𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 {a Draco Malfoy story}

chapter thirty-seven

Rose

     Ron, Ginny, and Neville were stationed just outside the Room of Requirement. The moment they saw Draco and I, I knew they would never trust me again. Draco threw an object that blackened the entire corridor, similar to that day on the train when Harry snuck into our compartment. 

     The rest of the Death Eaters ran out of the room, no one noticing them as they snuck into the corridor. Draco grabbed my hand and dragged me away.

     "Tell the Order," I heard Ron tell Neville in a hushed voice. I didn't see them, though. Draco turned around the corner and we continued running. 

     "I'll make sure to block the corridor and staircase - you just go up there and get it over with," I said to Draco, pointing to the astronomy tower while we bolted through the corridors. "Tell me again, how did you know Dumbledore was going to be in the Astronomy Tower in the first place?"

     "Rosmerta," he panted. I nodded and he continued running through the dark halls. Draco went up the stairs, stopping only momentarily to look back at me and hug me. "We can do this."

     "Be safe, my love. Please."

     He softly smiled at me before running up the stairs again and out of sight. It was silent for a minute... two minutes... three minutes...

     The sound of doors breaking down was heard from a distance and I grabbed my wand quickly, gripping it firmly in my hand.

     "...Harry told us to watch Snape's office, not the tower. We should really go back, Ron!" Hermione cried. 

     Oh no, not Hermione.

     "Rose and the Death Eaters went this way," spoke Ron. I hid behind a wall momentarily, but I was still able to see Hermione's distraught face. 

     "Rose? You're joking."

     I think Ginny saw my hair, because she pointed her wand at me and began yelling spells. I cast a protego, trying to save myself. Hermione's reaction to me coming out from behind the wall was worse than I had expected. I hoped she remembered what I told her, how I asked her not to despise me after the end of this year. "Rose? Is that you? We need to get through, please, Harry needs us," Luna pleaded. 

     I closed my eyelids shut so that I didn't have to look at Luna's innocent and loving face. Luna who had done no wrong to me. Luna who I had to fight away from me. From the staircase, I saw Rowle, Gibbon, Yaxley, and Rudolphus Lestrange pull out their wands and join me, starting a small battle. 

     I wasn't doing much other than protecting myself, because even the though of hurting Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Ron, or Neville was unbearable. I couldn't bring myself to hurt them intentionally. 

     I had to do something, though, when Ginny shot another hex at me. The other Death Eaters noticed I wasn't doing anything and glared at me disapprovingly. I looked at Ginny with teary eyes and mouthed "I'm sorry."

     We duelled until I finally threw Ginny back. I slipped down the last step of the staircase and lost my wand and balance for just a moment.

     Hermione looked at me, but it was not with hatred. Kicking my wand back to me in a way that no one else would notice, she shook her head and frowned. She did not, however, attempt to hurt me in any way. I smiled softly at her and turned the other way, knowing she remembered our previous chat.

+++

     I ran up the stair case and saw Dumbledore standing just a couple meters away from us. I looked at Draco just before we went up at approached the old man, and squeezed his arm.