Pure-Blood? I'm B Positive

The weeks that followed after that day were filled with whispering and rumours, which is no surprise really. Students I'd never even spoke to before were asking me questions, questions I had no answers to. As always they never really got the whole truth of it. The most common rumour going around seemed to be that I was caught breaking several rules in Myrtles Bathroom by Neville and Draco; the rules themselves change from person to person. I was just glad Keeran and the Basilisk had managed to stay out of the tale. Professor McGonagall had managed to persuade Moaning Myrtle not to tell a soul of what really happened in her bathroom.
I had been spending most of my time studying alone and watching Keeran, although he didn't really do much. He was quiet and detached, still ashamed and unsure of the choices he had made. Whenever he thought I wasn't looking I could see his face change, he looked so scared. I just was never sure if he was scared of Rafi, or of the Order.

One evening in the common room I was watching Keeran, he sat alone scribbling away quickly on a piece of parchment. He looked very skittish, looking around the room, concealing what he wrote. The more I looked at him, the more suspicious it became.
I walked over slowly to Rafi, careful not to let him spot me - I didn't want him to make a get-away to his dorm.
"Hi there." I spoke sharply, looking over his shoulder at what he was writing. The text was scruffy and he had smudged several lines. As soon as he heard me however he jumped moved his head over the parchment, blocking my view. I did however see one word.
"Give me that piece of parchment. Now." I tried my hardest to contain my anger, standing over him stopping him from leaving. After a moment of silent he handed me the piece of paper, looking down at the table as he did so. It took me a few moment to understand the messy, smudged words but soon enough I had read all that I needed to read.
"What is this? You're writing to Rafi?" My anger soon turned to disappointment. Keeran looked up at me, hearing the upset in my voice. I could tell my face was red, I could feel the heat of the blood rushing to the surface.
"Araina.." He tried, his throat dry, stopping him from speaking. I took a step back, for the first time ever I truly didn't know who he was.
"Whose side are you on?" I felt sick with betrayal. What was he thinking, planning a meeting with Rafi? Was he going to sell us out? I took a few more steps back before turning around and running towards to the common room door, the letter still in hand. In the background I could hear Keeran shouting for me to wait. I didn't.

In my mind I still wasn't sure where I should go first, to Neville, Draco or McGonagall. As my mind was working like a machine I found myself running down the corridor out towards to greenhouses. I burst through the first two which were empty, finally in the third I found Neville mindlessly sweeping up some soil from the desks. He seemed shocked by my urgency.
"Read this. I just took it from Keeran. I think he was planning on betraying us." I passed the letter to him, just before Keeran came running through the door, panting.
"It's not what is looks like." He said through heavy breaths.
"Why what does it look like?" I said sarcastically, crossing my arms. We then stood silent as Neville read the letter.
"I never expected anything less from you. I warned you. One strike and we're done." Neville ripped up the letter and put into a large pot of compost.
"Before you do anything, please just read this. Rafi sent word to me. I-I didn't know what to do." Keerans trembling hand pulled out an opened letter from his robe pocket. Neville hesitantly took the letter and read it, before passing it to me - which I appreciated. The letter was much neater than Keerans, each word uniform and straight. I read the words fast but it took a little while for them to sink in.

Keeran,
It's been some time since we last spoke. Since the Basilisk is now almost fully grown, I believe it is time to move onto the next step in my plan. Once the basilisk has been released and has killed all of the mudbloods in that school and sent it's intended message I want you to kill Araina. She has served her purpose. Failure to do so will result in me killing her in front of you, and then killing you. Send word back once you have received this, and then send word again when the deed is done.

Rafi.

"So he wants to kill me?" I asked, I raised my eyebrows towards Keeran. He nodded in response.
"Yes. I didn't know what to do. I didn't have time to think. I panicked. I didn't want him to get suspicious." Keeran was erratic and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.
"But I thought he wanted Araina? Wanted her name, to gain followers, to gain fear?" Neville was surprisingly calm as he spoke.
"He did, but now the basilisk has been done he doesn't think he needs her anymore. He's scared that she'll over-power him and become a threat. That the followers will view her as the true leader if she joins him. He doesn't want the competition." Keeran spoke freely, slowly calming down.
"Why didn't you tell us? Why didn't you give the letter to one of us?" I spoke sharply.
"You don't know what he's like. I didn't want him to hurt you. I was trying to save you, to keep you all out of this." He pleaded with me.
"That was not your decision to make." I spoke through gritted teeth, angry at him for what was happening.
"Keeran, go get Draco. I have a plan and he needs to hear this." I spoke flatly, not looking at him as I spoke. He did as I said without word or question.

