you. But this is what I need to do.

I love you both so much.

Helena x"

I wanted to write more but I couldn't bring myself to. I took one final look around the room, knowing it might be the last time I will ever see it. I knew the dangers of what I was about to do. I know that I may not make it out alive. But I couldn't sit there and let Draco fight for his life. Not without me.

I walked slowly down the hallway taking in every part of it. I looked into my bedroom that I had grown up in, the rush of memories pushing the tears I had been fighting back in my parents room to overflow. Walking down the staircase - even the memory of falling down them as a child and breaking my arm making me want to cry from the fond memories of my life. I cherished them, knowing there was a possibility I wouldn't get chance to from now on.

The cold air that blew around me caused me to shiver. I looked up at the house from the driveway.

"Goodbye" I muttered, the wind and grey clouds almost seeming like they were saying goodbye with me.

I closed my eyes. I knew where I was going - hogsmeade was my best chance at not being seen. I couldn't fathom how I was going to make my way into the castle from that point. I would figure it out.

Crack

...

I had apparated into the cellar of honeydukes - i remembered that when I always used to come here, I would see the workers frequently go down into the cellar. I thought it was the least likely place i knew there would be death eaters roaming. To my relief, the cellar remained empty, only old sweets and wrappers littering the floor. It didn't look like any of it had been occupied for the same time Snape had taken over Hogwarts. I suspected the owners had fled hearing the news.

I quickly wiped the tears from my cheek with the sleeve of my jacket. I walked slowly making sure the floorboards didn't creak on the off chance there were people upstairs. I grasped onto the wooden bannister that lined the stairs up to the door at the top of them. I kept slow, nearing the top. I paused to listen out for anything - I couldn't hear a close sound. I peered through the open door and let out a sigh of relief to see the shop too was deserted.

I had my wand clutched firmly in my hand ready to shoot a spell at anything I saw move.

I crept through the shop, careful to not rustle any papers beneath me or knock anything off the shelves. The front door too lay open just a crack, a cold breeze wafting in. The windows in the shop showed no movement outside.

I opened the door just enough to allow myself to slip out. I looked around me and after confirming there was no one there, I dashed across the street to slip down a small alleyway in between two buildings - it was only a few feet wide and I edged my way down it to reach the other side.

I stopped dead in my tracks to the sound of what sounded like something wooden falling to the floor. I stayed as silent as I could, hardly breathing. The noise didn't continue so I continued to edge down the alley. I stopped right at the end and peered out of it ever so slightly.

I could see the figure of three men stood around what looked to be wooden benches draped in tarps. I hastily pulled myself back into the alley to avoid them seeing me.

Keeping hidden by the wall as much as I possibly could, I looked down the street at the men who stood about 60 yards away from the alley. They were aggressively pulling the tarps off of the tables, seemingly searching for something. They pulled each one off one by one until only one remained.

They made their way over to the last bench when suddenly, the sound of a cat shrieking out and a distant bang further along in the direction I was looking caught their attention. One of the men yelled something I couldn't quite make out, but he walked away from the tables towards the source of the noise, the two others following him. They continued to walk until the distance and the fog in the air shrouded them from my sight.

Just as I was about to step out from the alley, a movement from the same place the men were stood made me step back into it hastily. As I poked my head around the corner, I could just make out three other figures that seemed to of emerged from the tables.

The figure of a girl with her hair tied back, a tall ginger boy and a dark haired boy each slipped into an alleyway, wands clutched in hand...

...