Optionless with Draco Malfoy

25. The Plan

Juliette

When I knew it was safe, I spoke to Hermione and told her that I needed to speak to her, Ron, and Harry. I didn't want to tell anyone in Slytherin about what had happened between Draco and I, especially not Pansy and Millicent. I couldn't give them that satisfaction yet, and I needed to tell someone.

"You're not even friending the enemy anymore! You're snogging him too!" Ron exclaimed loudly while I spoke to them in an empty corridor.

I told Harry, Ron, and Hermione about what happened between Draco and I, as quickly as I could. It was dangerous to be seen with them, so I had to be extremely careful when we met up in this empty corridor. Hermione and Harry took the news well, but Ron was out of control.

"Ron please, what about your affairs with Lavender? At least I keep out of the halls! I'm not the one snogging in the corridors with every chance that I get!" Hermione and Harry laughed at what I said, but Ron began to turn a bright shade of pink.

Ron scoffed, "I'd like to hear what Harry and Hermione have to say about our friend associating with the enemy."

Hermione was the first to speak, "As much as we hate him, he seems to have a soft spot for her. Anyone could see it from a distance. I dislike him, but clearly, you see something different in him, something good, so I trust you enough and I will support you with whatever you decide on."

"That's complete rubbish 'Mione! You'll be hexing him before you know it!" Ron fired back. He was being overly dramatic and stubborn today.

In a calm tone, Harry added, "I agree with Ron, but I also agree with Hermione."

"Bloody hell, Harry are you hearing yourself? I'm not giving in until he proves that he's on the good side! Or he saves our lives! He's got to do something for me not to hate him! It's Draco Malfoy!"

I laughed at Ron, "You really got terrible things against him don't you, Ronald? Lavender never proved herself to be worth it, but I still took your side!"

"At least she's nice!" Ron defended weakly.

I rolled my eyes, "Anyway, I better leave quickly. I just needed to tell someone about what happened."

We said our goodbyes and then I left the corridor before the trio. 

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There was less than two weeks left until Draco and I's task came to action. For the past few weeks, I've come up with this plan. However, I had to run it by Draco for it to work out, successfully. 

He and I weren't dating, but we weren't friends, we were more than friends, and both of us knew it. However, none of our friends knew anything about us. Every time I was nearby him, I felt a bit nervous, but we still insulted each other on a daily basis. 

"Malfoy!" I caught his attention and motioned for him to come to where I was, fewer people were around so I could tell him my plan.

"Trails, what do you want?"

"I've been thinking about what's meant to happen once we complete the task." I said, referring to the Dark Lord's plan to kill one of us.

"And what have you been thinking about?" He asked, crossing his arms.

"Once we finish the task, I-I want to run. I'm going to hide somewhere where he can't find m-"

He scoffed, "Yeah, that's funny," he began to chuckle, but then realized that I was being serious. "Are you crazy? There's no way that I'm letting you go off alone, Trails," he said quietly and sternly so that no one in the common room could hear us.

"Draco, I'll be safe, and you'll know. I'll write to you often if you want."

"No, you can't just go off on your own. Where are you going to go and stay? Are you crazy? Have you even thought this plan of yours through? What about food? What about school?"

"Do you really think that I'll be safer at school after Dumbledore's gone? There's going to be a war... we both know it. I'll have to pick a side and I don't think that I belong with the Death Eaters. Of all people, only you would understand that I truly can't be a Death Eater. I-I can't follow the Dark Lord's orders and not feel like I can't live with myself. I'm going to Apparate to different places. I have my connections," I have a few ideas of where to go, I'd visit my aunt near Hogsmeade, I rarely saw her, since mum and her weren't close anymore, or at least since my mother became a Death Eater. I'm pretty sure my aunt didn't know I was a Death Eater as well.

"Let me come with you, Juliette. You can't go running off on your own," he disapproved of my plan, and he didn't seem too convinced of whom I'd be staying with.

"But you need to stay here, finish the task. Your mother said it herself, you have to be the one to do it, not me. Draco, neither of us want to die. I can't bring myself to kill Dumbledore and I also want your family to not have to owe Voldemort anything anymore. This way, both of us will live. He's not going to chase after me forever. I'm going to see if I can find out what happened to the locket. It still has me wondering to this day, what happened. Anyway, I'm capable of protecting myself and you know it. I think I've proven that enough to you."

He pursed his lips into a thin line, "When are you going to leave?"

"Once you kill Dumbledore, we'll end up going off of school grounds and Apparating to the Manor. Night of, I'm going to leave. Apparate out or Floo Powder."

"What am I supposed to tell everyone? You just left? You died? It needs to be a believable story Trails, I can't feed them scum," I hadn't exactly thought out that part through clearly, but I had an idea.

"You don't have to tell them a thing. Say you don't know where I went, I just disappeared or whatever. That's all you have to tell them, short and simple."

His lips pursed into a thin line, "I hate this idea, Trails. What if it doesn't work? How long have you thought about this plan for? Like 10 minutes? Because I honestly don't think it's going to work. Where are you even going to stay?"

"Well, first I'm going to find out more about the importance of the locket. And, I'll be traveling all around the wizarding world. Godric's Hollow, Diagon Alley, places where I can lay low. I might even have a go at the muggle world, I've read good things about it. Anyway, I don't want to tell you where exactly, because if someone uses the Imperius Curse on you or Occlumency, I'm screwed," I said. I couldn't not expect the unexpected. I had no clue what the Dark Lord was capable of.

"Trails,you're  going behind the Dark Lord's back and hiding. He'll never forgive you after. I-I can't let you do this, Trails."

"Draco, what are you going to do, stop me? You know that this is the the only shot that both of us have at surviving." 

He gave me this look that pleaded for me not do this, but at the same time, he knew I was right. 

"You know, he's going to make you stay at Hogwarts, keep an eye on things. Don't go looking for me, do you understand Draco? I know you, and you can't stop me from this. I have to do this. Especially if both of us want to live."

He stared at me for a long while, and I wasn't exactly sure what he was thinking of.

"Write to me. I'll try my best to keep you hidden. But please, promise you won't die. I-I care about you, Juliette."

"I promise," I hugged him, wishing that we had more time together.