Courage

-77-

Book: Courage
Chapter 77
Word Count: 7639

Layla had better ways she thought she would be spending that evening.

There was a party about to start in the Gryffindor common room. It was end-of-term, after all, and exams were over; the fifth years were particularly excited as they were now done with the dreaded OWLs. Food was being found, beverages were being procured, the fire was being lit, and somebody was cranking up The Weird Sisters on the Wizarding Wireless Network. At least, that was what Layla assumed was going on. She would have to guess, as she was nowhere near the Gryffindor common room at the moment.

Instead, she was with Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna, being held captive by several large and unfriendly Slytherins. Umbridge was nowhere in sight. She was still with Harry and Hermione. Layla was just wondering where Hermione was leading them. Surely she was just improvising.

Draco still had Layla's arms pinned behind her, but he'd gotten smarter and had kept her secured at arms length so that she would stop kicking him. Draco would definitely have a number of bruises on his shins.

It had been a full five minutes, Layla noted, since Harry and Hermione had left with Umbridge, and for no fewer than four minutes and fifty-five seconds, she, Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Luna were stuck listening to the interminable prattling of Draco Malfoy.

"Of course I knew exactly who it was when I heard the alarm," droned Draco. "Imagine. Breaking into the Headmistress' office to send a Floo message. Only that idiot Potter would be so stupid to think that he could defy the Inquisitorial Squad and get away with it, not to mention a fully qualified Ministry Official like Professor Umbridge."

Layla fumed, trying to twist her arms out of Draco's tight grip. But despite his rambling, Draco's grip on her never once loosened.

Now, not only was Sirius possibly in terrible danger, but they were all looking expulsion in the face, and Harry and Hermione were marching off to Merlin-knows-where with Umbridge's wand in their backs.

As Draco droned on, a movement out the window caught Layla's eye. She risked a glance, and could see Hermione marching directly across the grounds, with Harry nipping at her heels and Umbridge's squat little legs scurrying to keep up. Where were they going? Hagrid's hut? No, they walked right past it.

Layla's eyes darted over to Ron to see if he had seen it, too, and his glance told her that he had figured out the same thing Layla had: Hermione was leading Umbridge right into the Forbidden Forest.

This silent exchange went completely unnoticed by the Slytherins. Draco's mouth seemed to be running on a loop, and his cronies were by this point all carrying the same glazed-over, vacant expressions in their eyes.

As Layla counted it, this was the third time he had been through this particular part of his diatribe. It didn't help that Draco was stood the closest to her so she could hear his droning voice the clearest. It had started to give her a headache.

"Of course, father and Dolores — I feel I can call her Dolores, as she is so close to the family — father and Dolores get along quite well. In fact, I'm almost certain it was his recommendation that got her—" Draco trailed off and turned his gaze to Layla, tightening his grip painfully on her hands. She realized, belatedly, that she'd been laughing at Draco's predictable sense of self-importance.

"Something funny, werewolf girl?" Draco sneer turned to a look of disgust as he twisted Layla's arm slightly, causing her to wince in pain, unable to move. "I don't see anything in this room that a next generation half-breed like you should be laughing at."

This comment generated appreciative smirks from the assembled Slytherins. Not wanting to give Draco the satisfaction of seeing her react, Layla simply stared straight ahead, though her pulse was pounding her anger through her temples.