"You ready to go back?" Draco stands before me fully dressed his hair messy from laying on the floor but otherwise looking perfect.
"Sure" I grab my heels from the floor and hold them in my hand walking towards him.
Draco raises his eyebrow at me "do you not want to put those on?"
"Why? We are going to have to tiptoe back to the common room and may need to run away from Filch at one point. How are heels going to help me do that?"
Draco rolls his eyes as he reaches his hand out taking my shoes from me "whatever." He slides his arm around my waist as we walk from the room together the sun rising over the hills outside of the castle.
As we turn the corner of the corridor something catches my eye to the side of us, I turn my head fully looking into the doorway of an empty broom closet to see a tiny house elf crouched in the corner.
The house elf would have gone unnoticed probably if not for the large amount of knitted hats and socks he is wearing.
"Dobby?" I whisper as we continue walking past the doorway.
"What?" Draco turns his head towards me as we continue walking to the staircase.
"Huh?" I shake my head trying to clear it "nothing don't worry." I point to the bench ahead of us "can you pick up my cloak from earlier please?"
As we continue our walk to the common room I can't stop thinking about Dobby being in the closet, he was obviously watching us but why?
We stand opposite each other in the hallway leading to our dorms, Draco is still holding my robes and heels in his hands as he looks across at me.
His suit shirt is wrinkled and half done up and his hair is messy and hanging over his forehead.
"You look really beautiful" I smile at him as I say the words I always wish I could say.
Draco laughs "I do?"
I nod my head smiling widely "you really do."
"You're a very good liar, but I know you too well to believe you." Draco steps forward placing his free hand on my waist. He looks down at me his eyes growing slightly darker as he gently presses his lips against mine.
"I love you Angelica" Draco whispers as he pulls me against him "I love you but I need you to promise me that you won't get involved okay?"
I sigh and close my eyes leaning into his warmth.
"Angelica" Draco pulls back slightly, he kisses my forehead once as he steps backwards "promise me?"
"You can't ask that of me" I cross my arms annoyed "I can't help but want to help you."
Draco's face turns into a deep frown as he glares across at me "I'm not asking Angelica." He sighs annoyed and passes my shoes and cloak over to me "I'm telling you not to get fucking involved okay? You have no idea what's at stake here." He turns around and heads to his dorm without another look back at me.
I stand alone watching him close the door behind him, sighing I turn around and head to my own bed suddenly feeling the exhaustion hit me.
I knock three times on the heavy wooden door in front of me.
"Come in" a voice sounds from within the office.
"Hi" I open the door and nod my head to Snape who is sat behind his desk.
"Hello Angelica" he screws up the lid of a jar in front of him placing it to the side "what's wrong?"
I shrug "why do you assume something is wrong? Maybe I just wanted to have a friendly chat with you whilst everyone else is at dinner."
Snape looks up at me a deep frown on his face "perhaps I was not clear enough. Tell me what's wrong or get out."
I roll my eyes and fall into the chair across from him.
"Mean but whatever." I cross my arms and stare down at my feet "Draco has pissed me off."
Snape sighs "seriously? A pathetic argument with the Malfoy boy? That's why you're here?"
I shake my head "it's not a pathetic argument. I know what his task is this year, and judging from your conversation with him I heard at Christmas I'm guessing you do as well?" I look to Snape with my eyebrows raised.
He nods slowly "yes I do know about it."
"Right. Well I want to help him, in fact I want to do it myself."
"Why?" Snape tilts his head "why do you want to kill Dumbledore?"
"I don't want to" I shrug "but I know that if Draco does it then it will destroy him. He's too good, even if he doesn't seem it all the time. Doing this will tear him apart." I stand up annoyed and begin to pace the small office "I should be the one to do it."
A heavy silence falls between us both for several seconds before Snape speaks.
"I agree."
I tilt my head up looking at him me eyes wide "huh?"
Snape sighs as he turns to face me fully "I said I agree. You should be the one to do it."
I lower myself back into the chair slowly "I'm surprised you agree, I thought you'd tell me that I shouldn't."
