June 2016
No, Harry, has in fact, not suffered a premature brain aneurysm.
Apparently, when he fell asleep during the exam, it wasn't because he was chronically sleep-deprived and had zero fucks to give, like the rest of them. Harry saw things. Like, Divination, prophet, seer-type saw things. According to him, Voldemort has taken Sirius prisoner, holding him in the Department of Mysteries. The older boy is hysterical, pacing around the classroom as Ron and Hermione try to calm him down.
It's not that Maya doesn't believe him, it's just that the timing of this is a little too coincidental to be normal. With everything going on with Umbridge and Azkaban's mass breakout, Harry's vision seems more like a trap than a plea for help.
There's a moment's silence as they all take his words in, Maya not knowing what to say. Then Ron says, 'G-get there?'
'Get to the Department of Mysteries, so we can rescue Sirius!' Harry says loudly.
'But — Harry . . .' says Ron weakly.
'What? What?' says Harry, breathing heavily. He doesn't seem to realize what's coming out of his mouth.
'Harry,' says Hermione in a rather frightened voice, 'er . . . how . . . how did Voldemort get into the Ministry of Magic without anybody realising he was there?'
'How do I know?' bellows Harry, 'The question is how we're going to get in there!'
'But . . . Harry, think about this,' says Hermione, taking a step towards him, 'its five o'clock in the afternoon . . . the Ministry of Magic must be full of workers . . . how would Voldemort and Sirius have got in without being seen? Harry . . . they're probably the two most wanted wizards in the world . . . you think they could get into a building full of Aurors undetected?'
'I dunno, Voldemort used an Invisibility Cloak or something!' Harry shouts 'Anyway, the Department of Mysteries has always been completely empty whenever I've been — '
'You've never been there, Harry,' says Hermione quietly. 'You've dreamed about the place, that's all.'
'They're not normal dreams!' Harry shouts in her face, standing up and taking a step closer to her in turn. 'How d'you explain Ron's dad then, what was all that about, how come I knew what had happened to him?'
'He's got a point,' says Ron quietly, looking at Hermione.
'But this is just — just so unlikely!' says Hermione desperately. 'Harry, how on earth could Voldemort have got hold of Sirius when he's been in Grimmauld Place all the time?'
'Sirius might've cracked and just wanted some fresh air,' says Ron, sounding worried. 'He's been desperate to get out of that house for ages —
'But why,' Hermione persists, 'why on earth would Voldemort want to use Sirius to get the weapon, or whatever the thing is?'
'I dunno, there could be loads of reasons!' Harry yells at her. 'Maybe Sirius is just someone Voldemort doesn't care about seeing hurt — '
'You know what, I've just thought of something,' says Ron in a hushed voice. 'Sirius's brother was a Death Eater, wasn't he? Maybe he told Sirius the secret of how to get the weapon!'
'Yeah — and that's why Dumbledore's been so keen to keep Sirius locked up all the time!' says Harry.
'Look, I'm sorry,' cries Hermione, 'but neither of you are making sense, and we've got no proof for any of this, no proof Voldemort and Sirius are even there — '
'Exactly!' Maya laments, 'This is a set-up!'
'Hermione, Maya, Harry's seen them!' says Ron, rounding on them. Maya backs up so he isn't in her face anymore.
'OK,' says Hermione, looking frightened yet determined, 'I've just got to say this — '
'What?'
'You . . . this isn't a criticism, Harry! But you do . . . sort of . . . I mean — don't you think you've got a bit of a — a — saving-people thing?' she says.
He glares at her. 'And what's that supposed to mean, a "saving-people thing"?'
Maya takes a deep breath, wondering whether she should actually say this out loud, 'Harry, she's saying that you have a minor savior complex,
Hermione looks more apprehensive than ever. 'I mean . . . last year, for instance . . . in the lake . . . during the Tournament . . . you shouldn't have . . . I mean, you didn't need to save that little Delacour girl . . . you got a bit . . . carried away . . I mean, it was really great of you and everything,' says Hermione quickly, looking positively petrified at the look on Harry's face, 'everyone thought it was a wonderful thing to do —
'That's funny,' said Harry through gritted teeth, 'because I definitely remember Ron saying I'd wasted time acting the hero . . . is that what you think this is? You reckon I want to act the hero again?'
