Another Year at Hogwarts

Draco knows something, I thought to myself as I sat in the patient bed in the Hospital Wing. He would have reacted differently. He wouldn’t have just sat there with a smile on his face and accept what happened—especially when he was just wondering why we were breaking up. But what? I asked. What does he know?

“Victoria.”

I gasped as I snapped out of my thoughts and found Draco standing over my bed. “Draco! What—what are you doing here?” I asked.

“Just came to see how you’re doing, but it looks like I interrupted something,” Draco smirked before sitting down on the bed. He then asked, “You’ve been sleeping for most of the day. Has your headache gotten any better?”

“I’ve been fine for the past two days now,” I quickly said while quickly running my hands through my hair. “You and Snape are the ones who have kept me in here,” I commented before crossing my arms over my chest.

Draco smirked. “If you had really wanted to leave, you could have fought your way out of here.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “It wouldn’t have been fun since you would have been prepared…right? You know me so well, after all.”

“Yes, I do. And because I know you so well, I know you’ll appreciate this,” he grinned as he stood up. “You’re free to go.”

“Ah, thank goodness,” I sighed before quickly tossing the blankets off myself. I then stopped suddenly and turned back to Draco. “Um…Draco, can I ask you something?”

“Of course. What is it?”

“About the other day—“

“It’s fine,” Draco cut in. “I understand that you were angry Longbottom got away.”

“It’s not just—“

“The breakup was bound to happen,” Draco finished. “We enjoyed each others company, but…” Draco stopped and stared deeply into my eyes. “You and I knew that there’s something…standing between us.”

“But you—you seemed so…so—“

“At ease with everything?” Draco grinned. “I’ve had my share of breakups. After everything with Violet,” Draco said, “I don’t think my heart can break any more than it already has.”

“Well, maybe you deserved it,” I scowled.

“I did,” Draco smirked sadly. “I deserved every hardship. I had betrayed her trust and…” Draco smirked, “I was an ass. If she was here right now, I would tell her how sorry I am. I’d beg her for forgiveness—“

“And if she won’t forgive you?”

“Then I’ll wait for as long as I must,” Draco answered. “I’ll wait until she’s willing to come back to me.”

My hands formed into fists and I clutched the sheets tightly. “You—you really can’t get over her, can you?”

“Never,” Draco replied firmly.

I fought my tears as I nodded. “I—I see. Well…she must have been quite the girl.”

“She is.”

“Well,” I sighed, “I’m going to go change now. Can’t wait to get out of here, after all,” I said with a forced smile.

Just my feet touched the cold stone floor, the door burst open and Snape came storming in.

“Oh, no. I know that look,” I said as I quickly jumped to my feet and hurried around the bed. “What is it? What happened now?”

“You are required at home immediately Draco,” Snape said as he stopped before Draco and me. “The Dark Lord has called a meeting.”

“What’s happening?” Draco asked.

“You’ll know once you return home. Now, go,” said Snape.

“Shouldn’t we be going as well?” I questioned. “I’m assuming that it’s a Death Eaters meeting.”

“No,” Snape quickly replied. “You’re going to stay here for the time being. You and I need to prepare.”

“What? Prepare? What do—” Draco began.

“Did I not say that you are required home immediately?” Snape snapped.

Draco’s jaw immediately clenched together. He looked at Snape and then to me. He then said to Snape, “There’s something going on, isn’t there?”

Snape remained silent, which was his way of saying yes—there was something big going down.

“Just go Draco,” I encouraged. “Snape and I can handle anything that happens here.”

“Yeah, I know,” Draco grinned before turning his heels and heading out of the Hospital Wing.

Once the door closed, I turned back to Snape and demanded that he tell me what was really going on. “Why do we have to prepare? What’s happening?”

“Potter happened,” Snape replied. “The three broke into Bellatrix’s vault and took something from there. Whatever they took neither Bellatrix nor the Dark Lord is too happy about it. You and I have orders to secure Hogwarts in case Potter decides to make an appearance.”

“Of course,” I said. “But why didn’t he just call everyone using the Mark?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be easier that way?”

“He doesn’t want to make it look like he’s in a panic,” Snape replied. “There are already followers who doubt his ability to defeat Potter. Calling them now through the usage of the Dark Mark would only show how much of a threat Potter is to him.”

“I—I see,” I nodded. “So, what do you need me to do?”

“I don’t want you to do anything,” Snape answered.

I scrunched my eyebrows together and stared up at Snape in confusion. “We—we can’t not do anything. It would look too suspicious.”

“Things are getting too out of hand,” Snape quickly said while taking a step closer to me. “You know as well as I do that something big is going to happen. I don’t want you anywhere near here.” He then took my hand and said, “I want you to go home.”

As he slipped his hand away, I looked down in my hands and found a familiar vile. My eyes widened as I looked up at Snape in disbelief. “Y—you can’t be serious!”

“I am,” he said. “You’ve been put in enough danger this past year. This is where I’m drawing the line. Things are getting too dangerous—“

“Nothing about this year has been safe, Snape, yet I’m still here!” I reminded. I then shoved the vile back into his hand and stepped back. “I’m not leaving—especially when you need me more than ever.

“Now,” I sighed, “I’m going to go change and then head down to Hogsmeade and check on the alarms. It’s better we know the moment Harry arrives than find out he was here after he’s already dead.”

“You don’t have to do this,” Snape said as I turned to go change.

“Yes, I do,” I replied. “The final battle of the Second Wizardry War is going to take place tonight, and we’ve fought so hard to make sure this ends in our favor—in Dumbledore and Harry’s favor.” I exhaled deeply and blinked away my tears as I said, “All of our sacrifices are not going to go to waste.”