09:30 pm; 30th June 1997
Colin is standing in front of Vane in their usual meeting spot - the dark, abandoned corridor with the blank, white portrait on the sixth floor. Like always, his face is all covered up with the help of his goggles, scarf and hat, so that she cannot find out who he is. A cool summer breeze blows around them as he hands her the vials for tonight's selling.
They seldom exchange words during their meetings at evenings and the talking usually happens after the selling has happened, that is, after midnight.
But this evening is an exception.
She catches hold of his cold hand with her own warm one as he turns around to head back to the Common Room. A shiver runs through him at the contact and he halts.
Her hand grips his hand tighter.
"I feel that something terrible is going to happen tonight, Faceless Boy," she whispers. There is no usual tinge of humour present in her voice while using one of her stupid cognomens for him.
"No, there is going to be no such thing, Vane," he replies, removing his hand from her grasp, "You know that nobody would dare open their mouth regarding this to the professors due to my security spell."
"I wasn't talking about the business," she murmurs while looking out through the window. "I was talking about the School. I feel something awful is going to happen in a few hours from now."
"You're over thinking," he tells her calmly. Even though his tone is cool, he cannot help but wonder if there is some horrid truth hidden in her words.
"I hope so, Faceless Boy. I hope so," she whispers and walks past him, leaving him alone with his mumbling thoughts.
•••••
10:31 pm
The Common Room is silent as he adds up the profit he has earned from his illegal potions business in the past month while sitting in his usual corner. He is adding 162 to 257 when he feels his pocket getting hot. He quickly shoves his hand into his trouser pocket to take out the DA galleon and find the words, 'Death Eaters have infiltrated Hogwarts. Come to the Astronomy Tower. Now!' engraved upon it.
Within a second, he stuffs the parchment upon which he had been doing his calculations into his pocket and stands up. He sees Ginny exiting through the portrait hole and he races to catch up with her; he cannot let her go alone. They may not be on the best of terms with each other right now, but he absolutely cannot let her go alone.
What he does not realise is that his little brother has already seen him follow her. Before he knows it, Dennis is jumping out of his seat at the other corner of the room and before he can do anything, his brother has already stupefied him.
As he hits the ground, Colin hears Dennis' whispered words:
"Not tonight. You're still not ready to fight. Maybe some other night, but not tonight."
And all he wants to reply is:
"Oh Dennis, I couldn't be more ready."
He cannot say anything, but even in this hazy state of mine he understands that Dennis is just trying to protect him from a war that they can no longer avoid.
YOU ARE READING
Survival
FanfictionA most hidden war is raging across the country. He is not new to being hunted. The place is different, but the hunt goes on. It always does as long as there is right and wrong and something to fight for. And no one knows this better than those who s...
