Chapter 25

                                    

                                          
The next day at breakfast Harry turned up late. He seemed apprehensive to sit down asking "can I join you?" Before Hermione nodded. I got up, I wasn't Harry's biggest fan right now and I didn't want to give him another excuse to snap at me. "Tori where are you going?" Ron asked as I got up. "I have some homework to get done" I avoided Harry's eye as I walked away. Draco got up as I walked past him, walking alongside me saying "trouble in paradise Greenwood?" 
                          
"Not today Draco." 
                          
"Keeping secrets again? Potter really has brainwashed you against me", he scoffed and I turned around and shouted "ITS NOT ABOUT YOU DRACO" 
                          
"What is it then?" He asked, his face suddenly soft. 
                          
"It's about my dad." My eyes filled with tears and I ran away from him, leaving him standing alone and confused. I only calmed down once I reached the empty Gryffindor common room, and I took a quick look at myself in the mirror, making sure there are no signs of me crying before heading down to my first class, Divination. 
                          
"Umbridge has been promoted, she's assessing all the teachers" Ron whispered as I sat down on one of the many beanbags dotted around the dark Divination classroom. "What, why?" 
                          
"Fudge seems to think Hogwarts needs a revamp, that Dumbledore isn't a fit headmaster." 
                          
"But he is!"
                          
"You know that and I know that, but the ministry doesn't know that." 
                          
We listened in as Umbridge tried to get Professor Trelawney to predict something. That's when I caught Draco's eye. He looked at me, this time without his usual scowl and he mouthed "are you alright?" At me. I nodded quickly, looking away, only to see Harry watching this little exchange between us and frowning slightly. 
                          
The teacher evaluations went on all day, with Snape being the last teacher questioned in our last lesson of the day. As I scanned my textbook learning about Veritaserum, the truth serum, I giggled alongside Ron as Snape spoke about applying for defence against the dark arts, earning us both a slap on the head once Umbridge had left. 
                          
At the end of the day there was a commotion out in the courtyard. "What's going on?" I asked Harry who was beside me. "Something to do with Professor Trelawney" he replied and we watched as Trelawney held her suitcases and begged Umbridge to let her stay. Suddenly the doors to the castle flew open and Dumbledore stood, furious about what he was seeing. Harry ran after Dumbledore as the crowd dispersed, and as I walked inside I saw Draco appear next to me out of the corner of my eye. Before I had time to say anything I was pulled into an empty classroom by him.
                          
"What do you want Draco." 
                          
"We need to finish that chat from earlier I think, don't you?" 
                          
"I have nothing to say to you." 
                          
He says down opposite me and looked into my eyes. "Look I'm sorry ok? I was just annoyed that you never wrote to me, I do care about you and if you need a friend I'm here, I just thought maybe Potter stopped you from writing to me." 
                          
"He never stopped me I just...I had to go somewhere where I couldn't go sending letters everyday." 
                          
"Where did you go? Is everything ok?" 
                          
"I cant tell you". 
                          
"Belle." 
                          
I sighed a little at hearing him calling me by the nickname he gave me, i so badly wanted to tell him, but if he knew that put not only us, but him in danger too. 
                          
"Please Draco. I promise you'll find out one day, but right now I just can't. Please trust me."
                          
His grey eyes met mine once again and he said "ok. I trust you. But I don't trust Potter and I never will. If one hair on your head gets hurt I will kill him" 
                          
"I can look after myself, besides, things aren't going great with him right now" I confessed, looking down. 
                          
"Well he'd be a fool to let you go. If you were mine I'd hold onto you forever" I looked up at him and he looked almost sad. 
                          
"Draco" 
                          
He held his hands up. "I know I know, you want him and I respect that. But you know how I feel about you Belle, it's not exactly a secret." 
                          
"I know. I guess I should be going" 
                          
"I mean it Belle. I'm always here for you." I gave him a small smile before heading out of the door. I saw Harry walk past me and I said "hey you" as he turned to look at me. I noticed he was frowning, but not at me, and I turned around to see Draco standing behind me. 
                          
"It's not what it looks like Harry." I pleaded as he stormed off up the staircase. 
                          
"Oh yeah, because it looked like you were having a secret little chat with my enemy!" 
                          
"He's my friend" 
                          
"He hates me Tori! Why would you be friends with someone who hates me!" 
                          
"Because Harry he cares about me! He's been a hell of a lot more supportive than you have been lately." 
                          
"I've got a lot going on right now Tori!!"
                          
"AND I HAVENT?!!" I screamed at him. We had reached the common room now and everyone was watching, listening in on our argument. 
                          
"I JUST FOUND OUT THAT MY FATHER WAS TORTURED FOR TWO YEARS! AFTER KNOWING NOTHING! YOURE NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THINGS GOING ON HARRY POTTER!" I stormed past him, the whole common room in shock and made my way up the stone steps to the dorms and collapsed onto my bed in a heap, sobbing. 
                          
An owl suddenly crashed into the window and I realised it was my owl, Blink, who was now sitting on my bedstand with a letter tied to her leg. With shaking hands, I opened it. 
                          
Victoria,
I hope you're doing ok and you're looking after Harry. I have found a place for you, for Dumbledore's army to have their first meeting. It's the Hogs Head in Hogsmeade. If you tell Hermione that, she will know who to get to attend the meeting. I would have messaged Harry but using Blink instead of Hedwig was safer. If your dad could see you now Victoria he would be so proud. 
- Sirius
                          
I sighed and placed the letter on Hermione's pillow for her to read when she came up to bed, I was too physically and emotionally exhausted to tell her myself. I stared up at the ceiling, my mind racing. 
                          
We really were going to have to fight.