𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓭𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓻𝓸𝔂𝓮𝓭 𝓶𝓮.

Chapter Fourteen

(smut warning)

June 26th... four days until the end of term. Four days until I have to master legilimency and occlumency. I wish that professor Snape had mentioned to me earlier about having to master this skill so I wouldn't have to rush the process. I have no room for mistakes. I cant mess this up. I can't, so I won't. I refuse to let Voldemort take over me... take over Hogwarts... take over Draco.

Everyone knows the rumors... about the Malfoys being known death eaters and followers of Voldemort before Harry Potter almost killed him. It only makes sense that Lucius Malfoy would continue to follow him... unless he told the truth about being under the Imperius curse that is, and I, for one, don't think that anyone will be finding out the truth about that anytime soon. Either way, Draco is at risk of Voldemort forcing him to become one of his followers, and I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen.

It's only nine AM and Snape has already tried, and succeeded, to use legilimency on me. I mean, how am I supposed to focus on both keeping him out of my mind, and making up an excuse as to why professor Snape just had to take me to his classroom alone, right after one of the students at Hogwarts just died and to top it all off, Harry Potter had just announced that Voldemort was back. How much worse can it get?

I shoot the professor a look before going back to eating my toast. "So you're telling me that professor Snape, of all people, took you to his class to check on your mental well-being?" Leila asks in a surprised voice. "Yes, do you not believe me?" I ask, worried that everyone around me knows I'm lying through my teeth. "No, I believe you, It's just- I'm surprised is all," she responds, fully believing my horribly told lie.

I think back to last night- Snape telling me that I'm able to convince anyone of my lies and now thanking Merlin that I can. Feeling eyes on me, I look over to the staff table and see professor Snape looking directly at me. Confused as to why he is looking at me, I turn around, facing my group of friends once more.

'Could you make up a more ridiculous lie?' I hear a voice say. I look around almost frantically, not knowing where the voice is coming from until I see Snape still looking at me, this time with his eyebrows slightly raised. 'Don't let me make you think you can pry your way into my mind, you're only hearing his because I want you too,' he says, making sure I don't get too confident. I only roll my eyes.

"Have you gotten your exam results back?" Draco asks no one in particular. We all shake our head no, confused as to why we haven't gotten them, but not asking anything further about the topic. "I have to go. I have potions in a bit," I tell the group, getting up and leaving, Draco following soon after.

"Ivy, can I ask you a question?" Draco asks me almost nervously. "Yeah, sure," I reply with a slight chuckle. "So, I was wondering if you would maybe want to spend the summer at the manor with me?" he asks me. "You're so cute when you get nervous," I tell him, smirking at his now changed expression. "I am not nervous," he tells me, obviously lying. "I would be happy to spend the summer with you," I say, standing on my toes to kiss his cheek. A smile pulls at his lips as we walk through the corridor.

It's true, I am happy to go, but there is still a hole inside me full of worry that I can't seem to shake. I don't really have any other choice then to go anyway. It's either that, or stay at the manor by myself all summer. Leila is going on a trip to France and I don't want to have to ask the Weasleys to stay with them, especially with the way Draco has treated them.

As we walk into potions, Draco and I take our self-assigned seats in the back, like always. "Today I want you to write three parchments on how to make Polyjuice potion and what it's use is," Snape announces, making the entire class groan in annoyance. "But the end of term is in four days!" I hear Ron Weasley complain quite loudly to his friends. "Yes, the term does end in four days, however, that does not mean you will be able to do whatever you please in my class until then," Professor Snape says sternly, not looking at Ron as he does so. "You have the rest of term to complete this assignment."