Disclaimer: I own nothing but my OC.

A/N: I'm sorry I suck at updating. Life is really getting in the way, but I want to finish this when I can. So thank you all for being so patient. And please enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 44: Meeting with Malfoy

Maddy, slowly but surely, learned to keep her distance, most especially from Harry. Once Gryffindor House received word that their Quidditch team could be reinstated, Harry and Ron spent a good deal of their free time in practices. Outside of practice, Harry frequented Umbridge's office for detention, and on top of that, had to keep the secret meetings of "Dumbledore's Army" going. Deciding it was best, Maddy only occasionally joined the meetings, keeping to herself in the corner, practicing from afar. She was wrong, she admitted. Harry did know a little more than they all did about that kind of stuff, and with a few practice meetings under his belt, he started to get into the habit of teaching properly. She recognized a few of Lupin's techniques, unable to hide her smiles as Harry directed his "students".

They met with Sirius on one occasion, but it only resulted in a near-miss with Umbridge's stubby hand. She watched the Floo Network like a hawk, and after that, not even Maddy received a letter from him. She and the others began to worry about Sirius' safety. Nothing appeared in the newspaper, however, which confirmed that he was safe.

With all of her newfound free time, Maddy found herself in the library more often than usual. She had very little to study, but the people there did more gossiping than studying anyway, she soon learned. She took particular interest in the Slytherin group who sat every Tuesday and Thursday, around three o'clock in the afternoon, in the farthest corner. They huddled close together, their voices meshing together as they discussed something Maddy could not quite make out. Malfoy very rarely joined them, but on the instances when he did, Maddy made it a point to move a couple tables closer. As he passed by one day, the two made eye contact and he came to a slight halt, watching her with interest. Catching himself, he turned back to Crabbe and Goyle and took a seat amongst the throng of Slytherins, loudly announcing his arrival.

Malfoy's visits to the library frequented after that, always shooting strange glances at Maddy out of the corner of his eye. She couldn't help but think of the time he'd caught her in the hall, and the strange conversation that followed. She wanted to talk to him about it, but figured he'd long since forgotten it. He never made an attempt to talk to her again after that.

Picking up her things one Thursday afternoon, Maddy decided it was about time to head back to the Common Room. Most of Gryffindor Tower would be empty, she thought. The coin in her pocket alerted her of the impending Dumbledore's Army meeting, and she hadn't quite decided yet if she was going to go. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she hurried toward the doorway.

She barely rounded the corner, when a body slammed into her, knocking her things onto the floor. A few of her books skittered along the cold stone, and an ink bottle rolled a fair distance down the hall, spilling little droplets along the way. Maddy clutched her shoulder where the stranger made impact, and winced in slight pain, moaning at the mess in front of her.

"Watch where you're going, Black…" a familiar voice sounded as the body moved past her.

Maddy lifted her head, spotting the retreating form of Draco Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle were nowhere to be found. It was a rare sight to see him alone. He smirked in her direction and turned away without another word. With a shake of her head, she shoved her books back into her bag. A broken quill sat near the door. Maddy retrieved it quickly, frowning over its bent shape.

Still crouched, a hand appeared in front of her face, holding the runaway ink bottle. Maddy gave a small sigh of relief, and took it from the proffered hand. Looking up she was startled to find Malfoy standing above her, his snarky smile suddenly missing from his face.

"Sorry…" he said quietly.

"Don't be," she replied shortly. He was acting very strange. "It was an accident."

Malfoy nodded. His eyes met hers and he heaved a large breath. They broke away for a second as he glanced down the hall nervously.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

"About what?" Maddy stared at him.

Malfoy opened his mouth, but no answer came out. He continued to gape back at her, a bizarre struggle appearing behind his eyes. Clearly frustrated, he looked down and shook his head vigorously.

"Forget it," he decided, backing away.

Maddy caught him by the arm, pulling him back. She wasn't about to let him get away that easily this time. The first time he pulled this, she could excuse, but the second time – he was definitely up to something, and she wanted to know what it was.

"What do you want to talk about?" she pressed on.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" Malfoy insisted. "Why would I have to talk to someone like you?"

"You tell me that," she said firmly, not letting go of his arm.

Malfoy's jaw fell open once again, wordlessly. His eyes darted up and down the halls, falling on the open library door. The rest of the Slytherins were still in their corner. Any one of them could walk out at any moment and catch them – Maddy knew that. Malfoy was much more concerned with his reputation than any answers he was seeking.