"Is that what you wanted to hear?" He rolls his eyes "I can lie to you if that's what you want."
"No" I shake my head "it's not what I wanted to hear at all. I'm just surprised." I lean back in the chair as I let out a long breath "why do you think I should be the one to do it?"
Snape shifts in his seat "it's your burden to pay Angelica."
"What?"
Snape clasps his hands together on top of the desk "there's a reason Draco is the one who was tasked with this. Why didn't your father make me? I would be better and quicker that's for sure. However Draco is the one being made to do it."
"So what?" I shrug "what's my father trying to prove? That Draco is weak?"
Snape tilts his head "it's a punishment of two blows. Firstly it's a punishment for Lucius for getting caught, he knows Draco is suffering and he knows this will cause a lasting impression if he does succeed. Lucius will have to see his son become a murderer, but more than that he will see his son as a broken man."
I clench my fists in anger "and the second part?"
"Like I said if Draco succeeds he will be broken, he will change and he will become a person who lost a part of his soul." Snape sighs "that's if he succeeds. If he doesn't he will most likely be killed himself, either by a member of the Order or by Dumbledore himself."
"So what one does my father want?"
"I don't think he truthfully cares. I think his end goal is to have Draco taken away from you."
"Away from me?" I unclench my sweaty fists as a cold feeling comes over me "I thought it was a punishment to Lucius?"
Snape shakes his head "you may have been unaware of how you felt about Draco but it was clear to everyone else around you. Your father saw deep inside your head, of course he saw your love for Draco. He saw that you would do anything for him even so many months ago. However he also knows that he can't be the one to kill Draco, if he is to do that then you would never stand by his side. He needs Draco to die at another's hand and having him kill the most powerful wizard of all time is the perfect way to do it."
"So if Draco is taken from me, I won't have anything or anybody left" my throat feels like it is closing up as I realise just how much my father has planned this out. "Either Draco succeeds and becomes a person my father believes I can't love, or he does succeed and he dies."
"And that is why I believe you need to be the one to do this."
I nod standing up quickly grabbing my bag from the floor "you're right."
I walk quickly to the door of the office opening it, I turn around and look back at Snape.
"You should know my fathers wrong."
Snape looks up at me "about what?"
"He thinks I won't love Draco if he succeeds because he will become broken, but he's wrong. He also thinks I would allow Draco to be killed, but I will do everything in my power to stop that from happening."
Snape nods his head at me as I close the door between us. I need to find Draco, and quickly. I need to tell him what I've just told Snape, he needs to know that he isn't going to be the one to do this.
I begin to run along the corridor thinking to myself where Draco may be. Dinner is long over now not that he would have gone of course.
Suddenly a burst of colour makes me stop running and look into the empty classroom.
"Dobby!" I run forwards moving the chair out of the way, Dobby is sat crouching underneath the desk his head piled high with knitted hats.
"Miss Angelica!" Dobby's eyes widen as he looks up at me his hands nervously clasping together.
"Dobby I need your help" I hold my hand out to the house elf. He places his small bony hand in mine and I help lead him out from underneath the desk gently.
"What can I help you with Miss Angelica?" Dobby looks around the room his eyes avoiding mine.
"Dobby" I kneel down in front of him taking his shoulders in my hands gently "look at me."
The house elf stiffens and his large blue eyes meet mine.
"Where is Draco Dobby?" My voice is slow and calm as I stare unblinking at the house elf.
"Master Draco?" Dobby shakes his head "why would I know this information?"
I sigh "come on Dobby. I know you've been following him, I'm assuming that's due to Harry but I can't think about that right now." I narrow my eyes at him "tell me where Draco is."
"I know where he is" a deep menacing voice sounds from behind me.
I turn around letting go of Dobby to see Kreacher stood no more than a metre away from me.
"Kreacher?" I stand up straight "why are you here?"
Dobby let's out a small giggle "Kreacher was told by Harry Potter to help him this year." Dobby turns to Kreacher smiling "and what Harry Potter says Kreacher has to do."
Kreacher's face is set into an even deeper frown than usual as he looks at the colourful house elf besides him with disdain.
