The Purest Kind of Magic

- sixty four -

I gasped as I immediately sat up from the quite uncomfortable bed. I pulled my left sleeve up hurriedly as the pain increased on the mark. It was the first time the mark had ached this sharply.

Before anything, I hear Draco's groans as he too has been woken up by the mark. He fumbles under the blanket, trying to withstand the pain.

"Nngh..!" I groan as the sharpness in the pain suddenly spiked.

Draco winced, clutching his left arm. "What's happening? Why now?"

The room, dimly lit and filled with the weight of our uncertainty, felt even more oppressive as the Dark Mark on our arms burned with an intensity we hadn't experienced before.

Snape, who had been resting in a nearby chair, quickly got up, his eyes narrowing with concern. "This is not a usual summons. Something urgent is happening."

"How urgent would He be to be only summoning us? You're not in pain, are you?" I managed to squeeze out as I hold onto my arm.

"...I've grown to withstand it," Snape replied after a few seconds of silence.

"Fuck, it feels like I'm gonna die, where is He? Apparate us there or something, I'm getting torn apart," Draco says as he finally sits up, his hair already stained with sweat.

Snape lets out a sigh before getting up and grabbing a towel and throwing it to Draco, "Fix up your hair first, then we'll go."

Draco grunts as he takes the towel to fix his hair and brushed it back loosely. He's changed a lot, his once perfectly groomed hair now slightly disheveled and beads of sweat on his forehead, a stark contrast to the poised and polished image he used to maintain.

Snape, while maintaining his usual stoic demeanor, eyed Draco with a hint of acknowledgment. As Draco finished adjusting his appearance, Snape gestured for us to gather around.

His wand traced intricate patterns in the air, creating a protective barrier around us. The room seemed to respond to his magic, the dim lighting casting eerie shadows as we prepared for Apparition.

"Stay close and keep your wits about you. This is no ordinary summons, and we're stepping into dangerous territory," Snape warned, his voice low and commanding.

With a flick of Snape's wand, the three of us were enveloped in a swirl of darkness, the familiar sensation of being pulled and twisted as we Apparated to our destination.

The scene that unfolded before us was chilling. We stood in a cavernous chamber, its walls adorned with sinister symbols. Hooded figures surrounded us, their faces concealed in shadows.

At the far end of the room, atop a raised platform, Voldemort awaited, his presence sending shivers down our spines.

"You're late," a cold voice echoed, the words resonating with power. Voldemort's piercing gaze bore into us, and the weight of his expectations hung heavily in the air.

Snape inclined his head in a respectful nod, Draco and I follow suit, acknowledging the unspoken rebuke. "Apologies, my Lord. We are at your service."

The Dark Lord's eyes shifted to Draco and me, assessing us with a silent scrutiny. The pain in our Dark Marks had subsided, replaced by a sense of foreboding.

Voldemort's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "You are here because I require your particular skills. Well, and because you two are more familiar with the... targets today."

His red eyes bore into us, and the air seemed to thicken with tension. "There is a threat to our cause that needs to be eradicated. Some... individuals have appeared, challenging my authority and attempting to disrupt our plans."

I glance over at Draco, who was just looking down, his hair slowly falling out of place.

"I am sending you to deal with them. Your skills will be tested, and success is imperative," Voldemort continued, his gaze lingering on each of us.

I swallowed and opened my mouth to speak, "...Why us? We're still, um, busy with the last mission you gave us."

The corner of Voldemort's lips curled up, "Why? I'm afraid the 'individuals' involved are quite familiar with you two."

Draco looked up and then turned his head to me and barely whispered, "Your cousin."

--

"Harry? That doesn't make sense! Wait, fuck, yes it does, he's..." I sigh as I sat down on the bed in our secret base or whatever.

Draco patted my shoulder, "Hey, it's fine. We don't have to, like, show our faces. We can always wear a mask. Plus, it's not like we're being sent to kill him, just to stop him."

"Can't we just run away or something? I'm getting tired," I whisper as I looked away.

"I wish," Draco gave me a sad smile as he lifted up my chin so we make eye contact, "But we'll be fine, alright?"

—

Snape had gone back to Hogwarts, leaving the two of us alone. I looked over at Draco, who seems to be deep in thought.

"Y'know," I spoke, "I think it's time we tell them."

Draco turned his head to face me, "Yeah? You think so too?

"Yeah," I force out some laughter, "Blaise would probably be delighted when we finally let him in on our secret."

"Hm," Draco hums, "Yeah, he would."

"So how are we telling them? Write a letter?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

Draco let out a soft chuckle, "It's probably better in person."

I smiled, "Then... when we get back from the mission perhaps?"

"...Yeah."

--

A/N

Hey guys, sorry about the short chapter today but I am planning to wrap this story up in around 3-5 chapters since I really couldn't think of a way to drag this until 7th year even though that was my original plan. My idea of the ending did play out pretty nice in my head so hopefully you guys won't think it's lame lolol