When A Dragon Slythered In...

Chapter 23 - Colour Me Crucio

"What are you doing outwith class, Potter." She spat.

"I could ask you the same, but I don't want to know." I could faintly hear the sniggering of the other pupils as they watched me.

"Crucio," Umbridge breathed. I twitched involuntarily, the pain was almost unbearable... Almost.

"Have you been taking part in illicit activities?

"Of course I have... It's called Quidditch Practice, remember when you banned that? Well Griffindor went ahead with it anyway."

"Lies. Weasley, get over her," She pointed at Ron. "Now maybe you can get Holly to loosen her tongue. Crucio." She used the Cruciatus Curse on Ron to get to me. But I wasn't giving up that easily.

"Who else was with you?" Umbridge boomed impatiently.

"Me, myself and I." I smirked.

"Granger, your turn. Ever had the Cruciatus Curse used on you before? Crucio!"  Umbridge hissed in a snake-like manner.

"Hermione, no..." I whimpered only so I could hear"You fool, Holly. Now tell me where you are meeting."

"Inside." I replied snootily.

"If that's how you wish to play, Miss Potter, I can assure you I can play that game too."

The bars tightened around me. I winced in agony.

"Mr Potter, if you really have duelled You-Know-Who -which I know by all means you have not done so- then you will know all about the Cruciatis Cruse and how to use it and what it does, yes? Well then, why don't you attempt to perform it on Holly. Remember, you have to mean it."

I could see the pain in his eyes, he mouthed 'sorry' and cast the curse with little feeling, knowing it would be a feeble attempt, I felt a short stabbing pain in my stomach where he had aimed, but it only lasted milliseconds.

Umbridge tutted. "No, Potter. This is how you do it... Crucio!"

The stabbing pain had just subsided when, all of a sudden, I was over come by the feeling of being stabbed by millions of knives all over me, I began to gasp for breaths as my lungs gave in to the continuous burning inside my body. The pain was endurable though, only just. Then a voice called out:

"Stop! Can't you see it's hurting her?" I couldn't see who my saviour was because my vision was blurred and spotted. The voice was a male one. But who?...

"When do you meet, Potter?"

"Meet who? If you mean my parents, it may have slipped your mind but my parents are dead." I hated saying that, but it was all I could do to stop myself screaming in agony.

"ENOUGH!" She toad-like lady screeched. "I will have order! Draco, stand here," She pointed about five feet left of her wand. "Now, lift up your wand and point it at her like the good boy you are and say 'Crucio'."

The room filled with silence. He kept his wand by his side and merely shot a glare at Umbridge.

"Don't tell me... Why of course! Draco, have you really fallen for Holly Potter! A Malfoy, of all people! And I thought you were better than her, above her, Draco." She calmed down with an eerie giggle to follow suit.

"I don't love her." He stuttered through the side of his mouth with a hint of false security about his statement.

"Well then, why is it so hard to complete a task so plain such as this one."

"Because... Because it isn't right."

"Draco, Draco... She's the one that has been using you... She's the one that deserves to be punished." The secretly waved her wand so the bars tightened so as I could not speak, all I could do was wince pitifully in anguish.

"See, Draco, she is a defenceless, pitiful, stupid, irrational, bad tempered little girl; who, if you please, can't even tell you that I am wrong. Draco, it is one simple spell and then it will all be over. I promise."

He lifted his wand and looked away as he said it, my eyes widened it fear anticipating the suffering.

"Crucio." He murmured. This one hurt the most. The words came from his mouth like they didn't belong there. Pain soared through my body. I screamed in agony, I could finish though.

"Stop." I cried, a single tear drizzling down my face, being the only thing I could muster.

Then it stopped. Draco lowered his wand.

"Crucio!" Umbridge cried. I waited for the pain, but in never met my body. Instead, I saw Draco collapse and flinch on the floor. Then I heard him wail in pain.

"Draco!" I called out to him, but it was no use. I couldn't reach him.

Then I gasped and my eyes flickered open.

I could see myself and Malfoy in the Room of Requirement.

"It's tonight." He warned me as he turned to the figure that resembled an older version of myself.

"Draco... You don't have to do this. The Dark Lord can't make you. Please, let me talk to him, he has always preferred me to you."

"That's not the point, is it? The Dark Lord wishes for me to be dead."

"I won't... I won't let him kill you. He can have me instead."

"I can't let him do that... We will have lost to valuable a player. Holly, your job is to distract Harry and the other two, not look out for me."

"But I can do both, Draco let me-"

"No, okay, Aunt Bellatrix and some others will be coming through that Cabinet this evening and if you try and stop her, like you did before, she will harm you. Look at the scar she gave you last time, do you really want another?"

"I guess third time lucky, eh? Maybe I will get to choose the design." I joked.

"It's not funny,Holly. I don't want you getting hurt and if the Dark Lord finds out you have been helping me, he will kill both of us and I can't let that happen."

"Okay, I will tell Snape. But don't think for a minute that I will let you out of my sight tonight, I need you to be safe. Are you sure there's not another way?"

"Positive."

"Draco, promise me you'll remember-"

"Remember what?"

"I love you Draco Lucuis Malfoy and- and that well... I didn't sign up to put myself in danger, Draco. I did it for you." And then I walked out of the Room of Requirement.

And then I woke up, to the sound of someone talking. I knew it was real this time.

"Holly... I'm so sorry..." It was Draco. And he was crying.