Casualty of Love: Turning Tables

Prematurely Gray

Throughout the next few months, the stares that we were getting decreased more and more as people began to discuss the upcoming summer holidays. I was probably the least excited for the holiday in the entire school. I felt safe at Hogwarts; I didn't feel safe at home. Especially since Draco told me that things were getting worse at home -- he didn't want to go either.

The only good news we had gotten those last few months was that Draco decided to let Elijah help him with the Vanishing Cabinet again. Of course, that could be considered bad news... Either way, it was almost finished and I was getting sicker and sicker by the day. I felt an agonizing weight on my chest -- like a boulder of guilt was resting upon me.

Draco also began teaching me occlumency in preparation for the summer holidays. Just the fact that he felt I might need it made me even more sick to my stomach with worry. At the same time, I was relieved that he had learned the skill enough to teach me, even if his awful aunt is the one that taught him.

At breakfast that fateful morning, Elijah and I were sitting by ourselves, and Draco was nowhere to be seen. "Where do you suppose he is?" I asked Elijah. His love confession had been easily ignored and forgotten; we had returned to the state we were in before the sectumsempra accident.

"No idea. But, I have some news."

"Go on," I pressed, leaning towards him in anticipation.

"Don't look so excited. It's not particularly good news," he admitted.

"Well?" I said exasperatedly.

"It's tonight," he said simply, leaning back and crossing his arms against his chest.

I sat in a confused state for a few moments. "What's tonight?"

Elijah sighed. "Honestly, Allie? You can't think of anything that I could be talking about?" He leaned in closer, his eyes darkening slightly. "The cabinet will be finished tonight."

"Oh," I said abruptly, my stomach churning more intensely. "So soon?" I asked eventually.

"It's almost the end of the year, Allie. This isn't soon -- this is last minute."

It was so much to take in. Tonight, death eaters would come into the school... Tonight, lives could be lost. Tonight, my friends could be in danger. Tonight, my life could change forever.

I was so lost in my own misery that when Draco laid his hand on my shoulder, I jumped in my seat. Elijah laughed, but Draco only looked at me with a dark expression. He had to be relieved that his job was nearly over, but he still looked terribly upset.

He kissed me on the top of my head before sitting down. "Here," he said, handing me something under the table. I looked down only to be confused further when I realized it was a bottle of something, though the exterior was so opaque that I couldn't see what was inside.

"What is it?"

"It's polyjuice potion," he breathed in my ear. I looked at him quizzically. "I know you, Allie. I know you're reckless when it comes to your friends, and I know how reckless your friends are. I'm not going to be able to keep you from anything, and I know you won't stay away. I just don't want you to be found out. I wish I could tie you to your bed so that you coudn't put yourself in harm's way but people might get suspicious. If you do something stupid, please at least take that potion so no one knows it's you," he said, his eyes silently pleading.

I gulped. His words were like another fifty pound boulder being set on my chest. It was becoming hard to breathe. "Everything will change tonight, won't it?"

Draco nodded his head solemnly, looking straight ahead and not eating anything. It was easy to not notice changes in a person when you see them every day, but looking closely, I noticed that Draco's skinny frame had become even slighter, and his face looked hollowed out. The light that was shining in from the window in front of us casted a shadow beneath his cheekbone, making him look even more sallow and sunken in, and the circles under his eyes looked incredibly dark. He looked sick.