'Oh, for the love of God!!' Maya shrieks, completely fed up with his behavior. She gets where he's coming from — believe me, she does — but his defensiveness is getting right on her nerves and Maya doesn't know if she'll be able to refrain from snapping at him any longer.
'No, no, no!' says Hermione, looking aghast. That's not what I mean at all!'
'Well, spit out what you've got to say, because we're wasting time here!' Harry shouts. Maya sighs, putting her head in her hands.
For someone who's referred to as the Wizarding World's saviour, Harry Potter's skull might be the thickest she's ever seen.
I'm trying to say — Voldemort knows you, Harry! He took Ginny down into the Chamber of Secrets to lure you there, it's the kind of thing he does, he knows you're the — the sort of person who'd go to Sirius's aid! What if he's just trying to get you into the Department of Myst — ?'
'Hermione, it doesn't matter if he's done it to get me there or not — they've taken McGonagall to St Mungo's, there isn't anyone from the Order left at Hogwarts who we can tell, and if we don't go, Sirius is dead!'
'But Harry — what if your dream was — was just that, a dream?'
Harry lets out a roar of frustration. Hermione actually steps back from him, looking alarmed.
'You don't get it!' Harry shouts at her, 'I'm not having nightmares, I'm not just dreaming! What d'you think all the Occlumency was for, why d'you think Dumbledore wanted me prevented from seeing these things? Because they're REAL, Hermione — Sirius is trapped, I've seen him. Voldemort's got him, and no one else knows, and that means we're the only ones who can save him, and if you don't want to do it, fine, but I'm going, understand? And if I remember rightly, you didn't have a problem with my saving-people thing when it was you I was saving from the Dementors, or — ' he rounds on Ron ' — when it was your sister I was saving from the Basilisk — ' he turns to face Maya — ' Or when it was you I got out of that graveyard, '
'I never fucking said that I had a problem with it! None of us did!' Maya cries, but he doesn't seem to hear her, 'Would you just listen — '
'But Harry, you've just said it,' says Hermione fiercely, 'Dumbledore wanted you to learn to shut these things out of your mind, if you'd done Occlumency properly you'd never have seen this — '
'IF YOU THINK I'M JUST GOING TO ACT LIKE I HAVEN'T SEEN — '
'Sirius told you there was nothing more important than you learning to close your mind!'
'WELL, I EXPECT HE'D SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT IF HE KNEW WHAT I'D JUST — '
'Would you two stop screaming at each other?' Maya snaps, her patience absolutely gone, "It's not going to solve anything, is it?!'
The classroom door opens and the four of them whip around.
Ginny walks in, looking curious, closely followed by Luna and Diana, who has an arm slung around the waist of the latter.
'Hi,' says Ginny uncertainly. 'We recognised Harry's voice, '
'What are you yelling about?' questions Diana, bluntly.
'Never you mind,' says Harry roughly.
Maya glares at him, 'Can you stop being a dickhead for five seconds?'
Ginny raises her eyebrows. 'There's no need to take that tone with me,' she says coolly, 'I was only wondering whether I could help.'
'Well, you can't,' says Harry shortly.
'You're being rather rude, you know,' says Luna serenely. Harry swears and turns away.
'Wait,' says Hermione suddenly. 'Wait . . . Harry, they can help.'
The three of them look at her. 'Listen,' she says urgently, 'Harry, we need to establish whether Sirius really has left Headquarters.'
'I've told you, I saw — '
'Harry, I'm begging you, please!' says Hermione desperately. 'Please let's just check that Sirius isn't at home before we go charging off to London. If we find out he's not there, then I swear I won't try to stop you. I'll come, I'll d — do whatever it takes to try and save him.'
'Sirius is being tortured NOW!' shouts Harry. 'We haven't got time to waste.'
'But if this is a trick of Voldemort's, Harry, we've got to check, we've got to.'
