"It's happening tonight!"

Both Hermione and I looked up from the sofa we were studying on as Harry made a dramatic entrance through the portrait.

"What's happening?" Hermione asked, as he ran past us, dashing up the dormitory stairs without bothering to explain anything further.

"He's probably going to start shaving." I shrugged, throwing my Potions book down on the table in front of me.

Harry suddenly reappeared, speeding back down the stairs with the Marauder's Map in one hand and a pair of balled up socks in the other. He skidded to a halt in front of us, panting heavily.

"Harry, please save your wanking over Draco's movements for the privacy of your bedroom." I scolded, eyeing the socks in his hand with disgust.

"I haven't got much time," he said, choosing to ignore me. "Dumbledore thinks I'm getting my Invisibility Cloak. Listen..."

He proceeded to tell us that Dumbledore was taking him off on an adventure to find bits of Voldemort's soul or some shit.

Personally, it sounded to me like Dumbledore had seriously lost the plot, and I didn't think Harry should be enabling his sick fantasies like this. It wasn't healthy.

"... so you see what this means?" Harry finished at a gallop. "Dumbledore won't be here tonight, so Malfoy's going to have another clear shot at whatever he's up to-"

"Wait - hold the fucking phone, Harry." I bellowed. "I keep telling you - Draco is not up to anything!"

"No, listen to me!" He hissed angrily, his face pinched in fury. "I know it was Malfoy celebrating in the Room of Requirement. Here-" he shoved the Marauder's Map into Hermione's hand. "You've got to watch him and you've got to watch Snape, too. Use anyone else who you can rustle up from the DA. Hermione, those contact Galleons will still work, right? Dumbledore says he's put extra protection in the school, but if Snape's involved, he'll know what Dumbledore's protection is, and how to avoid it - but he won't be expecting you lot to be on watch, will he?"

"Harry-" Hermione began, her eyes huge with fear.

"I haven't got time to argue," he said curtly, "take this as well-" he thrust the socks into my hands.

"Ew, why the fuck are you giving me your manky wank stained socks?" I spluttered in horror.

"You need what's wrapped in them, it's the Felix Felicis. Share it between yourselves and Ginny too. Say goodbye to her from me. I'd better go, Dumbledore's waiting-"

"No!" Hermione gasped whilst I greedily unwrapped the tiny little bottle of golden potion. "We don't want it, you take it, who knows what you're going to be facing?"

"Shut the fuck up, woman." I hissed. "If Harry's lost the plot then I'm okay with it if it means he's giving away his liquid luck."

"I'll be fine," Harry said, puffing out his chest as he looked off into the distance, his eyes glistening. "I'll be with Dumbledore."

Yep, he'd definitely lost the fucking plot.

*****

"This is stupid!" I hissed as Hermione and I stood guard by the Room of Requirement on the seventh floor.

"He's got to be in there, because he isn't on the map." Hermione sighed, looking furtively up and down the hallway.

Several other DA members had joined us, keeping look out on the floors below. Although looking out for what, exactly, I had no idea.

"What is it that Harry is expecting us to do though?" I asked, thinking how awkward it was going to look if Draco saw me just hanging around outside. He'd probably assume I was there looking for a hook up. Which actually didn't sound like a bad idea. If only I could get rid of Hermione.

I hadn't seen him since our 'date' two days previously. He'd seemed oddly quiet when we said our goodbyes after we arrived back at the castle, holding me longer than he would have done, coupled with an unusual lingering kiss. I had not helped but noticed that he'd since been absent at mealtimes which only served to make that uneasy feeling inside my chest grow larger and heavier.

"And what was that shit Harry was going on about hearing him celebrating?" I spat, feeling horrendously irritated. Hermione refused to allow me to take any of the liquid luck, saying we should only use it if it really comes to it. Fuck her and her sensibilities. I could do with a bit of cheering up.

"He said he heard a whooping noise coming from inside." Hermione explained, frowning at the wall.

Try as I might, I couldn't imagine Draco whooping. And I've had sex with the guy.

"Perhaps he was just having a really good wank?" I suggested, grinning wickedly at the thought.

"RONNIE!" Hermione gasped, shocked.

Before I could tell her to put her wig back on, a noise from the other side of the wall made us start.

The door to the Room of Requirement was appearing.

"Shit!" I hissed, grabbing my wand out of my pocket. "What the fuck now?!"

My god, this was so embarrassing.

"Let's just stay calm and simply ask him what he's doing," Hermione said steadily, trying to hide her terror.

But it turned out he wasn't alone.

The fucker had an army of Death Eaters behind him.

"Draco?" I asked, horrified.

His head turned towards me, his face dropping instantly. Before I could say anything else, however, he threw some black powder into the air causing everything to disappear under a blanket of thick darkness.

By the time Hermione and I could see again, the hallway was empty; Draco and the Death Eaters had gone.

