Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 71 - Respect

"He was very sick, huh? What happened, did he suddenly jump off his bed and said that he's alright or something?" said Harry mockingly.

"No. It can't be..." I muttered.

"Professor Slughorn," said Filch. Draco glanced me in the crowd and gave me a sorry look which I suppose was the answer to my questioning expression. "I just discovered this boy lurking in an upstairs corridor. He claimed to be invited to your party."

"Okay, okay, I was gatecrashing!" he said but only a look into his eyes made me feel that he was lying. Before Filch was able to say anything more Snape came forth.

"I'll escort him out," he said with this usual unexpressed face. Draco jerked his shoulder and Filch released him.

"Certainly... Professor..." said Draco raising his eyebrows.

Draco turned around and walked back to the entrance as Snape followed him. I saw Harry slowly left the party too as Slughorn suggested that the party should go on. I could easily find out where Draco and Snape were going by seeing a vision but I really wanted to know what Harry was up to and I followed him, carefully enough so he wouldn't hear me.

I knew what he was up to when I saw him stopping exactly when Snape and Draco stopped. He hid himself as Snape pushed Draco against a wall. I hid too - even though I sensed that Harry had realised that I was behind them. However, I couldn't care less about what Harry thought about me. Not because I didn't care about him, but because the conversation between Draco and Snape was far more important.

"What if I hexed that Bell girl? What if I didn't? What's up to you?" said Draco.

The heat started rising all the way up to my head.

"I swore to protect you! I made the Unbreakable Vow!" said Snape aggressively.

"I don't need protection! I was chosen for this. Out of all others! Me! And I won't fail him!" answered Draco.

"You're afraid, Draco!" realised Snape. "Let me assist you!"

"No! I was chosen! This is my moment!" answered Draco and ran away without even realising that I was there, and leaving Snape as still as a statute.

I didn't know what I should think. I knew about the Unbreakable Vow. It was a vow you made and if you broke it you would found yourself dead in a minute. But why would Snape do it? And what was that thing about which Draco was chosen? I had seen a hundred visions about it but yet, I couldn't find out what it was talking about. The only thing sure was Draco was chosen for something but that didn't tell me much. The fact that Draco was afraid didn't mean me anything either.

I stayed where I was until I was sure Harry had left but when I made to go, Snape, who was still standing where Draco had left him, saw me and came up to me. He pushed me against the wall and warned.

"I don't know what you've heard, I don't care what you've heard. But if you-"

"I don't know what you're talking about, sir!"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" he said and pulled out his wand and pushed the tip against my throat. "I can even erase it from your memory in no time. But don't make me do it! I want to believe that you won't say anything to anyone, even if you haven't understood what we were talking about. And I won't hurt you. Only out of respect."

"Respect? Do you respect my father? Or my godfather? Don't think that I'm a fool. Dumbledore trusts you. But you offer to help Draco, who, if I'm not mistaken, is about to do something because Voldemort told him to - whatever that is. Whose side are you, then?"

"How dare you talking to me like that?"

"How dare you making someone trust you without even meaning it. You've either made Voldemort think you're on his side or Dumbledore think that you're a member of the Order! And neither of these actions make me respect you. And you try to make me think that you respect me?"

"It's not you I respect."

"Who then?" I asked.

"Your mother's memory."

My eyes were opening wider by the second, I forgot how to breathe and almost choked on my own saliva. I reviewed the list of men that had confessed their love for my mother. It was true that Snape hadn't so much as said four words, yet I dreaded the thought that he was the next one on this list.

Somehow I couldn't see Snape loving a woman. As he flicked his robe and walked away, I opened my mouth in a smile and tried to contain a laughter.

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