"Look, Araina. I am never going to let him or anybody else hurt you. We're going to get him. You don't need to be scared." Neville spoke softly, trying to comfort me.
"Oddly, that's not why I'm scared. I'm scared that if I'm dead, I can't stop him. I'm scared that regardless or whether not I live or die, Rafi is going to win." I looked up at Neville, his eyes were so warm and comforting, so was his smell. I lent my head against his chest and he began playing with my hair. I took a deep breath in, getting a mixture of his cologne, soil and fresh air. This is how he always smelt, this is what I will remember. My little fantasy was blown away like dust in the wind when I heard the footsteps getting louder. I lifted my head up off of Nevilles chest quickly and took a few steps back before Draco and Keeran entered.
"What is going on then?" Draco spoke, directing his question towards Neville. I answered.
"Rafi wrote a letter to Keeran, Keeran didn't tell anybody and was in the process of writing him back but I caught him and brought him here with the letters. Apparently all this in the name to protect me." I spat the last words before passing both of the letters to Draco to read.
"There is only so many times you can make the same mistake, boy." Draco looked towards Keeran, his eyes cold and judgmental.
"I have a plan, that will help us catch Rafi, we can use this. Fortunately." I looked at Draco, who nodded in response.
"We need to send a letter to Rafi, asking him to meet me and Keeran in Hogsmeade. Soon. Keeran you'll tell him that you're bringing me there to be killed in front of him so he knows the job is done, and it has been done well. Then propose that both of you go back to the castle together to broadcast what has happened and release the basilisk." I spoke calmly and slowly, waiting for the response.
"No!" Neville and Keeran both shouted in sync.
"No No No. You have no idea what he is like. He will kill you if you meet him, he won't give you the chance to explain to him or capture him. He will kill you within seconds and be on to Hogwarts soon after. Besides, he knows only you can release the Basilisk. He will see the flaws and know something is up."
"Tell him you've been copying my parsel tongue and going to see the Basilisk alone, that you can control it." I argued back. "Rafi is arrogant and self-absorbed, you can tell that much from his letter. He thinks he's too smart to be tricked by two children. He would refuse to see any threat, because he believes he has all of the power."
"No. It's too dangerous. You would get hurt or killed. Even if we managed to capture him in Hogsmeade, there will be fighting. Battles always have collateral damage. I'm not going to let you be collateral damage." Neville walked towards me as he spoke, gripping my arm tightly despite himself. He then realised, and let go so suddenly, as if I was a flame.
"Neville. This is the only way we're going to be able to get him out in the open. We know the locations and a few names from Keeran. The Order have been investigating them, but he's too smart to stay there as soon as he sees a known face. They've moved on. And the people they've captured haven't given anything up, they're rotting in Azkaban waiting for Rafi to take over so they can be free again. We need to do this, now." Everybody was quiet. I looked from Neville to Keeran. Keerans face was etched with worry, Nevilles filled with pain and anguish.
"This is about more than just me. Or any of you. If we fail... I can't even imagine what it is going to be like. You three will remember what happened when Voldemort was at his worst. We can't let it get to that stage. Not when everybody is trying to re-build their lives after all that happened." I waiting for their response, hoping this hard truth will allow them to outweigh the dangers.
"She's right. This is the only option we have right now. We'll send word to the order. They can take Polyjuice potion, pretend to be pupils and remain close, for protection. At the right moment, as they see fit - they'll take Rafi." Draco spoke, looking at Neville for approval. Nevilles face looked hurt, like Draco has betrayed him. His jaw was strong, I could see the muscles in his face move as he pressed down hard on his bottom teeth.
"I'm sorry mate, but I can't do this." He shook his head and spoke quietly to Draco. He then gave me a short gaze before leaving.
"Neville!" I called after him, but he just continued walking, giving no hint that he had heard me at all. Somberly, I walked back into the greenhouse.
"He's gone." I said, my head low. Draco nodded in understanding.
"I think we've got it. I will send word to the order and they will decide the details. They're the ones in charge." Draco then looked at Keeran. "You. Write a letter to Rafi. I want to see it before you send it. It needs to sound natural, like how you usually write to him. Don't give anything away." Draco turned around and saw a few pieces of spare parchment and a ink pot with quill on Nevilles desk. He leaned over and grabbed them. Keeran sat down and began to write the letter, as Draco looked over him occasionally commenting. He told him to start over twice, but finally he was satisfied. He let the letter dry whilst he wrote his own to go to the Order. He took both letters in hand and made his way to the Owlrey.
"Come on, let's go." I spoke softly, I felt deflated and a bit empty. With Neville gone, it was the first time I felt truly terrified.