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The Beauty of Grey: The Bitterness Inside	By : Reignserenity Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female Views: 1257 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
Chapter 7 – Forbidden

“You'll ask for walls I'll build them higher
We'll lie in shadows of them all
I'd stand but they're much too tall
And I fall”
- ‘February Stars’ – Foo Fighters

Draco and Astoria were sitting in the Library for the follow up Arithmancy assignment session the next Wednesday evening. Astoria was going through the list he had written the previous time, and underlined all information that could possibly be used to compare their numbers to. That included any important dates, important places, important people or important events. Each of these dates, places, people and events had to be calculated on the Agrippan formula as well. While she underlined, checked facts and added to his writing, he started calculating what was already done.

They were busy for about an hour when Astoria stretched. ‘I think we’ve made good progress tonight.’

‘Absolutely,’ Draco agreed, seeing that they were finished with a quarter of their list, having all the information they needed.

‘We can carry on next Wednesday, and then we still have March and April to finish,’ she said.

‘Our planning actually worked out really well,’ Draco agreed.

‘Yes, it has. Too bad my planning for almost all my other subjects didn’t go as well,’ she said, but she was smiling.

‘Are you coping alright?’ Draco asked.

‘Um, yeah, everything considered, I guess so. It’s just still a little hectic,’ she answered. ‘And you?’
‘Yeah, I’m fine,’ Draco said. He bit his lip. He decided to just ask. ‘Have you read the Quibbler?’
‘Of course I did,’ she said, taking out her Ancient Runes charts again.

‘What do you think?’ he asked.

‘About what exactly?’ she asked. ‘I think Harry was telling the truth. It must have been horrible to have been there and to have seen that happening.’

‘I was referring more to Potter’s accusations,’ Draco said through clenched teeth.

She looked at him for a long time, not directly in his eyes, but just more in his general direction. ‘You mean that he accused your father of being a Death Eater?’ she said it discreetly.

He nodded. He was thankful for her way in just saying what he was too afraid to.

She had a moment of speechlessness, where she looked around trying to find the right words to say. ‘Draco,’ she said. ‘I don’t know... What am I supposed to think? It’s not exactly a secret that your father had been accused of being a Death Eater back when You-Know-Who disappeared. Although he said he had been placed under the Imperius curse,’ she had few more moments of thought. ‘I can’t say anything,’ she tried to explain. ‘I don’t know anything about the circumstances and I wasn’t there, so I cannot really have an opinion.’

Draco contemplated her well chosen words. ‘It is a lot more complicated than it seems.’

She just nodded, showing that she thought as much.

They finished some other homework they had, and then bid each other goodnight. Draco sat in his favourite chair in the Slytherin common room, where his brain was going a mile a minute.

After a solid hour of staring into the dwindling fire, Draco ran to his dormitory and put on different shoes, and snuck out of the castle, starting to run in the direction of the forest. He took his time, and gradually worked into a rhythm that was comfortable, he breathed deeply, and loved the sound of his shoes hitting the wet grass as he ran along the edge of the forest in the opposite direction of the gates. Soon he felt his muscles aching and his chest burning for more oxygen and he felt the radiating heat coming from inside of him. He ran past the lake, where the surface was completely still reflecting the trees surrounding it and the moon and some of the clouds. Draco found himself smiling, he ran past and kept to the line of the trees where the smell of pine overwhelmed him.

He didn’t know what was going on in Astoria’s head, and he had a feeling that there was much going on, but somehow he knew that it was alright. He didn’t realise how much the idea that she might hate him weighed down on him, until it was lifted earlier this evening. Draco picked up his pace, giving longer strides. He ran down the pathway where you can look down the sheer cliff at the back of the castle continued past where he saw the Quidditch Stand’s tall turrets, past the Whomping Willow all the way around until he was past Hagrid’s hut and was back where he started. He slowed to a walk and tried to slow his breathing.