Maddy finally let her hand drop, and he stepped away, as if to disappear down the hall. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably – a very Harry thing for him to do – before turning back to face her, his voice dropping low and almost impossible to hear.

"Meet me on the grounds tonight," he said. "By the back entrance – you know, by the greenhouses."

"What time?" Maddy couldn't deny her piqued curiosity.

"Ten," he said quickly. "No, make it eleven. It'll be safer that way."

Maddy nodded. "Fine," she agreed. "Eleven it is."

Malfoy turned suddenly, and started off. Pulling her bag back over her shoulder, Maddy tried to process the conversation she'd just had. She never spoke to Malfoy so calmly before, nor had he ever spoken to her like that either. She decided it would be best not to mention it to Harry or the others. Malfoy seemed to be thinking along the same lines.

"Oh, and Black –" he called out to her. "Don't tell anyone about this, got it?"

Maddy saluted him, assuring him her lips were sealed. No one would have believed her anyway, that was for certain. Not with the upcoming Gryffindor versus Slytherin match that weekend. For him to be associating with Maddy – it was almost a sin. And vice-versa for her to be associating with him. Harry would have a fit.

As though he had some kind of homing device planted on her, Maddy nearly collided with another body as she turned to start up the stairs. Harry grabbed her arms quickly, preventing her from falling. The look of surprise on his face must have matched the one on hers.

"Harry!" she yelped.

"Mad," he helped her catch her footing before releasing her. "Where have you been? You weren't in class."

"Hospital Wing," she answered instantly. It was the only thing she could think of, and Harry would buy it. He knew nothing about the excess amount of time she was spending in the library. It wasn't like he was ever in there. He would never find out. "Getting treatment. Did I miss anything good? Was Umbridge mad?"

Harry half-shrugged. "No more than usual," he said. "I've got another week of detentions, but Angelina will find a way to get me out of them, I'm sure. I don't think she even noticed you were gone."

"Thanks," Maddy replied off-handedly.

"No, believe me," Harry laughed bitterly. "It's probably a good thing. I wish she wouldn't notice if I was missing." His focus suddenly switched, realizing what she'd said only a minute before. "You were in the Hospital Wing?" he frowned. "Why? What happened? Are you okay?"

"Just getting treatment," she repeated, shifting her feet uncomfortably. She didn't like keeping things from him, and the secret meeting with Malfoy was still weighing on her mind. If she stayed there too long with him, she would have no choice but to spill the beans. "Don't worry about it, Harry. It's nothing big. I would tell you."

Harry gave her a doubtful look.

"I would," she promised. "I've got to go though, Harry. I left a few things upstairs, and I really need to get some studying done. I haven't even started Snape's essay, and it's due tomorrow. So, I'm just going to…"

She started past him, but he caught her just below the elbow, turning her to face him. "I haven't started mine either," he told her. "Don't worry about it. We can all sit down and do it together in the Common Room after the meeting."

Maddy's face fell. She hadn't intended on attending, especially now that she was meeting Malfoy. She hadn't entirely planned on telling Harry this either. Avoiding him had been her goal for the evening.

"Harry, I – I don't know if I can –" Maddy struggled to find the words.

Harry frowned, catching on. His voice dropped as he pulled her closer. "You're not going tonight?" he asked.

"I-I can't," Maddy confessed. "This…I've been in the Hospital a lot, lately, and I just have a lot of stuff I need to catch up on. I'm sorry, Harry." She wasn't really. "I promise I'll come to the next one. I just have a lot to do tonight."

Harry nodded, his lips pulled tight. He let go of her arm and backed down the last couple of stairs, still watching her. "You're coming to the game this weekend though?" he asked, the tone of his voice showing he wasn't entirely getting his hopes up.

"Yeah," Maddy said. Quidditch she could commit to. "Of course. I'll be there. It's Ron's first game. I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"He's good," Harry told her.

"I know he is," she replied.

"I mean, he's no Wood, by any means," he kept talking, almost as if trying to keep her there. "But he's good. Angelina's been working with him. I think you will be impressed."

"I'm sure," Maddy's response was genuine, although she was fairly certain it didn't sound it. She wanted to get away from him and he was making it impossible. She wondered if he knew she was keeping something from him. "I'll be there. I promise. I just really have to go, right now, I'm sorry. Good luck with tonight, okay?"

Harry opened his mouth to reply, but Maddy had already started up the stairs. Rounding the corner, she had to stop to catch her breath, suppressing the oncoming fit of coughs in her chest. Glancing back around the corner, she watched the bottom of the stairs to make sure Harry was gone before hurrying the rest of the length to the Tower. She didn't need any followers.

