✓ | RECKLESS AND BRAVE | Draco Malfoy

62 | JAYUS

JAYUS
(n.) a joke so unfunny and poorly told that you can't help but laugh

TESSA WASN'T EXACTLY LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. It was the last week of the holidays, and Tessa spent it figuring things out. She understood what it was Draco was tasked by the Dark Lord to do — fix the Vanishing Cabinet. It was rather obvious: one was in Borgin and Burkes, and one was in Hogwarts. And if Tessa guessed right — it was to serve as a passageway for Death Eaters.

     She had wanted to open a door to Draco's room as soon as she got back to the Burrow, but she found Apollo waiting for her with a letter from Draco. It said that it was too dangerous for her to visit him, especially with the constant in and out of Death Eaters and Voldemort himself.

     Tessa was with the other three in Fred and George's room, tossing a baseball in the air as she lay draped over a couch.

     "Yes, I've already agreed it was fishy, Harry," Hermione said impatiently, poring over her copy of Ancient Runes Translations. "But haven't we agreed there could be a lot of explanations?"

     "Maybe he's broken his Hand of Glory," Ron offered, fixing his broomstick twigs. "Remember that shriveled-up arm Malfoy had?"

Tessa stayed silent, letting the baseball thump against the ceiling before catching it — and repeating the process again.

"But what about when he said, 'Don't forget to keep that one safe'?" Harry asked again. "That sounded to me like Borgin's got another one of the broken objects, and Malfoy wants both."

Thump.

"Tessa, what do you know about it?"

Thump. "Nothing."

"You reckon?" Ron asked Harry.

"Yeah, I do," Harry said firmly, "Malfoy's father's in Azkaban. Don't you think Malfoy'd like revenge?"

Thump. "No, he wouldn't."

     Ron glanced up at them. "Malfoy, revenge? What can he do about it?"

     "That's my point, I don't know!" Harry said frustratedly.

     Thump.

     "But he's up to something and I think we should take it seriously. His father's a Death Eater and — WOULD YOU STOP THROWING THAT BALL?"

     Tessa caught the baseball back in the base of her palms as she glared at Harry for the uncalled attitude he was showing. Even Ron and Hermione looked surprised with what happened, and they were both afraid it was going to be a repeat of the beginning of their fifth year when Harry wouldn't stop shouting at them because nobody told him what was going on.

     "Harry?" Hermione said anxiously. "What's wrong?"

     "Your scar's not hurting again, is it?" Ron asked nervously.

     Tessa shifted her glare to the wall as she toyed with the ball in her hands.

     "He's a Death Eater," Harry said slowly. "He's replaced his father as a Death Eater!"

     The ball went soaring across the room as Tessa said calmly, "You don't know what you're talking about. Don't go making assumptions on things you don't have proof on."

     Ron seemed to think it was hilarious because he bursted out laughing. "Malfoy? He's sixteen, Harry! You think You-Know-Who would let Malfoy join?"