The Invisible Wars

Chapter 7: A desperate plan

It's not that difficult to sneak away from the Prefects, Draco realized this as he turned a corner outside their house dormitory. They don't live up to the challenge he was expecting, one of them is stunned lying on the Slytherin's common room floor and the other two are levitating just outside the door unable to move because of the binding spell he threw at them. His feet made quick light steps as he crossed the halls, leaping occasionally in the shadow to avoid getting caught when a professor or a prefect would suddenly appear from a corner. From a distance he could see the cabinet containing Slytherin's Quidditch materials, he needed to get there to get his broomstick so he could carry out his plan. Draco was about to dash for the cabinet when the Headboy and Headgirl burst out from a nearby door.

Damn it Damn it Damn it. He cursed under his breath and pushed himself out of view, leaning behind a pillar.

"That was the second student we caught snogging."

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"Getting the vibes here are we?"

"Oh you are pathetic and disgusting!"

Rolling his eyes, Draco watched them until they disappear at the end of the hall. He stepped out of the shadow once he couldn't hear the voice anymore and hastily opened the cabinet, retrieving his broomstick from the pile. A rush of adrenaline flows in his body but the panic and trepidation he felt yesterday after talking to his mother did not subside. He tried to contact her again by sending another Patronus to let her know he will find a way to get to her. His parent's lives are at stake and he couldn't let anymore moment be wasted being paralyzed by fear. He set his eyes on the exit a few feet ahead of him. With determination and vigilance, Draco sped his way out of the castle broomstick at hand.

"Move closer ter the fire 'Ermione or you'll catch a cold."

Hermione smiled at the mammoth-sized man gratefully and hugged the blanket he gave her tighter as she inched to the fireplace, trying to ignore the fact that the cloth smells like dried meat and unwashed hair. With her chattering teeth and shivering body, she is in no position to be picky.

"If yeh lot keep this habit of sneaking out of the castle at midnight I will gonna have to report yeh ter McGonagall." Hagrid tried his best to give them a cautioning look but the three knew better than to be frightened.

"Come on Hagrid, we just wanted to see you! Are you really going to tell us off?" Ron said. He was sitting in the dining area with Harry, between them was a plate of untouched rock cakes that had turned cold. Hagrid turned to look at them both, his weight shifting from one foot to another indicating his uncertainty. His size was occupying most of the space in the room, with his round belly that was held together poorly by a brown leather belt and his head which is almost touching the roof would constantly knock the ham or the cheese hanging from the ceiling.

"Oh bugger! This is the last time, no wandering at night an'more after this. Promise me."

"We promise. It's just that we are all having trouble sleeping." Hermione said, looking back from her chair with her eyes squinted into a grin.

Night after night, their biggest struggle is how to summon sleep. It's as if their body is missing the adrenaline of being on the run when they were hiding during the war and when they would finally doze off, it would either be shallow or filled with nightmares.

"Plus it's not every day you see Hermione willing to break school rules, so pretty much yeah you should let us off the hook." Harry added.

Hagrid shrugged his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Alright alright, no need fer yer petty excuses."