sixty one: officium

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officium: duty, service, obligation

officium: duty, service, obligation

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DRACO was in the middle of talking when Elara burst into the meeting room, nearly panting, her eyes wide.

Potter, Kingsley, Hermione and Draco were seated around the table, discussing the Horcrux. They knew where it was now—somewhere near the dungeons in Malfoy Manor—but they still had to figure out how to get to it. Since Voldemort hadn't told Draco anything, it was a grueling process to find out the wards and protections around the Horcrux. Even though he'd been working twice as hard the past two weeks, he still had close to no clue.

He'd been in the middle of talking about how they'd have to find a way to get to the Horcrux from the inside—without using brute force—when the door slammed open and Elara burst in.

Her hair was wild around her face, her cheeks pink as if she'd run here. She'd been out somewhere in the forest, picking herbs when Draco had arrived at the safehouse—but she must've heard he'd arrived early today and come running.

On instinct, his heart leaped in his chest and his ankle slid off where it had been resting on his opposite knee as he leaned forward to place his mug on the table.

All eyes fixed on her and for a second, she looked stunned—and then embarrassed. "Oh, I'm so—I didn't realise you were—I'm so sorry for disturbing."

Draco was already pushing back his chair, even as that voice in his head nagged at how adorable she looked when she was embarrassed and flustered. "Is everything—"

"Yeah." She was already retreating, flushed. "Yeah, everything's fine. I'm sorry."

And then she was gone, shutting the door quietly behind her, and Draco blinked, halting where he'd been about to stand, hands on the armrests of his chair.

"Well," said Hermione, sending Draco a glance.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "Well. As you were saying, access from the inside is imperative. Any ideas?"

"If Malfoy can't do it, my best bet is to blow a hole into the side of the Manor," Potter answered, frowning. "Malfoy, do you think—"

But Draco only stood and murmured, his voice far off, "Excuse me."

Rounding the table, he pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway, closing it behind him.

He reached Elara just as she was making her way down the steps of the porch and caught her elbow, pulling her back. "Hey."

She turned, her breath catching and the smile that bloomed on her face mirrored the warm sensation in his chest. "Draco."

"Is everything okay?" he asked, tilting his head as a breeze whipped past. It was past dark and the moon was high in the sky, clear and round. "You looked—"

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