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Each week held the same routine, dragging on for what had seemed like years to Adeline. She continuously stressed about teaching Pansy Parkinson transfiguration and feared being caught planning what to do.

Dessa had been keeping an eye on her, growing suspicious that something was up. Nina ignored the feeling in fear that something bad would happen if she acknowledged it.

"I got a message from Hermione Granger," Nina mumbled. The Great Hall buzzed around them as the four leaned in close, in hopes no one would hear them. "Harry wants to meet you in the library, Adeline. He said he wanted to show you something." Dessa glared at her, crossing her arms.

"Why do you always get the important messages?" she groaned. "It's not like you're good at remembering to relay info-" Nina hit her on the back of the head, returning the glare. "Sorry," she muttered.

Isaac chuckled and swung his arm around Adeline's shoulders. Nina snapped at Dessa with annoyance, which only made Dessa snap harder. Isaac tilted his head to rest on Adeline's, the two of them watching the argument take it's course. Their voices echoed in the room and surrounded them in a heavy cloud.

"Would you two shut up already," Isaac huffed. Nina turned to him, her cheeks turning red. Dessa smirked and winked at Adeline, gesturing at Isaac and Nina. Adeline bit back a laugh as she stared at the pair with heart eyes.

Nina shook herself and looked at Adeline. "I think he wants to meet like now." She fell back into a chair and threw her head back.

"Okay," Adeline mumbled. She shoved her hands into the pockets of her sweater and walked toward the door. Half of her worried what he had to say, if he wanted to involve her in his charades then what was she supposed to do? But what if he wasn't going to say that? What if he knew about her meeting with Pansy Parkinson every week since September?

Two months had passed since they first met and they had yet to run into any issues regarding being caught. But what if he was secretly holding onto the information until now?

She made her way slowly to the library, her eyes falling onto Draco Malfoy sitting at a table. His chin was propped on his hands and he twisted something in his hand. The light shone on it. It almost looked familiar. Like she'd seen it before. She debated confronting him. If that was what she thought it was, he had no right holding it in his hands.

Before she could speak, her arm was tugged away and Draco vanished from her sight.

"I didn't think you'd show," an all too familiar voice said.

"If you try to rope me in with your shit again, Potter." Adeline turned to face him, crossing her arms.

"I- it's important, I swear," he said. "I know you said you wouldn't get involved but we need you." Adeline sighed loudly took a step closer. "I think Malfoy hexed Katie Bell."

Adeline froze, eyeing him intensely. "What?"

"Katie Bell, she was hexed," he whispered. "And I'm almost certain he did it." The girl's jaw dropped and she stepped closer to him, grabbing his arm.

"Don't fucking joke about that, Harry," she muttered.

"I'm not joking."

She ran a hand through her hair and let go of his arm, beginning to pace back and forth. "What about the rest of them?" Deep down, she prayed not all them had been taken by Him, though her brain could not grasp why.

"I don't know. But he was acting weird on the train, it makes sense, Adeline." Harry's voice was calm, his eyes filled with certainty as he looked at her. Ever since she met him, he'd been serious most of the time and got them into situations only he could get them out of.

"Okay," she said. "Anything else?" She looked over her shoulder and placed her hands on her hips.

"I'm meeting with Dumbledore. I also have this.. this book that has revealed so much," he mumbled.

"What's Dumbledore want?" Adeline knew better than to talk longer with him, the boy who could convince her to risk her entire life, and not to entertain the idea of involving her. She couldn't help it. Pieces of her wanted to be involved, wanted to stand for something. She wanted to be someone.

The library was hushed, students walking past the aisle Harry and Adeline stood in. The sun was setting peacefully, despite the conversations happening within the walls.

"He's telling me things about Voldemort," he said. His eyes traced her face as the name fell from his tongue. "Things that can help me defeat him, Adeline."

Her face lit up, her hands dropping to her side. "Seriously?"

"I wouldn't make jokes about that."

She nodded, looking down at her feet. He placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look at him again. "If we have to fight, if we have to go head to head with him, you'll fight with us, right?"

Adeline inhaled sharply, thinking back to her father.

"You know I'm not supposed to-"

"Get into trouble, I know," he sighed. "But you and I both know that won't last."

She sat alone in the common room until the late hours of the night, gazing into the crackling fire before her. Her knees were pulled up to her chest as she ran over Harry's words once more.

He had left her in a state of confusion and anxiety. Fighting sounded like something she needed to do, something she was obligated to do as Harry's friend. But was it what she wanted to do?

The common room door swung open, the cold air from the corridor flooding into the room. Adeline shivered, looking over the back of the couch she sat in. No one stood in the doorway. It was nothing but a black void of cool breezes. She rose to her feet and took small steps toward the door.

A figure appeared in the dark, causing Adeline to take several steps back. Her breathing grew heavier and her heartbeat picked up pace quickly. The figure drew nearer, almost inside the room. One more step and she'd meet her demise, one more step...

Dessa appeared, eyes wide and hands balled into fists.

"Dessa?" Adeline squinted at her. "Where have you been? It's past curfew."

Dessa tensed, shoving her hands into her pockets quickly. Her eyes avoided Adeline's in a harsh pattern and she tried to push past her, her face red. Adeline gripped her shirt and pulled her back, making her look at her.

"I won't tell anyone just," she whispered, "Just tell me where you were."

Dessa huffed and shook Adeline off of her. "Library. Had to study." They stared at each other in silence, Adeline thinking back to Malfoy at the empty table. Her eyes widened and Dessa tensed in her gaze.

"Were you with anyone, Dessa?"

"No," she said. She had calmed herself down, regrouped. It was nearly impossible to read her expression after that point. "I was by myself, why?"

Adeline stared at her, fidgeting with the hem of her sleeves. "No reason, it's late so.." she mumbled. Dessa brushed past her and walked away, her steps quick.

Adeline stayed put, wracking her brain. Dessa had said she didn't need to study tonight, her story didn't line up.

At all.

eternally mine | pansy parkinson✔Where stories live. Discover now