The next Monday Draco was feeling rather positive about life. He was up to date with all his homework, until he got some more - Potions essay and practicing a new spell they learned in Arithmancy (which was such a busy class that he couldn’t even really speak to Astoria). During dinner that evening Blaise and Crabbe started a game of Wizarding Chess at the Slytherin table which was extremely entertaining. Draco was trying to practice his Arithmancy spell while watching the game and eating his baked potato. During pudding there was screaming coming from the Entrance Hall. Draco and Blaise looked at each other in alarm and they all got up at once their wands out and headed out to see that noise was about. Most of the students were also crowding around trying to get a look. What Draco saw took him aback. In the middle of the circle of students stood Professor Trelawney with her wand and a sherry bottle in each hand, and beside her stood two large trunks. She seemed like she was desperately horrified or sad, Draco had difficulty telling. She was staring in horror at Umbridge, who was standing there with a garish smile on her face. So then, Trelawney was being kicked out by Umbridge. The stand-off seemed to last for quite a while. Suddenly Potter came pushing through the Slytherin crowd to also get a look. He also saw Snape arriving.

‘No. No, this cannot be happening... it cannot... I refuse to accept it,’ Trelawney practically screamed, she seemed so small and timid.

‘You didn’t realise this was coming?’ Umbridge said meanly. ‘Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow’s weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections and lack of any improvement that you would be sacked?’

‘You can’t,’ Trelawney cried. ‘You can’t sack me. I have been here sixteen years. Hogwarts is my home.’

‘It was your home,’ Umbridge said, tilting her head to the side smiling maliciously. ‘Until an hour ago when the Minister for Magic countersigned your Order of Dismissal. Now kindly remove yourself from this hall. You are embarrassing us.’

Draco was shocked that she could be so heartless, he wasn’t fond of Trelawney at all, but for goodness’ sake, she looked so downtrodden that he couldn’t believe she didn’t receive any compassion. After Trelawney sobbed for a few minutes, Professor McGonagall stepped angrily out of the crowd and made her way to Trelawney.

‘There, there, Sybill... calm down... blow your nose on this... it’s not as bad as you think, now... you are not going to have to leave Hogwarts,’ McGonagall spoke comfort.

‘Oh really, Professor McGonagall?’ Umbridge said in that way where she thought she knew more than you. ‘And your authority on that statement is?’

‘That would be mine,’ came Dumbledore’s voice impressively as the huge doors of the Entrance Hall swung open to reveal him.

‘Yours, Professor Dumbledore?’ Umbridge gave a giggle. ‘I’m afraid you do not understand the position. I have here an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister for Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-Three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation and sack any teacher she, that is to say, I, feel is not performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her.’

‘You’re quite right, of course, Professor Umbridge. As High Inquisitor you have every right to dismiss my teachers. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I’m afraid that the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is my wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts,’ Dumbledore countered.

Trelawney hiccoughed. ‘No, no, I’ll go, Dumbledore. I shall leave Hogwarts and seek my fortune elsewhere.’
‘No,’ Dumbledore said. ‘It is my wish that you remain, Sybill.’ Then he turned to McGonagall. ‘May I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs, Professor McGonagall?’

‘Of course,’ McGonagall said. ‘Up you get, Sybill.’

Professor Sprout came forwards and helped McGonagall, and then Professor Flitwick came and charmed Trelawney’s trunks to fly after them.

Umbridge looked extremely unpleasant. ‘And what are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs her lodgings?’

‘Oh that won’t be a problem,’ Dumbledore said being very friendly. ‘You see, I have already found us a new Divination teacher, and he will prefer lodgings on the ground floor.’

‘You’ve found...’ Umbridge was apoplectic. ‘You’ve found? Might I remind you, Dumbledore, that under Education Decree Number Twenty-Two-‘

‘The Ministry has the right to appoint a suitable candidate if, and only if, the Headmaster is unable to find one.’ Dumbledore, Draco noticed still not having lost his cool. ‘And I am happy to say that on this occasion I have succeeded. May I introduce you?’

And then pushing through the students came a centaur, with white-blond hair and blue eyes.

‘This is Firenze,’ Dumbledore said. ‘I think you’ll find him suitable.’

