[Wattys '13 FINALIST] How Can I Love You When I Hate You So Much? (Draco Malfoy)

How Can I Love You When I Hate You So Much? (Draco Malfoy) Chapter 33

Chapter 33 That was quite a commute, but now what?

I led the group toward where I knew we would find Harry and Hermoine. All of them looked a little the worse for wear — there were several long scratches running the length of Ginny’s cheek, a large purple lump was swelling above Neville’s right eye, Ron’s lip was bleeding worse than ever — but all were looking rather pleased with themselves. We walked to the edge of the forest just in time to hear Hermoine say "How exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?”

"You read my mind, Mione." I said softly. Hermoine jumped noticeably, but Harry just turned.

"We'll have to fly. won't we?" Luna said almost matter-of-factly.

"We aren't doing anything. Besides, no one has a broom." I sighed and sat on the ground while they all bickered back and forth for a few moments over who was and was not going. Luna joined me on the moss silently for a moment, before turning to me.

"Jez, have you ever seen someone die?" She asked in a surprisingly upbeat tone for such a dreary question.

"No, Luna. Can't say that I have. Why?"

"We don't need brooms to fly. They can fly, and Hagrid says they’re very good at finding places their riders are looking for.” Harry whirled around. I turned to look where Luna was pointing. Standing between two trees, their eyes gleaming eerily, were two completely fleshless, black coated skeleton horses. Their heads were dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white and staring. Wings sprouted from each wither — vast, black leathery wings that looked as though they ought to belong to giant bats. Standing still and quiet in the gloom, the creatures looked eerie and sinister. I stepped forward slightly, but stopped.

“Is it those mad horse things? Those ones you can’t see unless you’ve watched someone snuff it?” Ron said shakily, looking just to the left of the one Harry had just started patting.

"But, I've never..." I started, confused.

"It's because you're a Seer, Jez. My dad says that Seers can see lots of things most people can't, because they see things other people see. You've seen a vision of someone dying, so you can see the Thestrals." I remember suddenly the vision of Sirius falling through the weird archway, smiling but stiff. I shook my head and walked to Harry's side.

"Hagrid lures them with raw meat. More will come. We need at least four." Ginny said.

"There are seven of us." I pointed out, counting each person deliberately with a finger. Harry started to protest, but I raised my hand to stop him. "Before you start on your whole you can't come because I am super special Potter and can take on the world, let me remind you of something. He's my family too. I will not let you go off to save the only family I've got left alone. Furthermore, you know this lot isn't going to take no for an answer, so let's all same time and breath and just try and get a few more weird horse bat things here so we can get on with it." I huffed out quickly. Ron stifled a laugh and Hermoine shook her head. Harry shot me a small smile and grabbed my hand.

"Okay. Let's go."

We arrived at the Ministry faster than I had expected. Ron and Hermoine complained the whole way there about flying through the air on invisible flying horses. Ginny looked like she thoroughly enjoyed it, and Neville just looked sick. We landed just outside of a dilapidated building with a broken pay-phone box in front of it. Harry patted the thestrals neck and led us all to the phone box.

"Everyone inside, let's go." he said as if it were perfectly normal. I shrugged and followed in after Neville, who looked thoroughly uncomfortable being so close to me. I heard the door snap shut and the air stop moving. Harry's voice rang from seemingly nowhere.

“Whoever’s nearest the receiver, dial six two four four two!” he said.

After sliding down the weirdest elevator ever, we can to a stop in the weird hall from my vision. A large statue, still intact, set inside an equally large fountain.

As soon as we entered the room, I knew something was wrong. I started trying to use my abilities to find Sirius, but couldn't find anything. No security, no one. The place was empty.

I can't recall how we got to the room, I was so focused on finding Sirius, or anyone for that matter. We walked into a room and I heard whispers. Worried, cold whispers coming from everywhere. i looked up and saw the archway. From the vision. The archway where Sirius-

"Jezabel. What are you doing here?" Someone whispered. I turned quickly, but saw no one. Harry, Hermoine, they were all gone.

"Who are you? Where am I?" I called out in the toughest voice I could muster.

"Oh, that doesn't matter. What matters is, I have heard many lovely things about you. Your parents were amazing Death Eaters, and I think you...you could be even better." the cold voice whispered. A hand laid on my shoulder, and I jumped and cast a Stunning spell. The bright red beam hit the wall, and the voice cackled.

"Oh tsk tsk, Jezzy. You know better than that." the voice whispered. "Your Draco would be very disappointed." I gasped slightly. Draco?

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" I yelled out.

"Jez? Jez, what's wrong?" Harry's hands were shaking my shoulders. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and looked around.

"Where are we?" I looked around quickly. We were in the room from the vision. All the glowing spheres. "Sirius?" I ran up an aisle, following the numbers. 97...97...97...

"He should be right up here." Harry said. We walked to the end of the aisle, into nothing but dim candlelight and cold tile. There was nobody there at all. All was echoing, dusty silence. “He might be …” Harry whispered hoarsely, peering down the alley next door. “Or maybe …” He hurried to look down the one beyond that.

“Harry?” I whispered softly.

“What?” he snarled.

“I … I don’t think Sirius is here.” I said dejectedly. I felt like the world was heavier. How? How did he trick me?

"Guy, look at this! It has Harry's name on it!" Ron piped up. Harry and I looked to where Ron was pointing.

S.P.T. to A.P.W.B.D.
Dark Lord
and (?) Harry Potter

Sorry to end it here, but I have to get to work and wrap this up. More later tonight, maybe tomorrow.