At lunch, Draco rushes in late, his face still as pale as ever although it's clear he's been running. It isn't like Draco to be late, but I wasn't exactly on time either, so I let it slide.
"Hey!" I exclaim as he sinks into the seat beside me and gives me a soft kiss. "How did the tryouts go?" he asks as he spoons some tomato soup into the empty bowl in front of him. I sigh deeply and scoop the remainders of my own soup out of the bowl. "Put it this way, I can't see us beating Hufflepuff anytime soon."
Draco winces. "That bad huh?"
I nod ruefully. "I did meet somebody interesting though." I add, my voice perking up. Draco raises an eyebrow as he eats his soup. "Who's that?" he asks. I gaze down the table to wear Perseus is sitting with a couple of his fellow seventh years, one of whom got onto the Quidditch team as well. "Did you know that you had a cousin?"
Draco frowns and turns to look at me. "I have quite a few cousins. One of the 'benefits' of being descended from the oldest pure-blood family there is."
Realising that I'll need more detail, I add "his name is Perseus. He's the son of Regulus Black. He was your mother's first cousin, isn't he?"
To my surprise, Draco slams his fist into the table. I jump as the loud bang reverberates around the hall and people turn to look at us. "What was that about?" I hiss. Draco swears as he grabs a cloth and wipes up the soup that he'd spilt on the table. "I want you to stay away from him." He snarls, clenching his fist into a ball. "What? Why?!"
Draco shakes his head and shuts his eyes for a moment, flexing his hand as he tries to compose himself and control his anger. "You know what his father was."
I chuckle nervously before hissing "who are we to judge?"
Draco grabs my hand suddenly and pulls me to my feet. "Somewhere private," he mutters so quietly that I barely hear him. I manage to grab my scarf from the table as he starts to drag me away, tugging my hand so that I'll keep up. We leave the Great Hall and I shoot a fleeting look at Perseus as we pass him, but he doesn't notice. He's too wrapped up in chatting to another boy about who's better - Puddlemere United or the Chudley Cannons.
I follow Draco as we leave the school, only pausing so that he can wind his scarf around his neck and I can pull on my gloves. He grunts at Filch as we pass, who as usual is given the task of standing outside the entrance hall, checking in which students enter and leave the castle for Hogsmeade. Draco doesn't speak as we trudge out of the castle, still keeping a firm grip on my hand. It's only when we're a safe distance away and everybody else is out of earshot, that he pushes me gently onto the stone wall and sits down beside me.
"Look, you know that Regulus Black was a..." Draco lowers his voice "...death eater." I nod my head, not speaking in case it should divert him from what he's trying to say. "Regulus Black betrayed the Dark Lord, I don't know how but he did, and because of it the Dark Lord had him killed."
I frown. "What does all of this have to do with Perseus?"
Draco sighed deeply as if I was missing something right in front of me. "So, the Dark Lord doesn't simply punish those that have wronged him. He takes it out on their family as well. Perseus Black is a dangerous person to be around once the Dark Lord knows he exists. Whatever it is that Regulus Black knew about the Dark Lord, he could have passed onto his son."
"But Perseus was only a toddler when his father died..."
"The Dark Lord won't see it like that." Draco pressed firmly. "He would have probably left Black something to remember him by - something to do with the House of Black. The Dark Lord will think that perhaps Regulus Black left his son answers somehow. He'll do anything to stop whatever Black knew getting out."
I understand what Draco means now. Voldemort wants to kill Perseus, or at least he will once he finds out he exists.
Draco runs a hand through his perfect blonde hair. "It's too dangerous for you - for us - to be around him. Not in our current situation." His grey eyes follow mine as he tries to figure out what I'm thinking? What am I thinking? Hurt because of the way he snapped in the Great Hall, guilty for bringing up what was clearly a difficult subject for him, angry that I'd gotten up Perseus hopes of some sort of family reunion, and understanding that what Draco was saying was right. With a sigh, I nod and stood up, rising to my tiptoes so that I could press my lips to his ear.
"For you, I'll leave him alone. I promise."
Draco wraps his arm around my back and buries his face in my neck. "Thank you," he murmurs, before kissing my check softly. "Where do you want to go?"
