The next morning the sky was storming, as if it was fighting some unseen monster, making the dimly lit classrooms feel even colder.
"Stupid weather," Draco muttered as they left the freezing Transfiguration room for the hopefully warmer Charms room.
"At least Muggles have heaters to warm themselves, wizards just rely on fires, but they can't warm a whole freaking castle," Delilah complained.
Draco shrugged.
"Technology doesn't work around magic."
"Yeah... hopefully Charms is warmer."
It was, but only slightly. They kept moving by recapturing their frogs and crows that they were supposed to be practicing Silencio on.
Of course they got more homework added to their already overwhelming pile, which Delilah and Draco worked on during lunch and after their afternoon classes, which gave them even more homework to work on.
After yet another sleepless night, the weather went on strike. They could hear the raindrops even in the dungeons during Alchemy.
"Today," Snape snapped over the slight sound of rainfall, "you will be working more with manipulating fire — instructions" — he waved his wand — "are on the board."
The class was quite unusual, not because Snape was in a bad mood. Very few students got burned, when normally the whole class did.
Delilah was thankful, even though they got even more homework, that she wouldn't have burnt hands for Herbology.
When she got to the grounds, she bolted through the flooded vegetable gardens to Herbology, Draco at her heels.
They could barely hear what Professor Sprout was saying over the hammering of raindrops hard as hailstones on the greenhouse roof. The afternoon's Care of Magical Creatures lesson was to be relocated from the stormswept grounds to a free classroom on the ground floor, and to Draco's relief Marcus Flint came up to him and told him that Quidditch Practice was canceled.
Even Astronomy was canceled because they couldn't see the stars. Instead they had to make a map of the winter night sky, so it would be a late night anyway.
So, before dinner Delilah cornered Draco.
"RoR? We need to grab books and whatnot."
"Reducio?"
Delilah nodded.
"Ok, I didn't want to do this essay anyway." He set his quill down and stretched. "Are we going now?"
"Why wait?"
Delilah and Draco headed up to the seventh floor, and paced. She thought of what they needed: a place full of the defensive objects they'd need to study.
After the third time a door appeared and they walked inside.
The Room of Requirement had really outdone itself. It had a whole wall full of books and another full of dark artifacts. There also was a comfy looking area full of pillows that would have been nice as a resting place. It was amazing.
"What should we take?" Draco asked.
"I'll look through the books if you want to shrink four of the dummies and whatever looks important. Some pillows, things like that."
They got to work.
"Delilah," Draco asked. "Why can't we practice here?"
"Good question. I thought about it, but... I don't know. I prefer to keep this place a secret I guess. It's more of a plan B."
"Ok."
Delilah rummaged through the books, grabbing and shrinking the ones that looked helpful while Draco shrunk random objects and put them in a bag.
"How are we going to hide this from Umbridge?" She asked, gesturing to the bag as she put the books inside.
He shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe a concealment charm? They are pretty basic though...."
"It'll work. If we think of something better we can change it."
"That works. Will you do the honors, my lady?" he asked, doing a mock bow.
Delilah laughed.
"Of course, kind sir." She would have curtsied but didn't want to fall down so instead she cast the charm and the bag turned invisible.
"Do you want to keep it?" Delilah asked. "Your bag does have a pocket you never use. We can keep it there."
"Sure."
He put it in his school bag and they left the room. Of course, they had to run into Umbridge just as they turned the corner.
"What are you two doing up here?" she asked suspiciously.
Delilah was at a loss for words. She glanced at Draco who was straightening his tie.
"Well," he started, "no one really comes up here."
"And?" Umbridge impatiently asked. "What does that have to do with you two being up here?"
He grabbed Delilah's hand.
"And there are a lot of empty closets that no one goes into."
Delilah blushed, trying not to look shocked at what he was implying.
"Well you have no discretion," Delilah muttered under her breath once she regained her senses, barely loud enough for Umbridge to hear.
"What was that?" Umbridge asked sweetly, though she obviously had heard.
