Love, Such a Silly Game We Play

It’s been about a month since I have spoken a word to Draco, or any Slytherin for that matter. I know the last words I said to him had been a bit harsh, but it was the words he was looking for. Harry hasn’t been normal either, with the stress of quidditch, Dumbledore’s meetings, and trying to get something out of Slughorn about Horcruxes. We had our first apparition’s lesson awhile back, I’d say it was pretty interesting. Though Susan Bones got splinched and that wasn’t a pretty sight. The teacher was a bit too forward ‘remember the three D’s: determination, destination, deliberation’ that squeaky little voice would repeat over and over again. Today is Ron’s birthday, though I haven’t seen him all day, I was sitting in the great hall with Hermione, waiting on him and Harry to come down.

“So Hermione did you get Ron a present?” I asked her.

She gave me an appraised look, “what kind of girl do you take me for? Of course I did,” she said appalled.

“Well I just assumed,”

“Just because I am not talking to Won-Won doesn’t mean I can’t get him a gift for his birthday,” she said.

“Okay, okay didn’t ask for you to bite my head off.” Just as I said that Professor McGonagall was rushing toward us.

“You two follow me,” she said frantically. Me and Hermione exchanged a confused glance but did not argue with her. She led us to the hospital wing. We walked in to see a sad
Harry and Ginny around a hospital bed. I walked towards it and gasped, Hermione was dead silent.

“What happened? Is he okay?” I asked in desperation.

“Ron ate some chocolates that were spiked with a love potion. Though they were initially meant for me, but Ron thought someone gave them to him for his birthday. I took him to Professor Slughorn’s office and Slughorn reversed the potion. Then he offered us some mead, though he said it was giving to him, and he said he was thinking about giving the mead to Dumbledore. So Ron was the first to drink his, but something happened to him and his breathing quickened and he started foaming at the mouth. Slughorn was panicking and I took a bezoar from his case and stuffed it down Ron’s throat and his breathing eased up a bit, and Slughorn went for help. McGonagall and madam Pomfrey showed up and they brought him here. They reckon he’ll be fine, but he has to stay here for a week or so, to you know get over it.” Harry told us. I just nodded, I couldn’t really find my voice, and it’s a real good thing Harry was there. Fred and George came in a while later.

“So, all in all, not one of Ron’s better birthdays?” said Fred. It was now evening and the hospital wing was quiet, and the lamps were lit.

“This isn’t how we imagined handing over our present,” said George grimly, putting Ron’s present down.

“Yea we pictured him being conscious.” Fred said.

“Yep, there we were in Hogsmeade, waiting to surprise him--” said George.

“You were in Hogsmeade?” Ginny suddenly asked.

“We were thinking of buying Zonko’s, a Hogsmeade branch, you know, fat load of good it’ll do us you lot aren’t allowed out at weekends to but our stuff anymore… but never mind that.” Fred said. He drew up a chair besides Harry, and looked at Ron’s pale face.

“So how exactly did it happen Harry?” George asked. And Harry told him everything that he told us earlier.

“Do mum and Dad know?” Fred asked Ginny. She nodded, “They were here earlier,” she told him.

“So the poison was in the drink?” Fred asked. Harry nodded.

“Er-my-nee.” Ron suddenly croaked unexpectedly. Hermione turned a deep reddish color, and we all fell silent to see if he would say anything else. The door flew open making us all jump, and Hagrid rushed in panting, a crossbow in hand.

“Bin in the forest all day, Aragog’s worse been readin’ to him, didn’ get up ter dinner till jus’ now an’ then Professor Sprout told me about Ron. How is he?” Hagrid said panting heavily.

“Not bad, they say he’ll be okay,” I told him.

“No more than seven visitors,” Madam Pomfrey said, hurrying from her office.

“Hagrid makes seven,” Harry said.

“Someone couldn’t have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they? Firs’ Katie, now Ron…” said Hagrid anxiously.

“Well, I don’t think its Quidditch, but I think there’s a connection between the attacks,” said Hermione quietly.

“How d’you work that out?” I asked her.

“Well for one thing, they both ought to have been fatal and weren’t, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seems to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course,” she added broodingly, “that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they don’t seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim.”
Before anyone could respond Mr. and Mrs. Weasley walked in. “half of our family seem to owe you their lives, now that I think about it,” Mr. Weasley said to Harry. Madam Pomfrey had rushed in before Harry could reply and reminded them that only seven visitors where allowed. So Hagrid, Harry, Hermione and I decided to leave him with his family.

“Look I’ll meet you up at Gryffindor tower,” I told them starting to walk a bit faster. I reached the Gryffindor common room, but did not walk upstairs and just went to sit by the fireplace. Hermione statement has me thinking, the two attacks do link fairly well together. So what if the attacker was the same? What if the attacker was my Draco? I mean not my Draco, but him, yes. Harry and Hermione had walked in a while later, Hermione had said goodnight to us and went upstairs in the girls’ dormitory. But Harry remained behind.

“Something on your mind Harry,” I asked as he took a seat by me.

“Well I was just thinking about what Hagrid said, after you left.” He told me.

“And what did Hagrid say?” I asked him.

“Well he said Dumbledore was angry with Snape and it leads me to think if it was about Malfoy.” He told me, I started to open my mouth.

“Look Adriana, don’t be mad at me, it’s just it makes sense to Me.” he continued.

“Hey come with me to see Ron, I have to talk to you guys about something,” he said suddenly. I nodded and we left. As we entered the hospital wing I was surprised to see Ron wide awake.

“Lavender just came and visited me, though I had to pretend to be sleep. I didn’t want her to continuously go on and on about Won-Won.” He said as we took a seat around his bed.

“Okay listen, there is something I have to do,” Harry said. “Kreacher?” he whispered into the darkness. There was a very loud crack and I jumped up from my seat.

“Muffliato!” I said quickly so Madam Pomfrey wouldn’t here us. Two house elves appeared and were wrestling on the ground. Ron and I were watching intensely amused.

“Kreacher will not insult Harry Potter in front of Dobby, no he won’t.” Dobby said punching Kreacher in the nose.

“Kreacher will say whatever he wants about his master, oh yes. That, mudblood loving--”

“STOP!” Harry bellowed. Kreacher broke apart from Dobby.

“Master called me?” Kreacher asked.

“Yes, Kreacher I did. I’ve got a job for you.” Harry told him.

“Kreacher will do what master wants, even though Kreacher is ashamed to have such a master, oh yes…” Kreacher started.

“Dobby will do it,” Dobby said interrupting Kreacher.

“Come to think of it, both of you can do it. I want you both to watch Draco Malfoy’s every move,” said Harry. Ignoring me and Ron’s confused looks he continued. “I want to know where he is going, what he doing; I want you to follow him around.”

“Yes Harry Potter, and if Dobby does it wrong Dobby will throw his self off the up most tower.” Dobby said.

“Um, there will be no need for that Dobby,” Harry told him.

“Master wants me to spy on the pure-blood great-nephew of my mistress.” Kreacher asked him.

“Yes, so no tipping him off anyway. No showing him what you’re up to or any contact with him at all. You are forbidden, do you hear me?” Harry asked. Kreacher mumbled his agreement and apparated out, as well as Dobby. I sighed and looked at Harry, who I knew had to have lost any sanity he had left.