in the dark | d malfoy

chapter twenty-eight

the second i saw jan and alfie in the great hall, the ball of anxiety immediately eased off my chest. i ran towards them, stealing them both into a tight hug, which they returned enthusiastically. alfie grinned into my shoulder, linking her arm through mine while jan pulled away, tugging at her earring. "look at these new hoops i got for christmas!" she commented, and i giggled in spite of myself.

"hey. uh.... kat."

i turned, a smile brimming on my face as ron weasley faced me. in my newfound sense of comfort, i couldn't help myself, and bounded into his arms, letting him engulf me. i'd never hugged ron before, as the only one of the trio i knew well was hermione, but he returned the hug after a small pause. he smelled like laundry soap, i noted, and i sighed happily as i pulled back.

"well, that was unexpected," he commented, and i grinned. "expect the unexpected, weasley." jan and alfie followed me over to ron, confused expressions on their faces. "what's for you all happy for?" alfie asked curiously, and i shrugged. "just missed you all, that's it. i was stuck here all christmas alone."

jan raised her eyebrows. "told you to come and stay at my place. regretting your decision now?" i frowned. "i didn't want to interrupt time with your family. you need it. plus, it wasn't too bad. it's beautiful here during the holidays."

ron smiled briefly at me. "i've got to get going. just thought i'd say hi."

i smiled at him. "hope you had a good christmas."

he winced, and i frowned. "or... not?"

he shrugged. "my dad, uh, was in the hospital. attacked. by a... snake. it's confusing. harry actually predicted it, which doesn't really make sense..." at this point he was mumbling under his breath, and i could see jan trying to stifle a laugh, so i elbowed her in the side. "sorry about your dad, ron," alfie and i chorused. "is there anything i can do?" i asked, and ron shook his head. "he's doing loads better now, anyway. thanks, though. er... see you around."

as soon as he was gone, i turned to jan with a death glare. "and what was that for?" i growled, as she began to giggle. "i'm sorry, i'm sorry! he was talking nonsense, what with a snake and harry being a seer all of a sudden. god, i can't want for a D.A lesson. i missed it like hell over christmas." she frowned at me. "you must've been so bored. who'd you hang out with?"

i paused. "uh, no one. just me on my lonesome."

alfie and jan eyed me suspiciously, but shrugged it off, chuckling to themselves. i dragged them to the table, eager for breakfast, while jan began to explain the long list of belongings she now possessed.

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the next day after dinner, i followed ron and hermione to the library, where they had invited me to study with them. i frowned as i opened up my book. "where's harry at?"

"he has to le-,"

"remedial potions." hermione interrupted ron, giving him a stern look, and he gulped as he looked down at his textbook. i wrinkled my nose. "ew, alone with snape? that sounds horrible."

hermione bobbed her head in agreement, and we fell silent as the sun set behind the mountains, and the only sound that echoed in the library was our quills scratching on paper. a while later, the library doors opened, and harry hurried over to us, throwing himself down in the seat next to me.

"hi, harry," i said cheerfully, and he ignored me. i noticed that he looked paler than usual. "are you all right?"

"yeah.... fine... i dunno," harry said, seeming to be in a daze. "listen, i've just realized something."

hermione glanced over at me cautiously. harry looked over, too, and frowned. "you can keep a secret, can't you, kat?"

i stared at him in surprise, nodding. "of course."

harry broke into speech quickly about the ministry of magic and a weapon. i was lost in confusion but hermione and ron's eyes were wide with understanding. most of his points were hard to understand, and i squinted at him in confusion. "you deducted all this in remedial potions?"

despite the odds, all three of the students burst into laughter, and harry shook his head. "no, i've been learning occlumency with snape." i frowned, but didn't question him as ron began to speak.

"so... so, are you saying that the weapon- the thing you-know-who's after- is in the ministry of magic?"

"in the department of mysteries, it's got to be." harry said quietly, a serious look on his face. "i saw that door when your dad took me down to the courtrooms for my hearing and it's definitely the same one he was guarding when the snake bit him."

hermione let out a breath of air. "of course," she said, and ron and i both stared at her in confusion. "of course what?" ron voiced my words, and i sent him a glance of amusement. "ron, think about it. sturgis podmore was trying to get through a door at the ministry of magic... it must have been that one, it's too much of a coincidence!"

"how come sturgis was trying to break in?" i asked, and ron shot me a look of relief, making me know we were on the same brain wave. "isn't he on our side?"

hermione frowned. "well... i don't know. that is a bit odd." harry turned to ron, his expression still stony. "so what's in the department of mysteries? has your dad ever mentioned anything about it?"

ron frowned. "i know they call the people who work in there 'unspeakables' because no one really seems to know what they do in there. weird place to have a weapon."

"it's not weird at all," i said suddenly, surprising myself. "it will be something top secret that the ministry has been developing, right?"

hermione nodded at my words, and frowned as she glanced to harry. "harry, are you sure you're all right?" she asked, and i glanced at him, alarmed to see how pale and sweaty he looked. "fine," he said. "i just feel a bit.... i don't like occlumency much."

"i except anyone would feel shaky if they'd had their mind attacked over and over again." i frowned at her words, and raised my hand slightly as i spoke. "uh... what exactly is occlumency?"

harry gave me a brief explanation, but i decided not to press the details about why he was doing it. there seemed to be a lot of secrets within this group. i said my goodbyes to the group, leaving the things we had discussed floating through my head as we headed to our respective common rooms.

how much was going on that i had no idea of?

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