I opened my drawer and pulled out my necklace with Draco’s ring on it. I had found it easier to forget about him without the ring, but with everything mended, I felt that I had to wear it. I also felt kind of guilty for putting it away, but I can’t turn back time now. I felt more complete with it on. I wasn’t as whole as I was if I could’ve been with Draco, but it was enough at the time. If he was risking his life for me, the least I could do was proudly wear his engagement ring.
“You’re wearing it again,” Kam smiled at me when I met her down in the common room before breakfast. “I thought you had put it away because it reminded you too much of him.”
I shrugged. “I saw him this morning.”
A huge smile spread out on her face. “Seriously? That is so romantic.”
“It was the last night for us,” my voice cracked from trying not to cry. “He’ll be leaving tonight.”
She nodded. “I know. Blaise filled me in on everything. We’re supposed to stay up here in the tower, where we’ll be the safest. Blaise swore they wouldn’t come up to the tower because they’re only after one thing. He wouldn’t tell me what it was.”
“I know,” I sighed. “Draco’s been behind it all year, and he told me just two months ago.”
“That’s why you wanted to distance yourself,” she nodded in understanding. “Is it really that bad though?”
“He has to murder someone,” I shook my head to keep the tears from coming. “I’m so worried about his soul. Murdering tears the soul; I just know it. It’s not right, which means that his soul is in danger. Kam, I love him so much.”
She pulled me into a hug. “I can’t imagine what you’re going through. My boyfriend just has to be there and stand guard. Poor Draco, No wonder why he’s been looking gaunt these days. I mean, if I had to murder someone, I would go into the pits of insanity and back.”
I pulled away from her so I could wipe my tears away. “He really has, and we falling for each other didn’t add to his sanity much. I mean, I’ve pretty much gone bonkers because of the constant of wanting to be with him, but it’s absolutely not possible.”
“Well,” she said, helping me fix myself, “I’m so hungry I could eat a hippogriff. Let’s go grab a bite to eat.”
I let her lead me down the Great Hall where we saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione in a huddle at the Gryffindor table. My automatic instinct was to warn them about what was going on that night, but then they would know that I had for sure dated Draco, someone they already singled out as a Deatheater. I just hated the fact that they had been right from the start.
“Hey, guys,” Ron smiled at us as we sat down next to him. “What’s wrong, Court?” he asked, putting his arm around me at once.
“What makes you think there’s something wrong?” I asked and leaned my head on his shoulder.
“First, your eyes are red as if you’ve been crying,” he wiped at the corner of one of my eyes. “Second, you’re letting me put my arm around you, which you would’ve said that we aren’t like that when I’m trying to comfort you, and it was all because I was teasing you about your turn was next. Court, I could never like you like that. You’re my sister, and nothing is going to change that.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Ron. That was very touching.”
“It’s been known to happen sometime,” he chuckled. “So, what’s the matter?”
I shrugged. “Nothing important.”
“If it made you cry, it has to be bloody important,” he said, putting his head on top of mine.
“I’ll tell you later, okay?” I whispered, just wanting to be comforted by his warmth. “For right now, it’s not important,” I pulled away from him and ate a bit of toast. I wasn’t sure I could hold more than that down with Draco on my mind.
“I’m holding you to that,” He prodded me with his finger before stuffing his mouth as usual.
“Courtney,” Hermione hesitated. “Do you happen to know something…?”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “I know lots of things, Hermione.”
“I mean, has your father or anyone else for that matter mentioned anything…?”
I shook my head. “About what, Hermione?” She was seriously getting on my nerves.
“Dumbledore is not going to be here tonight,” Harry leaned in towards me. “We were just wondering if the deatheaters were planning anything. I know that your dad is one, as well as Draco. So, spill if you know something,” he then looked over at Kam. “You better spill if you know something as well.”
“Look, why would I be talking to someone who obviously is dead to me or someone who let a rumor ruin my reputation?” I asked, only the first one being true. “Tell me, Harry. You seem to be so fucking smart.”
“Calm down, Court,” Ron said, stroking my shoulder, which was kind of weird. “He’s just trying to find out. So, would you just help us out?”
I pushed his hand away from me. “I wouldn’t tell you guys anything even if my life depended on it. You three have fun playing detectives again this year, and I think I’ll just leave you to it.”
Kam followed me out of the Hall with a grin on her face. “Court, you’ve never really stood up to them before. You have balls, girl.”