'How?' Harry demands. 'How're we going to check?'
'We'll have to use Umbridge's fire and see if we can contact him, says Hermione, who looks positively terrified at the thought. 'We'll draw Umbridge away again, but we'll need lookouts, and that's where we can use Ginny, Diana and Luna.'
'Maya too, ' pipes up Diana, looking concerned, 'You know I'm right — I don't think Nandini would take very kindly to your expulsion, now, would she?'
Maya tries to protest but Ginny interrupts her, 'Yeah, we'll do it,' as Luna says, 'When you say "Sirius", are you talking about Stubby Boardman?'
Nobody answers her.
'OK,' Harry says aggressively to Hermione, 'OK, if you can think of a way of doing this quickly, I'm with you, otherwise I'm going to the Department of Mysteries right now.'
'The Department of Mysteries?' says Luna, looking mildly surprised. 'But how are you going to get there?'
Maya has an idea 'I can portal us there!' she replies, in half-awe, 'I've been to the Ministry before, and Hogwarts hasn't put any restrictions on warlock magic, '
'Right,' says Hermione, twisting her hands together and pacing up and down between the desks. 'Right . . . well . . . one of us has to go and find Umbridge and — and send her off in the wrong direction, keep her away from her office. They could tell her — I don't know — that Peeves is up to something awful as usual . . .'
'I'll do it,' says Ron at once. 'I'll tell her Peeves is smashing up the Transfiguration department or something, it's miles away from her office. Come to think of it, I could probably persuade Peeves to do it if I met him on the way.'
It is a mark of the seriousness of the situation that Hermione makes no objection to the smashing up of the Transfiguration department.
'OK,' she says, her brows furrowed as she continues to pace. 'Now, we need to keep students right away from her office while we force entry, or some Slytherin's bound to go and tip her off.
'Luna and I can stand at either end of the corridor," says Ginny promptly, 'and warn people not to go down there because someone's let off a load of Garrotting Gas. Maya and Diana can stay with us as well, '
Hermione looks surprised at the readiness with which Ginny has come up with this lie; Ginny shrugs and says, 'Fred and George were planning to do it before they left.'
'OK,' says Hermione. 'Well then, Harry, you and I will be under the Invisibility Cloak and we'll sneak into the office and you can talk to Sirius — '
'He's not there, Hermione!'
'I mean, you can — can check whether Sirius is at home or not while I keep watch, I don't think you should be in there alone, Lee's already proved the windows a weak spot, sending those Nifflers through it.'
Even through his anger and impatience, Harry seems to see Hermione's offer to accompany him into Umbridge's office as a sign of solidarity and loyalty, 'I . . . OK, thanks,' he mutters, in surprise.
'Right, well, even if we do all of that, I don't think we're going to be able to bank on more than five minutes,' says Hermione, looking relieved that Harry seems to have accepted the plan, 'not with Filch and the wretched Inquisitorial Squad floating around.'
'Five minutes'll be enough,' says Harry, confidently.
The fates sure have a way of setting her up for suicide missions, doesn't it?
But, Maya supposes, at this point, who is she to deny them?
Harry is wrong. They get caught in less than five minutes.
Maya feels Romilda's wand press rather gingerly against the small of her back as she's held in Umbridge's office. 'Touch me, and I'll disembowel you, Vane." she spits. The Gryffindor's wand immediately returns to her pocket.
'I want to know why you are in my office!,' says Umbridge, shaking the fist clutching Harry's hair so that he staggers.
'I was — trying to get my Firebolt!' Harry croaks, seizing up in pain.
'Liar!.' She shakes his head again. 'Your Firebolt is under strict guard in the dungeons, as you very well know, Potter. You had your head in my fire. With whom have you been communicating?'
'No one — ' says Harry, trying to pull away from her. He feels several hairs part company with his scalp.
'Liar!' shouts Umbridge. She throws him from her and he slams into the desk. Hermione is pinioned against the wall by Millicent Bulstrode. Pansy Parkinson's arms are around Diana's waist, keeping her from running off. She looks helplessly at Maya, who shakes her head, asking her to keep quiet.
