Denying Draco

53 - Threats And Warnings

The closer she got to him, the further he moved his head down to look at the floor. He was trying not to acknowledge her presence from what she could tell but she stopped by him anyway and waited for him to look up at her. When he didn't, she let out a tired sigh.

'Did you hear about Arum Rook?' Poppy asked, feeling like she was annoying him already.

'I did,' he murmured, quietly, still looking down.

'It appears you're in the clear,' Poppy stated, growing frustrated with his rudeness. 'He's gone to Azkaban.'

Draco blinked once. 'I'm aware.'

'A Muggle-Killer wanted for years, never discovered or captured as more innocent people die at his hand yet he walks up to someone, confesses to killing a young wizard and by doing so immediately causes his own capture...' Poppy waited for a response from him but he turned to look the opposite way. 'Why would Arum Rook take the blame for your crime?'

'I have no idea,' Draco mumbled, nonchalantly.

'Funny how they found his wand right by where they found Goyle, isn't it?' Poppy continued, trying to break him. 'Bit of a stupid thing to leave your wand at the scene and still go running your mouth about the killing.'

Draco ignored her again.

'So...I guess Professor. Snape is responsible for it all?' Poppy was not planning on mentioning Snape but she was growing irritated at Draco's attitude and seemingly, it worked.

He looked up at her finally. 'Snape? Why would you think Snape was involved?'

'I didn't go back to my dorm that night,' Poppy confessed. 'I got caught by Filch and he took me to Snape's office. I know that's who you went to for help. I told Snape that I knew about Goyle and it was clear that he knew too.'

'You what?' Draco growled, pushing forward off the wall and stepping towards her.

Finally, you give me something. Let's hope this doesn't bite me in the arse...

'I told him why you did it,' Poppy admitted. 'He knows what Goyle did to me; he knows why you killed him.'

'You stupid bitch,' Draco whispered, his expression enraged.

'He told me he was going to handle it and I see that he has,' Poppy said, ignoring his remark. 'He sent another man down for it but luckily that man was not so innocent anyway.'

'Shut your fucking mouth right now,' Draco threatened.

'Was it Snape?' Poppy asked, with a demanding tone. 'Did he set it all up?' She could see she was highly infuriating him but still she continued to push him. She loved getting under his skin the way he always got under hers.

Draco took a slow breath in and back out again. 'I think I'm going to pay a visit to Professor. Dumbledore today.' His tone was no longer angry or vexed but falsely pleasant yet also very sinister.

'What?' Poppy frowned at the random change of subject. 'What for?'

'I think I ought to own up to what I've done,' Draco said, but there was a hint of mockery in his tone.

'Why would you do that?' Poppy asked him. 'Everything is handled now.'

'Because he needs to know why I did it.' Draco turned to her with a menacing glare. 'He needs to know what Goyle did to you.'

'No...' Poppy whispered. 'You don't need to tell him, it's over now.'

'He's your uncle.' Draco shrugged casually. 'He deserves to know. Then I will suggest he send you back home to that little Muggle village and keep you there where you'll be safe from anymore harm.'

'What the hell are you talking about?' Poppy hissed.

'Getting you out of Hogwarts, that's what,' he replied, looking away from her.

'You can't!' she cried. 'I don't want to leave Hogwarts?'

'Oh...you don't want to leave?' He turned to her with a questioning frown and cocked his head to the side.

She shook her head quickly. 'No, of course I don't.'

No sooner than she finished speaking, his face twisted up and he lurched towards her threateningly, his face lowering to hers as he growled furiously, 'So stay the fuck out of my business then and stop constantly fucking following me all of the time!'

She stepped back at his aggressive response and he straightened up again, tugging at his collar as he breathed heavily.

'Fine,' she murmured, quietly. 'Heard loud a clear.'

'Good,' he muttered. 'Now, I saw you looking rather cosy with Potter again in Potions. You keep your fucking mouth shut about this Goyle thing and don't even dare go running your mouth to those other loser friends of yours. I mean it, Dumbledore. Otherwise, I will go straight to the headmaster's office and have you sent straight back home.'

She had no words. She didn't put it past him to actually do it, so she stayed quiet and turned around, walking away from him towards the library.

She sat at a corner table and studied for a while, something that helped to take her mind off Draco usually but today she wasn't taking anything in.

She left the library and returned to the common room. When she got there, she found Ginny hugging Ron and Hermione as they stood dressed in coats, dressed like they were going somewhere.

'What's going on?' Poppy asked, as she approached them.

'Nothing,' Hermione said, but her face gave away that she was lying. 'We just have to go somewhere for a little while.'

'Where?' Poppy asked.

'They won't tell you,' Ginny murmured.

Poppy turned to see Harry entering the common room from his dorm. He looked rather glum and he was dressed warm to go somewhere too. 'Ready guys?'

'Yeah,' Ron replied, and he walked forward to give Poppy a hug.

Poppy then hugged Hermione and she turned around to walk over to Harry, giving him a hug too. Mumbling in his ear as quietly as she could, she said, 'Is it another one, Harry?'

She felt him shake his head as he mumbled back, 'The locket was a fake.'

Poppy drew back from the hug and frowned at him softly. 'What?' she whispered.

'The real one was stolen,' Harry murmured. 'We have to go and get it.'

Poppy turned to look at Hermione and Ron, who were reassuring Ginny that everything was fine. She turned back to Harry and nodded gently. 'Well...good luck.'

'Thanks...take care of Ginny,' he replied, walking across the common room to the door.

'We'll see you both soon,' Hermione said, and then the three of them disappeared out of the door.

Poppy and Ginny stared at the door together in silence and Poppy could not help but feel guilty that she knew what was going on and Ginny didn't but she knew it was safer the less she knew.

'It never goes away,' Ginny murmured, sadly.

'What doesn't?' Poppy asked.

'That dreaded feeling,' Ginny sighed, turning to look at her friend with a tired expression. 'That dreaded feeling that that may have been the last time I ever see them.'

Poppy had no words. After Harry's last sentence to her became stuck in her head, take care of Ginny, she had to agree that it certainly sounded like there was a very good chance that they may not see them again.