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Her entire body went completely numb, yet she could feel the veins running through her body.
It wasn't Mad-Eye Moody standing in front of her. It never was him.
She could smell the Polyjuice Potion from a mile away now, unsure of how it was ever missed. Possibly because she became all too familiar with it in her third year, no thanks to Maeve.
She didn't know how she hadn't seen it before, the unsettling way he watched Harry during class, the way he always seemed to know too much, the way he had fixated on Cedric and Harry throughout the Tournament.
It was like puzzle pieces were finally clicking together, except they weren't forming a clear picture. They were forming something much, much worse. Something much darker.
Moody's hand was still on her shoulder, pressing down just enough to keep her in place. His grip was firm, but it wasn't just that, it was calculated.
"You're distressed," he said, his voice eerily calm, as if he were speaking to a child on the verge of a tantrum. "Fear can make people think all sorts of things."
No. She said to herself. She knew what she saw. She knew who he was.
Willow's breathing became harsher, rapid even. She forced herself to meet his mismatched eyes, ignoring the way her pulse ran in her ears.
"I," She couldn't form words. Her mind screamed at her to run, to fight, to do something, but she couldn't move.
He tilted his head slightly, scanning her, and for the briefest second, his lips smiled. He knows.
He knew that she knew.
"Let's get you back to your seat," Moody continued smoothly, his grip tightening ever so slightly. "You shouldn't be down here, Malfoy. You're causing a scene."
He was trying to get her away from the teachers. Away from the entrance to the maze. Away from anyone who could listen to her.
"Your father wouldn't like this, It's a good thing he isn't here." He added, knowingly saying exactly what she didn't want to hear. He knew, actually, they both knew what her father was doing.
Her heart slammed against her ribs, adrenaline kicking in. If she couldn't get out of this grip, if she let him take her, if she made one wrong move, she wouldn't get another chance.
She had to act now.
Willow twisted sharply, yanking herself free from his grasp. He didn't expect it, his balance fell off for just a moment, and she used it to her advantage, stumbling back several steps.