Umbridge had absolutely nothing to say in return. Draco had to admit that messing with Dumbledore was not something one must take lightly. Dumbledore thought in ways few others did and always had a way of getting exactly the result he wanted without breaking the rules.

The scene in the Entrance Hall was a much spoken about topic the rest of the evening. Draco would have loved to have seen a lesson that this centaur gave. If nothing else, it had to be interesting.

April arrived and it was very stormy. The rain pelted the windows of the castle, and there was an almost permanent darkness that never really went away. The Fifth Years were still working incredibly hard to keep up, Professor Trelawney could still be seen walking around every now and again, and the article in the Quibbler wasn’t the topic of every single conversation anymore.

Draco was concerned about the result that article would have on him, but there seemed to be none. The fact that Potter told everyone that Lucius was a Death Eater was either no news to anyone, or everyone was so obsessed about the truth of the matter that no gave a damn about the accusations. Some students were considerably more nervous, clearly those that decided to believe Potter thus believing that the Dark Lord did indeed return. It was a worrying matter to say the least. Astoria also seemed to have kept to her word about her lips being sealed. Nothing that he ever spoke to her about ever reached him from someone else, and Draco was pleased that his instinct that he could trust her was at least a little justified.

Lessons that were held outside, like Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures were difficult because most of the time the rain was just pouring down.

Which was why, on this evening, due to the weather, Draco and Astoria were sitting at a table in the warm kitchens, having some of the food that was left over from dinner. The kitchens were warmly lit with firelight, but outside the black windows were covered in little rivulets of water running down.

It was last week in April, Thursday evening (Draco had to cancel the previous night because of a very, very wet Quidditch practice), and they had just finished their Arithmancy assignment completely. After hours of getting each and every fact sorted, calculated and then related to the particular individual, they had taken a clean roll of parchment each, and started to write all their findings our neatly.

‘Here,’ Draco said, raising his glass of pumpkin juice, ‘is to an Arithmancy assignment well done!’

She giggled and raised her glass too. She was eating a large bowl of cream potatoes (over which she grated a large amount of cheese) and Draco was digging into piece of roast beef. ‘And thank Merlin,’ she said with relief.

‘I don’t know what I’m going to do with myself now on Wednesday evenings,’ Draco said belatedly.

‘Yeah, I know, I’ve gotten kind of used to this. But believe me, we will probably have loads of homework keeping us busy. Those OWLs are coming steadily closer.’

They then happily finished their food, after which Astoria leaned back in her chair, rubbed her tummy and pronounced that was stuffed.

‘So,’ she said. ‘I’m surprised that it has been so quiet around here for almost an entire month.’

‘Yeah, hardly anything newsworthy has happened since Trelawney was sacked,’ Draco nodded.

‘I thought,’ she said, leaning forwards again, speaking softer, ‘that Umbridge would have retaliated quite spectacularly after Dumbledore appointed a new Divination teacher without even telling her about it.’

Draco looked at her, speechless that she was so accurate in her guesses, yet again. ‘Well,’ Draco said, also keeping his voice down, knowing that the house elves could be ordered to squeal. ‘She has a little bit.’

Her eyes widened, and she leaned even closer. ‘What?’

‘Yes, let’s just say that to say that she was furious was putting it lightly,’ Draco said. ‘I was called into her office about two weeks ago, me and a few other students, mostly Slytherins.’

‘Really?’ What did she do with you?’ she said in a whisper.

‘Well, I’m not supposed to discuss it,’ he said coyly. ‘But, she basically told us that we were the students that she thought of as exemplary, and that she trusted us. She wanted us to join her secret little organisation called the Inquisitorial Squad.’

‘The Inquisitorial Squad? That sounds... covert,’ she said, shaking her head. ‘Go figure that she’ll break her own Educational Decrees, hey?’

‘Yeah,’ Draco said.

‘So what does that mean? Did you join?’ she asked anxiously.

‘I joined,’ Draco said.

‘Why?’ she asked, and the disbelief on her face was accented by a rolling thunder.