It's too far to get to the treehouse - the little den that Draco showed me last year for our first date and has been our sort of escape - without brooms. In fact, I doubt that I could even find it on foot. Madam Puddifoots makes me cringe, and the Hogs Head is so dirty that whenever I've been there, I've felt like the dust and grim sits in the butterbeers and transfers itself onto you by simply walking past.
"Three Broomsticks?" he asks, stroking my hair affectionately. I sigh before nodding slowly "it'll have to be."
Our feet trudge through the thick snow - surprisingly alot for early November. Draco grabs me suddenly as my feet come to an invisible patch of ice and I nearly slip over. I give him a grateful smile, which he reciprocates softly, and lets me go.
Professor Flitwick comes over the hill from the village, the snow nearly reaching to his knees. He wraps his deep green coat tighter around him, and catching sight of us, gives me a respectful grin. "Good afternoon Miss Weasley, Mr Malfoy. Dreadful weather, isn't it?"
"Quite sir, I'm looking forward to the warm fire of the Three Broomsticks!" I exclaim politely. The charms teacher gives me a nod and begins to walk again. "Well then, have a good afternoon the pair of you! Just make sure that your charms homework is done by Monday - NEWTs are much more serious than OWLs you'll find, and even the single piece of missed homework could affect your final grade!"
"We already finished it before we left, sir." Draco says firmly, grabbing my hand and dragging me onwards. He has no specific dislike for Professor Flitwick - Slytherin and Ravenclaw have never been enemies, and Flitwick appreciates Draco's magical ability. But he's obviously not in the mood today, and I don't object. I wave farewell to the teacher before turning away and walking with Draco over the final hill and down towards Hogsmeade.
The Three Broomsticks sits in the centre of the village, and is usually packed full of people - students, residents of the village, visitors and even a few of the teachers. Today is no exception, and Draco and I are lucky to find a small booth in the corner of the room. "I'll get us some drinks" he says as he removes his scarf and gloves. "Butterbeer?" I make a small noise of agreement and he disappears, leaving me to survey the other drinkers around us.
In the corner, I catch sight of Ginny and Dean, who are kissing each other quite obliviously to the rest of the world. Do Draco and I look like that? I shudder at the thought of looking so cringe-worthy as my sister, and barely notice when Harry, Ron and Hermione come through the door. I only look up when the wave of cold air hits me and to find Harry smiling down at me. "Hello, how are you?" he asks whilst Ron and Hermione disappear to an empty table nearer to the fireplace. "I'm alright, as well as can be I suppose."
Harry scrapes some snow off his trainer as he says "are you here alone?"
I look over to Draco, who's stood stiffly at the bar and handing over a couple of sickles to the bartender. Harry follows my gaze, and I could have sworn I saw him grimace when he saw Draco there. But he says nothing, instead commenting "looks like our number one fan is here too."
To Draco's right, Professor Slughorn is chatting to a man wearing a pointing red hat and with a nose the shape of a turnip. Harry and I have produced perfect potions in every assignment that Slughorn had offered us, thanks to our amended potions books, and had earnt quite a name for ourselves around the school. It was only last year when Harry was receiving remedial potions with Snape, as Draco had so smugly told everybody, and now he was the top of the year, except for me of course.
Draco collects our butterbeers and turns to face our table. He spots Harry stood beside me and a vicious glare crosses over his face. "You'd better go," I warn him as Draco starts to stride towards us, thunder in his steps. Harry looks down at me for a moment and smirks. "I'm not afraid of your boyfriend Juliet, I'm the Chosen One, remember?" he gives me a cheeky wink, and as Draco appears at the table, swaggers off.
"What did he want?" Draco hisses, setting the butterbeer down in front of me and jerking his head in Harry's direction. I shrug my shoulders and sip at the warm beverage. "He was just saying hello."
Draco scoffs and sips at his own drink, before standing once more. "I have to do something, I'll be back in 5 minutes."
I let out an exasperated sigh. "Can't it wait?" I plead, grasping his hand. Draco's skin is cool and soft, the shade of porcelain. He sighs and strokes my cheek with his other hand, a gentle caress. "5 minutes, I promise." His lips brush mine, so gentle that I barely feel it. But then he is gone, his hand gone from mine, and when I open my eyes, he has disappeared completely.
Patiently, I wait for him to return. 5 minutes pass, and then 10. I drum my fingers on the table boredly and watch as Harry laughs with Ron and Hermione. My heart pangs slightly - they look like they're having much more fun than I ever have with my friends.
