Another Year at Hogwarts

“Neville…” I sang out as slowly walked down the hallway of the seventh floor. “Come out, come out wherever you are.”

As I neared the end of the corridor, I slowed down ever more. I then braced myself as I reached into my pocket and wrapped my hands around the handle of my want.

“Come on out, Neville,” I sweetly said. “It’s better you come out now then when the Carrows show up.”

“STUPEFY!”

I quickly brought my wand up and reflected Neville’s blow into the wall. I then flicked my wrist and sent a spell back at him. He, however, ducked back behind the wall where he was hiding.

“Just surrender yourself now,” I suggested while ceasing my attack on him. “You’re not going to defeat me.”

“I’d rather die than surrender!” he shouted back.

“We both know that killing you would be too easy a task,” I mocked.

“Petrificus Totalus!”

I quickly pressed myself against the wall as Neville’s binding spell came right passed me.

“Expelliarmus!” I cast in response. The spell nearly hit Neville’s wand, but thankfully, he withdrew it right in time. “You’re loyalty to the DA and Potter is admirable,” I commented. “However, the actions that you have taken this past school year have been reckless, Longbottom. Do you know how many students were tortured because of you and your silly belief that you could defy the Dark Lord?” I taunted.

“SHUT UP!” Neville shouted, but still he remained behind the corner. “You and those Carrow siblings—you all are the monsters!”

“The Carrows may have been the ones torturing the students, but you contributed to their harm as well,” I informed. “I had warned you in the beginning Neville. You’re the one who didn’t listen. You went on and placed that foolish belief in other students’ minds that if you all rallied together, you could overthrow the Dark Lord. You placed them in situations that would harm them. You contributed to their pain and torment. You did.”

“That’s not true!” Neville bellowed as he stepped out from around the corner—his want pointing towards me to attack. But I was already prepared.

The moment he had stepped out, I shot a spark at the wall he was hiding behind. This forced him to jump out and away from the wall.

One.

“Come on, Longbottom,” I grinned as I continuously shot sparks at him. “Is that all you can do? Run?”

“I’ll show you—AH!” he shouted as I blasted the opposite wall, before he could duck behind it. He stumbled backwards and starting running in the other direction again.

Two.

I forced a laugh as I sent a blast right passed Neville’s head and into the hall behind him.

“Come on, Neville! I’m hardly trying here. I thought you were going to give me a challenge!” I taunted.

“Oh, yeah?” Neville called out as he suddenly spun around and dashed back in the direction he was just coming from.

A smirk couldn’t help but form onto my face as he did this.

Three.

Suddenly, a loud rumbling was heard. From the wall Neville had been running by, a door began to emerge from within the bricks. I was lost in awe, and didn’t notice Neville stepping out form his hiding place.

“Everte statum!”

I was suddenly flung into the air before crashing down onto the stone floor. I groaned in pain as I landed on my back. For a split second after I landed, I lost my vision—everything was engulfed in darkness. But I was quickly able to see again, and turned my attention down the hall to where Neville was. Everything, however, was blurry. By the time my vision cleared, Neville was gone and so was the door.

“Victoria?” I heard someone shout.
Draco was suddenly beside me and helping me up.

“What happened?” he asked as I snatched my wand and got off the floor.

“Longbottom,” I growled as I stumbled away from Draco in the direction of the empty wall. “Where did he go? He’s going to pay—”

“He’s probably gone into the Room of Requirement by now,” Draco informed.

“The what?” I asked as I turned back to face Draco.

“The Room of Requirement,” Draco repeated. “I can give you the details later, but it wouldn’t matter. We won’t be able to get in there.”

“Like hell we won’t,” I said as I turned back and headed towards the wall. I sighed heavily ran my hand through my hair to brush aside the strands of hair that was in my face. Just as I did so, I froze.

I hesitantly removed my hand from my head and placed it before me. I could then hear Draco’s faint voice calling out to me and asking me something, but I couldn’t understand what he was saying. My eyes were fixed on the red tips of my fingers.

My head suddenly felt light, and the ground beneath my feet felt unbalanced. My knees weakened and before I knew it, I was falling backwards.

“Victoria?” Draco gasped as he rushed up and caught me.

“I—I’m okay,” I stuttered.

“You’re bleeding!” Draco quickly exclaimed. “Come on. I’ll take you to the Hospital Wing,” Draco suggested as he began to lift me into his arms.

“What are you doing?” I bellowed as I immediately began to struggle to free myself from him.

“You shouldn’t be walking!”

“I don’t need your help!” I said as I pushed Draco away from me.

Draco scoffed and looked at me with a puzzled expression. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing. I can take care of myself; that’s all,” I informed as I walked passed him.

“No, it’s not ‘nothing’!” Draco exclaimed as he took hold of my arm. “You’re acting…strange. I would think that after everything you and I—”

“Look Draco,” I said knowing exactly what he was referring to, “I understand that you care for me, and whatnot, but I can’t do this.”

“It’s all right that Longbottom got away,” Draco said. “We’ll get him.”

“That’s not the point!” I shouted as I slipped my hand away. “I—I can’t have you touching me, fretting over me and—and—ugh,” I sighed heavily. “I don’t think…things will work between us, Draco.”

Draco’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Where is this suddenly coming from Victoria?”

“I…I have a job to do, Draco,” I said. “Disappearing with Potter and his friends and being by myself reminded me that I have greater responsibilities.”

A sad smirk fell onto Draco’s as he commented. “Hn…why does this speech sound so familiar?”

My hands nervously clutched into fists as Draco said this, but I did my best to keep my composure. “I—I’ve been by myself for as long as I can remember, Draco,” I lied. “I can’t start relying on others now—let alone give my heart away to someone who—who’s so different from me.”

“Different?” Draco repeated.

“Yes!” I agreed. “You have family and a home. I—I don’t even know where I was born. Not to mention the differences in our classes. You’re a pureblood while I’m a—”

“Muggle-born?” Draco finished.

“Exactly. We’re—we’re so different Draco. We’re too different. It wouldn’t work out…” I said trailing off.

Suddenly, to my surprise, a small smile came upon Draco’s face. He looked down at the ground as he said, “I had a feeling you were going to say this to me eventually.” His beautiful blue eyes looked up at me before he jokingly asked, “Was my kiss really that bad?”

I cocked an eyebrow as the tenseness in the air disappeared. “You’re taking this fairly well...too well,” I said avoiding the question.

“Like I said…I anticipated this. Wasn’t expecting it this soon, but still,” Draco shrugged. He then looked at me and said, “Well…now that we have a mutual understanding let’s get you to the Hospital Wing.”

“Why are you taking this so well?” I asked as Draco strolled towards me.

“That hit to the head really must have messed with your hearing,” Draco joked as he stood only inches away from me.

“You’re honestly creeping me out a little bit,” I replied.

Draco sighed heavily, but there was still a smile on his face. “Maybe it’s because I’m…”

Suddenly everything began to blur as the words escaped Draco’s mouth. My knees suddenly collapsed and I tumbled forward. As I fell, there he was—Draco. There he was to catch me.