dear draco,

fifteen

Crabbe drags me towards Umbridge's office, sniggering at my feeble attempts to fight him off. When we enter, my heart sinks even more as I take in the scene before me. Harry is standing wandless before Umbridge, looking frantic. Ron and Hermione have also been caught, and are helplessly trying to escape. And Draco, in the corner of the office, is leaning against the wall, restraining an angry Neville and calmly surveying the scene. His smug expression falls as his eyes lock onto mine.

Once Draco sees Crabbe holding onto me, he shoots him a look so dirty that it might have been amusing, were this not so serious. He says at once, "Crabbe, switch with me." He shoves Neville towards Crabbe, who practically grabs him by the neck.

"Don't choke him," I say indignantly to Crabbe, as Neville's face starts to turn purple.

Draco leans against the wall and takes my hands behind my back, playing with my fingers instead of restraining me. I look around at my friends, who are actively struggling against their captors, and feel the wild urge to laugh at the stupidity and unfairness of it all. While Millicent Bullstrode holds a tight grip around Hermione's front, Draco's fingers are entwined loosely with mine.

"What are you doing?" he mumbles in my ear. I don't reply. "Don't be stupid, Belly."

I stare at Umbridge, who is interrogating Harry. She looks rosy and dishevelled from her efforts. My stomach knots with hatred. Draco tries again. "I can get you out of here, Belly." I shake my head. Ginny shoots a suspicious look in our direction, and I shift to hide the fact that he isn't restraining me. Draco traces my palm with his finger and leans imperceptibly closer to my ear. "We can leave right now, if you just co-operate."

At that, I whip around and glare at him. "I'm not leaving," I hiss. He shrugs disgruntledly.

I have never seen Umbridge this flustered. "What could you have been doing," she leers, "that is so serious you can't reveal it to me?" Harry doesn't reply, and she jabs him in the chest with her wand. "Who were you talking to in the fire? Tell me!"

"That's none of your business," snarls Harry.

Umbridge peers at him, a hungry expression on her face. Fear jolts through me. "Well, with no veritaserum," she breathes, and Harry leans away from her. "There is no other way... Yes... I suppose a simple Cruciatus curse would help loosen your tongue-"

"But that's illegal," I burst out, drowning out several other cries of protest. Draco nudges me indignantly.

Umbridge barely notices that other people have spoken. "I am sure Cornelius will understand that I had no other choice," she says breathlessly, pointing her wand at Harry.

"You're joking!" I say, so loudly that Draco groans and drops his forehead into my back.

"A matter of Ministry security," Umbridge goes on, ignoring me. She is panting now, and her words come out fragmented. "I do not want to, but there appears to be no other choice. Cruc-"

"NO!" shrieks Hermione, her voice so cracked and desperate that Umbridge steps back in shock. "No, Harry, you have to tell her!"

Movement seizes in the entire room as everyone turns around to stare at Hermione. The others cry out; stuck between fear of telling Umbridge the truth and gratefulness that she didn't get to Crucio Harry. Ron, Ginny, Neville and even Luna have wheeled around, staring at Hermione like they've never seen her before.

But I know. Before I ever kissed Draco, Hermione and I were best friends. I know her, and I know her loyalty to Harry. If anyone will come up with a brilliant plan mid-chaotic scene, it's her.

"Yes," Umbridge murmurs, coaxing Hermione forward. "What is it, girl? Tell me."

Hermione takes a deep breath. "We were trying to contact Dumbledore."

I fling a hand over my mouth to stop myself from grinning at Hermione's brilliance. Umbridge, who doesn't see through the lie, grabs onto this sentence. "You know where he is?"

"No," says Hermione, and Harry stares at her. "We were trying to find him – to give him his – his secret weapon."

"Secret weapon?" breathes Umbridge, and I have to stop myself from sniggering at the lie and Umbridge's reaction to it. "Take me to it. Show me." Hermione glances at Harry and nods tentatively. "You two," says Umbridge, indicating at them with her wand, "can go ahead and show me the way." She turns abruptly to the door. "Lead on."

The silence that follows the three's departure is unsettling.

Ginny looks at me wide-eyed, and suddenly I realise – Harry and Hermione have gone to escape on their own, so it's up to us to get ourselves free. I can pull away from Draco easily, but what next? I glance around to see if anyone has their wand, but everyone's has been confiscated – Crabbe still has mine.

Just then, I notice Neville's hand sneaking towards his pocket. Crabbe, who has been standing oblivious, watching the door, jolts as Neville accidently elbows him in the stomach. "What's that?"

"Nothing," says Neville. Crabbe tightens his grip on him and Neville's eyes bulge. "Oh all right, they're sweets. I was hungry."

All the members of the Inquisitorial Squad except Draco start to chuckle. "Give them here," says Goyle.

I blink as Neville pulls a handful of sweets from his pockets. I recognize them immediately – Fred and George's puking pastilles. This is the perfect escape; if anyone eats these, they won't be able to restrain us any longer.

All the captors reach in and take a sweet – again, except Draco. I turn around and realise that he is watching me. He knows something is wrong. He narrows his eyes at me, waiting, - but I can't tell him not to take a sweet, because that would foil Neville's plan. But then again, if everyone else had already had one...

I look Draco in the eyes and with the tiniest, most imperceptible movement, shake my head. And all at once, Draco shouts out, the captors burst out with horrid coughs and release Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville, all who spring free and sprint towards the door. I give Draco a glance somewhere between apologetic and annoyed, and run after them.

"That was great, Neville!" Ron says as I catch up with them. Ginny laughs triumphantly. "Brilliant idea!"

Neville grins embarrassedly. "I used to carry puking pastilles around to get Crabbe and Goyle away from me. Clearly they haven't caught on yet."

"Where will they be?" I ask. "Harry and Hermione, where will we find them?"

"The forest, I think," says Ron. The din of loud voices and clatter of plates sounds from the Great Hall as we pass it, but I barely notice. "If I'm right, they'll have taken her to Grawp."

"That sounds right," says Ginny. Then she stops and turns to me. "Isobel, I don't think you should come."

"Wh-"

"I saw you with Malfoy," she says. Her voice is soft but her eyes seem hurt. "You shook your head, you told him the sweets were dangerous."

"Gin, you don't understand," I say angrily. "I specifically waited until everyone else had a pastille, I was hardly going to let him take one too-"

She shakes her head and turns away. "I'm sorry. But we clearly can't trust you."

I turn to Neville desperately. "Neville, tell her I wouldn't!"

He gives me a sad smile. Ron and Luna stare at the ground. "Sorry Iz," says Neville. "I'm not even sure Harry will let all of us come along. Maybe it's best if you just stay here."

Ginny has already started to walk away. With sheepish smiles, the rest turn slowly and follow her. I let out a yell of frustration and turn away, stomping up the stairs back to the common room. This is what being with Draco has done to me. One of my best friends could die tonight, and I won't even be able to try and help it.