The following months progress quite painfully slow. The six of us have come to the conclusion that we can't do anything else until the remaining Horcruxes are found. To make matters worse — the sword that we'd obtained was a false one, just like I'd suspected.
Ginny, Neville, and Luna were given two month's worth of detention. They refused to throw any of us under the bus, so my friends and I got off scot free. I felt terribly guilty for the first few weeks until Luna finally convinced me it was for the better.
Draco and I have made absolutely no progress in our relationship. Ever since that night where he figured out who I truly am, he hasn't spoken to me. But to be fair, he hasn't spoken to anyone. I'm worried for him. He looks worse and worse everyday. Whenever I try to initiate conversation with him, he won't even say a word before turning the other way.
Hogwarts had given us a week off for Easter. Nearly everyone went home because of ongoing events, including Francesca, Grayson, and I. We agreed with Ginny, Neville, and Luna that we would meet again once Hogwarts re-opened.
"I'm dreading drinking another potion of this guy's hair," Grayson groans, finally having a week of being his own self.
"At least Theodore Nott was attractive," Francesca snaps. "I was nowhere of the sort."
"You think I'm attractive?" Grayson teases, wiggling his eyebrows dramatically. Francesca laughs but rolls her eyes at the same time.
Crashing into the window of the small muggle apartment we'd rented, Willow enters dramatically. She holds two letters in her falons before dropping them all onto my palm.
I haven't received a letter in months.
I tear open the first one.
Amelia,
We're in trouble. They've taken Luna.
G
"Oh my god, we have to find her," Francesca whispers nervously, hovering over my shoulder.
"You have another one . . . open it," Grayson coaxes, holding my shoulder gently. He can tell how nervous and afraid I am just by my pale face and shaking hands. I open the other one.
Amelia,
I know you're alive. Your boyfriend is terrible at Occulemency. Come to Malfoy Manor.
From, a dear friend
My eyesight worsens as it becomes blurry with tears and I struggle to read the rest of the letter. I shakily hand it to Grayson who skims it quickly before wrapping me in a large, friendly hug. Francesca joins in seconds later once she sees.
"What do we do now?" She asks shakily.
"We go to Malfoy Manor."
******
The next day, the three of us gather our belongings and prepare to Apparate. I've put a protection charm on all of us but I know that Voldemort would be unable to do anything to me — that doesn't mean any of his Death Eaters won't though.
"I'm nervous . . .," Grayson confesses.
"Then you can stay here whilst me and Amelia fight for good versus evil," Francesca snaps. "This is not the time to feel nervous, Grayson!"
"We don't have time to argue," I intervene. "Are we all ready to Apparate?"
Grayson gulps. "Ready as I'll ever be."
I grab the two of their hands and close my eyes, thinking quite hard about the familiar place.
Destination, Determination, Deliberation.
We crash into Malfoy Manor, right in Draco's bedroom. Grayson and Francesca exchange worried looks but I don't hesitate to run into Draco's arms, causing an unexpected mmph out of him since I hug him so tightly.
"What are you doing here?" He asks urgently, not rejecting my embrace whatsoever. In fact, he does the opposite and responds with stroking my hair.
"I had to. . .," I respond guilty. "He read your thoughts. He knows I'm alive, Draco."
Draco pales. "It's my fault, isn't it?"
"No!" I assure him. "This would've happened eventually. It's better that we're here now."
"I hate to be the one to say this, but we should probably save the chit chat for later and go downstairs to see what's going on. We can make up an excuse for you Draco, if —"
"They say they've got Potter!" Narcissa shouts from downstairs. "Draco, come here!"
"My invisibility cloak," Draco whispers, taking a heap of invisible fabric from a table and throwing it over my head. "I think it will only fit you, Amelia. Is that all right with the two of you? At least for now?"
"We can wait," Grayson says in agreement.
"Then it's settled. Follow me, Amelia," Draco commands. Under the cloak, I follow him obediently until we reach the parlor downstairs.
A Death Easter, Greyback, places a boy I recognize as Harry underneath the chandelier. I cover my mouth with my hand as I try not to gasp at the sight.
"Well, boy?" Greyback rasps.
Harry didn't look like Harry at all. His face is huge, shiny, and pink. His black hair flows down to his shoulders and there is a dark shadow around his jaw. It's obvious he was placed under a physically altering jinx.
"Is it?" Lucius drawls. "Is it Harry Potter?"
"I can't — I can't be sure," Draco says nervously, avoiding looking in Harry's or my direction.
"But look at him carefully! Come closer!" Lucius says, sounding like an excited schoolboy. "Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiv —"
"Now we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" Greyback asks menacingly, raising a clever eyebrow at the man.
"Of course not!" Lucius cries impatiently, taking a step closer to Harry. "There's something there, on his forehead. It could be the scar stretched tight . . . Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?"
"I don't know," Draco says with reluctance and fear. He looks as if he's seen a ghost.
"We had better be certain, Lucius," Narcissa says logically. "Before we summon the Dark Lord. His wand does not resemble Ollivander's description . . . If we are mistaken and we call the Dark Lord for the nothing . . . remember what he did to Rowle and Dolohov?"
"What about the Mudblood then?" Greyback asks fiercely, altering the light so that it is now focused on Hermione Granger, looking exactly like herself.
"Draco, is that the Granger girl?"
"I — Maybe, yeah . . ." Draco stammers.
"What's happened, Cissy?" Bellatrix asks, walking slowly amongst the three teenagers imprisoned. Once she reaches Hermione, she stops and stares directly into her eyes.
"Potter and his friends, caught at last!" Lucius cries in enthusiasm and joy.
"Take these prisoners down to the cellar, Greyback . . . except the Mudblood," Bellatrix says menacingly, reaching in her pockets for her wand.
"No, you can have me! Keep me!" Ron shouts.
Greyback and a few other Death Eaters forcibly take Harry and Ron downstairs to the cellar. Draco is ordered to dispose of some fallen Death Eaters outside, much to Narcissa's displeasure. Bellatrix takes Hermione to a separate room, her eyes filled with mischief.
I feel torn as to where to go. Sighing, I know where I should presumably go.
I go down to the cellar.
—-
100 chapters wtf
Also I'm so scared for America rn :0