Good 'N Bad

Chapter : 13 I'm there for you

          I was in the library late in the evening, going through a section of books on various enchantments, when I  accidentally overheard someone mention the word horcruxes from the adjacent aisle. I stopped in my tracks to listen, making myself seem extremely interested in the binding of one of the books.

'See, I told you there were no books on horcruxes in the library. Its not even in the restricted section', said a voice only too familiar as Hermione Granger.

'But then, how did Voldemort know how to make them', voiced a curious Ron. 'Do you think he stole it?'

'Oh, shut up Ron. I don't think we should bother much about how he made it as we should about how to destroy it when we find it. Wait a minute, Harry, you destroyed the diary with the fang of the basilisk right, and stabbed the Sword of Gryffindor through its head. It is a fact that the sword of Gryffindor absorbs only that which would strengthen it. I think it absorbed the venom from the beast, Harry, that's why Dumbledore was able to destroy the ring of Slytherin.'

'Hermione, what's your point', asked Harry.

'My point is, when we find the horcruxes, we can use the Sword of Gryffindor to destroy it.'

'But don't we need other horcruxes to destroy! We don't even know where to find them', said an exasperated Ron.

'No we don't, but that is not going to stop us, is it! We have to defeat Voldemort, and in order to do that, we have to destroy the horcruxes', Harry remarked, 'There are five more of them according to Dumbledore and I have a few hunches as to where they might be.'

          I didn't stop to listen any longer. I slowly made my way out of the library. My insides felt like they were on fire. Harry, Ron and Hermione were going to start tracking all of the horcruxes, and try and destroy them. But according to their calculations, they didn't know about the eighth horcrux, neither did Dumbledore, or he surely would have gotten rid of me at the first chance he got. After all, I was just another barrier in their fight against the Dark Lord.

          My head was bursting with these thoughts... I didn't know what to do. Uncle Sev was in the Order of the Phoenix, so he had to tell Dumbledore about me, but I was not going to tell him. Either way, I knew what would eventually happen to me. And the thought was frightening.

          I started running frantically through the corridors and made my way through the huge doors which led out of the castle. I did not stop running until I reached my spot beside the lake. Not able to hold it in any longer, I fell on my knees on the soft grass and cried my heart out, allowing the tears to flow freely.

----------|Draco's POV|----------

          I've barely been getting any sleep ever since I started working on the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. If death eaters were to enter the school at the appointed time, I had to ensure that they could come and go through it safely. How I wished I didn't have to do it! How I wished they had chosen someone else to do the fateful task! But it was me they had chosen.

          My first try was an utter failure. I heard that Katie Bell was recovering and would soon come back. I just hoped that she did not remember how she got the parcel, that would surely get me expelled. And I couldn't have that. Not if I still had my task pending.

          While I was having dinner, I caught sight of Potter with Weasely and the mudblood Granger, huddled together discussing something across the Great Hall. I knew Potter was onto me, I knew he had guessed that I was a death eater, but nobody believed him.

          It suddenly felt very stuffy in the Great Hall, so I thought I'd sneak outside and get some air before I headed for bed.

          There was no one in the halls, so I could easily make my way through the doors. To get my mind off things, I started thinking about the days I would be spending with Ava Greene during the holidays. Everytime I thought of her, I couldn't help but smile. There was something about her that made me feel different. Everytime I held her in my arms, I felt like I had everything I needed.

          Was I falling in love with her? No. Maybe? No. Oh I don't know! One thing was for sure, she would never fall in love with a guy like me.

          I reached the lake and bent down, letting my hand float in the cool water, when I heard a noise. It seemed very muffled. I took out my wand and pointed it in front of me. On concentrating, I heard someone sobbing. I couldn't see where the person was, when finally, I realized it came from behind the bushes. I cautiously moved towards it, hoping that nothing would pounce on me.

'Lumos', I lighted my wand and looked carefully around. The brambles were cutting into my skin, making me bleed. I emerged into a clearing and saw a girl kneeling on the grass, head in her hands, apparently crying.

'Hello?' She tried to regain herself, wiping her face while doing so. And looked up. It was Ava!!!

----------|Ava's POV|----------

          I heard footsteps approaching and then stop. I hid my face in my palms, only a few whimpers escaping from my mouth. Soon, I could hear the brambles of the bushes crack and from the corner of my eye, I saw a figure standing there with a lighted wand in his hand. I didn't look up.

'Hello?' I heard him say, and recognized the voice at once as Draco's, the last person I wanted to see, especially in this state. I quickly wiped my tears, and looked up. His surprised look was only too easy to figure out from the wand- light. I slowly got up.

'Ava? What's wrong?'

'Nothing's wrong!' I shouted and turned away, I did not want him to see the fresh flow of tears that were flowing down my cheeks. I felt angry, angry at myself to be caught crying, angry at myself for running away and taking refuge in the middle of a clump of trees. 

'Ava.... you can talk to me', his voice was filled with concern, which for some reason infuriated me even more. He moved closer to me and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder which I immediately jerked off.

'No I can't! Don't you get it! I can't! I am not who you think I am. I am not what anyone thinks I am. I am bad, Malfoy. I don't deserve any of this!' I cried even more. My chest was bursting with all the emotions which I had bottled up for so long.

          He moved a little more closer, 'You are not bad Ava, you are different. To be honest, I would never have believed you were a death eater, if I hadn't seen the mark on your hand. Sometimes, I still can't. All I know is this, I need you. And I can't bear to see you like this', he wiped the tears off my face, and that's when I lost control of myself again. I buried my face in his chest, and wept. I could feel his arms around me, holding me close. We both sank into the ground, still clutching each other. 

          I didn't want to let go of him, but I couldn't keep him to myself forever. Some day he would find out, and then he would either hate me for not telling him or hate me for what I was. But for this one moment, I didn't want to think about the future. I wanted to be with him. 

          My sobbing gradually lessened, and I slowly looked up. His arms were still around me, and I felt like I couldn't be in a more safer place. He leaned close, looking at me carefully, as if asking for permission, then gently kissed me. I knew I shouldn't allow him, but I was too tired to push him off. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and looked at me.

          He rested his forehead on mine and whispered, 'No matter what happens Ava, just know that I will be always be here for you. Always.' He kissed my cheek and slowly got up, lending me a hand. I walked to the edge of the lake and washed my face in the cold water, so that I would not look like I had been crying for hours, though I was sure I could not hide the puffiness of my face.

          We then walked towards the school, hoping that no one would see us. Before parting ways, I gave him a peck on the lips and made my way to my room. 

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