Treacherous | J. POTTER

20 | departure

Del stared at the ceiling, playing with James's hand in hers. He placed a kiss on her head as he pulled her closer to him, "Tomorrow."

She nodded, "Tomorrow."

"Are you nervous?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "I mean, a little?" She let out a sigh as she shifted slightly so she could get a better look at him, "But you'll be with me. I'll be okay."

He nodded, placing another kiss on her head, "It's funny that you say that considering a week ago you wouldn't even talk to me."

"Hey," she said in reply, "You weren't talking to me either."

"But that was only because you weren't talking to me."

"This isn't going to go anywhere," she informed him and he nodded in agreement.

They both remained silent until James spoke up,
"You don't have to do it."

"James-"

"Just, hear me out, okay?" he requested as he sat up slightly, forcing her to sit up as well. She reluctantly turned to face him. "Snape is going to be there. They don't need two of you."

"It's more complicated than that."

"It doesn't have to be."

"I already have them Mark, James," she reminded him. "If I back out of this, everyone who's name was on that list is dead." Even though one already was.

"What about you?"

"You do realize I'd be the first one they'd kill, right?"

He groaned, leaning back on the arm of the couch in defeat, "I hate this."

She frowned, "I do, too." She placed a quick kiss on his lips, "I'll be fine, okay? I'm gonna figure out their dirty secrets and I'm gonna report them to Dumbledore and we're gonna win. This will all be over soon enough."

He nodded slightly, leaning forward and kissing her again. A silence lingered in the air, neither one of them wanted to break it as she leaned back so that he was holding her again. Neither of them wanted to say that there was a chance they wouldn't make it out alive.

The following morning was complete chaos. Del watched in amusement as the girls in her dorm ran around, checking to make sure they weren't forgetting anything. They were all teary and emotional. And just as they had for the past seven years, they ignored Del sans a few phrases like 'get out of my way' or 'move it, cripple.' Somehow, even though she wasn't on crutches or in the wheelchair, she was still considered a 'cripple.'

"Del!" Cynthia shouted and Del jumped, immediately pulled from her thoughts. "I got the internship!"

Del raised an eyebrow at this and Angela came to a stop next to Cynthia. "Like I was saying," Angela began, slightly out of breath, "You never told her."

"Oh," Cynthia said before turning to look at Del. "Well, I applied for an internship at Mungo's to trail a healer and I got it!"

"That's amazing," Del grinned as she stood up and pulled the girl into a hug. She had almost forgotten that some people had planned a future that didn't involve the war.

"And there's something I wanted to tell you," Angela announced as she turned to face Del. Del looked up and the girl continued, "I'm moving to America."

Del was surprised by this, "You are?"

"I need to get as far away from here, the people here - my family - as I can get," she explained. "And I was talking to Dumbledore and he said they could use an Ambassador over there so I volunteered."