"Nothing," Delilah quickly responded.
Umbridge smiled sickly, as if she was deciding whether or not she could get away with punishing them.
"Dinner is about to start. You don't want to be late."
Umbridge started to walk away when Delilah hurried to catch up.
"Professor, there was something I have been meaning to ask you. Would it be ok if Draco and I started a study group? Just for us and maybe Daphne and Theodore if they wanted to join."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"What would you do?"
"Help each other with homework, things like that."
Umbridge barely frowned.
"Just the four of you?"
"If they want to do it, yes."
Umbridge paused, as if trying to think of a reason not to agree.
"As long as you have adult supervision, or do it somewhere public it should be fine."
Delilah grinned.
"Fantastic. Thank you, come on Draco."
They practically sprinted away from her.
"What was that about?" Draco asked once they were out of ear shot.
"Now she won't be suspicious if we talk to them about when to meet up," Delilah explained.
"Makes sense," he agreed.
"Yeah, anyway thanks for covering back there. I was stumped."
Draco grinned at Delilah.
"Of course."
After dinner, Delilah and Draco cornered Daphne and Theodore.
"Do you guys want to join a study group? It would just be the four of us, we'd meet in the library or Common Room and do our homework together. We'd help each other if it doesn't make sense, things like that."
Theodore raised an eyebrow.
"Sure," he agreed. In an undertone he added, "Is this the cover for our Defense thing?"
"To make sure the Toad doesn't get suspicious but also because we all will need help eventually, and this is a good way to get it," Draco explained in the same quiet tone.
Daphne nodded.
"That does sound good. Are we meeting tonight?"
"Yes, but it's for our other one," Delilah responded.
"Meet us in Myrtle's bathroom after dinner. Act like you're going to make out or something," stated Draco, grinning.
Theodore whispered something in Daphne's ear, making her flush but whisper something back.
"And that is our cue to leave," Draco announced.
They left the Great Hall.
They managed to get inside Myrtle's bathroom undetected. Delilah foolishly relaxed.
Someone splashed her from behind.
"Wha-?"
"Why haven't you visited?" Myrtle angrily exclaimed. "You used to all the time, but now you barely do! Ever since you finished cleaning! You promised that you'd still visit!"
"Myrtle-"
Myrtle's eyes narrowed at Draco.
"It's all your fault, isn't it? Ever since you became friends she's stopped visiting as often."
More water was splashed at Draco. Delilah faintly heard the door open, but when she looked back no one had entered. She must have been hearing things. Myrtle's yelling was making it hard to hear anything else.
"Myrtle Elizabeth Warren!" Delilah yelled.
Myrtle froze just as she was about to try and put ice cubes (where had she gotten those?) down Draco's shirt. Thankfully she was having a hard time grabbing them. Ghosts could grab things, but it took a lot of concentration, which was how Myrtle kept flooding her bathroom.
"Yes, shut up," Midnight complained. Delilah ignored her.
"Myrtle," continued Delilah, a bit more calmly. "I'm sorry, I've been busy. I know that's no excuse, but now you'll be seeing more of me, Draco, and two of our other friends: Daphne and Theodore. We're going to be practicing Defensive spells in the chamber, if you ever want to join us, feel free."
Myrtle's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Yes, you can be our mascot or something," Draco added. Myrtle glared at him, but it was softer than the earlier one.
"You can help us think of a name too, that's what our first meeting is mostly about. Want to join us?" Delilah added.
Myrtle gave yet another smile. She was in a great mood.
"Oh I guess, I never got to do my O.W.L.s, it'll be interesting to see how they are."
Delilah frowned.
"Myrtle... how old were you when you died?"
Myrtle's face fell as she hesitated to answer.
"I... think I was, am? Ugh, I was fourteen. It's hard to remember after a while, I don't know how Sir Nicholas does it. I'm pretty sure he's just guessing...."
At that moment someone hesitantly knocked on the door.
"Is it safe to come in?" Daphne hesitantly asked.
