~Unknown Markings~

~Inner Conflict~

Draco POV: 

"Isn't it convenient Draco?" Professor Umbridge asked her voice trailing off into a question. There was a malicious twist to her words that made my stomach churn. 

"What Professor?" I questioned with all the Malfoy poise that I could and I indulged Professor Umbridge's satisfaction.  My father groomed me to do this whenever I was in the company of someone of great importance. He would certainly consider Umbridge in that category. 

"It just so happens that today is Wednesday." Professor Umbridge giggled and the noise was an insult to my ears. No sane Professor would giggle let alone laugh like that. "I think we are going to catch us some wrong-doers today!" She cackled and I felt a sense of dread wash over me. 

Cold sweat broke out along my hairline the roots of my hair getting damp from the moisture. My hands became clammy and I placed them behind my back so I could wipe them covertly. The Adam's apple in my throat bobbed up and down. I realized that Umbridge was expecting me to say something, so I said anything I knew she wanted to hear. "It will be wonderful to finally punish those club members." 

It sounded stupid but I couldn't think of anything else to say, and especially on the spot when my heart was not in it at all. That was hard. 

"Indeed." Umbridge mused, there was an air of contentedness in her voice. Such ease in what she was saying. It was no struggle for her to say things like this because she meant it. "Gather the rest of the Inquisitorial squad. We have a club to catch." 

Wordless the door flung open and I hurried out the door using my long legs to a fast walk. I was torn. It was hard to know what to do. 

Harry was going to get caught regardless of what I do now. So the question was do I protect myself and get them caught now? Or do I risk myself and let this game of cat and mouse continue. 

This internal crisis was tearing me apart. In one way it didn't matter what I did now because I was running away. Then on the other hand it mattered because anything can happen in two weeks, and Salazar knows things can take a dramatic turn for the worse. 

To help me solve this problem I went to the two people I knew I could trust. "Pansy, Blaise!" I cried as I rounded the corner to spot them both in the exact spot I had predicted they would be. 

"Draco! Merlin, what happened? You look awful!" Pansy exclaimed running towards me with a genuine concern written on her face. Blaise followed quickly in her suit and soon enough they were both beside me as I started to break down. I still hadn't told them about me leaving so that made telling them considerably harder. 

"Harry has been found out and now that rat of a teacher wants me to round up the squad to go and find them but then I will be betraying Harry and I don't want to do that but I feel like I have no choice but to betray him," I said in a turmoil of emotion which fueled me through my run-on sentence. 

"Merlin Draco take a breath. Steady yourself." Blaise coaxed, and Pansy rubbed circles on my back to try to calm me down. My breaths were haggard and raspy as I was desperate for air. 

"What should I do?" I asked not looking up at them my eyes concentrated on the floor, picking up every detail of the stitching on the carpet. 

"You need to warn Harry," Pansy stated as if it was the most logical thing in the world, totally making my inner war irrelevant. "If you really love him, you need to tell him." 

"Gah! Who said anything about loving Harry? Pshh." I tried to play it off but my friends weren't having any of it. 

"Do you think we are completely daft?" Blaise questioned his voice completely done with me. 

"Only like 90 percent of the time," I responded which earned my a wack on the head from both my friends. "Kidding!" I squealed. "...but not really..." I added in a faint whisper almost as an afterthought but made sure my friends didn't hear. 

"Well, what are you waiting for idiot go find your boyfriend!" Blaise proclaimed and then gave me a shove towards the door. "We will go out so it looks like you informed us." 

I nodded and then I was on the quest to warn Harry.