Lumos

12| Vanishing Cabinet

"Who's there?" Malfoy repeated, his silver eyes narrowed. "Potter, is that you again? Hasn't Mummy ever taught you it's rude to spy?"

I urged myself to stay silent. How long had I been holding my breath? I'd fallen to the floor, knocking a book off the table. Dust flew up, and I pressed both hands over my face to keep myself from coughing.

"Oh, that's right. She's dead," Malfoy said, taking a lunge. Again, his fingers passed through the air. He stood very still, gritting his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides. I pinched my nose to keep from making another sound. I lay flat on the floor, a book on one end of the cloak. If I moved, he would see me. And he was too close for me to make an escape.

Draco Malfoy walked right towards me, his eyes scanning his surroundings. "Where are you, Potter?" And then I realized something exceedingly crucial. If the thought it was Harry, and Draco was truly part of something horrible, he would be focused on solely Harry and probably try to hurt him. Harry could be in danger, and that wasn't my goal. At the same time, I needed answers. What better to get answers than to appear out of under an invisibility cloak and ask directly?

The front of Malfoy's shoe was inches from my waist. Slowly, he bent down, picking up the book. And then, his fingers brushed the cloak.

The look of triumph on his face was indescribable. He ripped the cloak away, only to find me lying underneath. The look slipped away as fast as it came. "What the hell are you doing here?" He threw the cloak away. I staggered to my feet, taking a few steps back.

"I know what you're doing," I bluffed. Good then, Steele. Right out with it.

"You don't know what you're talking about." His jaw was set, his eyes cold.

"I do," I pushed. "I know you come here every day. You've been fixing that box," I pointed. "You put things in there."

"So what? You shouldn't be following me," Draco said angrily. He grabbed my arm, his grip tight enough to leave marks. I winced. "This is dangerous, Steele. Get out of here. You saw nothing. And if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I'll-"

"Call Voldemort?" It was the biggest bluff, one that made my skin crawl. I grimaced. At the mention of You-Know-Who's name, Draco blanched.

"Don't say his name," he said in a low voice. "Do not ever say his name."

"I will say his name," I retorted, pulling my arm out of his grasp. He seemed to be losing his mind. He let go of me, walking in circles, running his hands through his hair.

"What do I do now?" he groaned. "I've ruined everything."

"What have you ruined?" I asked, snatching up the cloak. I neared the triangular cabinet, running a hand over the front. "What is this?"

In a flash, Draco had his wand pointed at me. "I'll just erase your memory," he said, his eyes wild. "Filch will find you. He'll hand you over to the headmaster and they'll send you home. I'll never have to see you again."

"Malfoy, what the hell are you talking about? Lower your wand!" I slowly backed away, raising my hands. The cloak dropped to the floor. "Don't do that."

"I just have to . . . you know too much . . ." His wand was still raised. He was frantic.

I had to fix this. Oh, God . . . What do I do . . . The back of my knees bumped into a desk. "Draco, calm down. We can talk about this," I soothed. "I . . . I want to help you." I bit into my lip, hard enough to draw blood. STEELE. SHUT UP. YOU CAN'T GO THIS FAR.

Malfoy looked confused. "What?"

"Lower your wand," I instructed. "I want to help you do . . ." I gestured to the cabinet, "this."