BANALITY : Draco Malfoy

30

Eventually, after I've gotten through one more chapter and my brain cannot take the act of reading any longer, I lie down. My eyes close, and I must fall asleep. The sound of my petrified groan, the sound of a nightmare I can't even remember, wakes me up. Draco surely heard, but he is once more deep into his book.

Time continues to pass. For only a few hours, so much happened. Now, things have slowed. When we were moving, I didn't have time to think about what was going on. Now, I am confronted with every concern I have.

"When you erased my friends' memories, won't they be confused about how they ended up on the sofa?" I ask him, finally breaking the silence.

He shrugs, "we do it to muggles all the time. Their brains tend to be good at filling in short gaps without asking many questions. Anything longer than a few hours requires more care."

"But if Goyle finds them, the torture might make them remember," I say. "If they remember you casting magic, will you be in danger again?"

"It won't happen," he speaks shortly.

"But if it does-"

His book snaps shut. He throws it into his open trunk and then slams the trunk shut.

"If it comes down to him torturing them for their memories, I won't be in trouble," his voice is stern, hard. Durable. "If their minds do not shatter under the pressure of torture, he will kill them."

"Because keeping them alive would get him into trouble, since they would know about magic," I point out.

Draco gets up from the bed, dragging the trunk to a corner of the room, "no. Because they are muggles."

My heart sinks in my chest.

I try to pick up my book again, but the same sentence attacks me over and over. Is that why he picked the books he did? The Great Gatsby was an obvious choice, with its themes of wealth and classicism being so apt to his life. Lord of the Flies is about evil and war and violent children. Are these people the great evil he is fighting?

Draco grabs the cloaks and passes one to me. I put the book down on the bed and watch as he puts his on. I follow suit.

"Where are we going?" I ask.

"I overshot how long it would take them to get here, so we had time to apparate away before Aberforth can owl the minister," he must see my look of confusion because he sighs, "I'd rather not give him the opportunity to tell the government where we are. They will be on our trail anyway, but at least we will have a head start."

I take my book and move into the middle of the room. My stomach rumbles with hunger. I am not sure how it will handle being compressed and then opened again.

"Where are we going?" I ask him.

He stops and sighs, "somewhere much worse."

The doorknob twists. Draco whips out his wand and pulls me behind him.

"Grab tight," he says the words as the door bursts open.

My hands wrap around him just as I notice the man with dark brown hair and round glasses standing in the doorway. Draco drops his wand, but the other man is holding one firmly, with the end pointed towards Draco.

"Potter," Draco says. "I'm glad you found the time to make it."

"You have a lot of nerve, Malfoy," the wizard, Potter, has his wand aimed at Draco still. His eyes dart around the room and he spots me. His grip relaxes.