Blood Traitor || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 54

As it turned out, there had been no point in Kit telling Harry to keep studying Occlumency.

"What the hell d'you mean he kicked you out?" she hissed when he told her, on the first day of the Easter holidays.

"I can't tell you why, but he did," said Harry, looking a bit shaken. "Just don't tell Hermione! I just— I needed to tell someone. I thought you'd understand."

"Harry, I do, but Umbridge tried to force the truth out of us with Veritaserum the other day! You— you need to be ready for her to try it again, because she knows there's a lot to worm out of you!"

"I'll try and practice, I swear it." But Kit knew he was lying between his teeth. He didn't mind that mysterious dream, because he was incredibly curious about what lay behind the door in the Department of Mysteries. "Just don't tell Hermione, please."

"Fine, I won't. Say, there is something I wanted to talk to you about, though. D'you think you'd be able to live at Grimmauld Place in the summer? Sirius wanted me to ask you since Christmas, and I haven't remembered to mention it because of everything that's been happening. I think it's a good idea to send back to Moody in a letter."

Kit beamed. "I hadn't thought of that. I would definitely like that. Sirius and his two adopted children... good Merlin we'll be terrible influences when we're adults thanks to him."

Harry smirked. "Oh, I'd certainly expect so." But his expression took on a gloomier tone as they reached the Gryffindor Tower. "Well... time to hopefully get Hermione to believe that Snape let me off on a good note."

She, of course, hadn't taken it well.

"But why havenʹt you got Occlumency lessons any more?" said Hermione, frowning, even after Harry had made up a whole lie about him knowing enough to block out the dreams.

"Iʹve told you," Harry muttered. "Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now Iʹve got the basics."

"So youʹve stopped having funny dreams?" said Hermione skeptically.

"Pretty much," said Harry, not looking at her.

"Well, I donʹt think Snape should stop until youʹre absolutely sure you can control them!" said Hermione indignantly. "Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask—"

"No," said Harry forcefully. "Just drop it, Hermione, okay?"

It was Ron who gave them the necessary distraction they needed to change the conversation. "Bloody hell!" he said very dramatically, looking up as the door opened and Ginny let in Su, who was carrying a platter of muffins. "Su, did you know? We've only got six weeks left until exams!"

Su blinked and set the tray down in front of them. "Er, yeah, I did know. Hermione and the Professors have been having a countdown since January."

Ron still looked bewildered, and Hermione let out an exasperated sign. "Is this really coming as such a shock to you?"

"Well, yeah," said Ron, "thereʹs been a lot going on."

Hermione rolled her eyes and handed him his timetable. "If you follow that, you should do fine."

Ron looked down it glumly, but then brightened. "You've given me an evening off every week!"

"That's for Quidditch practice."

The smile faded from Ron's face, and Su handed him a muffin.

"Whatʹs the point?" he said dully. "Weʹve got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dadʹs got of becoming Minister for Magic."