The Bravest Snake

CHAPTER 25

Draco didn't remember crashing into bed, pulling his blankets over himself, or grabbing his favorite dragon stuffed animal. All he remembered was sleeping for what seemed like an eternity. 

When he woke up, he hastily shook Ron awake. ''Meet me in the common room,'' he whispered in his ear. Then he went to Hermione's dorm and did the same. Hermione thrashed in her sleep before waking up.

''How did you get into the girls dorm?'' Ron asked Draco. ''My brothers told me that there's a charm to prevent boys from going in the girls dorm.''

Draco shrugged. ''I don't know. Maybe I'm just special.''

Ron snorted as Hermione joined the two of them downstairs. ''What?'' she asked Draco.

''We need to tell Ron what happened last night before anyone wakes up.'' Draco whispered.

''Oh yeah, I really want to know. You and Neville practically collapsed into bed last night, and Neville muttered in his sleep. It was so creepy,'' Ron said.

''Okay, so Harry and I saw Voldemort - I'm going to say his name, Ron, cover your ears if you don't like it - he was drinking unicorn blood to make him live. Then centaurs came and took Harry and I away from him and they told us that Voldemort wants the Sorcerer's Stone hidden in this very castle. So then that means Snape wants the stone for  Voldemort - cover your bloody ears, Ron!'' Draco said in a hushed whisper.

''That means You - Know - Who is here, ready to kill Harry!'' Ron exclaimed worriedly. Hermione and Draco shushed him at the same time.

Hermione looked frightened, but she had a word of comfort. ''Everyone says that Dumbledore's the only one You - Know - Who was ever afraid of. With Dumbledore around, You - Know - Who won't be able to touch you. Anyway, the centaurs might not be right. They use fortune - telling, and Professor McGonagall says that's a very imprecise branch of magic.''

''Well, I have to go make sure Harry's not dead!'' Ron shouted again, and at that moment Harry came through the portrait hole. He held his invisibility cloak folded neatly, and wordlessly showed them a note pinned to it, which read Just in case.

''What does it mean?'' Draco asked, studying the handwriting, but it didn't look like any he knew.

''I don't know,'' Harry said. ''but I'm going to find out.''

Later that day, everyone came for their study group as usual. ''You guys had detention last night, right?'' Terry Boot asked, nodding to Hermione, Draco and Harry.

''Yes, and unfortunately I had it too,'' Daphne said dryly, not looking up from the notes she was scribbling down.

''Really? Why?'' Hannah Abbott leaned over to them. ''Hermione and Daphne, you guys seem like the type to never get in trouble.''

''I used  to never get in trouble,'' Hermione huffed. ''But then I met Draco and he taught me to be very naughty.'' They all laughed. Draco felt a small blush spread across his cheeks against his will. ''In all seriousness, I'm willing to break the rules. Occasionally. Sometimes. We'll see.''

''That detention yesterday was horrible, though,'' Daphne groaned. ''And to think we still have to study for exams! How am I going to make it?''

Draco chuckled. Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to do it either. His mind spinned with the knowledge he'd acquired yesterday. I swear, I half expect Voldemort to come bursting through the door at any moment.

Harry stared at Draco's face with his head tilted, and he knew Harry was reading his expression like a book. ''You worried about Voldemort?'' He leaned in and whispered the word Voldemort in Draco's ear.

''Yup. I know you're probably worried about him too, but...''

''He has that chilling larger than life presence, I get it. And we're going to do something about it.'' 

''You two!'' Hermione admonished, looking up from her books. ''Focus!''

After many weeks of studying under Hermione's watchful eyes, the day of the exams finally came. Draco muttered facts he needed to remember under his breath as he got dressed, made his bed, set out his daily gift for the house elves, brushed his teeth, and made sure his hair didn't look disgusting. He had an inkling that Hermione was doing the same. Maybe he picked up the habit from her.

In the large classroom where they did their written exams, it was sweltering hot. Draco felt like he was boiling under his robes. After all, the weather was getting warmer, which meant that the school year was coming to a close. Draco had been dreading it. I never want to leave.

After Draco's written tests, he had practical exams one on one with his teachers. He felt good about his making a pineapple tap dance across his desk for Professor Flitwick, but his mouse - to - snuffbox transfiguration for Professor McGonagall still had a whisker. And even though Snape kept giving Draco dirty looks, he whipped up a perfect Forgetfulness potion. 

On the day of their last exam, History of Magic, Harry sat next to Draco. He couldn't help noticing Harry's dark circles under his eyes. They looked like bruises. ''Sorry mate, but you look terrible.''

Harry shot him a sour look. ''I haven't been getting much sleep. There's this recurring dream I have of what happened in the forest. And my scar's been hurting ever since that detention. So yes, I know I look like -''

''Okay, okay.'' Draco held a hand out to stop him. ''Didn't mean to pry. Sorry. Lack of sleep makes you cranky, I'll remember that.'' Harry rolled his bloodshot eyes.

After the exam, Hermione ran up to him. ''That was far easier than I thought it would be. I shouldn't have learned about the 1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct or the uprising of Elfric the Eager or -''

''Please stop talking,'' complained Ron. ''And before you say it, no, I will not go through the exam papers afterward. I might throw up.''

The quartet joined the crowd flocking towards the sunny grounds and flopped under a tree near the lake, feeling their newfound freedom wash over them like sunlight. The Weasley twins and Lee Jordan were tickling the tentacles of a giant squid, which was basking in the warm shallows. 

''No more studying,'' Ron sang. ''No more stress. Everything is lovely!'' He lay down under the grass, which kind of made Draco want to step on him a little.

''Everything is not lovely,'' Harry snapped and rubbed his forehead. ''My scar keeps hurting - it's happened before, but never as often as this.''

Draco suddenly heard footsteps crunching swiftly on the grass. Years of living with his parents taught him how to identify someone by just their footsteps, so he knew who it was. ''Professor Snape,'' he said icily before turning around.

Snape squinted in the sunlight, looking thoroughly miserable like he detested going outside. ''Malfoy,'' he said stiffly. ''A word.''