Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 38: How do you choose between your friends and your duty

"Harry what's wrong?" Amelia cried out as she watched him being dragged into Umbridge's office. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Keep your head out of it, Merlin." a soft voice whispered behind her. Amelia whipped around to see Draco standing with his hands in the pockets of his robes.

"What is going on Draco?" she stepped towards him, her wand was clenched in her hand, knuckles white against the red wood. "Tell me what is happening to him."

"He's in trouble. It's Potter, he's always in trouble." Draco shrugged, his blonde hair was getting too long for him and it hung over his ears now.

"Umbridge isn't just going to get him into trouble. She could really hurt him-"

"Yeah well she isn't in much of a pleasant mood after what your boyfriend did to the fucking castle is she?" He sneered at her. Amelia couldn't help it, she smiled in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Fred had made quite the exit from Hogwarts, with the swamp and the fireworks, that boy never disappointed her in the slightest.

"It is not Fred's fault that she is a crazy bitch. She managed that all on her own."

"You shouldn't speak about her like that." he warned.

"What are you going to do? Report me?" Amelia chuckled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I would love to see you do that."

"Don't push me, Merlin." his eyes narrowed.

"Is Harry going to be alright?"

"Probably not. He's saying the Death Eaters have his Godfather holed up in the Ministry of Magic."

"What?" her heart nearly stopped. "Where did you hear that?"

"I didn't hear anything. It's true."

"Draco-"

"Listen, Amelia," he stepped closer to her. "There's a war coming and you don't want to be on the wrong side of things when it gets here. Let me help you." she could feel his breath on her face, she could almost hear his heart beating and she watched his pupils dilate slightly.

She looked him up and down once before saying, "I'd go to hell before I joined Lord Voldemort. Stay away from me Malfoy."

With that she turned on her heel and left. She strode down the corridor in sheer fury. She had to figure something out. She had to help her friends, she walked quickly until she saw Oliver. Amelia raised her hand and called out to him. His dark head turned around and she could see that he knew what had happened.

"Oliver-" she started.

He shook his head. "I know, it fucking sucks. Harry's been freaking out and Umbridge is in her office with him right now."

"What do we do?" She cringed at the thought of him in there with her.

"We can figure out a way to get all of us to the Ministry of Magic so we can go save Sirius. Actually, to be honest I don't know the man at all. But I do know that if we're there, especially if you're there, they might stand a chance. So we have to find a way." Oliver's normally lively eyes were turned to stone in their sockets.

"I think I might have an idea for that." she took his hand and they ran through the corridors. The crowds parted for Amelia and Oliver although nobody saw them. She willed the bodies to move without turning their heads. Conversations continued, heads stayed buried in books and nobody saw the two young people careening around corners. Finally they reached the Forbidden Forest.

"I know where you're taking me." he said after a minute of them walking through the trees that were as thick as Hagrid. Amelia loved the forest desperately, she and Fred had been taking walks through here before he left school and now the memories of the two of them tainted this place with a soft love.

"Do you?"

"We're going to those things - I can't remember what they're called - the horse things."

"Thestrels?"

"That's it!" he smiled slightly at her. "The creepy ones."

"They are sorta creepy aren't they?"

"Yeah I would say so." Oliver chuckled at her underneath that mass of dark curls.

"Can we please cut your hair? It's getting so messy again."

"We're about to go on a top secret mission to rescue a fugitive from the grips of Lord Voldemort himself and you're thinking about my hair?" he laughed and the sound made her smile.

"Alright, whatever. I won't cut it then." she teased slightly.

Amelia's world turned to darkness. She couldn't see or feel anything, there was nothing around her except a black void. Suddenly she heard Jeremy's voice inside of her mind. Amelia was strangely reminded of other times her mind had been infiltrated.

Amelia, I haven't got long. Everything is going to shit over here. Our scouts reported sights of the Lizard army approaching us. We haven't got enough people here, Amelia, we need you. We need our Queen. I think our alliance with the Monatheon's and the Gorodetsky's is falling to pieces as well. There's been some really fucked up things happening and we need you. Come back to Kalishterya. Please come back. We need you now, as soon as you find a way, come as fast as you can-

"Amelia!" Oliver leaned over her, his eyes stonier than ever. "Amelia, darling, what the fuck?"

"Shit. What happened?"

"You just fell over. I dunno-"

"I think Jeremy was talking to me-"

"Jeremy isn't here, darling."

"Yeah I know that. But I think he's in trouble. I think Kalishterya is in trouble. He told me I have to go back as soon as possible." Oliver's arm was wrapped around her as she spoke. She could feel his warmth press around her, the familiar comfort of her friend put her at ease.

"Okay, just go after we-"

Amelia shook her head. "I don't think there's time. I have to choose."

"What are you going to do?"

"I have no idea. How do I pick between my friends and my duty to my kingdom? What do I do?"