There's a commotion outside and several large Slytherins enters, each gripping Ron, Ginny, Luna and — to Maya's shock — Neville, who is trapped in a stranglehold by Crabbe and looks in imminent danger of suffocation. All four of them have been gagged. Draco Malfoy rushes in behind them, eyes wide as he registers the scene in front of him.
'Got 'em all,' says Warrington, shoving Ron roughly forwards into the room, 'That one,' he pokes a thick finger at Neville, 'tried to stop me taking her,' he points at Ginny, who's trying to kick the shins of the large Slytherin girl holding her, 'so I brought him along too.'
'Good, good,' says Umbridge, watching Ginny's struggles. 'Well, it looks as though Hogwarts will shortly be a Weasley-free zone, doesn't it?'
Pansy Parkinson laughs loudly and sycophantically; Maya wants to erase the sound from her ears forever. Umbridge gives her wide, complacent smile and settles herself into a chintz-covered armchair, blinking up at her captives like a toad in a flowerbed.
'So, Potter,' she says. 'You stationed lookouts around my office, ' — her eyes flit to Maya, who's frozen with terror — , 'and you sent this buffoon,' she nods at Ron — Parkinson laughs even louder— 'to tell me the poltergeist was wreaking havoc in the Transfiguration department when I knew perfectly well that he was busy smearing ink on the eyepieces of all the school telescopes — Mr Filch having just informed me so. 'Clearly, it was very important for you to talk to somebody. Was it Albus Dumbledore? Or the half-breed, Hagrid? I doubt it was Minerva McGonagall, I hear she is still too ill to talk to anyone.'
The Inquisitorial Squad breaks out into snickers. Maya feels both rage and fear start to culminate inside her, a dangerous concoction, considering that her hands are starting to crackle with magic at the fingertips.
'It's none of your business who I talk to,' he snarls. Umbridge's slack face seems to tighten.
'Very well,' she says in her most dangerous and falsely sweet voice. 'Very well, Mr Potter . . . I offered you the chance to tell me freely. You refused. I have no alternative but to force you. Pansy ' — fetch Professor Snape.'
There's silence in the office except for the fidgetings and scufflings resulting from the Slytherins' efforts to keep Ron and the others under control. The quiet around her makes Maya's brain run in circles, realizing just how fucked she really is. Once again, her common sense has been thrown out the window, and once again, her future will suffer because of it.
Ron's lip is bleeding on to Umbridge's carpet as he struggles against Warrington's half-nelson; Ginny is still trying to stamp on the feet of the sixth-year girl who has both her upper arms in a tight grip; Neville is turning steadily more purple in the face while lugging at Crabbe's arms; and Hermione is attempting, in vain, to throw Millicent Bulstrode off her. Luna, however, stands limply by the side of her captor, gazing vaguely out of the window as though rather bored by the proceedings.
Something, anything would help to kill the feelings blooming inside her; it feels like knife-filled bushes are blooming inside Maya's lungs. If she doesn't do something — anything — now, all her friends can kiss their academic futures goodbye.
Then Malfoy's fingers lace with her's, and all coherent thoughts go flying out of her head.
Maya doesn't dare look at him; she can't afford to, considering that they're in a room full of people who detest his very existence. But she can feel the warm, reassuring weight of him next to her, leaning against the wall. His expression is emotionless, utterly passive, but his touch says otherwise. She doesn't know if she'll ever get used to his contradicting actions — and as his thumb traces soothing circles on the back of her hand, Maya doesn't even know if she wants to.
But the surprise that overcomes her isn't from the tenderness of his gesture —although the feeling of his hand in hers is definitely doing funny things to her — it's from what Draco Malfoy bestows upon her. Thin, long and solid, he silently hands her his wand, stowing his hand back in the pocket of his robes, looking back at the entrance as Pansy comes back from the Potion master's office.
Maya stands there in shock for approximately five seconds in shock. He just gave her a way out.
