Emerald - Draco Malfoy

59

I stared off into the horizon, watching the sun set. 

I stood there alone, as the warm spring air blew across me.

It wad quite... until Dumbledore and Harry appeared next to me. 

They seemed to appear out of thin air. 

Dumbledore was hunched over, holding his stomach.  He had his arm around Harry, who was holding him up, as he let out low groans. 

"What the hell happened!" I yelled running over to them. 

"Long story!" Harry yelled at me, as he walked Dumbledore over to the railing. 

Dumbledore let go of Harry, and used the railing to hold himself upright. 

"You need to go to the hospital wing, professor." Harry pleaded. 

"No, I need Snape," Dumbledore turned his head to us, "go get Snape.   Don't speak to anyone on the way.  It's very important that you two aren't seen either.  Go, now."

Harry and I looked at each other, then turned and ran. 

As we ran down the first flight of stairs, Harry grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the side. 

"What?" I whispered to him.  

"Shhhh." He hushed me, as he pulled me into the shadows. 

Harry pointed to the stairs.  

Draco stealthily walked up them. 

His foot steps were quiet and quick.  

What was Draco doing?

"He's probably looking for me." I told Harry. 

Harry pulled me through the cluttered level underneath the astronomy room. 

You could see up through the floor boards. 

Draco stood before Dumbledore, as he had his wand pointed right at him.  

"Good evening, Draco. What brings you here on this fine, spring evening?" Dumbledore stood tall and spoke boldly, to hide his pain. 

"Who else is here? I heard you talking!" Draco spoke frankly.  He was nervous, you could see the sweat glistening on his forehead. 

Why was he pointing his wand at Dumbledore,

"I often talk aloud to myself. I find it extraordinarily useful. Have you been whispering to you yourself, Draco?" Dumbledore turned to Draco.  

Dumbledore's eyes looked like they were filled with sorrow, as they scanned over Draco.

"Draco, you are no assassin." Dumbledore spoke in a much softer tone. 

"How do you know what I am?! I've done things that would shock you!" Draco yelled, stepping closer to Dumbledore, with his wand still pointing at him.

"Like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that, in return, she would bear a cursed necklace to me?" Dumbledore question him, "Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Forgive me, Draco, but I cannot help feeling these actions are so weak that your heart couldn't really be in them."

Harry was right all along, Draco was the one who gave Katie that necklace. 

That wine we drank at Slughorn's... 

My heart quickly dropped to my stomach. 

Ron and I, drank that wine. 

Draco had almost poisoned us.