"Miss Weasley!"
I lift my head to see Slughorn wobbling over, a flagon of some peculiar smelling beer in his left hand and waving frantically with his right. I flash a forced smile and stand politely. "Hello professor!"
Slughorn beams as he reaches me. "Good to see you! Are you here alone?" I shake my head softly. "No, Draco has just gone..." I look around the pub aimlessly, every inch of it empty of my boyfriend. "...I don't exactly know where."
Slughorn chuckles slightly and proceeds to speak. "You might remember the little gathering on the train during the journey to Hogwarts?" I nod nonchalantly, still searching for Draco as if I might have overlooked him. Impossible really, Draco isn't the sort of person that one can overlook.
"I'm hosting a little get-together soon, a dinner party, strictly the best guests of course. I'd be absolutely delighted if you could attend!"
I only just stop myself from raising my eyebrows. After all my previous adoration of Horace Slughorn and his work, he'd proven himself to be incredibly underwhelming. His potioneering was of course as brilliant as I'd expected, and he had proven to be a good teacher. But it was as if something was lacking. There was no sparkle about his personality that made him interesting, like Professor Dumbledore. I didn't get the impression of a secret knowledge that none of us simple students could hope to understand when I looked into his eyes, like Professor McGonagall or Professor Snape. He was - quite simply - exceptionally ordinary, as ordinary as a wizard could be anyway. Still, it would be rude to decline and despite my new, angsty attitude that had materialised the day I got my mark, the manners I was brought up with forbid it.
"It sounds wonderful Professor, I'd love to attend."
Slughorn's eyes light up with glee and he claps his hands. "Wonderful! It wouldn't be the same without you, Miss Weasley!" Slughorn leans slightly closer, lowering his voice as if he intends to whisper, but actually speaking in the same tone he had been previously. "Don't tell Mr Potter this, but I've always believed it was you that was producing your spectacular work! Professor Snape was shocked when I spoke about Potter's excellent potioneering, proclaiming that dear Harry is quite dreadful at potions. It's reflected in his homework I'm afraid - it's never of the same standard as his classwork."
I frown slightly. "Harry and I split the work equally Professor, and if I can be so bold, Harry and Professor Snape have never really gotten on."
Slughorn raises his eyebrows and sinks into the seat beside me. I sigh mentally - he clearly intends to stay. "What do you mean, Miss Weasley?"
I scan the room nervously. "Perhaps I shouldn't say Professor..."
Slughorn waves his hand slightly and sloshes a bit of the strange drink onto the table. "Nonsense, I won't tell a soul!"
I look at Harry sat on the other side of the room. "There's nothing to tell really. Professor Snape and Harry have never seen eye to eye. I think it was something to do with Harry's father, but I'm not sure." Slughorn pauses for a moment. "I remember James Potter. Quite a popular boy, although he didn't really show much talent for Potions. Now Lily Evans, Harry's mother, she was a talented witch!"
Slughorn's eyes seem to glaze over as he thinks back, a warm smile on his face. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a flash of blond hair as Draco appears and frowns at Slughorn. He quickly wipes the frown away, but doesn't warm at all to Slughorn. "Professor," Draco booms, placing a hand upon my shoulder. Slughorn snaps out of his daydream and looks at Draco, his pupil's dilating nervously. Slughorn doesn't like Draco at all, although neither of us are sure why. Probably because he, like everybody else, read about Draco's father Lucius being imprisoned in Azkaban as a convicted Death Eater. Probably because he suspects Draco of being the same.
"Ahh, Mr Malfoy. I can see that Miss Weasley isn't alone any longer, so I'll leave you both. Good afternoon." Slughorn rises and grabs his beer, before hurrying away. "Where did you go?" I ask Draco as he takes Slughorn's empty seat. Draco simply shakes his head and sips at his butterbeer, which has now gone cold. He pulls a repulsed face and pushes it away. "Draco," I press a little more firmly.
"Just leave it ok," he snaps back.
Hurt, I edge away. He looks at me guiltily and reaches for my hand, which I jerk away. "Juliet, please." He pleads.
"I have homework to do," I mutter, drinking the last of my butterbeer and rising to my feet. "Wait," Draco exclaims. I ignore him, pulling on my gloves. "Juliet!" Draco grabs my hand and stares up at me. "Please, wait. I'm sorry that this has been a terrible date, let me make it up to you."