Somehow, in her mind, that solidifies her feelings about him. Maya's been confused all this time, wondering whether she's gone insane for caring about the very guy that used to make her friends' lives a living hell. Even with their strange history, her fondness for him felt wrong. His parents work for the very man who got Arjun killed, and Draco hasn't exactly been the quietest about their beliefs.
Up until now, Maya felt like falling over the thin line between affection and attraction would cause her to have to throw away her morals.
But as always, he's managed to prove her wrong. Draco Malfoy is more on her side than Maya originally expected.
And she's not sure what to do about it anymore.
'You wanted to see me, Headmistress?' says Snape, walking in with Pansy looking around at all the pairs of struggling students with an expression of complete indifference.
'Ah, Professor Snape,' says Umbridge, smiling widely and standing up again. 'Yes, I would like another bottle of Veritaserum, as quick as you can, please.'
'You took my last bottle to interrogate Potter,' he says, surveying her coolly through his greasy curtains of black hair. 'Surely you did not use it all? I told you that three drops would be sufficient.'
Umbridge flushes. 'You can make some more, can't you?' she says, her voice becoming more sweetly girlish as it always does when she's furious.
'Certainly,' says Snape, his lip curling. 'It takes a full moon-cycle to mature, so I should have it ready for you in around a month.'
'A month?' squawks Umbridge, swelling toadishly. 'A month! But I need it this evening, Snape! I have just found Potter using my fire to communicate with a person or persons unknown!'
'Really?' says Snape, showing his first, faint sign of interest as he looks round at Harry. 'Well, it doesn't surprise me. Potter has never shown much inclination to follow school rules.'
'I wish to interrogate him!' repeats Umbridge angrily, and Snape looks away from Harry back into her furiously quivering lace. 'I wish you to provide me with a potion that will force him to tell me the truth!'
'I have already told you,' says Snape smoothly, 'that I have no further stocks of Veritaserum. Unless you wish to poison Potter — 'and I assure you I would have the greatest sympathy with you if you did — I cannot help you. The only trouble is that most venoms act too fast to give the victim much time for truth-telling.'
'You are on probation!' shrieks Professor Umbridge, and Snape looked back at her, his eyebrows slightly raised. 'You are being deliberately unhelpful! I expected better, Lucius Malfoy always speaks most highly of you! Now get out of my office!'
Snape gives her an ironic bow and turns to leave — or as Jace would say, walks out like a boss.
'He's got Padfoot!, ' shouts Harry, suddenly, 'He's got Padfoot at the place where it's hidden!'
Snape stops with his hand on the door handle.
'Padfoot?' cries Professor Umbridge, looking eagerly from Harry to Snape. 'What is Padfoot? Where what is hidden? What does he mean, Snape?'
Snape looks round at Harry. His face is inscrutable.
'I have no idea,' says Snape coldly. 'Potter, when I want nonsense shouted at me I shall give you a Babbling Beverage. And Crabbe, loosen your hold a little. If Longbottom suffocates it will mean a lot of tedious paperwork and I am afraid I shall have to mention it on your reference if ever you apply for a job.'
'Very well,' says Umbridge, her chest heaving, and she pulls out her wand. 'Very well . . . I am left with no alternative . . . this is more than a matter of school discipline . . . this is an issue of Ministry security . . . yes . . . yes . . .'
She seems to be talking herself into something. Maya has a very, very bad feeling about this.
'You are forcing me, Potter . . . I do not want to,' says Umbridge, still moving restlessly on the spot, 'but sometimes circumstances justify the use . . . I am sure the Minister will understand that I had no choice . . .' Draco Malfoy watches her with a suspicious expression. 'The Cruciatus Curse ought to loosen your tongue,' says Umbridge quietly.
'No!' shrieks Hermione. 'Professor Umbridge — it's illegal.'
But Umbridge takes no notice. There's a nasty eager, excited look on her face that Maya is horrified by. She raises her wand.
'The Minister wouldn't want you to break the law, Professor Umbridge!' cries Hermione.
'What Cornelius doesn't know won't hurt him,' says Umbridge, who is now panting slightly as she points her wand at different parts of Harry's body in turn, apparently trying to decide where it will hurt most. Maya makes a move to reach for the wand in the pocket of her jeans, but a hand on her wrist stops her.