"You belong to Harry now?" I let out a deep breath "I suppose it makes sense. It's a way for Sirius to make sure the Order get use of the Black house. I suppose he didn't trust me enough to leave it to me."
Kreacher shrugs "Master Black was an idiot. It should have been returned to the rightful owners."
I roll my eyes "I really don't give a fuck okay? Where is Draco?"
Kreacher smiles "it wasn't just the young Malfoy boy we were tasked with following."
Dobby let's out a loud yelp "shut up! You were told not to tell her!"
I clench my jaw as I realise what he means "right. I get it, you were made to follow me as well. Now please just one of you tell me where Draco is. Now."
Dobby shakes his head "I do not know! I was to follow you today and Kreacher was supposed to follow Master Draco!"
I turn to Kreacher with my eyebrows raised "well?"
Kreacher tilts his head slowly "what is it worth?"
I let out a very slow deep breath as I kneel down in front of him, I lean close to him as I narrow my eyes allowing the anger to roll through me and out into the classroom around me.
The two house elves clearly sense the shift as they both tense up slightly, Dobby's eyes are as round as saucers as he looks across at me his body shaking slightly.
"It's worth" my words come out as a slight hiss "me not ending your life right here right now. So Kreacher I ask you again...where is Draco?"
Kreacher visibly gulps his already grey skin growing even paler "h-he's in the first floor bathroom the girls one. I saw him go in there crying."
"Crying?" I stand up quickly ignoring the two house elves as I begin to run once again. I take the stairs up from the Dungeons two at a time as I spin around the corners of the corridors heading to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. What the hell is he doing in there?
My feet seem to be flying beneath me as I sprint down the last stretch of the hallway, I point my wand at the bathroom door opening it as I run straight through the doorway my blood pumping in my ears.
"Draco!" I look into the large space to see water flooding from the broken and smashed taps. I clumsily run forward as a large flash of white streaks past me just missing my face.
I stumble backwards following the streak to see Harry standing there his face livid as he looks at someone behind me.
Before I can react a large red light fills the bathroom as Harry screams out "SECTUMSEMPRA!" The words rip out of his throat his voice hoarse and full of anger.
I follow the beam of red my eyes wide and my wand loosely in my hand. Draco stands besides the tap his white school shirt soaked against his skin, his eyes meet mine for a fraction of a second before the red light hits him square in his chest.
I stand frozen as confusion takes over my senses, why hasn't the red light disappeared? Why has it spread to Draco's shirt?
Suddenly Draco let's out an ear piercing scream as he falls backwards his hands clutching at his chest. My feet move forward before my brain can react, Draco continues to let out screams of anguish as he writhes on the floor.
Blood.
So much blood.
Blood is pouring from Draco's body in a steady, heavy stream.
"DRACO!" I fall down the floor besides his body.
Draco's face is twisted in pain, his eyes are rolled back in his head and his mouth is open as if he is screaming but with no noise.
"No no Draco" I tear open his now crimson red shirt as I take in the damage in front of me.
"MURDER, MURDER IN THE BATHROOM!" Myrtle's shrill voice fills my ears as she flies above us before flying out into the corridor behind me.
"No Draco" I tighten my grip on my wand as I begin to drag it across his wounds "sana nuncus" I mutter the basic healing spell Cedric taught me many years ago in our tutoring sessions.
The wounds close up for several seconds however they open up once again bleeding just as heavy as before.
"No come on" I mutter to myself my hands shaking, turning I see Harry standing frozen above us.
"Harry!" His eyes snap to mine, his face is pale as he looks down at me. "Harry! Go get some help."
I turn back to Draco dragging my wand over the wounds muttering any and every healing spell I have learnt or read about in the past years.
Every time one works however the wounds will open up shortly after bleeding heavier than before.
"No!" I grab Draco's bloody hand as I continue to point my wand at his chest "please just fucking work."
I squeeze my eyes shut as I imagine the books stacked in front of me. What is the point of so many years in the library reading and memorising spells if when it comes to it I can't remember the ones that count. I clench Draco's hand tighter as I picture the book in front of me, it opens up the pages flying and turning as diagrams and wand movements litter the pages.
