I hid behind a pillar as Draco looked over his shoulder in paranoia. Rightfully, so since I've been following him for half an hour while he went in circles. His random disappearing acts have been more frequent and for longer periods of time. I've been trying to follow him for weeks, each time I lost him. What was he doing that was so top secret that he would think someone was following him? Why would it matter if someone found out? I was going crazy wondering. All I know was whatever he was doing was driving him crazy too. He was looking more tired and overwork every day. He would jump down people's throats for the littlest things. I was relieved when he finally stopped in front of a wall. A giant door appears in front of him, I had to bite my hand to stop from gasping. He went inside and the door disappeared.
"It's the room of requirements." I heard a voice making me jump. I turn around to see Harry Potter. "It's a room for people in..." He was informing me before I cut him off.
"I know about the room. Do you know what he's using the room for?" I ask.
"You really don't know." He looks shocked.
"Of course, I don't know. Why do you think I'm following him?" I throw my hands in the air.
"I don't know what he is doing. The door disappears before I can get to it." He told me. I let out a sigh of frustration. "Have you asked him?"
"Only a thousand times, he tells me that I need to trust him. We may be together, but that doesn't mean he can't have his own stuff." I cross my arms. I felt like an idiot, what girlfriend doesn't know what their boyfriend spends the majority of their time doing.
"If it makes you feel better no one ever goes in with him." He shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Thanks that does make me feel better," I admit. "It also makes me feel better that someone else is going crazy over this." I smile weakly at him.
"I'm not going crazy!" He glares.
"You dragged me into a room and screamed at me." I raise an eyebrow.
"Sorry about that." He laughs nervously.
"It's all in a day's work for a hero." I shrug.
"Why do you Slytherins think I do the things I do to be a hero? I don't love attention!" He yells the last part.
"You need to learn to take a joke." I put my hands up in surrender. He has some pretty drastic mood swings.
"Sorry, I've been on edge lately." He sighs. "Do you want to come with me? A bunch of us are going to make s'mores."
"You're inviting me to hang out." I look at him suspiciously.
"I know, you've been dodging meeting Michael. He and Robert will be there." He informs me.
"I'm not avoiding him, because he's a half-blood. It's just awkward, he knows I hated him. What am I supposed to do, just be nice all of a sudden?" I let out a sigh. "That felt good to get out. I don't have anyone to talk to about the Michael situation. Luna and Neville want to stay out of it. Draco says that I don't have to be nice to Michael because Robert isn't nice to him. But, I want to be nice. I want him to like me."
"Alright then, do you want to go?" He looks cautious. He was scared that he would hit another emotional landmine.
"Sure, but what's a s'more?" I ask. He laughs, throwing an arm around my shoulders. He told me all about s'more while guiding me somewhere. It sounds delicious. We stopped at the Stone Circle. There was a fire in the middle of it with a bunch of people surrounding it.
"Hey guys, look who I found." He greets them. I wave as most of their jaws drop. Only Robert, Michael, Luna, and Neville look happy to see me.
"I was right, this is awkward," I whisper to him. He rolls his eyes, dragging me to sit between Michael and Neville.
"Hello Nikki, this is Michael. Michael, this is Nikki." Robert introduces us.
"Nice to formally meet you, you must have so many embarrassing childhood stories about Robert." He hugs me.
"Nice to meet you too," My voice shakes as I pat him on the back.
"Are you nervous? You shouldn't be. I'm the boyfriend meeting the best friend, I should be nervous." He pulls away from the hug to smile at me. He was so nice it made me feel like an idiot for hating him.
"She feels awkward because you know she used to hate you because of your blood," Potter told him.
"Go away, Potter." I snap. That would be the last time I tell him anything.
"Getting it out in the open help." He gave me a teasing smile, before going to sit with Weasley and Granger.
"You don't have to worry about that. The past is in the past. Besides, you're trying to rise above it." Robert smiles encouragingly.
"Which, I find very inspirational by the way. Everyone should look inside themselves and see how they can grow." Michael gave my shoulder a squeeze.
"I never thought about it that way." I beam at him.
"Did you ever make s'mores before?" Neville asked me. I turn to him, shaking my head.
"Let me teach you. I'm the master." Michael put a marshmallow on a stick. "You have to keep a careful watch on it. If you cook it for too long it'll melt right off the stick and it'd be a waste of food."
"In Michael's world that's a sin that should damn people to hell." Robert teases.
"The food you waste could have saved someone's life." He glares at Robert. I laugh. It was cute to see them playfully going back and forth. "Um, my marshmallow is ready. Now you put it between the graham cracker with chocolate on one side and there you go. It's a simple way to make heaven on earth." He pushes his two crackers together, smashing his now golden marshmallow.
"I think I got it." I grab a stick putting a marshmallow on it, before sticking it in the fire. I turned to Neville when Robert and Michael began to giggle and whisper to each other. He was staring at Luna, who was happily humming as she routed her stick. I look back at my marshmallow deciding that routing would be a good idea. "You should go talk to her." I pull him away from his thoughts.
"Who?" He asks. I nudge my head in Luna's direction. "I can't, look how happy she is by herself. You might want to take your marshmallow out." He told me. I pull my marshmallow out in a panic.
