Two Souls

Chapter Seventy Three

Sunday night, Draco and I tiptoed upstairs to the seventh floor about half an hour after curfew. After nearly getting caught by Filch, we manage to find and safely enter the Room of Requirement.

"This room is . . . wow," I say, completely speechless. Because I was not allowed in Dumbledore's Army last year, this is my first time in the majestic room.

"Where's the cabinet?" Draco asks, surveying the clustered room.

"Is that it?" I ask, pointing to a thin wooden cabinet. It's slanted and pointy, with marks and indents in each of its four corners. Just the aura radiating from it gives me the chills.

"Yes," Draco gulps. "You know, it's not too late to leave, Amelia. I can handle it myself, I'm a big boy."

"I know you are," I say softly. "And I know we can do this together," I say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Our spirits were high for the first hour. Then two hours became three and three became four. It was three thirty in the morning and we had made no progress.

"Draco," I yawn, "We might as well call it quits for the night. We've done nothing," I add quietly.

"I suppose you're right," He says, giving the cabinet a frustrated kick. "You go through the West wing and I'll go through the East wing. That way if we're caught, only one of us gets in trouble."

Leaving the Room of Requirement through the West wing is a much shorter trek than the East one. He surely knows that and has purposefully given me the quicker one to go through so the chances of me getting caught are slimmer.

The two of us diverge paths and I only hope that I meet him in the Common Room.

******

Halfway through October, the first trips to Hogsmeade took place. The streets of Hogsmeade were sure to be very Autumn-oriented and a nice, warm butterbeer is exactly what I need to get through the leafy weather.

I'm bundled up in a cozy sweater with the other girls in the common room. As much as I hate to say it, I've definitely become distant with them over the past month. I've been so busy with my classes, Quidditch, Draco, and the Vanishing Cabinet that I hardly spend any time talking to them except for at breakfast and before bed.

"It's a bit chilly out, don't you think?" Millicent asks, looking out the window with wistful eyes.

"We won't know until we step outside, right?" Blair responds from the couch. As per usual, she's reading another book, this one about the history of dark magic. I'm surprised she's into stuff like that.

"Will you be joining us in Hogsmeade, Daphne?" Pansy asks her friend curiously, a large scarf wrapped tightly around her neck.

Daphne shakes her head. "I'm going with Blaise."

I gape. "The two of you made up?"

"Yes! Last night, after all of you went to bed. I snuck out and we hung out in his dormitory for a few hours. We had the most wonderful make up sex!" Daphne gushes eagerly. "Where were you last night, Amelia? You weren't there when I returned to sleep."

"I had to use the washroom in the middle of the night," I lie coolly. Draco and I have been breaking curfew nearly ever night trying to repair the stupid cabinet.

The four of us all head downstairs and meet up with Draco, Zabini, Crabbe, and Goyle. I walk up to Draco happily, earning a fatal glare from Pansy.

"What's taking so long?" I ask Draco, peering over the line to see that Filch is taking forever to check who has permission to go off to Hogsmeade.

"His Secrecy Sensor. He's triple checking everyone. Hogwarts has really gone to the dogs," Crabbe chuckles, earning himself a glare from Daphne.

"It's not Filch's fault there are Death Eaters everywhere! You Know Who is back and he's going to kill us all!" She exclaims worriedly.

"Relax, Daph. You're probably one of the safest ones here in Hogwarts," Zabini coos.

Filch checks all of us with his Secrecy Sensor, taking his sweet time with Draco in particular. All of us pass his inspection and we walk into the village of Hogsmeade.

"You know," I tell Draco casually as we stroll down the streets together. "You've never taken me on a real date." I take his hand and intertwine it with mine, swinging our arms as we walk further and further.

"Is that your way of asking me to take you on a date?" Draco queries, continuing to walk.

"Er — no," I say, my cheeks turning pink.

Before I can say anything else, he tightens his grip on my hand and tugs me down the street. I let him drag me all the way down the street and to the left, so that we've arrived at The Three Broomsticks.

"What are you doing? We've lost the others," I tell him as we stand outside the entrance.

"I'm taking you on a date," He says slyly, walking inside of the building. "Are you going to leave me alone on our date?" He asks, gesturing for me to follow him inside.

The warm atmosphere immediately reduces my feelings of cold. Draco and I find a cozy table for two in the back of the room, where we would be away from the hectic front of the store.

"I'll get us drinks," Draco says before exiting.

Out of pure coincidence, just as he leaves an infamous Gryffindor trio happens to sit at the table next to us.

"Amelia?" Ron asks. "What're you doing here?"

"What do you think? I'm enjoying my day in Hogsmeade. How have you three been?" I joke with Ron before turning to the trio.

"We don't seem to talk that much anymore, I must admit," Hermione muses, her brown eyes looking me up and down with immense thought.

"So, er, I've noticed that you and Draco have been spending a lot of time together . . .," Harry says awkwardly. "I thought you two disliked each other?"

I shake my head. "Not any more. We, er — we started dating over the Summer," I confess.

Ron gasps. "You and Malfoy?"

"I'd never thought I'd see the day," Hermione says. I can clearly tell from her voice that she disapproves of our relationship but she doesn't say anything."

"Potter? What the hell are you doing? Trying to flirt with my girlfriend I see?" Draco snaps to the three of them. I can't help but notice he never got our butterbeers. So where was he for all this time?

"I wasn't — I —"

"I was just talking to them. They're my friends," I tell Draco, putting an emphasis on the word friends.

He rolls his eyes before turning his back to them and facing me. "I don't understand what you find so appealing in them. All they seem to do is get into trouble," Draco hisses. "We should go."

"Why?" I ask, surprised. "Hogsmeade has just started and we haven't even gotten our butterbeers."

"I feel a little under the weather. How about this — we go back to the common room, sit by the fire, and do something there? We'll be the only ones back at this time," Draco suggests.

I bite my lip and nod, feeling suspicious. "Alright."

As we walk back to Hogwarts, I hear a terrible scream come from about a quarter of a mile behind us. Instantly I turn back, my face in shock. Draco doesn't look surprised though.

"Did you hear that?" I question worriedly.

"Yes," Draco mumbles. "I suppose it's just one of the Gryffindors being dramatic as per usual."

"Yeah, just being dramatic . . .," I repeat, not thoroughly convinced.

——
:0

Author's Note: In the book, McGonagall mentions that Draco did not go into Hogsmeade that day because he had detention. For the purpose of this storyline, he did not have a detention.

I wrote an okay amount today and I won't be able to write at all tomorrow eek I'm sorry :((