The Dark Castle

The Dark Castle

Blaze stormed out from the castle. Thank god he had magical animal care so he could calm down a little in the chilly air.

"What happened? You came charging out like Snape himself!" Draco said.

"Yeah. I had a talk with Dumbledore."

Draco smirked.

"Judging from your look I'd say you two had the talk about bees and flowers if I didn't know any better."

"Ha ha. Very funny. I'm laughing my pants of!" he said sarcastically.

"I hope so. I'd like to see you without them," Draco said innocently.

"Draco!" he snarled.

"What?"

"Don't try my patience because I can assure you that it's almost non existent!"

"Aww, you're so cute!"

"Draco... you're not Draco!" he said and cracked a smile.

Draco always knew what to say to make him feel 'nicer'.

"Look love, what if you and I sneak of to Hogsmeade right now?" Draco asked eagerly.

"Why? So everyone will notice and come just in time to see you rape me?"

"Shut up Harry! C'mon. It's gonna be fun or at least funnier than this lesion. Comin'?" he asked.

"Yeah. All right. Sod the lesson. It's not like I care about one problem less or more. "

"That's the spirit!"" said Draco delighted.

The two of them sneaked away into the edge of the Forbidden Forest and followed it down to the gates.

"Ah freedom!" said Draco when he took a step outside.

"You're such a poof! Honestly, you are a real drama queen and you suck too!"

"Hey! It's not like you're the king of act!"

"Maybe not. But at least I'm man enough to admit it!" he announced.

Draco stuck his tongue out.

"How mature!" said Blaze and rolled his eyes.

Draco shrugged.

"I thought we agreed on being mature," said Blaze.

"No, you only said we should ACT mature. Doesn't necessarily mean we are."

"Act, be- same thing! What's the difference?"

"Do you want the answer in speech or written?"

"Neither. I just realised it's a piece of information that I can do without."

"Good, because honestly, I don't have an answer."

"Dear Hell! We're talking such bullshit! How the hell did we trip upon this subject? If it even is one!" Blaze groaned.

"I dunno. Let's drop it. What about the singing greeting this morning? What was it? And what about Angel? Your girlfriend?" Draco asked him.

"You're way to curious for your own good," he growled.

"What cha gonna do, eh? Kill me?" Draco drawled.

"It might have accured me. As for your questions, the greeting came from my girlfriend's friends. It was nothing serious. It was hilarious."

"I noticed. You were floored and not in a matter of speech..."

Blaze smiled grimly.

"Yeah. And about Angel, that's non of your business. Or anyone's for that part."

"Alright."

"What's going on in Slyth?"

"Nothing special. No news at all. Not even a lousy break up scene in the common room!" Draco whined.

"Poor you. There is nothing exciting in your life. What about a girl, got one?"

"No. They're all drooling over you. It's disgusting!" Draco said and sulked.

Blaze sighed. Yes he did indeed know that all the girls were after him.

"Life's a bitch. Ain't it?"

"You got that one damn right!" Draco said forcefully and kicked a stone.

They walked in silence into Hogsmeade.

"Hog's head!" They both said at the same time.

"Hog's head it is," said Blaze.

Draco ordered for them.

"Two dusty butter beers in two dirty glasses. Oh, and call a mediwitch to take care of us after we're poisoned," said Draco and Blaze snorted before he pressed a hand over his mouth to prevent the laugher inside of him to slip out.

The bartender glared at them. When he turned around Blaze could swear he heard him curse together with the name 'Malfoy'.

"Serves him right! It's true what I said, you know," Draco said when they sat down in the darkest corner of the room.

"Yes I'm aware. One day the Ministry inspectors will shut this place."

"No kidding! But it won't happen in the nearest future. The Ministry is all busy countering the Dark Lords forces. The Ministry is fools. They should have listened to you in the first place. Fudge is going down. Sooner or later he'll get kicked out," said Draco in a bitter voice.

It made Blaze doubt about Draco's loyance.

"Tell me Harry. You said something about me at the train..." said Draco.

"Oh really? What was that exactly? I can't seem to recall..." he said in a non caring voice even if he knew very well what Draco was talking about.

"You said something about me being dark, not evil. What did you mean?"

"Well... It's true isn't it?"

"What is?" asked Draco and eyed him warily.

Blaze decided to approach him on a different side.

