Please Be There If I Remember

Chapter Forty-One: Questioning

Draco looked up from where the class was forced to read yet another chapter from that bloody defence book, and he saw Harry fidgeting in his seat. The boy appeared exhausted, large bags under his eyes and his face resting on his hand. His cheek was about to slip off its support as Harry seemed to fall asleep in the middle of Umbridge's talking.

Draco turned worried. The fatigue that was clearly drowning the boy couldn't have been from hanging out at night, because he and Harry hadn't met in the classroom in a few days. He wondered what could have made him look so depleted, and, whatever it was, it made him troubled at what the cause of the lack of sleep could possibly be.

"Now, you may begin reading the selected chapter in your books," Umbridge stated from where she was standing regally on the dais as if it was a throne.

Discreetly taking a slip of parchment out from his enlarged school bag, he put it in front of his book and started writing a note so the two could meet later.

"What are you writing there, Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco almost jumped out of his skin at Umbridge's voice behind his ear. A few students who were still reading the chapter glanced up at the sound but paid no mind to him. Her breath whirled on his cheek, and Draco was close to shuddering at the horrible feeling.

He slid the slip of parchment with the words: Classroom at eight. -Draco towards himself and flipped it upside-down before she could read it.

"I am just writing notes for things I find interesting in the chapter, Headmistress."

"Are you now? Care to show me what you've written?" She asked, leaning forward.

Draco tensed. He knew that Umbridge would have gotten more suspicious after seeing him let Ron go, but even this was more extreme than he thought it would be. She was quite literally breathing down his neck for Merlin's sake!

Draco had to do some quick improvisation.

"I would, Headmistress," he started, dipping his quill into his ink. At this point, a few students had begun perking up their ears at the conversation, and he could already feel Harry's stare boring into the side of his skull. "But I fear that it would be counterproductive since that would stop me from reading the course-work. If I may, Headmistress. I would like to get back to my work."

No way she falls for this, Draco thought to himself, heart screaming in his ears.

Umbridge moved back up. "Hmm, quite right, Draco. Apologies. I will let you continue."

Draco almost turned to her to gape in shock but bit his tongue to stop himself, starting to skim his eyes over the chapter as if thoroughly engrossed in it, even though he had already read it over more than five times.

She's dumber than I thought, Draco pondered in wonderment at the easy escape after she had left to walk around and through the desks, peering at the students' work with her hands behind her back like some ruler. And that's saying something.

Once class had ended, Draco packed up his things and clutched the note in his hand. He looked around for Harry, catching his eye before motioning to his hand and dropping the parchment on the floor. He then walked away, hoping that Harry would pick it up without making it seem too suspicious.

Draco was just about to reach the door of the classroom when that same voice that had him wanting to rip his hair out, called him from the desk at the front of the room.

"Draco, if you would stay back for a moment."

He stopped, turning around with his hand on the handle of his bag. Harry nodded to him wordlessly as he walked past to show that he had gotten the note. Draco didn't acknowledge him back for fear of being seen.