Nine o'clock rolled around and Maddy pulled out her Potions essay, busying herself in the middle of the Common Room. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched as one by one, the members of Dumbledore's Army made excuse upon excuse to leave the Tower. The Fat Lady commented on the rules, chastising many of them, but obliged, having no other choice than to let them pass through. Once they'd disappeared, Maddy curled up, instead, on the couch, watching the flames in the fireplace as they dwindled. She recalled Umbridge's fingers, reaching for Sirius' face the night they spoke to him. She longed to speak to him again, to ask him for advice, to see what he thought of the Malfoy thing. She knew he would advise against it. He would tell her to keep put in the Tower, that Malfoy was probably setting her up. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that to them, but this time, Maddy felt something different. There was something about this meeting that felt different.

The others would be back, she was certain, before she had to leave, so just after ten she picked up her things and placed them back in her dorm. Making her way down the stairs, she thought up an excuse to tell the Fat Lady about her disappearance. She couldn't use the Hospital Wing as an excuse at that hour. It was closed.

But the Fat Lady didn't ask. Maddy donned her jacket, and hurried down the hall. In the distance, she could hear the faint voices of approaching students, excited about some new spell they'd just learned. Harry's voice sounded louder than the rest, urging the others to be quiet. Maddy darted behind a corner, waiting for the group to pass.

As they disappeared down the hall, Maddy resumed her trek toward the back entrance to the school. She was early, according to the large grandfather clock near the Great Hall, but had she left only a few minutes later, she would have had difficulty getting past the others and out of the Tower. She only had to avoid Filch and Mrs. Norris from here on out. Umbridge was surely sleeping. She never did her own dirty work.

Maddy took her time, passing down the back steps, moving toward the greenhouses. She couldn't recall the last time she'd set foot in them. Herbology had long since been left behind her. Pressing her hands against the windows, she tried to see inside, finding the darkness too thick to make out any of the new plants. Turning around, she shielded her eyes slightly from the bright moonlight streaming across the grass. Something large and winged passed across the face of the moon, disappearing shortly after, and Maddy fell jealous, wishing she too could be up there. It was a beautiful night for it. The fall air wasn't too heavy – just nicely brisk. The temptation grew.

But something snapped behind her, and she whirled around, spotting the tall blonde figure moving around the corner of the farthest greenhouse. Maddy stood her ground, preparing for whatever trick Malfoy had up his sleeve. She gripped her wand in her pocket tightly.

"You showed," he breathed, coming closer to her.

"Are you surprised?" she asked coolly.

"Honestly?" he raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Where's Potter?"

Maddy shook her head. "He's not here."

"You're lying," Malfoy declared. "Where is he?"

"I didn't tell him about this," Maddy told him, honestly. She raised her hands in innocence, letting go of her wand only briefly. "I did as you told me to."

Malfoy's eyes narrowed. "Why?" he asked.

"Because you told me to," Maddy said firmly. "I don't have to tell Harry everything I do."

"I thought you two were –" Malfoy gestured uncomfortably with his hands. "I don't know – a thing."

Maddy shook her head again. "Not as far as I'm concerned," she said. "Like I said, he doesn't need to know everything I do. For all he knows, I'm in the library studying right now."

Malfoy stared at her for a few long moments before breaking his stoic appearance. He smiled faintly and glanced back toward the castle. They hadn't been followed. Maddy didn't need to look to know that. She stared at him instead, expectant of an answer.

"Why am I here?" she finally asked.

Malfoy drew a deep breath, glancing once again over his shoulder. Without answering, he grabbed her by the arm and led her behind another greenhouse. He waited, listening intently to the silence before deciding to speak. When he did, he leaned in, his face not far from hers. Maddy had never seen him so close before.

"I've heard a rumor, Black," he started. "A rumor about you."

"There are many rumors about me," she replied calmly. "I hear them every day."

"No," Malfoy shook his head. "No, this is in regards to…the Dark Lord."

Maddy lifted her eyes, narrowing them slightly. She'd never heard a student refer to him like that before, and it was unsettling. Only Voldemort's followers called him the "Dark Lord". Suddenly, Maddy felt less safe than she imagined.

"What about him?" she tried to keep herself steady.

"You know things," he said. "About him. You know things you're not supposed to know. Stuff even Potter doesn't know, isn't that right?"

"You're being incredibly vague, Malfoy," Maddy shot at him. "If you've got a question for me, then just ask! You're a big boy!"

"You know what's happened, don't you?" Malfoy burst. "You know what's happened, and you know what's going to happen. Isn't that right? You're some kind of seer – a prophet – something, aren't you?"