"There" I whisper as a page stands out to me in my mind, I open my eyes as the diagrams and descriptions still fill my vision swirling around Draco's body.
"Vulnera Sanentur" I whisper over and over remembering the spell requires to be said over and over again.
My wand hand drags over the wounds of Draco's body as my other hand stays clasped in his "Vulnera Sanentur" the wounds begin to close up and heal slowly as I continue to mutter the lyrical spell over and over.
"Ang?"
I turn around to see Harry stood rooted in the same spot as before.
"Harry go get someone" I snap at him my voice furious. Thankfully as the words pass my lips the door to the girls bathroom slams open.
"Snape!" I relax slightly upon seeing my head of year, knowing that someone else can now take over.
"Merlin" Snape let's out a shocked whisper as he looks at the bloody water surrounding Harry. He runs towards me kneeling down besides me his face composed "what spell did you do to heal him?"
I let out a small sob "I tried sana nuncus at first but it didn't work. I started to do Vulnera Sanentur over and over again and it finally looks okay." My words are shaky as I stare down at Draco's pale unconscious face.
Snape grows silent as he looks at me, he watches me for several seconds before nodding his head stiffly.
"Very good". Snape stands up quickly "you may have just saved his life Angelica. Now levitate him to the hospital wing as quickly as possible and assist Madam Pomfrey in creating a dittany." He pulls me up by my elbow so I am now standing besides him "inform her what spells have been used and stay with him until I arrive okay?"
I nod my head my throat closing up with emotion, pointing my wand I silently levitate Draco's body into the air in front of me. I turn us both around and walk hastily from the room, as I pass Harry I meet his eyes.
He stares back at me his eyes wide and his face pale, he opens his mouth pathetically before closing it again as he turns to stare down at the floor.
Coward.
As soon as I get out of the bathroom and the water around my ankles disappears I begin to break into a run making sure to keep Draco's body with me. I burst through the doors to the hospital wing my eyes stinging with tears as I look around desperately for Madam Pomfrey.
"Help!" I yell out my throat hoarse and sore from crying.
Madam Pomfrey runs out from behind a closed curtain stopping in her tracks as she takes in the scene before her.
I stand their with my hair stuck to my wet white school shirt that is red and soaked through, my white school socks are the same and dried blood streaks down my pale legs.
Draco lays before me in the air, his arms hang loosely down to the ground as his face looks up to the sky with his eyes closed. His skin is more pale than ever and the few wounds that are still bleeding leave drops all over the tiled floors.
"Angelica?" Madam Pomfrey runs forward pointing to the nearest bed "lower him there and tell me everything from beginning to end."
I do as she says my legs shaking as I stumble forwards "Harry he cast a spell. I've never heard of it before but I'm sure he said sect her sempress or something weird like that."
Madam Pomfrey furrows her eyebrows "I have no idea what that is." She runs her wand over Draco's body as she gestures for me to continue on.
"Um then Draco fell to the floor" I clasp his hand tightly in mine as I continue to think back "he began to bleed, a lot. Several large gashes all over his torso where the spell hit, his face was screwed up in agony and he was screaming a lot. I then tried sana nuncus but it didn't do anything. I then remembered Vulnera Sanentur and tried that. I had time to seal the largest of his wounds before Snape arrived and told me to come here." I take a deep breath "he told me we need a dittany."
Madam Pomfrey nods her head "get me the following okay? Bat wings, hag eyes, dittany of yore, re'em blood, herbaria and pond slime."
I nod my head and begin to run to the back of the wing.
"Wait Angelica" Madam Pomfrey calls to me "remind me of the spell that worked for you. Show me how to do it please."
I hurry back to her "okay so move your wand in this motion" I show her with my hand "and say it over and over again. It is only effective if said three times or more."
Madam Pomfrey nods as she begins to cast the spell. I hurry back to the sore cupboard picking up each ingredient she asked for along with the small cauldron and work bench. I roll the bench back towards Draco's bed with all the items stacked high on top of it.