He looked at her. ‘I’m not allowed to make her angry.’

‘Not allowed to?’

He nodded. ‘We were told that Potter has a secret meeting of a group of more than three people, which therefore makes it an illegal meeting. We were not given much information, but our mission, as the Inquisitorial Squad is to find out where this meeting is held.’

‘No way,’ she said. ‘What could Potter be doing?’ She thought for a moment. ‘I bet I know.’

‘What?’ he asked.

‘I can’t tell someone in the Inquisitorial Squad,’ she said simply.

‘I won’t tell,’ he said.

‘How do I know?’ she asked, her eyebrows raised.

‘Because you’ve never spoken to anyone about some of the stuff I told you. Stuff that are... sensitive,’ Draco said honestly.

She had a moment of thought, where she was sizing him up. ‘I have Defence Against the Dark Arts with the Gryffindors,’ she said. ‘At the beginning of the year, he was in an almost constant fight with her.’
‘A fight about what?’ he asked.

‘Well, you know we’re not doing anything in that class, we’re just reading about it. He stood up, he and Hermione mostly, and said that was nonsense, and that we have to be prepared to fight against You-Know-Who, only he used the real name, because he was back,’ she said.

‘So you think...’ Draco deduced. ‘He started a group to practice Defence Against the Dark Arts?’
She nodded. ‘It makes sense.’

‘It definitely does.’

There was a moment of silence where Draco thought it through. Clever guess, he thought. That would be very Potter-like.

Suddenly, Astoria grabbed the edge of table tightly, her knuckles were white. A look of shock, pain, panic and embarrassment on her face. Her breathing was fast and shallow.

‘Astoria?’ Draco said. She didn’t answer. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘My scar,’ she said almost to herself. ‘I need Madam Pomfrey,’ she said looking up at him.

Draco jumped out of his chair and was by her side in an instant, grabbing her one hand and helping her up.

She seemed to be in quite an amount of pain, but seemed well composed, and she could walk. He held one hand, and had the other around her waist, and he quickly led the way out of the kitchens, heading for the Hospital Wing on the Third Floor.

She didn’t make any sounds of pain as Draco helped her up the steps, but he could see on her face that it was quite bad. They walked through the doors of the already dark Hospital Wing.

‘Madam Pomfrey! Madam Pomfrey!’ Draco screamed.

He led her towards the closest bed and let her sit down there. Madam Pomfrey came out from the back of the Hospital Wing in her night gown.

‘What’s wrong?’ she asked, bustling forward.

‘She said that her scar was hurting,’ Draco said.

‘Oh,’ Pomfrey said. ‘Okay, darling, I’m coming,’ she said as she turned back around again.

‘It’s okay, she went to fetch something for you,’ Draco said, as he tried to let her lie down.

‘No, no, on my stomach,’ she said, as she turned around.

Draco didn’t know what to do, ‘Are you alright?’ he asked.

‘It’s not like always,’ she said, looking a little panicked.

He was about to ask what she meant by that when Madam Pomfrey was back, and she was pushing Draco backwards, and drawing the curtain around Astoria’s bed. ‘Why didn’t you come sooner, sweetie?’ Pomfrey said with much concern in her voice.

‘It didn’t happen like it always does. It was very sudden,’ she said.

‘Okay, there we go,’ Pomfrey said, and again Draco heard the small gasp of pain that he had heard there in the Hospital Wing before. ‘Better?’

‘A little,’ she said. ‘It’s not completely gone, though,’ Astoria sounded like she was on the verge of tears. ‘What’s going on?’

‘Honey, don’t worry. It’s going to be fine. Here drink this one,’ Pomfrey said, also sounding concerned.
Suddenly the curtains were drawn back. ‘Stay here with her for a minute,’ Pomfrey said to Draco and she was half-running back between the rows of beds towards the double doors.

Draco sat down on the chair that was next to her bed. She was sitting up in bed, her legs crossed in front of her. She was pale, as pale as Draco had ever seen her. She seemed bewildered, unsure, mortified. ‘How are you feeling,’ Draco said with honest tenderness in his voice.

