Fire and Ice

The Shrieking Shack

"I can hear somebody downstairs!"

"Evenry, check!"

...

"Valence, I'm warning you..."

Whip.

"Good girl."

"Quick," Draco hissed at Potter, pointing at a tattered wardrobe. Vagely, Draco wondered how the wardrobe became so ripped and torn. Who lives here- a werewolf or something??

"Yes- get in!" Potter whispered back, and they both clambered in seconds before Evenry Valence drifted into the room. Draco bit his tongue to hide a gasp as he saw her appearance through a rip in the wardrobe door.

Wearing only a dirty white dress, Evenry showcased her skeletal body as she walked around the entry way. Her bones stuck out she hasn't had a full meal in months, or had eaten at all. Her pale eyes were glazed over, almost as if she couldn't see what was in front of her. Potter gasped, and Draco grabbed his mouth shut.

Shaking his head desperately, Potter pulled Draco's fingers off his mouth and whispered, "Malfoy, she's under the Imperius curse! Look at her, they clearly have her under some spell!"

Draco frowned as he watched Evenry walk. Even her movements were robotic.

"Potter, we have to get her out of the spell. And by doing that-"

"-we have to knock out whoever put her under the curse." Potter finished, nodding.

"But first, we have to sort her out," Draco muttered, nodding towards Evenry, who was standing motionless, facing a wall.

Stepping out of the closet, Draco flourished his wand and pointed it at her.

"Pefrificus Totalus," he said. She froze and fell to the floor. Her fearful eyes stared at him. "I was your Potions partner, remember? Draco Malfoy. Everything's gonna be fine, don't worry. You're not in trouble."

Hauling her over his shoulder, he walked towards the trapdoor and slowly fed her through the hole, until he was confident that she was safe and in a position that wasn't entirely awkward for somebody frozen in a plank-formation.

As he climbed back into the entry way, he found Potter staring at him disbelievingly.

"What?" Draco asked, whizzing around as if Potter was staring at Death Eaters behind him. After seeing only a shredded wall, Draco slowly turned back to face his partner. He was slightly amused to find that Potter was still wearing his scarlet Quidditch gear. Looking down, Draco saw that he, too, was wearing his emerald Quidditch kit.

"We're still wearing out Quidditch outfits," Draco said pointlessly, uncomfortable with Potter staring at him.

"Who ARE you?" Potter stuttered. "The Malfoy we all know wouldn't handle Evenry with so much care...or tell her thar "everything's going to be okay." You've changed."

Draco fidgeted uncomfortable, running his fingers through his locks. It was true, he HAD changed. Ever since.. Ginny, Draco had found that he wasn't "mean" to others as much as he used to be, or as "cold". He's even take to making people laugh. Heck, he even made POTTER laugh. The effect Ginny had on him was... amazing.

"Potter, we have a mission. There are Death Eaters up there that need to be-"

"What happened to you? If I didn't know any better... I'd say... I'd say you were a Gryffindor."

Draco blinked. "What?" He stuttered.

Potter stood opposite him. "You saved Ginny, Malfoy. A Slytherin- heck, a MALFOY, would never do that. And you did."

"Potter, we have to go. Now."

"You're right," Potter muttered, jerking out of his confrontation. "Okay," he murmured, "There are five Death Eaters up there and we need to split to get them. I'll take left-"

Before Potter could voice the rest of his plan, four Death Eaters burst into the room.

"Potter!" one hissed, his face covered in the Death Eater mask. "Where is the Weasley girl?"

"Over my dead body!" Potter roared.

"And you-! What?!" The Death Eater cried, removing his mask. "Draco?!"

The blood drained from Draco's face.

"Father," he stuttered.