Maddy fell quiet. She wasn't allowed to talk about that. She hadn't told anyone really, aside from her friends and family, but even they weren't supposed to know. She couldn't imagine how Malfoy found out, and she was certain he wasn't about to tell her. Rumors like that couldn't be raging around the school. It wasn't safe. Especially for her. She would be targeted in a heartbeat.

"It's not like that…" she admitted. She was no prophet. She knew only what she'd been told by another. She saw nothing herself. "I only know -"

"But you do know," Malfoy almost seemed desperate. He was less threatening this way. Scared, even. "You know that he's back, right?"

He gripped Maddy's shoulders tightly, holding her before him. Maddy didn't know what to say. If she answered him, she was in danger of disobeying Dumbledore, but she believed Voldemort was back despite what she'd read in some silly little book. Malfoy was merely asking for her opinion, wasn't he? She could argue that, she thought.

"Yes," she whispered, stepping closer to him. "Yes, I do. But I think you already knew that."

Malfoy frowned, his usual cocky air completely gone from his body. He nodded, admittedly. "Yeah," he said. "I did. I just…I needed to know."

Maddy suddenly understood, her eyes growing wide. "You wanted to know…" she couldn't get the words out. She swallowed hard before finishing her sentence. "You wanted to know your role in the whole thing?"

If it were possible for Draco Malfoy's face to turn any paler, it did so in those moments. Without admitting to anything, she had already given him the answer he was seeking. He nodded shortly, and Maddy sighed. She couldn't get away with this one. She'd have to leave him hanging.

"I…I can't tell you," she said. "Honestly, Draco, I would. But I'm forbidden."

The frustration rose in Malfoy's eyes. Maddy's nerves suddenly stirred again, fearing for her safety. She didn't know why she felt bad keeping things from him. It was he who wanted to help Voldemort in the first place, wasn't it? That's what she'd always thought.

"I have to honor my bloodline, Black," Malfoy sighed. "You of all people should understand that."

Maddy nodded just the slightest. "I do," she assured him. "You're going to have to do what you have to do to honor your Father."

Malfoy said nothing. He finally let go of her arms, a look of remorse and dissatisfaction upon his face. He paced a little in front of her, shaking his head. She could do nothing but watch. She had no supportive words of wisdom, or advice. They all just had to sit and let the future unfold as it was supposed to. Malfoy had his role, and it would become clear to him when the time was right. He would have to wait. Just like the others.

"It's not easy," Maddy said aloud. "I know it's not."

"You don't know anything!" Malfoy spat at her, suddenly angry. "You don't know what it's like to have this kind of pressure on you! I have no idea what the Dark Lord is going to ask me to do! But I can't just say no!"

Maddy took a step toward him. "Yes, you can," she told him, her voice a little louder than she intended. "You can always say no. Be different than the others, Draco. If you don't like your fate, then change it. You've still got time."

"You don't understand," Malfoy heaved, still shaking his head. "I can't."

"Yes," Maddy insisted, grabbing his arm. "Yes, you can."

Malfoy turned slowly to glance at her. She couldn't help him, not in the way he wanted to be helped, but in that moment, she was doing the best that she could. She still couldn't reason with herself, or explain to herself, why, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Like Harry, Malfoy found himself in a position of way too much responsibility for his age. No other teenager, be they muggle or magic, would ever have to deal with what those two had to at their age. Maddy understood that. She captured the side of Malfoy's face in her hand, forcing him to look at her.

"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Yeah?" Malfoy laughed lightly, a strange sadness behind it. "Me too."

Sighing, he pulled away and started back toward the castle. Maddy watched as his cloak began to fade into the shadows cast by the building. Before his blonde hair disappeared entirely, she called out to him, catching his attention.

"I'm here, you know!" she said, still unsure why she did so. "If you ever – you know – need someone."

Malfoy didn't respond. He stared at her for what felt like forever before turning back around and retreating up the stairs. Maddy remained outside. She needed the fresh air, given the very odd circumstances. She tried to play the day over and over in her head, but it still didn't make any sense. Even in a situation like that, he would never have asked her for help. He was too proud for something like that.

Finally, tired of tossing and turning over the ideas and possibilities, Maddy decided she would do as the others would, and deal with it when she had to.

A/N: I hope you liked it. There's bound to be some interesting stuff coming up, especially with Malfoy now in the picture. Maddy will be an asset to him, while he can be an asset to her. What will happen next? Who knows! I'll try to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Once again, I thank you for your patience! Much love!