a rose by any other name

chapter thirty-seven ❃ the fall of dumbledore

"We need to get you to the hospital wing sir, to Madam Pomfrey." Potter said as he tried to keep Dumbledore upright. They shuffled over to the bench and Potter helped Dumbledore sit down, I noticed now that he was clutching at his stomach and panting slightly, "No, Severus, Severus is who we need. Wake him, and tell him what happened, speak to no one else. Severus, Harry." Dumbledore said and Potter looked at him confused, Me and Draco looked at each other and at the worst timing ever, my foot slipped – scraping loudly along the wooden floor.

Harry and Dumbledore's head's shot in our direction and Draco glared at me. "Hide yourself below Harry, don't speak or be seen by anybody without my permission. Whatever happens, it's imperative you stay below. Harry, do as I say" Dumbledore whispered, and Potter hesitated, "Trust me" Dumbledore said, and finally, Potter disappeared. Draco looked at me and reached for his wand, "This is our last chance." He whispered and I nodded pulling out my own wand.

Draco and I slowly retreated from the darkness and into Dumbledore's view with our wands up. The adrenaline was rushing through my veins and triggering my fight or flight, Merlin how I wanted to just run into Cedric's arms and never let him, let me go. But I put my game face on, and I knew Draco was doing the same, we had to at least pretend. "Good evening, Draco... Parisa, what brings you here on this fine, spring evening? Or is it summer?" Me and Draco looked at each other at his small talk and then at Dumbledore not saying anything. "You are no assassins." He said and my head shot to Draco. How did he know? Well I guess the way we were pointing our wands at him probably gave it away but, had he known this whole time? Suddenly Draco spoke, "How do you know what we are? We've done things that will shock you." He spat and then looked at me, willing me to say something, I noticed now that he was shaking. He was terrified. "What like cursing Katie Bell and hoping she would, in turn, bear a cursed necklace to me?" Draco and I gulped. "Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison?" How did he know about both of those things? How did he know it was us?

"Forgive me, but these are attempts so feeble I cannot help but question if your hearts have been really in them." I was so panicked; I was at war with myself. Part of me wanted to tell him the truth, that we didn't want this and just run and hide behind him, but the other part was telling me to protect myself and Draco – if we told we would surely be killed. So, I surprised myself and Draco. "He trusts us! We were chosen!" I shouted, lifting up my robe and showing him my mark; which I noticed was ink black – they knew this was happening. Draco noticed my arm and then looked at his own which was too inky black.

Dumbledore gasped and looked away from our arms as his eyes danced between our faces, I couldn't even imagine what my expression looked like right now. "Then I shall make it easy for you." He said lifting his arms, and in turn his wand. I knew immediately what Draco was thinking as I knew we were both taking this as a threat. Draco drew his wand again and quickly shouted, "Expelliarmus!" I watched Dumbledore's wand fly free from his hand and clatter on the floor aside from him. I looked back at Draco who was staring at the wand with a curious mixture of fear and awe of what he had just succeeded in doing. Draco looked at me with a slight smirk on his face before he processed his actions and it dropped immediately, the only emotion left in his eyes being fear. Now he had disarmed him there was no going back... one of us, or both of us, was going to have to kill him. We both turned to Dumbledore who was looking at the wand, before he turned back to Draco, "Well done Draco, But I warn you. Killing is not nearly as easy." His eyes shifted to me and I gulped "Or is it Parisa who will perform the task? Tell me, when Voldemort assigned this to you, did he assign you it together?" Draco's head shot to me, but I couldn't get any words out, to my relief there was a loud noise... it sounded like the door at the bottom of the tower. But who would know we were here? I prayed to every single God out in the universe that it was not Cedric.