XX

Hether took in a deep breath. The air was light and crisp, and seemed to purify her lungs from inside out. It was quiet, and very still, as if all of nature had been frozen in their night slumber.

"Okay, open your eyes now." She stepped forward. Her boots trampled the grass beneath her, but she could feel the warmth of the earth as it crept up her skin.

There was a sharp intake of breath. "Are you really this keen on getting us expelled?"

"No, but I am keen on getting you connected with water. Do everything I do." She said and bent, taking off her shoes. Draco tried his best to hide his paranoia as he set his brogues next to her shoes, but she sensed it and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "You're afraid."

"No, I'm very anxious right now, because we could get in trouble for just being near the Black Lake alone!" He frowned at her.

Hether scoffed. "No one's going to see us. I put up a shield that will hide us from even Dumbledore."

"You must teach me how to do that."

"He's not as powerful as he seems, believe me. He's just old and stressed out and cranky."

Draco watched as she stepped into the water, one foot at a time. As the water silently swirled around her feet, she seemed to relax and loosen up, as if she were in the one place that her guard wasn't up. A hollow feeling began to swell up in his chest, and he realised it was pity. He had never felt pity for anyone. He never had to – he was always the one who was pitied.

Even though Hether's shoulders seemed to be at ease, they were still stiffly locked in a downwards slump. He felt suddenly compelled to make her relax – a sense of obligation that was foreign to him took over, and he stepped forwards, placed his hands on her shoulders and gently massaged her shoulders until he could feel them relax under the throb of his fingers.

"Thank you," it came out barely a whisper, but it rang loud and clear. It was enough for him. A thousand realisations were fleeting through his head. He realised that in some ways, she too was raw and vulnerable. Even though she had the exterior of ten armadillos, she was still as fragile as an egg, and it was his duty to make sure that no one came close to smashing that egg. He realised that he had no other motivation but her to do anything. Nothing else mattered but the fact that they were okay. He realised that even though he was younger than his father's horse, and she was older than the ground in which they stood, he was in love with her.

He would die for her. He would kill for her. He would die with her, even though he knew she was incapable of the act.

Her breaths came out slowly; barely, and she knew she was relaxed. His hands fell from her shoulders, and wrapped themselves around her waist, and his lips descended to her neck, and planted the softest of kisses there that she was so sure she imagined it. The moment was over; they both knew, and they pried themselves apart; the cool air filling the cavity.

She turned around to face him, and her eyes shone a brilliant gold. He smirked; it wasn't a figment of his imagination after all.

"I should be the one smirking," the corner of her lips lifted.

"Oh? And why is that?" He gently jeered.

"You've been standing in water for the past ten minutes." She folded her arms across her chest.

His smirk disappeared instantly and his face turned the whitest she had ever seen. She rolled her eyes as he began to flail about and reach for her arm.

"You're such a drama queen. It's only up to your ankles. Relax." She swatted his hands away. "You were standing like, two minutes ago."

He took a deep breath and blinked furiously, forcing himself to toughen up. It was just a foot or so of water, right? Nothing to worry about.

"Take off your shirts." She motioned to his clothes.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "You're being ridiculous. It's freezing out here."

"Draco, we're at the beginning of summer. It's about fourteen degrees. You can do it."

"I-I'm a very cold person!" He sputtered, his face turning pink. "You take off your clothes and see how you like it!"

Hether groaned. "I was going to, anyway! You're so dramatic."

Draco let out a dog-like yelp as he reluctantly peeled off his sweater, much to her amusement. He then proceeded to spend the next five minutes taking off his shirt, body hunched over to keep himself warm. Then he turned to face her, clearly annoyed and pink from head to torso in an effort to keep himself warm.

"I suppose you're very pleased now." He scowled.

"Yes, I am actually." She took off her sweatshirt and cast it on the grassy bank. Draco's eyes lingered for a bit on her coffee-coloured torso before he forced his eyes away. She wasn't slim or skinny like the other girls, but was a little on the curvy side, with her waistline curving out below the waistband of her trousers. "Come on, we need to go further out."

"Why?" He whined. "It's already deep enough here."

"Aren't you supposed to be a man?" she ignored him and walked further into the water.

"That was very rude," he called out to her. "Apologise."

She mumbled something but he heard nothing.

"What was that?"

"You'll hear me sir, if you came closer." She stopped and turned to face him. He narrowed his eyes. The water stopped at her mid-thigh. Since he was taller than her by half a head, it would be shallower for him.

"You're lucky I like you!" he retorted and walked through the water to meet her. It was a strange feeling, the water. He found it to be very fluid as it wove around his legs, and if he didn't think about it, he felt as if it weren't there.

He scowled at Hether when he reached her.

"Did you die?" she looked at him with large, mocking eyes. He snorted his reply and looked out to the horizon as far as he could see. "Okay…so, you're in the water. If you've noticed, it feels like nothing is around you – that's to say it's already become a part of you, so you can move with it as one. Like so."

He watched as she gracefully but sharply stretched out her left arm to the side. The water moved swiftly rose and moved in the same manner like a javelin, and landed back in the water just as gracefully.

"For you, the water is an extension of yourself." She lowered her arms into the water and beckoned for him to do the same. "Don't focus too hard or you'll lose it. Relax and be at ease."

Draco mirrored her movements as she brought up a hand, drawing a column of water up as she did so. He looked down at his hand. The surface of the water had broken, and his own column was rising – slowly and unstable, but still rising. He pictured a smooth, cylindrical column like the ones that held up the roof of the basement back home, and to his surprise, his column of water began to smoothen.

"Very good, Draco."

He lifted his eyes briefly to acknowledge her. A spark of pride lit in his heart the longer he kept the column on place. He was important, and was capable of doing something even the dark lord could never dream to do. Draco took a deep breath and ignored any restraints that crept into his mind. He lifted the other hand out of the water and began to toy with the column in his hand. It was fascinating and delighted him greatly. Who would have thought that he, shoved into the background of the Malfoy name, would be the redeeming grace?

"What next, Hether?" He looked up, but she was gone.

Draco spun round in the water, but Hether was nowhere to be found. Panic settled in, and the water seemed to rise around him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. The water was indeed rising.

Draco gasped and tried to wade back to the banks, but the more he tried, the further he fell back, until the water level had risen to his neck. His limbs began to grow heavy as he thrashed about, trying to keep himself afloat. He couldn't swim. He didn't want to die in the Black Lake. He wasn't even sure if the water on his face was from his tears or the water lapping about his face. Draco grew suddenly tired, and the sky let go of him as he sank beneath the water.