“I’m just tired of their shit. Logically, I wouldn’t be talking to either of the people their thinking of, but I can’t be simple. My life can’t be simple,” I sighed and leaned against the wall. “Kam, you know my life would’ve gotten complicated because my father is a follower.”
She nodded. “He was trying to keep it from you though. Besides, you can’t control who you fall in love with. You can’t stop fate no matter how hard you try. Draco and you were meant to be, or you wouldn’t have happened at all. You wouldn’t still want to protect him from everything bad that he’s going through right now. You wouldn’t be able to see a future without him. Court, you have to keep holding on. This love might not have happened at the right time, but it can survive it. Just don’t let him go.”
I pulled her unto a hug. “How come you always know exactly what to say?”
She shrugged. “It’s talent, I guess. Come on, first classes are starting here in just a few.”
Classes went by slow that day. All professors were reviewing for the N.E.W.T.s that I knew were probably not going to happen, but none of them knew that. To them, it was just another boring day in Hogwarts. If they knew what I knew, they would be shitting bricks right now. I knew that I was, but I was more afraid for Draco. He would be out in the fight. He would have to find Dumbledore. He would have to murder him.
That’s when I made the decision. Kam said that I should keep holding onto him, and that’s what I planned to do. I couldn’t let him murder. I couldn’t let him change from the person that I fell in love with. I had to hold onto him by making sure that didn’t happen.
“When do you think he’ll start the plan?” Kam asked me in her dorm that night.
I shrugged. “Who knows?”
“Blaise does,” Kam grimaced. “I can’t stand the fact that he’ll be out there. You know this is going to turn into a battle, right?”
I nodded. “That’s why we can’t stay up here.”
“What are you talking about?” Kam asked, sitting upright on her bed. “Blaise said to stay safe-“
“We can’t play it safe when they’re risking their lives. Besides,” I got up from Hermione’s bed and walked over to the window to look up at the stars, “I can’t let Draco go through with it. I don’t care if he finds out about us. I won’t allow Draco to ruin his soul for that man.”
“I’m in,” Kam said, getting up from her bed.
I sighed. “It’s going to be dangerous.”
She smirked. “Dangerous is my middle name. Plus, you’ll need someone to watch your back, and how could I possibly allow my best friend to endanger her life without endangering my own?”
The door then opened, which made both of us jump. Hermione came in with a worried look on her face. She seemed surprised to find us in her dorm room or at the very least just me. She sunk down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Kam and I exchanged looks.
“What’s wrong, Herms?” Kam asked first.
She sighed. “Dumbledore is gone, which gives me a horrible feeling.”
“I know that Harry said so this morning,” I sat down next to her, causing her to sit up, “but why? How did Harry even know about Dumbledore’s leave of absence tonight?”
“Harry knew because he’s gone with him,” she bit her lip. “He’s been having lessons with him all year long about how to defeat him. Tonight, they made a journey to a place where they believe contains a bit of,” she paused, “Voldemort. They mean to destroy it.”
“A bit of…him?” Kam looked a tad confused.
Hermione nodded. “A horcrux,” she explained. “It contains a part of his soul so that he may never die. As long as part of his soul is still unattached –or alive- he can never die.”
“So, he’s immortal in a way?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s the whole point,” she sighed, “and he has seven of them.”
“How in the bloody hell do you make seven of them?” Kam practically shouted with her nose wrinkled in disgust. “How do you even make one?”
Hermione bit her lip and looked down at the floor. “Murder,” she murmured. “It tears the soul apart because it’s unmoral and unjust.”
“So, murdering does hurt your soul,” I whispered mainly to myself.
My hunch had been right. With Hermione proving me right, I had even more of a reason to worry. Draco’s soul was in more danger than what I thought it had been. I definitely couldn’t let him go through with it knowing that it will hurt him. I couldn’t let him change from the man I had fell in love with. He was a good person who didn’t deserve to have his soul torn in two before he’s even reached adulthood. I thought back to the time before Hogwarts when everything was beautiful and nothing hurt. We were still children but nothing was painless anymore. The only beautiful part about my life at that moment, and I’m pretty sure Draco’s too, was our love. It was what would get us through even the hardest times, and I knew that what was going on was just the beginning.
“What a bastard,” Kam exclaimed. “I can’t believe that he murdered seven people just to make sure he could live forever. Well, actually I can. He’s probably murdered more than that. That rat bastard!”
I sighed. “I just want to know what made him so cruel to even want to do this to his fellow wizards.”