Umbridge continues, 'He never knew I ordered Dementors to go after Potter last summer, but he was delighted to be given the chance to expel him, all the same.'
'It was you?' gasps Harry. 'You sent the Dementors after me?'
'Somebody had to act,' breathes Umbridge, as her wand comes to rest pointing directly at Harry's forehead, 'They were all bleating about silencing you somehow — discrediting you — but I was the one who actually did something about it . . . only you wriggled out of that one, didn't you, Potter? Not today though, not now — '
Maya struggles against Draco's grip, glaring daggers at him. His eyes flit to Umbridge's wand, and then to her, hinting that if she interferes, she'll be the one being tortured instead.
Taking a deep breath, Umbridge cries, 'Cruc— '
'NO!' shouts Hermione in a cracked voice from behind Millicent Bulstrode. 'No — Harry — we'll have to tell her!'
'No way!' yells Harry, staring at the little of Hermione he can see.
'We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of you anyway, what's . . . what's the point?' And Hermione begins to cry weakly into the back of Millicent Bulstrode's robes. Millicent stops trying to squash her against the wall immediately and dodges out of her way looking disgusted. Maya immediately feels bad for her, but something seems slightly off . . .
'Well, well, well!' says Umbridge, looking triumphant. 'Little Miss Question-all is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!'
'Er — my — nee — no!' shouts Ron through his gag. Ginny is staring at Hermione as though she has never seen her before. Neville, still choking for breath, is gazing at her, too. Maya finally notices; even though Hermione is sobbing, there's not a single trace of a tear on her face.
What is she trying to do?
'I'm — I'm sorry everyone,' says Hermione. 'But — I can't stand it — '
'That's right, that's right, girl!' says Umbridge, seizing Hermione by the shoulders, thrusting her into the abandoned chintz chair and leaning over her. 'Now then . . . with whom was Potter communicating just now?'
'Well,' gulps Hermione into her hands, 'well, he was trying to speak to Professor Dumbledore.'
Ron freezes, his eyes wide; Diana's mouth hangs open, and Ginny stops trying to stamp on her Slytherin captor's toes; even Luna looks mildly surprised. Fortunately, the attention of Umbridge and her minions is focused too exclusively upon Hermione to notice these suspicious signs
'Dumbledore?' says Umbridge eagerly. 'You know where Dumbledore is, then?'
'Well . . . no!' sobs Hermione. 'We've tried the Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and the Three Broomsticks and even the Hog's Head — '
'Idiot girl — Dumbledore won't be sitting in a pub when the whole Ministry's looking for him!' shouts Umbridge, disappointment etched in every sagging line of her face.
'But — but we needed to tell him something important!' wails Hermione, holding her hands more tightly over her face, not, Maya knows, out of anguish, but to disguise the continued absence of tears.
'Yes?' says Umbridge with a sudden resurgence of excitement. 'What was it you wanted to tell him?'
'We . . . we wanted to tell him it's r — ready!' chokes Hermione.
'What's ready?' demands Umbridge, and now she grabs Hermione's shoulders again and shakes her slightly. 'What's ready, girl?'
'The . . . the weapon,' says Hermione.
WHAT THE FUCK?! Maya's brain screams, inside her head, Is there some sort of mafia that Hermione runs that I'm not part of?
'Weapon? Weapon?' says Umbridge, and her eyes seem to pop with excitement. 'You have been developing some method of resistance? A weapon you could use against the Ministry? On Professor Dumbledore's orders, of course?'
Oh, Maya realizes, something twisting in her stomach, She's playing into the Daily Prophet's version of events. That's kind of smart . . .
'Y — y — yes,' gasps Hermione, 'but he had to leave before it was finished and n — n — now we've finished it for him, and we c — c — can't find him t — t — to tell him!'
'What kind of weapon is it?' says Umbridge harshly, her stubby hands still tight on Hermione's shoulders.
'We don't r — r — really understand it,' says Hermione, sniffing loudly. 'We j — j — just did what P — P — Professor Dumbledore told us t — t — to do.'
