Muddy Green Waters || Draco Malfoy

32 - Friendly Advice

Rosie

I left Draco working on the cabinet, promising to drop in on him later. Walking down to breakfast, I prayed that our absences hadn't been reported. It was a Saturday so luckily we had no classes to attend.

I was still feeling giddy from last nights declarations. He loves me. The butterflies were in full flight and I felt like skipping all the way down to the Great Hall.

"Are you OK, Rosie?"

Harry brought me out of my daydream, drawing me to a halt outside the Great Hall. I blinked, wondering why he looked so concerned.

"You just look a little... tired." Harry's eyes roamed slowly up and down my body.

It suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't freshened up since spending the night with Draco. I looked down at my crumpled clothes in horror. My hand automatically went to my hair and I tried quickly to smarten it up while Harry looked on in bemusement.

"Oh I- I just fell asleep whilst studying. Need food before I do anything else." I started towards the door but Harry stopped me, grabbing my arm.

"Rosie, I need to talk to you about something important." He looked extremely grave.

"What is it, Harry?" I asked, curiosity making me forget my hunger.

"Not here." He led me to a small alcove, away from the Great Hall doors. He turned to face me, his expression fierce.

"Is there something going on between you and Malfoy?"

Shocked, I slowly opened and closed my mouth, doing an impression of a goldfish.

"No- no." I said, finding my voice. "Why would you think that?" My heart thudded in my chest.

"Because I overheard Snape asking him about you." Snape? "And that's not all- he seems to think Malfoy's doing something for Voldemort and that you're helping him?!"

"Don't be so ridiculous, Harry!" I hissed. "And what did Malfoy have to say about that exactly?"

"Well, he denied it, of course!"

"There you go then." I spat. "Harry, you really need to get over this obsession with Malfoy."

"I am not obsessed! I heard Snape asking him about his master, and that he had made an Unbreakable vow or something to help him. This proves Malfoy's planning something, you can't deny that."

"Why are you telling me this, Harry, if you think I'm in on it?" I asked, exasperatedly pulling my fingers through my hair.

"Because I've seen you around him, Rosie. I see the way you look at him and the way he looks at you. And so does Snape, apparently." Harry's voice was gentler now. He placed his hands on my shoulders, his eyes penetrating mine. "I care about you and I am worried. Draco Malfoy is bad news. He is dangerous and I know he is working under Voldemort's orders. Promise me you will stay away from him - he is not worth getting killed over."

I shrugged him off, looking away. I didn't want to hear this.

"I'm going now, Harry." I said, slinging my bag over my shoulder. As I started to walk away, Harry called out to me. I stopped.

"You may be a Slytherin, Rosie, but you are also a muggle-born. He's a pureblood from a family of known Death Eaters." He paused as a heavy sigh escaped his lips. "And you don't need me to tell you what that means."

***

I avoided Harry after our conversation. It shook me up - everything Harry had said was true but I didn't want to face it.

"Harry knows." I said, chucking the food I had pinched for Draco out of my bag.

Draco turned from where he was working on the cabinet, his eyes frowning underneath his blonde tousled hair.

"Potter knows what, exactly?"

"He cornered me at breakfast and said he overheard your conversation with Snape yesterday."

Draco's features had turned into a sneer, like always at the mention of Harry.

"Potter and that bloody cloak! He needs to learn to mind his own damned business."

"The thing is," I continued. "He was pretty much spot on about everything. He has guessed you are doing a task for Him - although he doesn't know what, and he suspects that I'm helping you."

Draco visibly blanched. "I didn't want you involved in all of this." He spoke quietly, regretfully. "I'm sorry."

"Well I'm not sorry!" I said indignantly, walking up to him and taking his hand. "Draco, I'm glad I'm here for you. You shouldn't have to go through this all on your own."

He gave me a sad smile, raising our clasped hands to press his lips tenderly on the back of mine. A sound coming from the inside of the cabinet made us jump apart. We froze, looking at each other fearfully. It was a chirping noise, getting louder and more frantic by the second. Draco yanked the door open, and there, on the shelf inside the cabinet, was a little yellow bird hopping about.

My blood ran cold.

The Vanishing Cabinet was working.

***