"Should I begin to make it?" I set the cauldron up as I look over at Madam Pomfrey.
"No dear" she waves me over "let's swap jobs. You continue with that spell on the wounds I am worried about them reopening. I will create the dittany to hopefully bind them together long term and to stop too bad scarring."
We work silently together for nearly an hour, I continue to cast the spell as Madam Pomfrey works on the dittany muttering to herself as she adds ingredients from memory.
"Here" she scoops a large vial into the cauldron handling the now green, translucent liquid to me. "Rub these on his wounds whilst I fetch the headmaster."
I nod silently turning back to Draco. I place the vial carefully on the side table along with my wand, shaking I pull back the already open shirt. It has stuck to his wet, bleeding body making it hard to pull away. When I have finally got it open completely I look down at the damage. The wounds are now fully closed up and no longer bleeding but they still look fresh and if Draco was to move even slightly I would be sure they would re open.
I pour the dittany from the vial onto his chest rubbing and massaging it very gently into each of the wounds.
I sit deep in thought as I continue to run my fingers gently over each cut making sure the dittany is coated over each line and gash.
"Angelica?" Snape walks into the wing his trousers still wet down by his ankles.
"Hi" I whisper back my voice full of emotion as I turn back to look down at Draco.
"He will be okay" Snape walks closer now standing besides me. "You saved his life by doing that spell."
"I remembered where I found it" I lower my hand wiping the dittany off on my skirt. I turn to face my head of year looking up at him from my plastic seat "I remember now where I read the counter curse or healing spell. Whatever Vulnera Sanentur is."
Snape tilts his head ever so slightly "and where would that be?"
"In your office." I clasp my hands together "I took a few textbooks from your office at the beginning of the year like you said I could. You had a lot of hand written notes at the back of one which i found hard to decipher at first but they came in handy over Christmas."
I look away from Snape and look back to Draco "I spent a lot of time looking for dark magic spells. I needed to know darker spells for those fucking sessions with my father and Draco's aunt. At first I couldn't work out where I knew the spell from but when Madam Pomfrey asked me how to do it I realised it wasn't a standard spell and that's when I remembered."
Snape stays silent as I feel him walking slightly closer to me.
I turn to look at him to find him watching me with a very sad expression on his face "I have created a lot of spells over the years. A lot of dark magic spells." His voice is full of sadness as he continues on "I have tried to rectify that by also creating the counter curses but unfortunately not a lot of people know those." He steps backwards "I will ensure all the right people do from now on."
"Did you create the spell Harry used?"
Snape nods tightly "yes. It's a spell I hoped no one in your generation would ever come across. I suppose that's my fault for not taking better care of my books. I left an old text book I used to use in my potions desk forgetting to take it when I changed roles this year. It appears that very book fell in to Harry's hands. He won't admit it but I know it to be."
"What was the spell?"
Snape shakes his head "I would rather you did not know."
I cross my arms "Harry knows it. Meaning Hermione, Ron and Ginny soon will. Meaning all of the Order also will. It was used against Draco and may be used against me in the future. I need to know it."
"You know the counter curse. That should be enough."
I clench my hands around my arms "tell me the fucking spell Snape. Draco nearly died today and I'm really not in the mood. Either you can tell me or Harry will."
Snape closes his eyes tightly as he lets out a long breath "Sectumsempra. It's dark magic that is meant to remove flesh and limbs from a person. No normal healing spells will work on it, only Vulnera Sanentur."
I nod my head "fine. Thank you."
"You saved his life today Angelica. Your quick thinking and expansive knowledge saved Draco's life today."
"I used your spell."
Snape sighs "that's right. My spell."
A/N -
I can not thank you all enough for the support on my last update. Your kind words honestly inspired me to stay up late each night after work to write this chapter for you all💚
Writing definitely helps with my anxiety and stress from work so I'm just grateful I have you all to read the chapters I bring out.
Thank you all again and honestly you guys are sometimes the only thing keeping me writing!!
Hope everyone had a lovely weekend x