Whehey’d made it dowh far enough to be out of earshot of anyone, Drao leared his throat. He wasell them about the Timepiee. He wasn’t even sure if he ould tell them about it. The only thihe threads were seizing, the way forward he only way through was to go bak.
“There’s ohat bothers me,” Potter rushed to speak first.
“Ohing?” Drao g him and smirked. He had to look bak at the path to wath his steps as the fading light drifted below the horizoain Potter had smiled.
“If they ould s souls with ahe world,” Potter asked, “why did they hoose Bertrie and a kneazle?”
“Maybe they didn’t,” Parkinson offered. “Maybe—I don’t k was a.”
&opped and grabbed Drao’s shoulder. “Or maybe yht about the kneazle.”
Drao drank in the boldter’s eyes ahink onfirmation that the soul-sing pnt senario is in fat somehow real has established that I was right.”
“No,” Potter rolled his eyes. “The k was leverage.”
Igora threw her farette down on the ground a. She khan a dozen ells, but the most used one, disappear igarette butt, ended up beihan she’d done all day. Standiel eo both alm and stress her, as she weail of the ase in her head.
She and Felix had d by proedure. She ouldn’t tell if she was missihing, if they’d somehow made a mistake, or them losing the ase boiled down to someone else’s ego. Or maybe they had stepped ooes. Who? Igora wondered. Rohe Department of Mysteries? She briefly remembered the Golden Trio had trekked iel. Harry bloody Potter? akehem was gravely mistake Igora would stop lookirie Zivantus.
&her igarette ao the street. Felix had gohe offie, but Igora had felt it i she was he hotel. Her instints had only ever failed her with lovers aery, so she waited stoially in the ool drizzle of the early evening.
The pop of an apparition pulled her frhts. Igora peered arouive bushes. “Helga help us,” she whispered at the sight of Drao Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, and Harry Potter huddled together at the bottom of the Ashtyl’s steps.
“I’ll go hek oie,” Parkinson said. Igora drarette in surprise. Her eyes followed the woman’s form up the steps, ion of books slung under Parkinson’s arm.
“Why don’t you go with her?” Malfoy er. “I ould use a few mio lear my head.” His hauffed awkwardly is of his waistoat.
&ed on Malfoy. “Are you sure yht?” Potter took a step ahe gap betweehat was iing, Igora ast an amplifying harm to hear their oion — “Sonorus.”
“It wasn’t the Bk Bean Hoof Brittle, was it?”
Malfoy raised a brow. “Are you implyi make ale?”
“I—I just—” Potter stammered and—Igora leaned forward, Was he blushing?—he ran a hand through his luess I oology.”
“So not only do you save the entire Wizarding World, but noologise for Loony Lovegood’s abysmal attempts at sweets?” Malfoy smiled a Harry Paze of reverent admiration. “Were I in your position, I doubt I’d do the same.”
&hiween the lines, and Igora was was. Werewo sworn enemies? Rivals, at least? Potter had spoken up for Malfoy at his trial. But this? Igora wasn’t sure if she was really looking at the same people. Ha. Why did Potter’s lothes look so familiar?
Potter’s fae rexed. “All the same. I guess I’ll leave yhts.” He turned around aeps. As Malfoy’s eyes followed Potter’s form, the blond dug something out of his ed it in front of him.
After a few moments, he finally looked doened his hand toldeh. Malfoy ied it for a moment with a shrewd eye and thehe dials.
“Look Malfoy, about e Neville’s,” Igora hader deseeps, aly, Malfoy hadher judging by the horrified surprise pstered aross his fae. Paze fell to the golden wath iher man’s palm.
ed at Malfoy.
Igora saw the rash of limbs and then a bright, blindi. She bliimes in reovery, o in froely empty. The twone.
Harry felt as if he’d been falling for days, but his feet had solid ground.
Ahere was something solid and ressed against him. It smelled like forest and sunshine and Hogwarts. Someone. “Malfoy,” Harry pushed the man away. The fore seumbling bakward, his arms outstrethed to bane himself. Harry zeroed in on the golden wath in Malfht hand. “That wouldimepiee in your hand? Would it?”
With wide eyes, Malfoy responded by shovi io his poket.
“That wouldn’t be,” Harry stepped foroked a fio Malfoy’s hest, “the Timepiee? As ihing on the ransom list? Marwan Zivantus’ bloody Time Turner?” Harry ouldn’t stop his blood from pratially boiling with a when he’d deided he ould trust Malfoy, the git proves that he aed. “I was right,” he said, hest heaving. “I was right and you ughed at me. You had it this eime.”
Malfoy’s features molded ihing ral,