dislike ↠ draco malfoy

thirty-four

I bounded down the corridors and up to the Headmaster's office. When I got there, I looked up at the large gargoyle that guarded it. I had never actually been inside the Headmaster's office before, but I assumed that I would need a password to get in.

What would Snape use as a password?

"Potions," I said. The statue remained still.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" The statue stayed in place.

I sighed. I couldn't stand here all day trying to figure out the password.

"Hello, Miss Hastings," a voice drawled.

I spun around. Snape was standing behind me.

"Oh, hello, Professor," I muttered. My mind flashed back to the night where I had witnessed Snape killing Dumbledore. "Professor Carrow told me to come to your office."

"Yes, he informed me of what you have done," he said.

I swallowed and watched him walk over to the gargoyle statue.

"Lily," he muttered.

The gargoyle statue moved aside to reveal a staircase. I followed him up the stairs and into his office. He strode over to his desk and sat down behind it. I took a seat in the chair across from his desk.

I looked around his office. There were many moving paintings of previous Headmasters. I flicked my eyes over to a large sword hanging on the wall, encased in glass.

"So, you acted up in class today," he said.

I turned to face him. "I think that I had a right to do that, sir," I stated.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "And what exactly did you say?"

"He was insulting my parents, so I insulted him back," I sneered. "And he was trying to force me to kill a mouse. That's not right."

Snape hesitated for a moment. "It seems your actions were justified."

"They were." I nodded.

"I'll let you off this time," he drawled. "But do not act up in class again. Or there will be worse consequences than detention from the Carrows."

"What does that mean?" I asked.

He waved his hand in the air, ignoring my question. "Now, get out of my office."

I stood up. "Thank you, sir."

I spun around and flew down the spiral staircase. I didn't have any more classes that day, so I made my way back to the Slytherin common room.

When I told the wall the password and I stepped in, Draco was sitting in front of the fireplace, leaning on the coffee table. He was staring into the fire, lost in thought.

"Hey, Draco," I said. I walked over and sat down next to him on the floor.

He snapped his head up and looked at me. "Oh, Evangeline. Are you all right?"

"Why wouldn't I be all right?" I asked.

"Snape— did he hurt you?" he said, his face full of concern.

"Why would Snape hurt me?"

"He's a Death Eater, Eva—"

"So are you," I said bluntly.

He grimaced, as though I had hit him. "Yeah, I am, but Snape, he could hurt you. He's a devoted follower of You-Know-Who."

"Relax, he didn't do anything to me," I replied. "Look, I'm sorry. I know you don't want to be a Death Eater."

"You don't have to apologise," he muttered. "What I'm trying to say is, you shouldn't act up in class anymore."

"Act up?" I hissed. "I wasn't acting up. I was defending myself. You heard what Professor Carrow said about my parents, didn't you?"

"I know you were defending yourself. And if it was any other teacher, it would be fine," Draco said, looking right into my eyes. "But with Professor Carrow—"

"Snape said the same thing," I said. "He said if I did that again, there would be worse consequences that detention, but I don't know what that means."

"They're Death Eaters, Evangeline. They're capable of horrific things," Draco said.

"You mean they would, what, torture me?" I said, my eyebrows raised.

He had a grim look on his face. "They would."

"For acting up in class?" My eyes widened. "That's—that's barbaric!"

"I know it is," he hissed. "But they would do it. You've seen these people, that night that Dumbledore died. They don't hold back. I heard that today, Professor Alecto Carrow hexed a first year when they were talking in class."

"What? A first year?" I said, my mouth hanging agape. "That's awful!"

"I know," he said, looking at me pleadingly. "So please, Eva, try to stay out of trouble."

"I will," I muttered. "But there must be something we can do about this. We have to rebel."

He shook his head. "No, we're not going to rebel."

"We have to stop this!" I exclaimed. "They can't do this to us!"

"We're just a bunch of kids, Evangeline. They're adult Death Eaters, we can't do anything about it. We just have to stay quiet and put up with it," he said.

"No." I shook my head. "There must be something we can do to stop this."

"No," he said firmly. "We can't do anything."

"Maybe you won't do anything," I said, "but I will."

I stood up and brushed off my robes. Draco sprung up.

"What are you going to do?" he said exasperatedly.

"I don't know," I huffed. "But I have to do something."

I spun around. Draco grabbed my arm.

"Wait— Eva, stop, you can't—"

"Draco," I snapped. "I can do whatever I want."

"You'll get hurt—"

I turned to face him. "I don't care if I get hurt."

"You should care!" he exclaimed. "You don't know what you're messing with—"

I tugged my arm away from his grip. "I know perfectly well what I am messing with, thank you very much."

"Evangeline—"

I stormed up the steps of the girls' dormitories, leaving Draco in the common room by himself.