She was looking down at her lap, and didn’t seem to want to look at him. ‘I’m fine now,’ she said. After a moment she added, ‘I’m sorry, Draco.’

‘What for?’ he asked, trying to look up into her face, but she kept avoiding contact.

‘That you had to see this,’ she whispered, and he heard her voice was still on the edge of breaking.

‘Don’t be silly,’ he said, reaching out, determined to have some way of reassuring her that it was alright, that he won’t use this against her, or use it to hurt her or, or judge her for this, and he took her hand in his. She let him do it, but didn’t respond. ‘You say this was your scar? You mean the one that the Death Eater gave you during the attack on Diagon Alley?’

She nodded, and he saw her swallow heavily.

‘Why do you think it was different? Did anything change?’ he asked, trying to remember if she had mentioned anything more that evening on her couch.

‘Nothing changed,’ she said in a small voice.

‘Maybe it’s like Potter’s scar,’ he said, more to himself, more like he was thinking out loud.
‘What do you mean?’ she asked.

‘Well, I heard that his scar hurts when the Dar- You-Know-Who does something noteworthy,’ he said it carefully, trying not to upset her.

‘What?’ she asked, looking at him just as a single tear escaped from her eye when she blinked.

‘Do you have any idea who the Death Eater was that gave you this?’ he asked.

She shook her head quickly. ‘No idea,’ she said looking frightened. Draco wanted to kick himself. Scare her, why don’t you, he thought. ‘Are you saying that I’m linked to the person that gave me this?’

‘No,’ Draco said. ‘The chances are slim. But you never know, Dark Magic is something else. Don’t worry, okay,’ he corrected himself quickly when her lip started quivering and she couldn’t keep it still any longer. ‘I’m sure Madam Pomfrey can explain this.’

She nodded benignly and stared down again. When Draco saw her narrow shoulders shake slightly, it broke his heart. He stood up from the chair, and stood against the bed, his thighs leaning against the edge, and took her in his arms, she rose up on her knees, and he held her tight. She put her arms around his waist, and cried into his shoulder. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said, over and over again in a barely audible voice, occasionally adding an ‘It’s alright, shhh,’ as he gently rocked her back and forth.

Draco had a sneaking suspicion that Madam Pomfrey had left to go to Snape. Draco couldn’t think of anyone else who would know why this was happening, and why the regular potion didn’t work. Draco, guiltily, enjoyed the embrace. Draco smelled her hair, it smelled of jasmine shampoo, it was soft and tickled his nose. His arms around her shoulders, his one hand cupping the back of her head to him, the way she felt like she fitted into him gave Draco that ache in his stomach. The ache that he felt when he realised that, realistically, he could never be with her and put her in so much danger, that this fantasy was never to become a reality. He felt tears starting in his own eyes, being swept up in the moment completely, but quickly blinked them away. For now, at least, he could be here for her, and cause no more harm, but help her feel better.

Her sobs died down eventually, and he gentled his grip on her slightly. She made no move to extract herself from the embrace, but seemed comforted by it, somehow.

When Pomfrey entered, she discreetly made a coughing noise, and Astoria leaned back, and Draco let her go. She sat back down, and wiped her eyes with her hands.

‘Okay,’ Pomfrey as she came closer. ‘Drink this one, that’s for the pain, and then this one about five minutes later, it’s a sleeping potion. Professor Snape says the first one will make you feel dizzy, and jittery, so that’s what the sleeping potion is for. You’re going to have to stay the night.’

Astoria listened to Pomfrey’s instructions with widening eyes and nodded silently.

Pomfrey bustled him out of the way again, drew the curtain, and instructed Astoria to take her clothes off, and apparently helped her into the hospital gown. Draco blushed, despite himself, and turned around, facing away, just for good measure.

Pomfrey left them without a word, and Draco saw that one of the Potion bottles was already empty. Astoria was lying in the bed, her head propped up by an extra pillow.

He came tentatively closer.

