✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

13 | MONDEGREEN

What gives you confidence yet is unseen?

Perhaps . . .

"Hope," she tried again, a little more certain this time. "It gives you a great deal of strength and confidence, yet it is intangible."

The Sphinx paused for a moment, the red of its eyes flashing amusedly at her as Tessa's heart thundered against her chest. Her hands were clammy as she opened and closed her fists to keep them from being numb.

     "A valiant attempt — but that is still incorrect," it purred with dark humor.

     She couldn't feel anything other than pure fear. Not for her own self — but for Harry and what was going to happen to him if she couldn't get the answer right. One chance — she had one last chance that'll make or break everything.

     Tessa wanted to wake up from this horrible nightmare. She wanted to sleep and wake up tomorrow and spend the day with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She wanted to wake up to a tomorrow with pranking around with Fred and George. She wanted to wake up to a tomorrow where she could bicker and argue with — dare she say it — Draco Malfoy, despite how stupid and arrogant that pompous buffoon was. She wanted to wake up to a tomorrow where she can go home to her uncle and her best friend Philip. She wanted to see a tomorrow where she can still continue to dream of her parents.

     She stilled.

     That was it. That was the answer.

     Tessa snapped her head back up to meet the flashing red eyes of the Sphinx. "Tomorrow," she breathed out. "The answer is tomorrow."

     The Sphinx lost its dark humor gleaming in its eyes. It stared right back at her silently, taking in Tessa's confidently raised chin and straight shoulders. "Very well," it hummed from deep within its throat. "Congratulations, Braveheart. You answered it correctly." It's feminine voice quieted to a warm tone that brought insane relief to her bones.

     She turned to face Harry who looked as though he might just cry from happiness. She nodded at him and told him without having to say out loud: We'll be okay.

     Harry nodded in response, saying it right back to her without moving his lips.

     Tessa turned to face the hallway again. Walking passed the large beast, she paused right at the mouth of the long, dark corridor. It looked too easy, Tessa was afraid this might just have been a trick.

     "Go ahead, Braveheart," the purring voice said from behind her.

     Deep breaths, Tessie. Deep breaths. You'll be okay, you've come this far. It's too late to back out now. All you need to do is cross the damn hallway, get to the lever on the other side of the wall and pull it. That's all you have to do.

     Holding her breath, she started to walk inside.

     Eyes scanning the walls, Tessa found it to be dry and covered with a fine layer of dust. Cobwebs suspended from the ceiling to the tan brick walls, and the unmistakable scent of carrion hung in the air. She had a long way to go, the end loomed impossibly far away. Every step she took seemed as though the path stretched longer and longer.

     Tessa didn't even notice the small, uneven patch of dirt she'd stepped on until it pushed down on her weight. The flash of silver and the whiz of something sharp were too late for her to notice, the small dart had struck deep in Tessa's arm.

     "TESSA!" Harry shouted from behind her as she cried out in pain, feeling her right arm already beginning to feel numb and like dead weight. Falling on her knees, she braced herself with her left hand. She cursed out loud, feeling the patch of dirt push down beneath her hand as another dart sped above her head, narrowly missing her.