Serpents.

nineteen

"is that possible? there's no way that's possible...right?" Draco paced the room

i stood, dumbfounded...he's right, there's no way this can happen.

"okay maybe we're just scaring ourselves. i mean in our memories we were in third or fourth year right?" he looked to me for reassurance

"that's correct" i spoke, trying to comfort him.

"unless...someone was trying to warn us. River said Harry spoke to her about them trying to erase our memories. they could've tampered with our minds, making us think it's our memories" he stopped pacing at once

"calm down, this is what they want. they want us to go insane. i'm not sure why they are doing this but we have to stay calm and not panic...got it?"

he nodded, i could still sense he was in panic mode.

"let's look around, yeah?" he suggested, trying to dissolve the tension.

"Are you suggesting we split up?" I flipped through a few notebooks on the coffee stand.

"It might help"

"Fine...we'll meet here later" i sighed

It was an antique place...I could tell by the wallpaper and furniture. Very elegant if I do say so..very spacious as well.

We parted ways...There wasn't much, there was a few beds...but it was mostly vacant rooms . It wasn't too big so it was easier to find my way around. I made it to a fairly large door, it was lined in agar wood...scarcely found anywhere. This place must have cost a fortune. Why did they bring us here?

I shook the knob and the door didn't budge.

There had to be a key somewhere...

***

"Find anything?" Draco sat on the couch

"Nope. You?" I sighed

"Not really. Just a paper clip, a quill, and this key" he held them in the palm of his hand

"A key?" I picked it from his palm

I stood up and walked down the hall

"Where are you going?" I heard him follow behind

"To check something"

I stood in from of the large door as Draco caught up and looked.

"You think the key is for this room?" he scoffed

"It has to be.." I slowly slid in the key

I held my breath as the key with in without trouble. When I twisted the key and the lock shifted...my heart began to race. I grabbed the knob and the door opened.

"It worked" i said in shock

We looked at each other to see who would walk in first, i motioned for him to go.

"It's dark...I can't see a thing" i gripped the back of his shirt

"Let me find the lights"  i heard him sliding his hand down the wall

"Here" he spoke

The dim lights lit up the room.

"Woah" my grip softened as i walked ahead of him.

"A library" he spoke

"Do you like to read?" i asked

i knew he did, i've caught him multiple times in the library reading alone and found some books in his dorm with sticky notes written in them.

"I've read a few books here and there" he shrugged

"I love it, I've read just about every book at hogwarts" i scoffed

"I wonder why it was locked?" i asked

"Your guess is as good as mine."

"Let's look around for a few minutes"

A few minutes turned to a few hours...and before I knew it, the small window that the sun beamed through...was now moonlight.

"here you are" he walked over and sat down on the couch facing the fireplace, next to the shelf i was look through.

"find anything?" i asked

"not much, but i did find this" he held up a bottle of wine and smirked

"did you?" he asked

"i wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do." i quoted

"To Kill a Mocking Bird..nice choice" he let out a small chuckle.

"a childhood favorite of mine" i laughed.

"come read it to me, Darling" he stretched out on the large chair as the fireplace glistened on his pale skin.

i picked up the hickory-leathered book with fragile, coffee stained pages; and aimlessly turned the page, sitting down next to him.

....

"Okay come on" i shoved him

"Why'd you stop reading?" he yawned

"I've read to you for hours...we should go
To bed" i laughed, finishing off my glass of wine

"i like to hear you read." he stared at me

"you do?" i teased

"i remember in first year, you use to read out loud in your dorm late at night, for hours it seemed like. i use to sit outside and listen especially on nights i couldn't sleep. there was just something about how you pronounced the words and disguised your voice when the characters switched...i loved it" he smiled softly.

"you never told me that" a smile grew on my face as well

"i never told anyone"

his hand cupped my cheek as his thumb softly glided over my skin.

"Draco....Look at us...the world is crumbling  around us-"

he suddenly pulled away and his face went blank.

"what's wrong?" i stepped towards him.

"get back...please stay back" his voice trembled

"what?"

he backed towards the door and his eyes went glossy

"draco calm down...tell me what happened, what did you see?" i walked closer

he opened the door and ran out.