‘Draco, I’m so sorry,’ she said.

‘Don’t-‘he started, but she cut him short.

‘No, really. And sorry for crying on your robes. I’m fine now, you can go to bed.’

‘I’m not in a hurry,’ he said. ‘Don’t worry about anything now, okay?’

She nodded. She took a deep breath, and blinked furiously, trying not to cry again.

Draco tactfully looked away and grabbed the potion bottle to read the label, giving her a moment to compose herself.

‘Drink the second one, dear,’ Pomfrey called from somewhere.

Draco handed her the bottle, and she uncorked it and swallowed it in one go. She settled back down against the pillows. Her eyes drifted shut, and soon her breathing evened out.

Draco watched her for a long time, watching her mouth that was gently closed and pouting ever so slightly, watching as her eyes moved slowly behind her eyelids, the way her dark hair fell across her eyes. He didn’t notice how much her hair had grown since Christmas until then, it was covering her ears, her fringe almost coming to her jaw. She sighed every now and again, breathing in slowly and deeply, and let letting it out rather quickly, so that Draco couldn’t help but notice the way her chest moved with each breath she took.
‘I’m going to bed,’ Draco was startled by Pomfrey’s whispered words. ‘Don’t stay too long,’ she said to Draco.

Draco just nodded, and lifted one corner of his mouth in smile to her. ‘Is she alright?’ he whispered quietly, almost just moving his lips.

‘Don’t worry, hon, I’m sure this will be fine,’ she said, ruffling Draco’s hair and then leaving, disappearing behind her door.

Draco turned back to Astoria. He got up, and gently snaked his hand in behind her head, and lifted it gently, and then removed the extra pillow with the other. He let her head down, trying not to wake her, and immediately she rolled her head sideways, towards Draco, and shuffled her body until she was comfortable, not waking. Draco saw her pulse in her neck, saw how her blood was pumped through the large artery just below the patch of pale skin.

As Draco looked at her, he felt his heart pumping faster and faster. He looked at her now slightly parted lips, and while he dreamt of kissing them, he thought that never again might an opportunity such as this one present itself. He couldn’t take advantage of her while she was sleeping, could he? But would she ever know? He wouldn’t do much, he just wanted to feel her lips against his, just for a moment, just to know what he would be missing out on.

He leaned forward, until he was an inch from her face, until he could feel her breath on his face, hear her breathing, see the way her black eyelashes rested on her cheeks. He took the last inch incredibly slow. At first he just brushed his lips against hers, very gently, marvelling in the tingling sensation that left on his own lips. Realising that the tentative touch might tickle her, he pressed slightly more firmly against her, and felt how her lips moulded themselves around his. He placed many tiny kisses on her lower lip, then her upper lip, trying to get the slightest taste of her. When she kissed him back, he was certain without noticing, she just met his small movements by some even smaller movements of her own. Draco closed his eyes, and for a moment imagined that she was consciously, knowingly, kissing him back. He finally pulled back, and kissed her cheek softly, before he sat back down again. She licked her lips, and snuggled her head deeper into the pillow.

Draco touched his lips lightly. The forbidden kiss, he thought.

Draco fell asleep a while later, leaning back in his chair, comforted by Astoria’s rhythmic breathing, thinking that he had to protect her from anything she might need protection from.

Draco was woken by a gentle shake from Madam Pomfrey. ‘You’re going to be late for class,’ she said. ‘Off you go.’

Draco rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and got up, disorientated. Oh yeah, he thought, Astoria. She was still sleeping, peacefully it seemed, and as Draco remembered the sweet kiss, he felt that ache again. But he got himself together and left the Hospital Wing, and ran all the way to the dungeons, where he had just enough time to shower, dress and be right on time for his first class of the day. Luckily it was Friday.

Astoria woke from a very deep sleep, slowly, blinking at the light that was coming from the wrong direction. Then she remembered the previous night, and then knew that she was in the Hospital Wing. Madam Pomfrey was busy around her bed, having placed a neat row of potion bottles on her bedside table.