"Yeah," Delilah replied.
"For now," Midnight corrected.
Delilah ignored her, still trying to get over the fact that Myrtle was fourteen when she died.
Daphne and Theodore hurried inside, closing the door behind them.
"Let's go," Draco said, helping Delilah recover her wits.
She walked over to the broken sink.
"This is where you speak Parseltongue. Draco, do you want to do the honors?"
"B**ch," he replied, in Parseltongue and the chamber started to reveal itself.
Delilah tried hard not to laugh as Midnight recoiled from the insult.
"Wow, he's rude."
"It wasn't intentional," Delilah reminded her.
"Still...."
Delilah rolled her eyes.
"The main thing we need to do today is showing you how to get in, where we're practicing, and how to get out. I'll go down first."
She slid down the slide, sticking the landing. Then of course Draco slammed into her, knocking her off her feet.
Delilah managed to turn enough so that she could see his face.
"What was that for?" she groaned.
Draco shrugged, but didn't get up.
"Get off."
He grinned.
"Okay, but for future reference I like this position."
"Oh yes, I love having my legs crushed."
"That wasn't what I was thinking," he murmured in her ear.
Delilah's face reddened.
"Get your head out of the gutter."
Draco's grin widened as he started to get up, helping Delilah so they stood facing each other.
And the wind was knocked out of them yet again as Daphne slammed into them. She quickly got up, but it took Draco longer. Delilah heard Theodore as he came down the slide.
They rolled out of the way as he reached the bottom, so Delilah was on top.
"Hm, you know, I like this position too," she said, grinning.
Now it was his turn to blush. Delilah savored it for a moment later before helping him up.
"Ok," she announced to Theodore and Daphne. "The main chamber is this way."
Delilah led the way, Midnight hissing in her ear for food. Finally Delilah gave in.
"Fine, go and hunt for mice, just be back before we leave."
Midnight left, and was soon replaced by Myrtle as they entered a large, side chamber.
"Ooo, is this where we're practicing?"
"Yes."
Draco moved closer to Delilah.
"Are we going to unshrink the furniture now or later?" he asked.
"Now."
Draco grabbed the pouch.
"Where do you want everything?"
Delilah quickly showed him where to put things, and enlarged everything. Daphne and Theodore helped put a preserving charm on them.
"Ok," Daphne said when the finished. "What do we need to do now?"
Delilah thought for a moment.
"I think all that's left is to think of a name."
Draco nodded.
"What about the Dementor Association? You know, since no one in there right mind would go near one. We could call it the DA for short."
Daphne laughed.
"One problem, Umbridge isn't in her right mind."
Delilah had to agree.
"I like the acronym though."
"Maybe... the Defense Association?" Daphne suggested.
Draco shook his head.
"No, we should be the Delilah Academy, since she's the one that thought of this whole thing."
Delilah started to protest, but Daphne beat her to it.
"No, no, no. If anything it should be Association, not Academy since she's not going to be teaching us, right?"
Delilah nodded.
"Yeah, I'll help and share what I know, but it'll be more like a study group."
"I think even Delilah isn't the right word, since Draco helped," Daphne continued as if Delilah hadn't spoken.
"What's better then?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes.
Daphne grinned.
"Dralilah's Association."
Delilah and Draco stared at her in confusion.
"You know," Daphne continued. "It's a mixture of your names? I thought it was obvious."
Theodore laughed.
"Let's stick to Delilah's Association for now," Draco suggested.
Daphne sighed.
"Fine."
"What- no-" Delilah tried to protest, but they all ignored her.
"Delilah's Association, AKA the DA," Theodore agreed. "That's it, right? Can we head back? I have a lot of homework to do."
"No, I don't agree with the name," Delilah argued.
Theodore rolled his eyes.
"Fine, we'll do a vote. All in favor."
Everyone except for Delilah raised their hands.
"Sorry, you're out voted," Theodore said, not sounding sorry at all.
Delilah sighed.
"Fine, let's go."
She showed them the way up and they dispersed.