The Facade

Chapter 25

I dodged out of the jinx’s reach before it hit me square in the chest.

I fell on my side, feeling the cold but soft surface hit against my arm and hip, my body argued as I tried to stand up faster than I was allowed to.

“Come on, Edens, you’re getting slower.” Malfoy said amusingly from where he was standing up.

“As if I was the only one here.” I mocked as I stood up, my wand pointed at Malfoy just like he was at me.

We’ve been doing this all day, we went to check the wards first thing in the morning, and began as soon as we arrived. We had begun with target’s practice – which I won this time – and after lunch time we have been dueling together, I had no perception of the time, but surely, we have been doing this for almost two hours now.

In the past few days, we have been training like this, switching sometimes and dueling in the morning with target practice in the afternoon. The only thing we haven’t done yet, was physical fight, I spotted Malfoy with the need to request it for us to do, but he never did, because no matter how much he hates me or I hate him, he knows me well enough to know what would always be my answer.

Neither Tonks nor the Order had replied yet. Malfoy had said earlier this morning that we wouldn’t have to wait too much time for Tonks answer, but perhaps a few more days for the Order, I didn’t show like it mattered much how long they took, better to not seem too much interested, but in truth I always felt frustrated and enraged for having to wait so much time, if they didn’t allow me there, then I would have to get something else which means even more time, and perhaps more deaths in the war from my side.

A movement from Malfoy swirled my thoughts back to the place, we were walking in a circle again, eyeing each other, waiting for someone to attack, Malfoy merely cracked his neck, which could mean he was readying himself to attack, or it could be always to make me thing just that. My hold on my wand tightened just in case.

Both of us were tired and our legs were sore from standing and dodging, but nothing I haven’t dealt with before, my attention remained sharp nonetheless, I wasn’t so sure about Malfoy, but I could tell he didn’t feel like calling this off yet, he seemed as focused and attentive as I was.

Malfoy was currently winning, five to four, which wouldn’t last long, the duels we did throughout all these days summed up would give us a tie from won matches, some we just ended in ties others we just let it as it was.

I attacked Malfoy with a harmless spell, hitting him in the arm when he stumbled as he dodged. He managed to send a spell towards me before I could take advantage of his stumbling, I managed to conjure a defensive shield against the spell, Malfoy sent another one as he regained his posture, I defended it easily and reciprocated with one of my own.

Malfoy crouched down to avoid being hit, my spell hit the tree instead, and Malfoy throwed me one, I dodged it out of the way but sent a spell as I did so.

I fell against the snow and grunted, my eyes closed instinctively, but I quickly opened them to watch as my spell hit Malfoy in the chest and he flew a few inches away and fell on his side.

I pointed my wand at his hand before he could have the chance to stand up and summoned his own wand to me.

I let out a heavy breath and stood up from the snow carefully, aware of my sore legs and rapid breathing. Malfoy stood up from the snow as I neared him with both wands in my hand.

Malfoy shock away the snow dampening his clothes in some spots. “I guess we’ll leave it as a tie.” He said.

I nodded in agreement and stopped in front of him to give him his wand back. As I handed him the wand I stared as I saw his hand hesitant, I wasn’t looking at his eyes, and the obvious hesitance in his hand told me that was exactly what he wanted.