The Potter Twins and the Half-Blood Prince {6}

20. Liquid Confidence

"If one drink can make tonight slip your mind, then you should drink up so you can convince yourself that I'm cute. We are an example of why not to fall in love, it takes a turn and then it hurts more than you could dream of" - Liquid Confidence, You Me At Six

Patches of bright blue sky are beginning to appear over the castle turrets, but these signs of approaching summer do not lift my mood. My heart is broken; I try my hardest not to think about Draco, but every time I see him or hear his name my heart stops. To make matters worse, Harry and I have made no developments with Slughorn, with both of us being too caught up with Draco to do anything.

"For the last time, just forget about Malfoy," Hermione says firmly. "Both of you!"

"It's not that easy," I say begrudgingly. "I fucked it all up. He won't even look at me anymore."

We're sitting in a sunny corner of the courtyard after lunch. Ron and Hermione are both clutching a Ministry of Magic leaflet - Common Apparition Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - for they are scheduled to take their tests this afternoon, but the large leaflets are not soothing their nerves.

Ron gives a start and tries to hide behind Hermione as a girl comes around the corner.

"It isn't Lavender," Hermione says wearily.

"Oh, good," Ron says, relaxing.

"Harry and Haylee Potter?" says the girl. "I was asked you to give you this."

"Thanks..."

My heart sinks as Harry takes the small scroll of parchment, waiting until the girl is out of earshot before saying, "Dumbledore said we wouldn't be having any more lessons until we got the memory!"

"Maybe he wants to check on how you're doing?" Hermione suggests as Harry unrolls the scroll; but rather than finding Dumbledore's long narrow, slanted writing I see an untidy sprawl, very difficult to read due to the presence of large blotches on the parchment where the ink has run.

Dear Harry, Haylee, Ron, and Hermione

Aragog died last night. Harry and Ron, you met him, and you know how special he was. Hermione and Haylee, I know you'd have liked him. It would mean a lot to me if you'd nip down for the burial later this evening. I'm planning on doing it around dusk, that was his favourite time of day. I know you're not supposed to be out that late, but you can use the cloak. Wouldn't ask, but I can't face it alone.

Hagrid

"Look at this," Harry says, handing the note to Hermione.

"Oh, for heaven's sake," she says, scanning it quickly and passing it to Ron, who reads it through looking increasingly incredulous.

"He's mental!" he says furiously. "That thing told its mates to eat Harry, Tay, and me! Told them to help themselves! And now Hagrid expects us to go down and cry over its horrible hairy body!"

I frown. "He meant a lot to Hagrid."

"It's not just that," says Hermione, giving me a pointed look."He's asking us to leave the castle at night and he knows security's a million times tighter and how much trouble we'd be in if we were caught."

"We've been down to see him by night before," says Harry.

"Yes, but for something like this?" says Hermione. "We've risked a lot to help Hagrid out, but after all - Aragog's dead. If it were a question of saving him -"

"-- I'd want to go even less," Ron says firmly. "You two didn't meet him. Believe me, being dead will have improved him a lot."

I take the note back and stare down at all the inky blotches all over it. Tears have clearly fallen thick and fast upon the parchment...