She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut, and groaned.

‘You up?’ came the cheery voice of Pomfrey.

‘Mmm.’

‘Well, here you go,’ Madam Pomfrey said, already pressing the first potion bottle in her face. Astoria swallowed without arguing.

She sat up in bed. ‘Do we know what went wrong?’

‘No, sugar,’ Pomfrey said, passing her the next bottle with a sweet smile. ‘But, I’m on it. I don’t want you to worry, okay?’

‘Yeah, okay,’ Astoria agreed and swallowed the next one.

‘That Mr. Malfoy,’ Pomfrey said, clicking her tongue. ‘I wonder what’s gotten into him lately.’

‘Why?’ Astoria said, more horrified now than last night about her hysterics.

‘He stayed here all night, can you believe it?’

Astoria nearly choked on her third bottle. She couldn’t remember much after the sleeping potion.

After Madam Pomfrey released her, she made a beeline for her dormitory where she was getting all the books she needed for the next class.

As she came down the steps from the Ravenclaw Tower, Kim came running towards her, flew into her arms and squeezed her tight.

‘Merlin, ‘Storia, I thought you had gone missing, I almost went to Flitwick,’ Kim said in a frantic whisper.
‘Sorry, I wasn’t supposed to stay away this long,’ Astoria said hugging her friend back.

‘What happened?’ Kim said, not letting go.

‘I just had a monstrous headache last night and went to Pomfrey, she gave me a sleeping potion too, so I just stayed there. I’m sorry, I thought she’d wake me before class.’ Astoria did feel a little guilty about her white lie, but for some reason, she couldn’t tell Kim the truth.

‘So, yeah, we’re totally late for Transfiguration, McGonagall’s going to put us detention, I bet,’ Kim said, finally letting go and leading the way to class. They were just on time, and avoided detention.

All Astoria kept thinking of the rest of the day, was why the scar was acting weird, and how she had thoroughly embarrassed herself in front of Draco, and now felt like a complete twit.

I’ll find him tonight, she thought, and explain and apologise.

Draco was sitting in the Library that evening, doing research for his Charms homework, a foot and a half essay on the Vanishing Charm, when Astoria suddenly sat down next to him, and leaned closer. Draco, in a moment of fright, leaned back. She looked flushed, yet very pretty. When his mind had caught up, he leaned back. He thought about his stolen kiss, and for a moment thought that she knew and was coming to berate him, until she spoke.

‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, her eyes looking around the Library.

Draco just frowned at her.

‘I made a complete prat of myself last night, and I’m sorry that you had to... be there,’ she kept her voice low.

Draco just shook his head. ‘Are you okay now?’ he asked.

She peeked up at him from under her fringe. ‘I’m alright,’ she said shyly.

‘What happened?’

‘I don’t know,’ she shrugged. ‘But, that’s what I mean, I didn’t know what was going on, but I was crying like...’

‘Like I said something stupid? Like there might be a connection between the caster and castee? It was insensitive of me to say it to you then, and I had no good reason to, so, it is, in fact, me who should apologise,’ Draco finished her sentence, and set her straight.

‘I was just freaked out,’ she said, blushing.

‘I would have been too,’ Draco said.

‘You won’t... um, you’re not going to tell anyone about this, are you? I mean, no one knows, and I would just like it if...’

‘My lips are sealed,’ he quoted her words.

She smiled at him, her lips closed, her eyes friendly, one corner of her mouth slightly higher than the other. ‘Thank you,’ she said.

Umbridge was obsessed with finding out what Potter was up to and where he was getting up to it. The Inquisitorial Squad were on constant duty, the plus side was that the Inquisitorial Squad had rights and privileges that none of the other students had – like taking points from Houses in situations that he wasn’t allowed as a Prefect. They had a later curfew, got excuse letters from Umbridge for homework not done if they had duty the previous day, and they got to poke through the mail of the students, most of which was unbearably boring, but some was quite entertaining.

