The Buddy System. *Complete*

What Ifs

After dinner, Mrs Hobkirk began to knit and hum to herself loudly in the sitting room. Bless her she was a lovely woman but between the needles snapping together and her off key melody, I was getting a headache. 

We held out as long as we could - 8.30pm before we all bid her goodnight. Azaleah stayed to fill out her paperwork and drink her potions. The rest of us changed into pyjamas and were sitting on my bed chatting she finally joined us.

"Hey I wanted to ask something," she said softly as she lay back against Theo's chest. "What was last year like in school? I mean with Snape as a headmaster and all."

"I don't really ever remember seeing him," I explained. "He spent most of his time pacing his office out of the way. But it was very...lonely. Teeny didn't come back for our final year. She and her family went into hiding. I was by myself for the post part. Well apart from when Theo was there and -"

"You went back to school?" Azaleah asked.

"Yeah when I first got my mark. It was my first mission. It was only for about 2 months. I had to check the passageways in and out of the school and set up spells and traps to stop people using them. He was afraid the Order would use them."

"How did I not know?" She asked.

"It was when our parents tried to keep us apart. Before he made us go to America. I hid out and didn't go to class obviously. I stayed in Azaleah's room. None of her room mates went back so she had the room to herself. I only left at night to perform my tasks. Then I had to wait for a report from Snape before I could come home."

"I brought him food and Goyle gave me clothes for him to wear. I spent my free time helping him -"

"You helped him?"

"Uh...kind of. I mean -"

"We came up with the plan together. I never wanted to be a Death Eater and I didn't want the school unprotected. I never imagined there would be a battle there. I just thought they were going to take it over like they did at the Ministry and I wanted to make sure that there was a way out for students when the time came."

"It was all Theo's idea. I went with him and took notes of all the spells and traps he set for each passageway. That way when the time came I would know how to clear them."

"Clever," Draco smirked.

"I know." Theo beamed.

"Why didn't you tell me when you got back?"

"I was going to but then HE made us train and began to make us come and see him almost everyday. I am trained in Occulums but you are not. I didn't want you to know in case it implicated you. If you didn't know, you were safe."

"I suppose," she frowned. "But you knew how badly I wanted to know if Raelyn was safe."

"I know. I'm sorry. But you were my number one priority. I had to keep you safe."

"I get it. I'm glad Raelyn had someone. So what happened after he left. After Christmas?"

"The school was like a ghost town. Most of us had to disappear -"

"What?"

"Well the Carrows. Bastards that they were. They tortured the students. Cursed us if we stepped out of line. Tried to make us torture first years as practise."

"Are you fucking serious?" Draco shouted.

"Shush! Yes I am. We didn't though. Neville Longbottom straight up refused and they kicked the shit out of him. We pretended and made the first years act like they were in pain, screaming and rolling around on the floor."