"What just happened?!" Hermione cried.

"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder." I muttered bitterly. "That bastard used my own brother's invention against me."

We looked at one another in horror as it dawned upon us what was happening.

"Harry was right all along!" Hermione gasped. "Quick, Ronnie, we've got to get help! There are Death Eaters inside the castle!"

We pelted along the hallway, splitting up when we reached the stairway.

"We need to find as many teachers as we can," Hermione puffed breathlessly. "I'll go down and warn the others - you go on up and see if you can find Professor McGonagall."

So up I went, wand poised in hand, ready to kill if I had to.

I realised too late that Hermione still had the liquid luck on her. Shit. I'd have to rely on the good old Weasley fortune, instead.

And it was at that exact moment when I was jumped on by a werewolf Death Eater.

"ARGHHH!" I cried, trying to desperately grab around for my wand that I had dropped on my way down to the ground. But I couldn't see a thing, my vision completely obscured by a stinky, hairy black cloaked body.

"A young juicy girl - my favourite!" Came the horrendous rasping voice from above me. I looked up to see a flash of pointed yellow teeth baring down upon me.

I closed my eyes thanking merlin that I at least wasn't going to die a virgin.

"RONNIE!"

There was a loud bang, and the disgusting creature flew off of me. I sat up, breathing heavily, looking around for my saviour.

Long ponytailed hair, handsome smile and fang dangling from ear, stood my eldest brother.

"Bill!" I breathed with relief. This must mean that the Order were here. We were saved.

I was just about to jump up and throw my arms around him when Greyback, having recovered from Bill's blast, struck again.

But this time he went for Bill, viciously going for his face as he sent him sprawling to the ground.

"HELP!" I cried, grabbing around desperately for my wand. But I couldn't locate it anywhere and Bill certainly wasn't winning any medals in that fight.

I was faintly aware of a lot of figures up ahead - a battle was going on. Giving up on my lost wand, knowing Bill would be killed if I didn't act quickly, I went running over to the fray.

"SOMEBODY HELP MY BROTHER PLEASE!" I bellowed, ducking as a red light came flying towards me.

To my relief, Lupin came to the rescue, running towards where Bill and Greyback were still grappling on the ground.

I didn't know what to do. I was wandless and standing in a corridor with a vicious werewolf fight on one end and a battle of Death Eaters on the other.

It was like I'd taken the opposite of liquid luck.

And then I spied the white-blond hair Slytherin, walking up ahead unflinchingly through the battle towards the direction of the Astronomy Tower.

"DRACO!" I yelled, fear and anger pulsating through my veins.

He glanced briefly over his shoulder, his eyes meeting mine. He appeared to hesitate for a fraction of a second, but then turned his head and carried on. Literally having no other option, I kept my head down and ran after him, praying I wouldn't get hit.

I managed to get to him unscathed, just as he was about to ascend the spiral staircase.

"Draco! What the fuck have you done?" I bellowed, grabbing his arm and yanking him around to face me.

"Stay out of this, Weasley," he sneered, his pale faced pinched in anger and determination. I dropped my hand, shocked by the degree of hostility he was showing me.

I looked imploringly up into his grey eyes trying desperately to see the Draco who had taken me to see the Chudley Cannons and bought me food to cheer me up.

"Draco, this isn't you, how could you do this?" I asked, my heart thudding wildly in my chest as I could feel him slipping through my fingers all over again.

"There is a lot you don't know about me, Weasley; about what I'm capable of doing." He glanced apprehensively up to the door at the top of the stairs as he said this last part. It was clear he was going up there to do something bad. Something worse than letting Death Eaters in to attack the school.

"Whatever you're about to do - don't do it! I'm begging you!" I implored, my eyes darting fearfully to the wand shaking fiercely in his right hand.

A flicker in his eyes; a prominent bob of his throat. "You don't understand," he said hoarsely. "I need to do this."

"No, you don't," I said desperately, praying to get through to him. I reached out for his hand, relief sweeping over me when he didn't pull away. "Draco, come with me. Come with me now. What we need to do is help."

Suddenly he was pulling me roughly up against him, clasping a hand to the back of my head as he placed a kiss on my forehead. "I'm sorry, Weasley," he murmured, his lips moving ardently against my brow. "I'm sorry for everything. I never wanted you to get dragged into any of this."

And then just as quickly, he released me, turning away as he started to climb the steps.

Panic tore in my chest and words left my lips before I could stop them.

"Draco, please! I love you!" I sobbed.

He paused, slowly turning his head to look down at me over his shoulder. Hope fluttered in my heart, and then quickly vanished as a deep regretful sadness flashed in his eyes. Turning away again, he continued his silent assent up the stairs.

And, as he went through the door, disarming some poor sod at the top, I sat down at the bottom of the staircase and cried.