When they were all summoned to Umbridge’s office, after dinner, Draco was convinced it would be a meeting in which new strategies would be thought out with which to catch the ever-elusive Potter, but no, there in the office, surrounded by mewing kittens, stood a Ravenclaw Sixth Year girl, covering her face in shame.
Umbridge had a dreadful look of glee on her face. ‘This is Marietta Edgecomb, and she has some news for us,’ Umbridge said in high pitched voice and added a giggle at the end of it.

Marietta lowered her head.

‘She just informed me that Potter is having a meeting this evening, on the Seventh Floor, ah, here he is now,’ she was interrupted by a poof in her fireplace, through which several wizards appeared. First was a tall black man, Draco recognised him as Kingsley Shacklebolt, then came one of Weasels, the pompous one, Draco couldn’t remember his name. After him was another man that Draco didn’t know, and then came the Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge, adjusting his bowler hat as soon as he stood up from the ground, and then promptly dusted the soot off of himself.

‘Evening, Dolores,’ he said.

‘Oh, good evening, Cornelius,’ Umbridge beamed at him.

‘So then, tell me everything,’ Fudge said.

‘It will have to wait a few moment, I’m afraid, Cornelius. I am about to send out my Squad,’ she turned towards Draco and the rest of the Slytherins present. ‘Off you go to the Seventh Floor, and find Potter and all his accomplices. The one who brings me Potter will be rewarded. And Miss Parkinson, please go tell all the house elves that if they alert anyone about this, it will mean clothes.’

‘Yes, Professor,’ Pansy said, and they all took off, knowing what they were looking for.

Draco took his wand from his belt, and ran all the way from the Second Floor, where Umbridge’s office was, to the Seventh Floor, where he was determined to catch Potter, or at least one of his sidekicks.

But as soon as they came close, it was obvious that they have been forewarned. Draco heard footsteps and students were running, and Draco sped up, knowing that he could catch someone if he was quick. He rounded the corner onto the corridor with the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy attempting to train trolls for the ballet, and he saw none other than Potter running in the same direction as himself. Potter must have waited, gallantly, for all the other members to escape first before he took to fleeing. Going down with the ship.
Draco pointed his wand, and as fast as he could, threw a spell in his direction. Potter fell spectacularly, almost bouncing on the ground.

‘Trip Jinx, Potter,’ he explained. ‘Hey, professor. Professor! I’ve got one,’ Draco yelled. And in no time Umbridge came around the corner, hardly able to breath, but smiling widely.

‘It’s him,’ she almost sang. ‘Excellent, Draco, excellent, oh, very good. Fifty points to Slytherin. I’ll take him from here,’ she smiled at Draco. ‘Up you get, Potter.’ When Potter stood, she grabbed him by the arm, then turned to Draco again. ‘You hop along and see if you can round up any more of them, Draco. Tell the others to look in the Library, anybody out of breath, check the bathrooms, Miss Parkinson can do the girls’ ones. Off you go,’ she said. ‘And you...’ she rounded on Potter.

Draco sighed. ‘Hey, Nott, go check the bathrooms and the Library,’ he gave the order. But he didn’t feel like searching anymore. After all he did catch Potter. Draco wandered back to the common room. He waited on the couch, his feet on the table. Nott came in first, then Pansy. They were all looking dim.

‘Couldn’t get anyone else,’ Pansy pouted as she fell down next to Draco. ‘You’re the only one who caught anyone.’

‘Really?’ Draco said. ‘Oh, well, don’t worry. I got Potter, and that’s who she really wanted,’ Draco said.
Crabbe sat down too with boils all over his face. ‘Oh yeah,’ Pansy went on. ‘Vincent was hit by one of Potter’s people.’

‘You better get to the Hospital Wing, those look nasty,’ Blaise said to Crabbe.

Draco went to bed and lay awake, again, for hours, thinking about what was happening to Potter, and what was going to happen now. He wondered what Dumbledore was going to do, and whether he would get Potter out of this mess. The image of Umbridge’s triumphant smile haunted him the whole evening, so that every time he did begin to drift off that face woke him again.
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The Beauty of Grey: The Bitterness Inside