*Draco's POV*
Snape had called me into his room for no other reason than to give his critical analysis of me from the term before, no doubt ordering me to be discrete in fear of being found out.
My mother may have tried to conceal the truth that Snape knew and was sworn to protect me, but his assistance won't be needed. I was trusted to carry out his gut wrenching plan alone, no one was to know of the assassination of Dumbledore until his heart had stopped.
I had no choice in the matter, he knows the consequences I will face if I fail, he knows it'll cost my life and the lives of my family.
I'm not doing this for the glory and power he promised my family, or the recognition and stasis amongst his cult followers, I was doing it to keep breathing, to stay alive.
Over the last few months I've considered heavily wether it's worth it, wether the life I live is deserving enough to even have a heart beat. In many ways I came to the conclusion that it wasn't, my life hadn't been extraordinary or special, it hadn't been something made of history books and peace prizes, only a few people would miss me, very few and eventually they'd learn to cope and carry on their lives, only periodically allowing the memories of me to cross their mind.
However, someone new floated into my life on a bubble of joy and hope it seemed like and it was through the promise of a brighter future with her I grew to accept I'd have to carry out the inevitable murder. The girl that sat three rows from the front of Snapes classroom, for a petty detention, who was staring at me, confused yet comforted by my presence that gave me the desire to have a life after this year.
Snape was quick to protect the conversation from wary ears by cloaking the parameter of his desk area. "You must know why I called you two."
"To ridicule?"
"Katie Bell, Ronald Weasley, two people you've harmed thus far that are not the target." He sneered putting emphasis on 'not the target', doing exactly as I thought he would.
"Don't you think we know that. We never meant for those two to get incapacitated." Camille spoke, angered by the professors words.
"Your sloppy attempts are drawing attention to the ever growing anticipation around here that a plan has fallen into place. Professors are more aware something is wrong."
"I don't need your help or advice, he didn't choose you, he chose me."
"No more attempts before you get the wardrobe fixed. You wouldn't want anyone else getting hurt." He shifted his eyes to the girl that sat in his room, curiously trying tirelessly to listen in to the conversation.
"Don't you dare bring her into it." I threaten the teacher, raising my voice.
"He will find out, and believe me this," He stepped closer, "If he finds she's the distraction he will show no mercy. You too Miss Kendrick, that Weasley boy is on the line too."
"I said leave them out of this, I was chosen for a reason." I broke free from the confines of the noise barrier, storming out of the classroom and up to the astronomy tower to think.
The idea of her getting hurt or killed because of my mistakes haunted me, I would never let that happen, not to my Ana.
*Analia's POV*
The seasons quickly changed, gone we're the stormy winds that chilled your body to the bone, gone were the powdered snow that littered the ground in patches, gone was the silver sun that seemed to successfully fool everyone into thinking it could bring warmth and comfort.
The atmosphere around Hogwarts has changed with the weather, it's grew darker, it had a sense of urgency and anxiety, as if preparing for something big to happen. Mostly everyone could feel it, even the paintings were whispering, everyone knew something wasn't right, something was about to change for the worse.
I envied those who were oblivious to the turning times, the people who were jolly, lifting their own spirits up, nieve and innocent. They didn't feel it, they didn't feel the change, the seriousness of the situations that are yet to come. They still felt safe in Hogwarts like I had been for so many years.
Many people suspected it was Voldemort, since the monster had revived from the depths of death the wizarding world wasn't the same, the ministry has been under pressure from the start to keep a positive public appearance, one of hope and morality, but behind the fake publicity was the truth, that Voldemort was preparing himself, preparing an army, preparing for war.
Oh to be blissfully ignorant to the troublesome times that lie ahead. At least I had people surrounding me that I love dearly with all my heart. Luna and Cho would never leave and well Draco, he's Draco, I couldn't ask for anything more.
"Lia..." I felt a nudge at my arm as Cho was looking at me intently as were the rest of the students in the class, all eyes on me. I pick my head up off my hand and clear my throat.
"Miss Fay, if you're done day dreaming..." Snape's voice dragged as I nod embarrassed. "Suggest a spell you could use to get away from enemies."
"Umm..." I struggle to get my words out.
"I suggest you pay attent-"
"Impedimenta." I cut him off to answer the question. He nodded acknowledging my answer and returned back to teaching the class, disheartened that he couldn't humiliate me further.
Gladly fleeing from Snape's classroom I turned around the corner to be startled by a tall blonde towering over me, smiling with his eyes.
"Eager to leave?" He questioned, sensing my desire to be anywhere but near his room.
"More than ever." I take his hand and drag him away quickly.
"I have somewhere we can escape to, I want to show you something there anyway." He said taking a sharp left down the hall, jerking me slightly too hard that I tripped. Stabling myself again I sent him a huffy face to which he just laughed at.