Hermione shrugged. “All I know is what Harry told me, but I believe that’s just half of the story. His mother put a love potion on his muggle father and ended up pregnant before she decided to wing him off, and when she did, he left her. She was heartbroken, which is the reason I believe that she didn’t make it through the pregnancy and died soon after she gave him to an orphanage where he tortured many of the other orphans.”
“Sounds like a tough life,” Kam nodded.
“Yes, but,” I looked from what to the other, “what also happened to make him the way he is? There has to be more other than the unfortunate orphanage scenario. I mean, come on? Who rejected him and made him so cold?”
Hermione shook her head. “We may never know.”
“Hermione,” I grabbed her attention. It was better late than never. “You have every right to be worried about what may happen in Dumbledore’s absence.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “So, you know something and you didn’t tell us this morning?”
I nodded. “I’m sorry, but I just got so worked up about what Harry was saying, and I got angry and left. I thought that you should know though because it will turn into a full-fledged battle. Deatheaters are going to be attacking the castle tonight with the hopes of weakening it-“
“Before Dumbledore gets back,” Hermione finished the sentence for me. “How do you know this, Courtney? Is it because of Draco?”
“Look, Hermione-“ She cut me off again.
“I know that you’re madly in love with him, but Courtney, he’s the worst possible choice for you,” Hermione said in a rush. “You and he cannot be together because he is what he is, and he made that choice.”
I stood from the bed, angry as hell.
“Don’t talk about him like you know him, Hermione,” Kam was the one to come to the defense. “He definitely does not have a choice, and you can see it plain as day.”
I turned back to the two. “He has had more horrors in his life that you realize, Hermonie. I’ve known him since forever, and I know what lies inside. He’s beautiful, Hermione, inside and out. If he could choose, he would have never been branded. He would have run far, far away.”
“He did have that choice, Courtney. He could’ve ran away before he got branded,” Hermione had a point, but it not good enough.
I shook my head. “How could you leave when you have an abusive father who also abused your mother? He loves his mum entirely too much to let her receive the force of his dad whenever he left. His mother is good to him. She protects him and loves him, and she expects nothing in return,” I paused. “Draco is a better person that you believe him to be. He might even be a better person that you, Hermione.”
“Court-“ Hermione didn’t even get to counter my claim because an explosion sounded through the castle. “It’s beginning,” she whispered and started for the door.
I pushed her out of my way as I grabbed my wand out of my back pocket. Kam was right on my heels as we ran down the common room where the students were going frantic. I didn’t stop for them like Hermione did. It had begun, which meant that Draco was somewhere within the castle. I had to find him before it was too late.
A/N: and let the action begin! :D i know it seemed like this chapter was a bit boring, but i found it quite interesting. and actually, i didn't pick out the song to this chapter until after i had written it halfway. after i had kam say to keep holding on, avril lavigne's song played on my playlist and i just had to go with it. sigh. i love inspiration when it comes so easially.
this chapter is dedicated to Miranda1995 because she is the bomb for making me all the banners for this story (except for the drawing of them kissing that was JarFullOfCookies!) You should check out Miranda's page because i hear that she has some awesomeness going on there! :D
A shout out to AllieInWonderLand because she has an amazing new story up. If you like historical fiction mysteries, you should totally read 'Nothing Compares'. Here's the link: http://www.wattpad.com/2610489-nothing-compares-the-whitechapel-murder. I have a charater in it name Cecily, who is just so perfect. Ha! But seriously, if you like a good myste, check it out!
Also, a shout out to ScribbledThoughts for sending me the link to an amazing picture that discribes this chapter just about perfectly! She has an amazing story called 'The Fake Date', which you should totally read. Here's the link: http://www.wattpad.com/2148520-the-fake-date-chapter-1. I can't get enough of this romance. It's jut perfect!
One last shout out to KokenzkenzY because she has some awesome ideas for some stories and woul love your opinion on them! Here's the link: http://www.wattpad.com/2596606-new-story-idea%27s. DO IT! because she is an awesome fan xD
Okay, I'm done with the shout outs. I have two announcents though!
1) I have decided that I will be holding a contest for the sequel. I'll give you all the info for the contest after Secret is finished. But I just want you guys to have a heads up!
2) I will also be posting an original story after this story is finished called "The Disillusioning of Esmerelda". I hope the you will read it when it finally does come out! :D Don't worry, I'll still continue with this story and with 'Remember Me' and 'Snowfake'.
So, I guess I'm done with the longest Author's Note ever! Haha. Sorry about that, my lovely fans!Don't forget to Comment, Vote, & Love. <3