❛ the antidote ❜ | draco malfoy

SEVENTEEN

"Ideas move, ideas pull. Can ideas be controlled? Fear has grown, fear so old. Fear is pulsing in my skull."

***

    WAITING FOR DRACO to enter the Room of Requirement, Alice looked at the piles of clutter littering the room.

    Alice knew how to fix the vanishing cabinet, she had completed her task, and now that she had she wished that she hadn't.

    It was Wednesday, 28th of June, and Alice knew that in three days the Death Eaters would be invading the school. That was if she owled her mother of the news anyhow.

    It was lunch, but Alice hadn't the stomach to eat and decided to go to the Room of Requirement, telling Draco to meet her there shortly after she had left.

    Taking a bite of his apple, Draco entered the Room of Requirement, contorting around the mounds of clutter over to where Alice was sitting in front of the vanishing cabinet.

    "I thought we were going to wait until-"

    Alice cut him off, "I fixed it. I finished fixing it."

    Silence passed between the two. The kind of silence where nobody knew what to say, so they just said nothing.

    "Well, that's good?" Draco questioned, "I mean, one task is finished so there's only half a chance of one of us dying, right?"

    Alice wanted to laugh and she knew he was trying to make light of the situation, but she just couldn't. In a few days time, they would have to kill the Headmaster. A man that Alice had no hatred towards, she only hated him because she knew that if neither her nor Draco killed him, her family and herself would be dead.

    "I guess we have to send the owl tomorrow morning then," Draco cleared his throat, taking Alice's hand in his own, he helped her off of the stool.

    "I guess we have to." She muttered following him out of the Room of Requirement.

-

    The next morning Draco woke up earlier than usual, tapping his foot impatiently as he sat on settee in front of the fireplace in the Slytherin common room.

    He was waiting for Alice who had told him to wait for her the next morning, so they could go to the owlery, and send the notice to their mothers to tell the Dark Lord.

    Hearing soft footsteps come down the stairs from the girls dormitory, Draco smiled seeing a tired Alice. He knew she was just as nervous and scared as he was, and that made him feel better knowing he wasn't alone.

    Alice held up the letter in her hand, showing up the parchment that would change everything.

    "Ready?" He nodded, taking her hand in his own as they made the short journey to the owlery.

    Walking outside the school, Alice admired the sight. She had always loved Hogwarts location, it made her feel isolated from the rest of the world in a good way. Not like being at the home where she felt isolated and had nobody, at Hogwarts she was surrounded by her friends, giving her comfort.

    As they hiked up the stairs in the owlery, Draco quickly fetched his owl, telling her to bring the letter to Narcissa Malfoy and Gemma Rowle at Malfoy Manor.

    They hope the letter would arrive with enough time for them to get a response back from their mothers, after all, they would be going home on the upcoming, Saturday.

    Walking back into Hogwarts, Draco and Alice passed by the golden trio. Draco glared at Harry as Hermione had called Alice over.

    Standing with his arms crossed, Draco patiently waited for Alice and Hermione to end their discussion about N.E.W.T. examinations.

    Alice sighed, holding Draco's arm as she continued to talk to Hermione.

    "I honestly don't know," She explained to the girl after asking about what career she was going to follow after graduation.

    "The questions about the Ministry came easy to me, so that's always a possibility, but I really want to do something independent."

    Hermione nodded in agreement, as Draco began to admire Alice.

    He had no clue what he wanted to do, and here was Alice already coming up with her own ideas of independence.

    Bidding Hermione goodbye, Draco and Alice continued walking back into the Great Hall to spare a few minutes of breakfast.

     They knew the bell would be ringing shortly before they would have to go to their last class of the school year.

     Although, tomorrow was Friday, the teachers gave the students the day off as to prepare for their train ride Saturday or Sunday morning, depending.

    "Shit," Draco muttered, "I forgot my essay for Slughorn in the dormitories, can you cover for me if I come in late?"

     Alice didn't think Slughorn would care, it was the last day of classes after all, but told him she would nonetheless.

    As Draco ran out of the Great Hall, Alice quickly ate some toast, saying 'hello' to some of the first years, heading towards the Potions classroom.

    The bell had rang and Alice had taken her usual seat beside Cara, who was unsurprisingly, sleeping.

    "Alright, bring up your final essays, c'mon," Professor Slughorn ushered the students to bring their essays up.

    Alice stood handing him her essay, thanking her, she began to search for Draco.

    Running into the class behind some taller students, Draco discreetly walked up to Professor Slughorn, handing him the essay.

    Draco smirked at Alice, walking over to her.
  
    "Right on time," He winked, standing behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

     "It has been an eventful year, indeed," Professor Slughorn began going on a long reminiscing rant.

     Alice had zoned out as Draco was rubbing his thumb over her stomach, something that comforted her and made her nerves calm down.

-

    At breakfast the next morning, a intricate letter had been placed where Alice sat. She hesitated to open it until Draco took it out her hands, ripping the envelope.

    All that read on the parchment was: "Be ready, Friday night, at the Astronomy tower."

    Draco and Alice looked at one another, sorrow held on both of their faces.