Umbridge straightens up, looking exultant. 'Lead me to the weapon,' she says.
'I'm not showing . . . them,' says Hermione shrilly, looking around at the Slytherins through her fingers.
'It is not for you to set conditions,' says Professor Umbridge harshly.
'Fine,' says Hermione, now sobbing into her hands again. Fine . . . let them see it, I hope they use it on you! In fact, I wish you'd invite loads and loads of people to come and see! Th — that would serve you right — oh, I'd love it if the wh — whole school knew where it was, and how to u — use it, and then if you annoy any of them they'll, be able to s — sort you out!'
These words have a powerful impact on Umbridge: she glances swiftly and suspiciously around at her Inquisitorial Squad. Umbridge contemplates Hermione for another long moment, then speaks in what she clearly thinks is a motherly voice.
'All right, dear, let's make it just you and me . . . and we'll take Potter, too, shall we? Get up, now.'
'Professor' says Blaise Zabini, cautiously, 'Professor Umbridge, I think some of the Squad should come with you to look after — '
'I am a fully qualified Ministry official, Zabini, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?' asks Umbridge sharply. 'In any case, it does not sound as though this weapon is something that schoolchildren should see. You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these — she gestures around at Ron, Diana, Maya, Ginny, Neville and Luna ' — escape, '
'All right,' says Pansy Parkinson, looking sulky and disappointed.
'And you two can go ahead of me and show me the way,' says Umbridge, pointing at Harry and Hermione with her wand. 'Lead on.'
In the next ten minutes, chaos breaks out inside Umbridge's office.
Ginny deserves an award for her bat-bogey hex; Maya's sure Warrington is absolutely traumatized from the flying animals coming out of his nose. She manages to hex Millicent right between the eyes, freeing herself from Romilda's grip. Neville's stunner curse is perfect, and Diana has learned a thing or two from watching Isabelle in the training room all those months ago. Ron's effort is admirable; his spells hit the mark, and they all manage to run down the hall together, Maya's heart pounding with adrenaline, Draco Malfoy's wand still shoved into her pocket.
He'd known. He'd known about the connection between a warlock's emotions and their magic, how it could get dangerously out of control if they lost grip on their feelings. That's why he'd given her his wand, to make sure that she still had a way out without killing anyone by attempting one of Magnus's dark curses.
Draco Malfoy knows more about her than she does, and Maya's a fool for not noticing it earlier.
'What do you think Hermione was on about?' questions Ginny, to Diana, feverishly.
'No fucking clue, mate, ' replies the Hufflepuff, hand-in-hand with Luna; they stand practically locked together, 'But I hope it distracts Umbridge so that we can get our asses out of here,'
The reality of the situation suddenly hits Maya, hard. They're a bunch of teenagers up against trained dark wizards. Her earlier confidence suddenly feels thin; fear courses through her veins. Even with all the spells that Harry taught, there's still a huge chance that most of the collateral damage will be on them. Sirius's life depends on the D.A, and if she screws up—
In other words, this is a suicide mission, and if Maya isn't careful, she won't be alive to graduate. Her heart pounds as she looks back at the office, a few metres away.
They say that we only regret the chances we don't take, but what happens if the chance you want could destroy everything you have left?
'Maya?' questions Ginny, looking confused at her spaced-out state, 'You coming, '
Maya sucks in a deep breath, making up her mind as she replies, 'Go without me. I have something to take care of first, '
Diana and her share a knowing look. There's an understanding between them as she gives Maya a tiny nod.
Don't fuck this up.
Maya's off before they have time to answer back.
The door struggles to open; Maya has to slam her fist on the knob a few times for it to give way. She bursts inside, almost tripping over a few stray books fallen from the shelves. The room is in immense disarray; wallpaper is burnt, the kitten-printed dishes are cracked, it looks as though an atom bomb has exploded inside. But the chaos doesn't bother Maya, her eyes are frantically searching for a certain someone.
Something deflates in her as she whirls around. He's nowhere to be found.
'Maya?'
