Hidden Feelings - A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter Fifty-One

"Go Ginny," I joke quietly to Hermione. She stifles a giggle, probably not wanting Ron to hear. He's been incredibly upset about Ginny and Dean together, and I feel he's pushing his "protective big brother" role to a whole new level. He's sitting here glaring at them while they have what's obviously just a sweet date.

With a tiny bit of snogging.

"I can hear you," Ron snaps, shaking his head at us. His face is red, not just from the cold. "You try having a little sister and watching them suck the face off of some git."

"Dean isn't some git," Hermione laughs.

"Besides, why are you talking specifically little sister? If I had a little brother, would he be allowed to go off kissing anyone he wants?" I ask, resting my chin in my palm and smiling sweetly at Ron.

"That's not what I meant!"

"Sure," Hermione sighs, playing along.

"Lay off," Harry says, shooting a look over his shoulder at the couple. "He has a right to be protective."

I don't argue, not wanting Harry to have an excuse to hate me even more. Ron quickly jumps into another rant about the two, and I zone out until I see Draco enter the Three Broomsticks. I frown as he turns straight to the bathrooms, going into the girls' room.

"Did you see that?" Harry asks. I turn my head, seeing him staring at me.

"Hm?"

"He just went into the girls' bathroom," he mutters.

"Who?" I can't deal with him trying to convince me Draco is a death eater any longer.

"Malfoy. Look," he says, pointing. Ron and Hermione turn as he heads back out toward the door. "What was he doing in there?"

"Probably being his usual gross self and trying to annoy people," I say.

"Why do you always defend him?"

"By calling him gross and annoying? I'm not going to let you defend me anytime soon," I retort, finishing my butterbeer. "I'm ready when you guys are."

A few minutes later, we're outside, and I can't help but worry about whatever Draco is doing. He's not helping himself out, doing suspicious things like going into a girls' bathroom. Harry won't lay off his case, and if he says he's a death eater one more time I'm going to hit someone.

Of course, one suspicious thing leads to another, and suddenly, Katie Bell is lifted into the air before us. And only twenty minutes later, we sit in McGonagall's office. I know what Harry is going to say long before he says it, and it's the first time I realize there's a reason I can pick out moments where Draco will be accused of being a death eater long before Harry says anything.

I'm worried about Draco being a death eater, too. What Harry saw in Borgin and Burke's, disappearing for hours on the map, Katie being cursed by that necklace...and, of course, the fact that he keeps saying he's trying to protect me.

It clicks right there in that office. As Harry begins to accuse Malfoy, I stare at the necklace, the wheels in my head turning. It makes too much sense.

When I glance up at Snape, he's watching me. His face is stone-cold as usual, but there's something different. I wipe my face of all the confusion and anger I feel wondering if Draco really kept this from me, and tune back into what Harry is saying.

"I really think he's a death eater," he finishes.

I could have saved myself a lot of pain if I had just completely accepted that I fell in love with a death eater then and there. Yet the stubbornness inside me reminds me how angry I was at my mom for staying with my dad when she knew, and I realize there's no way I could go back to Draco if I really think he's a death eater.