"Aw, it's burnt." I look at my charcoal looking marshmallow. I grab two crackers and a piece of chocolate, figuring it still might be good. I like my steak a little overcook, maybe it'll be the same for s'mores. "Luna always welcomes company. How are you supposed to lift this relationship off the ground if you never talk to her?" I took a bite of the s'more. I let out a moan of satisfaction.
"Then you would be the fifth wheel." He teases.
"If it gets too much for me, I'll drag Draco along." I laugh.
"Good luck with that." He gets up and walks over to Luna. She smiles at him as he sits down next to her. I watch them, smiling. Luna deserves someone who was smart, thoughtful, open-minded, and would put her first. Neville Longbottom was that guy.
"Does Malfoy know you're here?" Ron asks, making me jump. I didn't notice that he sat down next to me.
"No, he doesn't. We are a couple, but that doesn't mean we can't have our own things." If Draco could have his own things then so could I.
"Wouldn't he have a problem with you hanging out with mix-bloods and bloody traitors?" He looks unconvinced.
"As long as I don't push him to do the same, he doesn't care. We are a couple, but we are separate people." I searched his face, wondering why he was talking to me.
"Don't you think being with him will bring you down? You are smart with so much potential. Being with someone who isn't on your level will take that all from you." He shook his head.
"Is that why you're not with Granger?" It felt like he was talking to her about himself and not me about Draco.
"What?" He looks shocked. He thought I was smart, but he didn't think I would be able to see the obvious.
"She's the smartest in our class. She has the potential to be anything she wants. You think her being with you will derail her from all that." I figure it out in my head. He stares at me speechless. "Granger is a brilliant girl with an amazing head on her shoulder. Even being with a moron like you, won't take that from her."
"I think you just like playing matchmaker." He looks over at Luna and Neville.
"It annoys me when two people clearly like each other, but are too scared to make a move." I shrug.
"You do it for purely selfish reasons." He raises an eyebrow.
"Wouldn't be a true Slytherin if I did it for any other reason," I smirk.
"I don't think you are." He shook his head.
"You don't deny it. Maybe you should go over there, she is waiting for you. Be a true Gryffindor. Be brave." I push him out of his seat.
"I'm going. I'm going." He put his hands up in surrender as he walked away. I grab another marshmallow to put on the stick. I got two guys to do what I wanted. I wonder if I could get a third.
I walked into Draco's dorm determined to get some answers, but he wasn't there. I let out a big sigh and threw myself on his bed. I was debating on if I should go look for him or wait for him here. I decided to wait for him. He would have to come to his dorm sooner or later. I pick up his charm book, deciding to do some reading for class.
I felt my shoulder being poke. I open my eyes, seeing a charm book under me. I groan, cracking my neck, before looking up at a tired Draco. "What are you doing here?" He pushes me over to lay down next to me.
"Waiting for you," I stood up to put away his charm book.
"For what?" He yawns.
"When was the last time you slept?" I sat down on the bed. He put his head on my lap.
"Sacrifices have to be made when you have responsibilities." He snuggled into my stomach as I ran my fingers through his hair.
"What kind of responsibilities are worth your sleep and sanity?" I massage his scalp.
"The kind that you don't need to worry about." He hisses as I rub his temples.
"I want to take some of the load off your shoulders." I rub the body part I spoke of.
"And, how would you do that?" He sits up making my hand fall to my lap.
"I don't know, but I'm sure there is a way I can," I said confidently.
"When I think of a way you can help, I will tell you." He got off the bed.
"Sometimes a second pair of eyes helps." I crawl to the end of the bed nearest to him.
"Damn it, Nicole! When the dark lord is involved the less you know the better." He growls.
"The dark lords involved?" I gasp.
"Yes, he is. It's dangerous and I don't want you involved in it." He cups my face.
"If you're involved then I want to be involved." I kneel, so I was face to face with him.
He pushes me down, making me fall back onto the bed. He paces around the room, picking things up and throwing them across the room. I let out a scream when a book almost hit my head. "Do you really want to know?" He roars.
"Yes, I do! I've been asking for the past month!" I pout.
"You can't tell anyone, not even Luna or Robert." He glares. I nod. "I've been chosen by the Dark Lord to fix the vanishing cabinet to let my fellow death eaters into Hogwarts." He told me. I felt my stomach drop. I never thought it would be this. I naïvely held onto the hope that it was something juvenile like planning a prank.
"Why do the death eaters want to come here?" I ask, scared of the answer.
"They will take over Hogwarts and I will kill Dumbledore." He whispers.
"Draco, why?" I shook my head. I didn't want him to do this. This would lead to a war that I wasn't sure either of us would live through.
"I was chosen by the dark lord, it's an honor." He glares.
"Taking someone's life is serious." I was more worried than I was before.
"I know, but it's something I have to do." He shot me a desperate look.
"Why do you have to, it's not like you're a... wait you said, my fellow death eaters." I rush over to him and pull up both of his sleeves. There it was on his left forearm, the dark mark.
"Oh, Draco," I hug him. I felt sorrow for him, being forced to do this, to grow up so fast and harshly. I found myself crying into his chest. He wraps his arms around me and places a kiss on my forehead.
"Everything's going to be alright," He whispers to me. I felt horrible, him having to comfort me when he's the one that is going through all of it. But, all I could find it in myself to do is hold on to him tighter.