"Tel me, you don't REALLY follow the Dark Lord, do you?"

"I never said I didn't!" Draco bit back at once, just like Blaze expected him too.

"I know. But it's only you and me here, no weasel and no Slyth."

"No but there is the saviour of the wizarding world," said Draco stubbornly.

"So? Where do you think my loycance lays?"

Draco watched him in confusion.

"On the light side with Dumbledore!"

"Are you sure?" Blaze asked him calmly and took his butterbeer glass and sipped a little.

Draco worked himself up.

"Am I Sure? Of course I am sure! You've always been with Dumbledore! Since the first day you came to Hogwarts. There is no other way! Everyone knows you hate Voldemort and is against him!" Draco almost shouted.

"Calm down," said Blaze and looked around.

"Calm down? You can't join the Dark Lord! Not now!"

Draco was looking close to tears.

Odd, he thought when he watched the otherwise so cold and calm Slytherin looking destroyed with watery eyes and pink cheeks.

Draco was shivering slightly.

"What's wrong?" Blaze asked in a dark soothing voice. He had learned that from Snape.

"What's wrong? What the hell do you think? I've been trying to tell you since the start of term that I'm on your side and not on the Dark Lords side and now you're telling me you've joined the Dark lord!" Draco hissed not unlike an angry cat.

Blaze shook his head.

How the hell did the Slytherin manage to twist the truth so terrible wrong?

I guess you'll have to ask Draco Malfoy that, he thought.

But he had reached his point with this by a Slytherin method. He wanted to know where Draco stood without directly asking him and giving him time to lie.

"Draco, take it easy. You'll faint in a sec if you don't breath. And honestly, I won't carry you back to the castle. I'd call a Professor and your humiliation would be complete. Cool down OK?" he said, still calm.

Draco closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breath before he opened his eyes again.

"Calm now?" He said with a small smile.

Draco nodded mutely.

"Alright then. I don't know what it is with you Slytherins but you always have to think the worst. I have not joined Voldemort and I wont but at the same time I'm not on Dumbledore's side because I don't trust him."

"Who's side are you on then?"

"That my friend is for me to know and you to find out."

Draco groaned.

"Not another 'find out' riddle! I haven't solved the first one yet! I don't know how you changed!" he said.

"Ah... life is cruel," he said mockingly.

"But you're not on Voldemorts side?"

"No but neither are you and Draco, never try to fool yourself into believing you'll ever belong to the light side because you don't and you'll never will!"

Draco stared at him like a lost puppy.

"But I'm not evil!" he said helplessly.

"No you're not. But you aren't 'good' or light either. Tell me, where does that put you?"

"The only thing left is dark unless you mean shadow?"

"Shadow doesn't exist, it's just a stage."

"If that's so, I'm dark. And that leads us back to my question. You said I'm dark, what do you mean?"

Blaze sighed and leaned forward.

"Draco. I've just answered your question."

"You did?" Draco asked surprised.

"Yes," he sighed.

"When?"

"Draco?"

"Yes?"

"Listen carefully now. Answer m questions without questing me," he said sternly.

Draco nodded nervously.

"Ok," he gulped.

"Are you a good boy that want to help everyone, never want to cause any harm and hates the Dark arts?"

"No" he was about to say something more but Blaze held up his hand to stop him.

"Do you wish to join those good people that overwhelm you with concern and despite DA?"

"No."

"Do you wish to join those people that takes pleasure in torture and destruction?"

"No."

"Do you wish to join those who use DA and light spells, who follows neither Dumbledore or Voldemort. Who stays neutral. Who doesn't care in what business you may have and think it's OK to kill or at least hurt people? Those whoa re both evil and good, those who can both love and hate? Those who stands in between everything? Tell me Draco, are you dark?"

"Yes," said Draco and lightened up.

Blaze smiled.

"Did that answer your question?"

"Not entirely but you told me where I stand. But the question is: How did you know?"

"It's easy. Pay attention to people and you'll understand what they're made of and what kind of person they are."

"I do pay attention! It's a Slytherin treat. But I don't understand how the hell you can se it better then me!"

"Perhaps I have a thing for it? Who knows?" he said lightly and shrugged it of.

Draco sank deep into thought but Blaze didn't mind. The silence was soothing for his tired mind. He hadn't yet over come Damien's invasion. It would probably take a couple of days before he was restored.