It had been two years since Draco and I had been smitten with each other.
Every now and then I'll catch myself staring at him but quickly glance away.
I can't help but wonder if he was honest about that holding his hand thing, or if he was just joking.
I mean he hasn't humiliated me directly or my friends as of recently....but his friends have.
Pansy and Crabbe and Goyle.
The three of them have always been brutal towards me without Draco's command- which makes the insult softer but still more or less painful.
We were all outside learning about animals until a group of dementors decided to swoop down and scare me half dead.
I started sprinting into the woods with fear in my eyes; only for one of them to swoop down low enough to make me throw a punch.
Now... In any other case, throwing a punch wouldn't have helped... But the scream of pain spoke volumes when the dementor morphed into a blonde slytherin.
"Draco?"
"Geez, Potter? You plan to punch your way through dementors?"
"He probably did that because he thinks he's too good for his wand."
"It doesn't matter. Everyone saw him go running off like a little girl."
My eyes fell to my lap. I just wanted to evaporate to escape the growing wave of humiliation, but another part of me wanted them to go away so that I could have a moment with Draco.
But let's be realistic. They probably won't even get told to shut up-
"OI. SHUT UP! I'M BLEEDING YOU IDIOTS."
Crabbe and Goyle fell silent and my eyes widened.
"Now, you." He pointed at me. "Tell me if my nose is broken."
"..."
I looked at Draco and his face turned scarlet. "Come on now. I'm not going to suck your soul out."
"I wouldn't know." I muttered low enough for him to catch before pressing my thumb gently on the bridge of his nose. He hissed but didn't pull away.
My index finger gently brushed his reddened skin as I eyed the small bump on his nose. "Can you breathe?"
"Yeah..."
"Then I guess it's bruised." I muttered before slowly pulling away from his face.
"Well how do you know it isn't broken?" He groaned gently touching the bruised skin.
"Your nasal passage is aligned still and it doesn't look broken." I shrugged.
"You are so smart." He exhaled low enough for only me to hear.
"MR. POTTER! MR. MALFOY!" I flinched at the harsh tone of Professor McGonagall as she marched through the bushes with Hagrid following close behind.
"Yes professor?" I replied, avoiding her menacing yet maternal glare.
"What. Are. You. Two. Doing. IN THE FOREST!?!?!"
"It wasn't my fault they-" I paused when I realized I would end up throwing Draco under the bus.
"They-?" She pressed.
"We chased Potter into the forest." Draco stated, confessing his sins.
"Uh huh...and who is We?"
I glanced around and quickly noticed the other two had fled the scene.
Those cheeky bastards.
"Me, Myself, and I evidently." Draco growled.
"Well. Suspension for you both."
"Suspension?"
"Yes. You two are to report to Dumbledore's office immediately to get assigned to your room for suspension."
McGonagall demanded, her hands placed firmly on her hips.
"Yes ma'am."
I helped Draco get up before heading off to Dumbledore's office bitterly.
Once we stood in front of the gargoyle statue I started to think of what candy Dumbledore made as the password for the month.
"Uhhhh..."
"..." Draco's brows furrowed at me.
"Something sour... Uh...hmmmm..." I clicked my tongue before making a guess. "Acid pops?"
I looked at the statue helplessly as it denied entrance.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm trying to crack the password."
"And it has to be something sour?"
"I've got a pretty good feeling about it being a sour candy."
"I don't know much about candy... but uh...Lemons are sour..." He offered, putting his hands in his pockets with faint shyness.
"Uh...Oh! Sherbet lemon!"
The statue shifted and revealed a staircase that lead to a pair of double oak doors.
As soon as I pushed open the doors, Dumbledore looked up at us curiously. "Ah. Mr. Malfoy... and Mr. Potter..." He stated with slight interest. "What brings you to my office?"
"Professor McGonagall said we are to serve a day or so of suspension once we visit you."
He blinked. "Okay. Well don't go to class. Just go somewhere, stay out of sight for three days... And I'll expect to see you two back in class in top condition."
"So like a vacation?" Draco asked a little taken aback by our punishment.
Dumbledore's eyes sparkled. "Suspension."
"Okay. We'll be off then." I shrugged. "See you in two or three days."
He smiled at us. "Farewell."
Draco looked at me as I stood up. "Come on Malfoy." I nodded my head towards the door.
He reddened and followed me out of his office.
"Where are we going?" He whispered.
I shrugged. "Where do you want to go?"
"Uh... I dunno." He scratched his head. "Perhaps somewhere safe and private since there's you-know-who out there and what not."
My eyebrows knitted together before a perfect idea came to my mind.
The Room of Requirement.
"Follow me." I whispered and grabbed his hand.
Once we got to the seventh floor, I closed my eyes after pacing past the door three times, and opened them just as a mahogany door appeared.
I walked forward and held open the door.
"W-Where does it lead?"
"To a place we can be free."