I gaze back at him, his grey eyes pleading silently with him. It's almost impossible to say no to Draco, definitely is for me, and so I sink back down and cross my arms defensively across my chest. "What did Slughorn want then?" Draco asks, trying to make conversation. "He invited me to a party" I mutter, picking at my jumper. Draco forces a smile "and he didn't invite me?" he trills in an overly enthusiastic tone.
"You weren't here." I reply astutely.
Draco sighs and turns to face me. "Look, I'm sorry ok. I'm sorry that I've ruined our date and I'm a terrible boyfriend..."
I interrupt him by shaking my head. "You're not a terrible boyfriend. I just wish that you'd trust me more and tell me things. We're in this together, remember?" I gesture towards my arm where the dark mark has stained my skin, and Draco shudders. "I do trust you, more than I've ever trusted anybody. You're the only person I can rely on to never let me down."
He kisses my lips softly, and the moment his lips touch mine I've forgiven him.
Then it happens.
At first, a light tickle on my left forearm. Barely noticeable, I pass it off as simply an itch. But it grows more, greater and greater until it begins to hurt.
Then it burns. An agony like a knife has been stabbed into my arm and twisted, cutting my soul into a million pieces. I can't breathe, I can't think. The only thing that is there is the pain. It will never go - never cease. I want to turn my head, to see if my arm is actually on fire. But my body has become paralysed. My eyes clamp shut and the darkness isn't friendly, it's full of hiding evils. Then I see his face. Slashing into my mind, cutting away at my senses. Deathly pale skin, a bald head. Violent red eyes. "Come to me" he hisses through gnarled teeth, "come to your master."
I reach out for him. Why? I don't know. It's as if I knew that the pain would disappear the moment I took his hand, the moment I joined him. I so wanted the agony to end.
But somebody else takes my hand and snatches me back before I can slip my fingers into his. Voldemort disappears from my mind, and I am yanked back to reality where the pain begins to subside and my eyes wretch open. A fearful looking Draco is cradling my head under his arm, a deep red scratch in his cheek. It bleeds malevolently, but he barely seems to notice. He's full of concern for me.
I'm somehow lying on the floor of The Three Broomsticks. We've attracted quite a crowd, people standing and staring at me. But most prominent of all is Professor Dumbledore, who is crouched beside me along with Draco. I look down to his hand and see that it is clasped around mine. It was Dumbledore who pulled me back.
"Ok, everybody clear back. The girl had a bit of a funny turn, nothing to see." The landlady steps between me and the crowd and ushers them away with his arms. Ron pushes past her but is grabbed by a vicious looking wizard assisting the landlady. "She's my sister," Ron points at me. Ginny appears at Ron's side "let us through!" she snarls at him. The man turns to look at Dumbledore who nods softly, before turning back to me. An expression of concern over his face as he looks down at my left forearm, which I now see is bleeding quite violently. Ron and Ginny sink to my side, Ginny brushing my hair from my face and Ron glaring at Draco.
"What happened?" Ginny asks, tying back my hair for me with a band around her wrist. I give her what is supposed to be a grateful smile but actually turns out to be more of a grimace. "Not here, we can discuss this back at the castle. Mr Malfoy, it seems like Miss Weasley is quite incapacitated right now. Would you be able to carry her?"
Draco lifts me easily and I wrap my arms around his neck. Ron stiffens and snarls "I can carry her. She's my sister." Ginny places her hand on Ron's arm warningly, but he doesn't back down. Draco raises an eyebrow. "Well she's my girlfriend Weasley."
I can sense the venom drifting between the two of them, if Dumbledore wasn't here then no doubt it would turn a lot more ugly. But Ron has no choice but to step down, although I can tell it isn't easy for him. He murmurs something rude to Ginny as Draco wraps his coat over me. "Did you feel it too?" I whisper in his ear. If you hadn't have been looking for it, it would have been missed. But Draco gives the slightest, tiniest nod of his head.
"I can apparate us back to the castle," Dumbledore announces. Neither Draco nor I bother to comment. Dumbledore holds out his arm and Draco stiffens, his eyes flashing between Dumbledore and I. Draco clutches me tighter as he nervously places his hand on Dumbledore's, and the three of us disappear into a flash.