Everybody is Someone Else's Secret (Seamus Finnigan)HOLD

Chapter 27

Dread enveloped me once I awoke. Emma was in the process of getting dressed and Hermione was reading a book as per usual. With a sigh, I slowly got up, reminding myself that today was important and I couldn't be afraid. I wasn't going to be alone either but with my best friends through it. Although that might be my biggest downfall. Who knows what could slip out in a single conversation.

"Emma?" Hermione glances up from her book, a mischievous smile written on her face. "Seamus says he wants to see you before breakfast." She said this as suggestive as she could, and she was quite unable to maintain a straight face.

Yeah, yeah whatever. It's not like we don't know how you and Ron can be. The thought made me giggle. The two were still always at it though now it took them less time to make-up when they fought.

"Okay." I say, giving myself once last glance in the mirror before I left the girls dormitory. The common room was still a bit quiet seeing as most people were either asleep or getting ready for the day.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a few other familiar faces. Seamus came in a few minutes later, his hair was still slightly tangled and he was the one face I was most happiest to see at the moment.

"Hey," he called, coming over to where I was on the couch. He wrapped an arm around me and kissed me on the cheek. My blush started up, though by now, I was more than used to it.

"Sleepy start?" I asked him.

 He nodded, yawning a bit forcefully. "Slept in a bit later than usual for me."

"Nice. So, ready for summer? It's coming up sooner than we think, isn't it?" This summer would be a bit weird, the first summer with Seamus and I as a couple, well if we were still together and plus with everything else that's happened this school year.

Who knew what else was going to happen.

"Yeah." I suspected Seamus was thinking about the same thing I was. "Each year at Hogwarts is more and more eventful. Summer will be a well earned break."

We continued chatting for a few more minutes until the rest of the group showed up. Once we were all ready we got breakfast and headed to our first class. It was time for reality. I had no time to try and talk to Draco on my own, he was always surrounded by his posse and when he was alone, I was with my group of friends.

The day was going fast as we approached the ending to the last minutes before we were free from classes for the day. Nicole's eyes met my own and we both had one thing on our minds. Draco.

"You are free to go! Don't forget your essays are due tomorrow." Professor Flitwick calls out as we gathered our stuff together. The four of us all met outside the common room after we put our books with the rest of our school items.

"I am starting to feel a bit nervous, I mean, what if this is pointless?" Nicole asks.

Harry sighed, "We will have to try. We are not sure what to expect but there is a reason why Draco's been distant this year and I know it's something bigger than what he's letting on. It is not like Draco can really do anything; now's our only chance before he does anything."

"You're right, mate." Seamus adds. "Are we ready?" We all were, so we headed out. Harry had the Marauders Map with him. Draco was slowly nearing the Room of Requirement.

It took a mere amount of minutes to finally see Draco. My heart pounded; the blood rushing to my face. Draco was an enemy until this year. Now it was hard to describe our relationship. He liked me and I can't deny I liked him back but not enough to actually get together. Seamus and I were together plus a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, it would never be.

How could anyone possibly understand it? They would think I was insane. Draco had far too bad a reputation for anyone to think any different. Well, I thought different now but who knows? What if this whole thing was all an act? A part of something bigger? The more I thought about it the more nervous I became.

Draco glanced behind him, an annoyed expression on his face. "What do you guys want?" He asks, sighing.

"To talk." Harry says, "to get some answers. Look, I know we both don't like each other but I know even you aren't pure evil. And after we heard what happened we have all had a lot on our minds. Maybe this can put some of that thought to rest."

"I highly doubt that. You don't know what he's capable of. You don't know the sort of pressure I'm under. Though, I guess I'll humor you." Draco's eyes flitted across the hallway nervously and he cast a glance back at us again.

"Room of Requirement?" Seamus asks, "it's the safest place to, well, you know...talk..."

Draco nodded, "For once, we agree on something."

We headed into the room. It was unnaturally quiet. No one exactly knew how to begin. It didn't help how awkward this situation was.

"So, you guys wanted to talk but now you aren't saying anything? If so, then why should I waste my time talk--"

"Oh be quiet, neither of us are going anywhere until this is over. First of all, we all know you were made a death eater for a specific reason. " Nicole snaps, and interrupts Draco. She sighed. "And with you-Voldemort," Nicole stutters out the name, "it could really only mean one thing, death."

"Smart girl," Draco raised an eyebrow, "Though it is hard to believe, this task hasn't been a box of chocolates."

"You know you can't harm Dumbledore, don't you?" Harry says. Draco seemed a bit shocked but them recomposed himself.

"How would you know?!"

"Listen, why deny this fact and continue to make yourself suffer?" I added in.

"It's much more complicated than it seems. I still kind of fail to see why it's any of your business. Despite the fact that we all have our questions and I know very well what you are trying to do. Like I said, I'll humor you for a bit but at the end of the day, this task still has fallen to me. I can't ignore it, things are already bad. I'm running out of time." Draco's mini rant stopped all of us. It was a bit surprising.

At least we weren't exactly fighting. Things could be going better but we hadn't really expected one big heart to heart. We each had our reasons for being here. Friendship wasn't exactly one such reason. At least for them...A pang of guilt filtered through me. What was going on between Draco and I couldn't stay hidden forever.

 "Listen, we all know here you aren't capable of killing Dumbledore. You can deny it all you want. And what happened with Katie and everything was all a mistake, it was all meant for Dumbledore. We are trying to help you even though you are too stubborn enough to see that and accept it." I say, staring down at the floor for a second before I brought my gaze up again.

"Whatever. Do what you want, say what you want. Just don't think for one second that this changes anything." Draco mutters and exits the room.

There was a moment of silence before Seamus, Nicole and Harry were all chatting.

"I knew he's changed but I didn't know that much. I never thought I would see the day that I would see Draco so vulnerable." Harry was saying.

I tuned out. This talk had been interesting enough for sure and the tension had increased by a lot. Draco and Harry were enemies but this had definitely changed some things.

*

Cedric caught me exiting the common room. My mind was still on our talk with Draco yesterday. Seeing my brother had lightened my mood by a lot.

We had our own conversation about how I was feeling. I felt a lot stronger yet more vulnerable. Which didn't make any sense.

"I love you, Seamus loves you, your friends love you. You are not alone in this." Cedric was saying. He pulled me into a quick hug before he headed off back to his own common room.

I headed into my dorm and took out one of my school books, pretending to study. In reality, my mind was on another planet. This week was going painfully slow. We all felt the tension but there was nothing we could do about it just yet. I still needed to talk to Draco alone and talk to him about letting the others know about our, I guess I could call it, a secret friendship.