Draco Malfoy is standing there, at the door of the room, bewildered. He looks like hell; parts of his robes are singed, his smooth blonde hair is absolutely wild and the expression on his face is of utter disbelief. She probably looks worse; the heat has made her waves frizz up and there's a fresh cut on her cheek from a stray spell. But the way he's looking at her makes Maya feel like there's no one he'd rather be with. "
You came . . " she whispers, in shock.
"What are you doing here?" he questions, stepping inside the office and closing the door behind him, "I thought you were with Weasley and everyone else, "
"I came back for you, " The words sound foreign to her own years, "I mean to you — to give you your wand —, " she tosses it to him and Draco catches it quite smoothly, "But also for you as well — it's hard to explain, "
"Are you alright?" He steps closer to her, looking genuinely concerned; Butterflies erupt in her stomach as his fingers move a strand of her hair out of her face, brushing against her cheek as well, "You look very shaken up, "
"I'm fine, " Maya replies, softly, looking up into his eyes, "Better than ever, actually. I need to tell you something, "
"Go for it, " He looks unsure, vulnerable, almost.
Maya takes a deep breath, "This mission — task — I don't know what the fuck to call it — this thing, that I'm going on with my friends? It's dangerous. Like, really, really, dangerous. I don't know what's going to happen, but if things go south . . . I might not come back. I'm prepared for the consequences, but I don't know if you are and this is something you should've known a long time ago, "
"Draco Malfoy . . . I care about you. More than what's good for me, probably more than what's good for either of us. I didn't plan on it, I certainly didn't want it — at least, not at first, but it happened. Somewhere along with this crazy, strained history we have, I caught feelings for you. I was content with leaving it at that; I was fine with stewing in my own emotions until I had absolutely no choice but to say it to your face. But these past few weeks have made me realize that you're someone I can't afford to lose. You make me feel things that I didn't think were possible; you're the first person I've let my guard down for in a long, long time. We shouldn't fit together — but we do, and that scares me. Because I like you — so much — and if something happened to you, my life would ever be the same again, "
He looks at her, so many emotions swimming on his face as Maya's chest heaves from the exertion of her words. The distance between them is charged with something that sends a wild rush of adrenaline through her veins, and Maya steps closer to him, one hand tentatively reaching up to cup his jaw; the way he leans into her touch almost makes her gasp.
Draco looks at her like he's never seen her before in his life, "Are you serious? About . . . all of this? Because if this — if we, " he gestures to the almost-nonexistent space between them, " — happen, I can't promise I'll be able to let you go, "
"Good, " Maya breathes out, wrapping her arms around his neck and rising on her toes so that they're at face level, "Because I'm not letting you get away that easy either, "
She kisses him, and her world explodes into starlight.
It's better than anything Maya could have imagined; fireworks burst open in her chest as a dance of celebration. Draco gasps, a sound so vulnerable that it startles her; she pulls away, wondering if it's too soon.
But something in his eyes shifts — darkens, more accurately, and he grabs her by the waist, yanking her towards him and pulling her back into an almost-infernal kiss. His mouth is scorching against hers, burning with need, passion and something else that makes heat pool between her legs. Maya gasps, in surprise, but soon kisses him back just as hard, savoring this — them — for as long as she can. Her hands find their way into his hair, and pull, slightly. Draco makes a sound that's almost primal, something coiling in her lower abdomen, and his arms tighten around her, teeth dragging against her bottom lip.
When they finally break apart — lips swollen and hearts soaring, Draco Malfoy cups her face in his hands, a hard, blazing look in his eyes as they meet hers.
"Promise me, " he breathes against her lips, desperately "Promise me that you'll come back, "
Maya laughs, exhilarated, brushing her mouth against his once more in a ghost of a touch, "I swear, I will, "
Draco's hands reluctantly slip from around her as Maya bolts, running off into the open sunshine to portal her friends to the Ministry Of Magic.
Here goes nothing.
ajfdsks here we go!! it took forty fucking chapters for these two to kiss. i was honestly planning on extending the wait but decided not to torture myself (and you guys), so here. pretty proud of how this turned out ngl.
- xoxo, disha