"Cheer up darling you didn't die." I rolled my eyes taking his hand that was held out in front of me once again.
Draco lead me around a maze of halls I swear I'd never seen before in my whole six years at Hogwarts, the further we went, the darker and colder it grew. The podiums of fire that normally lit the castle corridors were dim and flickering at the slightest gust of wind that drafted through the stone walls.
"Draco, where are we going." I giggle with excitement, anticipating if there was a secret part of the castle I hadn't been to before.
"Just shush damn it." He fires back with a grin that was bright enough to light the hallway we raced through.
We stopped in front of a wall, a wall that looked no different from any other wall, just grey sandstone placed by hand that was chipped and dirty like the rest of them. I turned to look at Draco who's smile hadn't faded, "Wha-"
"I said shush." His smile grew as the outline of an ancient viking door appeared replacing any doubt of it being a normal wall. The door stood proud of its beauty as Draco motioned to enter.
"The room of requirement?"
"How did you know about this?" The smirk dropped from his face realising this wasn't new to me and he hadn't just introduced me to the secrets of this castle.
"Everyone knows but I've been here for dumbledore's army, before you killed it that is." He twitched as I said the word killed, like it bothered him a bit more than it should.
"It seemed pretty cool." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders.
"It was, you should've come along if you weren't too busy up dumbitchs ass." I sarcastically exaggerate the truth.
"Ok... settle down, I get it I was a dick."
"Well at least you admit it."
"So you're not even going to try deny it." He stopped and turned to face me.
There was a moment of uncertainty where I could swear he felt hurt by what I said, the moment was short lived as a flicker of cheek bounced across his eyes confirming it was all a joke.
"No." I say more joyfully than usual.
"It's just round here." He shook his head to dismiss the comments made just seconds before.
"It's a wardrobe?" We stood watching an oddly shaped wardrobe stand in a hidden corner of the room of requirements. It was beautifully crafted, with carved patterns decorating the deep wood and exposed steel painted black to highlight it's need.
"More or less but it has a secret."
"Your going to have to start explaining, I'm lost here." I look up hopelessly at him for answers.
"Just watch." He held up an apple and placed it on the floor of the cupboard delicately. He muttered an incantation, then waited for a few seconds.
"Right so you put an apple in a wardrobe." I try piece together what I saw "I'm proud of you, I really am and clearly this is important to you but is that it?"
"Just be patiente" He opened the door after a couple of seconds
"Umm?" I question in confusion as the apple was no longer there. Draco's face lit up with glee seeing my fascination. He closed the doors and muttered a second, slightly different incantation. When he opened the cupboard again the apple was there and had a large bite taken from the side of it.
"It's called a vanishing cabinet, we've been mending it." He began giving a well needed explanation.
"We?"
"Me and Camille." He answered, passing over my initial startled reaction.
"How did..."
"Theres another one, together they create a passage." He continued, basking in the glory of rendering me speechless.
"Where's the other one?"
"Doesn't matter, what do you think?" He looked down at me, eager to please.
"I think it's incredible, that you mended it I mean, how did you know?"
"My... aunt mentioned it once, I figured I'd try it out. I needed a little help and Cam knew a bit about it." His hesitation was subtle but noticeable for a keen ears.
"What are you gonna use it for?" I ask innocently, purely curious about his intentions.
"Did you hear that?" There was nothing else in here, no noise was made, not even a floorboard creek. Why was he avoiding the question.
"We better go."
"So this is where you've been disappearing to." I assume on the way out of the messy room filled with junk and cobwebs.
"Well yeah."
"Harry was right."
"Potter? What's he got to do with anything?" His tone instantly changed. He scoffed the words out, bitter full and sour at the mention of Harry Potters name.
Their hatred for each other was born the first day of Howarts at only 11 years old, since then their feud grew into what it is today, it began as a rivalry for power within school to be the best and soon developed into pure deep rooted disgust and loathing or each other.
"Chill, before the holidays he was asking where you were disappearing to." I tried calming him however with the revelation that Potter was asking about his whereabouts, it riled the hotheaded boy more.
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him I didn't know because I didn't." I threw my hands up swearing my innocence.
"Fucking Potter." He shook his head to the floor muttering viciously as we exit the secret room and the door disappearing behind us, returning to the soggy, dim wall it once was.
He is keeping something from me, a secret and from the way he's avoiding questions and half answering queries to manoeuvre around them without lying, it's a big secret. Part of me wanted to hope for the best, believe that he would tell the truth about what he's hiding but beneath the surface I was almost certain he would never speak on the matter with me, certain he didn't yet trust me with his secrets.
Word Count - 2056