Transfixed: A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 65

Needless to say, my duel with Ginny effectively put her in her place, and I was glad. I hated being put in a position where I had to be evil. She didn't get sent to the isolation wing or anything, because she didn't technically do anything wrong, nor did any of the others. But nevertheless, they all learned the hard way that Draco and I were not to be messed with.

We did our patrols as usual, and Cassady continued training Dumbledore's Army. The holidays were fast approaching, and students were getting happier and happier, as were Draco and I. In a matter of days, I would get to go home.

It was an elaborate plan. Because of our good favor with Snape and the Carrows, we were given special permission to send letters without interception. Draco had corresponded with his parents and told them we were going to a cottage in Scotland that was left to me by my father. The cottage was vacant, and we wanted to spend time together, so we were going to celebrate Christmas there alone. Narcissa responded and was not pleased, to say the least, but we were of age and we could do what we wanted.

Of course, it was all a lie. There was no Scottish cottage. I was going to go home for the first time in five months, back to Dorset with my mum and my sister. And Draco was going to come. I was so excited I could hardly stand it. For just those couple of weeks at home, I could finally feel like my old self again.

Snape called a staff meeting to discuss holiday plans for the castle, and I immediately inquired about the Christmas decorations.

"Don't be ridiculous, Audrianna," Alecto scoffed. "Those decorations were so ghastly and gaudy and ridiculous. Why bother?"

I was so offended I could barely speak. "Because it's... It's... How DARE you."

The other professors at the table couldn't help but laugh, even Snape.

"Honestly, Alecto, I don't think putting up a tree will be any great tragedy," Snape said calmly, swiveling his head to look at her. "Besides, Audrianna and Draco have done such a good job keeping students in line that this seems like the least we could do."

So, much to my delight, Hagrid lugged in a ginormous pine tree from the dark forest into the Great Hall, and Draco and I were given the task of decorating it. I had never been more happy to do anything else in my entire life.

The tree was so massive that we had to use the levitation spell on our wands to lift the ornaments up to the highest branches. We decorated it in the middle of the day, when students were sitting around the Great Hall studying for their midterms.

"Here, do you want to do the last one?" Draco asked, handing me an ornament with a sparkly gold star.

"No it's OK, you can do it," I replied. He raised his eyebrows at me.

"You don't mean that. I know you too well."

I smiled and took the ornament from him. "You're right. I don't. Wingardium leviosa."

The ornament began to float higher and higher, until it settled on a branch near the top of the tree.

"There," I said as I smiled at him. "We did it."

We took a few steps back so we could see the tree in full view. It looked beautiful, just like it had for the six other Christmases I spent at Hogwarts. Everything at the school was different now, but as we stood there looking at the tree, everything felt the same for a moment.

Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder, and I whirled around. It was Snape.

"Might I speak with you two alone for a moment?" he asked. We both nodded and followed him out of the Great Hall.