Escaping Darkness [Book 1 of Through Darkness and Light]

Chapter 25: Helpless To Stop Insanity

A/N: So...you all are going to hate me after this chapter...and I apologize now. Both for the short and abruptness, but also for...well, you'll find out. Secondly, yes, they are finding Horcruxes rather quickly, but better that than reading nothing but research for ten more chapters. I have places I want this fanfic to go, so...yep. I'll shut up now. Don't kill me, please! Refavoment!

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“Only a week until Christmas!” Harry crowed. Draco watched his Inima with amusement, as the Gryffindor bounced around the common room. His antics were ignored by most of the room’s occupants, as was the fact that a Slytherin was sitting in the Gryffindor common rooms.

Actually, Gryffindor tower had become accustomed to Draco’s presence, and it was generally known by now that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter, once-upon-a-time archrivals, were now a lot friendlier than before. Some suspected their bonding romance, while others steadfastly stuck to their ideas that it was merely a close friendship, nothing more. But neither opinion received any confirmation beyond the more frequent sightings of the two together. Well, they hadn’t until more recently, when the two could be spotted with an arm around each other as their bond grew. Girls thought of the couple as cute, while the guys found the relationship strange and somewhat disturbing. But neither of the two cared; as long as their Inima was happy, so were they.

“Why so excited?” Draco drawled, as Harry came dangerously close to knocking over a low coffee table.

“Don’t you just love Christmas?” Harry continued, ignoring Draco. “I can’t wait to head down to the Burrow tomorrow…Christmas there is always so fun!”

“He never had much of a Christmas when he was younger,” Hermione whispered helpfully. Draco nodded in understanding; neither had he. Hence the reason why he wasn’t as excited as the over exuberant Harry.

“Alright, I’m ready,” Ron said, rushing into the room.

“Finally,” Harry sighed dramatically. Ron rolled his eyes.

“It was only a few minutes. I couldn’t find my scarf.”

“Well, if you would put it back where it belonged, you wouldn’t have this problem…now hurry, we’re going to be late!”

“We won’t be late to Hogsmeade,” Draco chuckled, interrupting the two friends. “But I do want to get down there before it gets too crowded.”

Hermione chuckled. “Yes, let’s go. It’s the last Hogsmeade trip before Christmas, and I won’t have time to finish shopping once we get to the Burrow.”

Ron grinned. “Yeah, and I want a good present from you. Not some cheap knockoff of a gift.” Hermione smacked him, and he threw up his arms in defense. “Kidding! I was kidding, ‘Mione! You know I always love your gifts. Even the books!” She stuck her tongue out at him, and Ron suddenly grabbed her tongue.

“Won! Le’go!”

Draco and Harry burst out laughing as Hermione unsuccessfully tried to pull her tongue back into her mouth. Ron just smirked at her. “Promise you won’t stick your tongue out at me again?” he asked teasingly. Hermione nodded.

“Yeh, tho le’go!”

Ron released her tongue then, and she stuck it out at him one last time, quickly dodging back as he grabbed for it again. “You’re going to get it, Ronald Weasley,” she threatened. Harry and Draco sobered as she glared at them, but they couldn’t hold their laughter for long. “Oh! Honestly. Let’s just go get Pansy and Blaise.” Her huffing and indignant storming away did little to ease their amusement, and the three boys laughed the entire way to Hogsmeade.