Maledictus

Ch.38 - Promises

"Yeah sure"

Before she knew what she was getting herself into, she was following Draco out of the Great Hall and into an empty classroom.

He locked it behind him.

"You cut your hair" he said.

"Yeah, scales got out of hand" she answered, it felt nice to admit it to someone.
Even if it's not the best person ever.

"Does that mean your curse is getting worse?"

"Yeah"

"How much longer?"

"Maybe a year, probably less"

Alice sighed.
It hurt to say it out loud.
Sometimes she felt normal, a girl without a curse, but admitting her time limit brought her back to reality.

"And do you know what's worse?" Draco shrugged, asking her to continue. "I was only staying alive for Henry, I had to keep it from progressing so I could see him. But he's dead....I won't see him again"

Draco didn't know how to respond.
He was partly responsible for his death.
And then he mocked Henry.

"I'm sorry about your brother"

"It was bound to happen, it's how my life is"

They stood in silence.
Until Alice remembered the real reason they were here.

"Sorry what did you want to talk about?" she asked, ashamed she burdened him with her troubles.

"Promise me you won't jump to conclusions"

"Promise"

"Promise me that you won't tell Harry"

"Promise"

He sucked in a breath, breathing out slowly.
He hasn't told anyone before.
But something told him Alice would understand.

"I have to do something" he said.

"Something?"

"I have to kill someone"

Alice took a step back, her hand gripped on her wand, ready to draw at any chance she got.

Draco took out his wand and dropped it on the floor beneath them.
"I'm not going to hurt you"

Alice relaxed.

"And you defiantly don't a have a second wand?"

"I defiantly don't have a second wand" he smiled, turning out his pockets.

"Can you explain?" she asked. "I won't judge"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

Draco took a step forward.
He wasn't ready.
But he had to be now.

"Tomorrow something will happen" he began. "And as much as you will want to be part of it, you can't, okay?"

"Why?"

"They want to take you back"

"I'm confused"

"Just promise me you'll stay in the Gryffindor dorms tomorrow night, promise me Alice"

"I need something in return"

Draco was taken aback by her request, not sure what she meant.
She couldn't be there on that night, they'd take her away and he promised her that she wouldn't go back.

"And what's that?"

"I want a funeral for Henry, please"

Draco was silent.

"I want to see him"

"Okay" he said. "I'll see what I can do"

Alice smiled widely.
Even if he was dead, she was seeing him again.
And that's all she needed.

Alice put her hand on her chest. "I promise that tomorrow night I will lock myself in the Gryffindor dorms and cut myself off from the world for the night"

Draco laughed.
The real Alice everyone loved was finally coming to life.
Alice was becoming Alice.

"Thanks Alice"

Draco got up to leave.
But Alice stopped him.

"You're going to kill Dumbledore, right?"

Draco turned to her and nodded.
It didn't matter how she knew.

But she was right.

Dumbledore was to die tomorrow.