Hidden Riddle

Chapter 60: Preparing for war

Luna, Delphini, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were eating chocolate frogs and happily chatting about Hogwarts. Neville, as per usual, was proudly showing them all about a new plant that his distant Uncle had sent him. It was beautiful - but it smelt DISGUSTING like out of date cheese. It was called Fortuna Penvika, and it was shaped like a lily but a dark blue and silver. "Uncle Rodge said if it eats a lemon a day it will smell like roses and sing songs." Neville said fondly, gazing at the plant. "I think it smells nice" Luna said dreamily, looking up from her latest version of the Quibbler. She was playing with a new necklace around her neck. 

"Where did you get that necklace from, Luna?" Delphini asked noticing it's silver charms and horn in the centre. "It's the horn of a Nargle, my daddy found it the other day. He's trying to find the Crumple- horned Snor..." Luna said as they were interrupted by the bustling  of the trolley lady. They carried on talking for another three hours but Delphini couldn't help worry for Harry. Harry had stayed a little longer searching for Horcruxes and no one had heard from him for over a week.

Suddenly, the train stopped. It was around 5 o'clock in the evening was obscuring the view from outside the window. "That's weird" Ginny said abruptly standing up. "We surely can't be there" She finished. Ginny stuck her head out of her compartment, seeing loads of other people doing the same, but quickly put her head back in. "What's happening Ginny?" Delphini asked terrified as she looked around terrified. "There here!"

"Who?" Hermione demanded, now growing scared. "Death Eaters" Death Eaters halt the Hogwarts Express and board it "Hey, losers. He isn't here." Neville shouted standing defiantly. Delphini loved this Neville.  The rest of the journey went by quickly after the Death Eaters left the train. Everyone was glad to get to Hogwarts. 

...

Delphini had just hopped of the train when she came into contact with Draco Malfoy and his friends. They had recently got back together and Delphini were really happy about it. But then she got a letter from him saying he was being forced to marry Astoria Greengrass. She had ignored him for the past weeks, even though she wasn't at school. "What are you doing here?" Delphini questioned. "Can I talk talk to you alone?"

"I have questions for you." "Number one: tell me who you think you are?" "You got some nerve to tear my world apart."

"Delphi.. Let me explain"

"Number two: why would you try and play me for a fool? I should have never ever ever trusted you" she said crying. "Why weren't you who you swore you would be?"

"Delphi I can't.."

"So why are you marrying her?" Delphini said looking into his eyes which were now shimming from his tears. "I never meant for you to get the invitation."

"But you're still marrying her..?"

"What is she doing here?" Delphini heard a squeaky voice say from behind her. She quickly wiped her eyes and turned around to see Astoria. "Don't marry her" She said before she heard what she was scared to hear. "I'm sorry Delphi, I have to go"

"Goodbye, Draco" Delphini said still crying as she ran to catch up with her friends, pushing past Draco and Astoria. "What do you want Astoria?" Draco snapped. "I know you still love her." There was silence. "I'm sorry. You're a lovely girl, but we both know this isn't right."

"I get it. I see the way you look at her, you have great chemistry." Astoria said sort of smiling. "That's why you can't marry me. I knew it." Astoria looked down, she knew he never loved her even though she had been crushing on him for years. "I'm sorry." Draco whispered. "It's okay" Astoria said wiping the tears from her eyes and then walked away. Draco follows Delphini and grabbed her hand. She immediately turned around scared. "Not now Draco, I don't want to talk to you." Delphini said trying to get away from him. "Let go!" she shouted as her hair fell perfectly behind her back. "I'm not marrying her" Draco says defiantly. This made Delphini stop. "What?" she said turning around confused. "I'm not marrying Astoria."

"I don't want that future. I want to be with you" Draco says stroking her cheek. Delphini was still crying, and he wipes a single tear that escaped from the corner of her eye, away. "Meet me at the Astronomy tower at 7" Draco said before running off to see his friends. Delphini couldn't help but smile.

ASTRONOMY TOWER:

Draco sat on the edge of the Astronomy Tower with his dangling over the edge. He surveyed the vast forests and lakes that occupied the grounds. He liked coming here, it was peaceful, a place he go to be alone and think. However, this time he had agreed to meet Delphini later that evening at 7 o'clock. He knew this would be when the sky was becoming darker and stars would be coming. He knew she loved the stars. "Evening beautiful" Draco whispered as she walked closer towards him. "Evening handsome" Delphini replied, sitting next to him as he pulled her closer.  "Why did you want to see me at this time?" she questioned, looking into his glistening eyes. "I wanted to see you before the war." He said looking down. They both knew the war was going to be very soon, in a couple of days at the latest.

"Draco, I'm scared, what If I never see you again?" she said getting tears in her eyes. "Delphi, calm down and listen to me." Draco said cupping her chin. "Draco, I can't leave you, I'm going to miss you so much!"

"It's okay." Draco said now looking directly into his eyes, Delphini could see his worry and pain. "I know someday, I'm gonna be with you." she smiled placing a gentle kiss on his lips.  "I love you Draco, when I met you I was in the darkest time of my life and you were the only person that I could tell because you wouldn't judge me for it, and you brought me joy" she said looking into his eyes. "I...was.."

"I love you so much!"

"I love you so much too, Delphi"

"I'm meant to be a Gryffindor yet I spend so much time crying" Delphini laughed looking at your arm which she had just used to wipe her tears. "You're the strongest person I know, you're not weak, you've just been tortured again. Just because you're a Gryffindor doesn't mean you always have to be brave, you can show emotion, that's okay, it's normal."

"I can do so much magic that I can't control and I fell like I'm going crazy."

"Sometimes, It's good to talk about our problems to get them of our shoulders." Delphini nodded. "Well, I can speak Parcel tongue, I can fly with and without a broom, I can do magic with and without my wand and If I'm mad I can make objects around me smash and I can change the weather based on how I'm feeling."

"Plus I can turn into a Fire Dragon, when I want to and randomly." Delphini said, looking into the distance. "That's so cool.. so that's why you ran into the Forbidden Forest last year?" Draco questions staring into her soul.  "Yes" You said before looking away. "Wicked" That comment made her chuckle.

Draco lurched forward and messily flung an arm around hdr waist and took most of the force of the fall as they painfully hit the ground. Almost with his back to the floor and propping himself up uncomfortably on his elbow, Draco looked up into the fiery pools that had been stuck in his mind for the last day. The eyes widened as he searched her face, noting the pink tinge rising in her milky skin and the full lips parting slightly.

Realising he still had her clamped firmly to his chest, he jerked his arm away and they both scuttled backwards on the floor until they both hit the cold wall. After a moment of awkward silence Delphini raised her eyes to the boy in front of her.  No, not a boy. A young man aged beyond his years after bearing witness to unspeakable acts. "I'm sorry", Draco spoke quietly and kept his eyes firmly on the ground.  "What are you sorry for? That's the second time you've saved me from a concussion in two days." Delphini replied softly. "Saved you.." he scoffed looking tormented by a memory. "I should have saved you." "Draco..." she said softly. He just looked away. Delphini brushed her hand across his cheek and moved his face to look at her. "You saved me" 

"In every way" she added and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. It was coming up to around 9 o'clock and they were both still talking. Draco led Delphini back across the castle corridors, trying to not make a sound. She stopped making Draco stop and she smashed her lips against him. He cupped her face and they both stayed in the position for some time, never wanting to let go. "We better get to bed, we've got to be prepared for the war." Delphini said quietly. Draco just nodded.