Harry
"Unbreakable vow." Ron repeated. "You're sure that's what Snape said?"
"Positive. Why?"
"Well, it's just you can't break an unbreakable vow." He said in a sort of awe.
"I'd worked that much out for myself, funnily enough." After Cassie had to make the vow of course. Before she explained it, I didn't really get why you couldn't just break it. I'll never have to wonder that again now that I know the girl I'm falling in love with could die at any given second just for saying the wrong thing.
"Oh, bloody hell." Ron muttered. I followed his distressed gaze to the door. Lavender had exhaled a breath on the window and was tracing a heart and words into it. Ron let out a uneasy sound as he forced a smile.
I began to fiddle with the strap of the seat I was sitting on to avoid any awkward gazes from him or Lavender. When I looked back at the glass, "R+L" had been written on. Lavender blew Ron a dramatic kiss before she finally walked away from our compartment.
"Lovely." I complimented.
Ron leaned an uncomfortable amount forward. "All she wants to do is is snog me. My lips are getting chapped. Look!"
I leaned back into my seat as far as I could. "I'll take your word for it."
Ron fell back with a shake of his head. His eyes fell down to my hand where I clutched a small black box. "What's that?" He asked. Before I could lie, he took the box from me.
He grinned up at me as he saw the contents inside. "For your girlfriend?"
"Yes. And it's meant for her eyes, not yours." I took the box back from him and snapped it shut.
"It's stunning. I bet she'll love it." He said with a nod before looking towards the door at a figure moving by. Hermione paused at the compartment door. Her smile dropped at the sight of Lavender's drawing.
Ron's face also fell as she moved on from our compartment. I can't say I blame her. She probably thinks Ron participated in the words still covering the window.
"Ron?" I asked. "What happens to you? What happens when you break an unbreakable vow?" Of course Cassie already told me. I just want to be sure. It doesn't really seem real. Maybe hearing someone else confirm it will help?
"You die."
My head fell back against the seat with a defeated sigh. "Brilliant."
~
Cassiopeia Nott
Theo drummed his fingers on the compartment table in front of us. He looked between Draco, Athena, and I expectingly, waiting for someone to break the silence. Eventually, he sighed. "You could cut the tension in here with a butter knife." He observed. "What's going on?"
Athena lifted her head off Draco's shoulder. "I'm wallowing in self pity until we get there." I don't blame her. All this stuff going on with Cho and Ginny can't possibly be easy. "Leave. Me. Alone." She seethed through gritted teeth.
Theo threw his hands up in defense. "Geez, ok. All I did was ask a question." He turned to face me, resting his head in his hand. "Hello my lovely twin sister."
"Hi, Teddy."
"What's up with you?"
Well, our father has me tied to him with an unbreakable bond that also forces me to keep Dumbledore's up and coming murder a secret, I'm fake dating your best friend, and I'm for real dating the chosen one.
I shrugged. "The usual."
He groaned, letting his head drop forward onto the table. "Boring, boring, boring."
I pat his back in comfort. "Don't be sad, Teddy. We'll be home to our verbally abusive father soon. That's something to look forward to."
He let out a dry laugh. "Sounds like an excellent excuse to get drunk at the stupid Pureblood Ball again."
The Pureblood Ball. Not really called that but it should be since only respectable purebloods are invited. It's actually called the Christmas Ball. We have to go every year. It's painfully boring to anyone under the age of 30 but we make the most of it by sneaking off to the rooftop and having a small party of our own.
Draco dropped his head back against the seat. "I completely forgot about that. It's going to be even worse than usual with the whole deatheaters uprise."
"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Dracie-poo?" Theo asked kindly, batting his eyelashes an obnoxious amount. Draco didn't take it so lightly. He turned towards the window, making a point not to look at Theo.
Theo and I exchanged a smile. Athena narrowed her eyes at us. "What are you two so giddy about?"
"Us?" Theo asked in a mocking tone.
A grin grew as I realized what game he wanted to play. "What ever do you mean?"
"There's just so many things to be giddy about."
"The lovely weather."
"These comfy cushions."
"This glorious train."
"Haha. Very funny." Athena said plainly. She sighed. "You can't deny Draco's right, though. This holiday is going to suck serious ass."
I nodded in agreement. Someone knocked on the compartment and a piece of paper slid under the door. Theo was first to pick it up. He cleared his throat before reading the note aloud in a Scottish accent.
Antionette,
Meet me in the dressing compartments.
- Pierre
Theo laughed. "Looks like someones about to get Christmas early this year." He set the note on the table. "Antionette, I sincerely hope you can walk yourself off this train in a few hours. I would tell you myself, but alas, there is no Antionette here."
I stood up and began to rummage through my bag. I was glad to be turned away from everyone so they couldn't see the heat rising to my cheeks. I could feel Athena's eyes on me. "What are you doing?" She asked.
"I have to go to the bathroom." I said as I turned back towards them and picked the note up off the table. "I'll find Antionette along the way and pass along this note."
Draco nodded to the small black bag I had gotten out of my luggage that was now in my hand. "What's that?"
I shifted the note and the bag into the same hand and used the other to open the compartment door. "Lady stuff." I left before I could hear any reply. I nearly ran down the train towards the dressing compartments.
Harry leaned against the door to one of the compartments, grinning when he saw me. He slipped inside and I eagerly followed after him. I made sure the door was locked behind me just in case that note really did have a dirty meaning.
He slipped his hand behind my neck and turned me to face him, pulling me into a kiss I wanted to sink into and never return from. Sadly I did return when he pulled away. "As fun as that is," He raised a little black box. "It's not the reason the code names were brought out."
I raised my little black bag. "Perfect timing."
His grin turned into a more genuine smile. "I am so unbelievably lucky to be able to call you mine." I tiled my head up to kiss him again. It's hard not to when he says things like that.
"Same time?" I asked. He nodded and we gave each other our poorly wrapped gifts. I gasped when I saw what was in the tiny box. A small golden heart shaped locket was wrapped inside the box. My smile grew even wider.
When I looked back up at Harry, he just looked confused by his gift. "Cass, what exactly is this?"
"A blinker call thing."
He let out a light laugh that trailed off when he saw I was serious."A what?"
"Here," I took one of the two electronic boxes from him. I pressed a small white button on the side of the first and the second beeped. Then, I pressed the identical white button on the second one, and the first one beeped. "You just press that little button on yours, and I'll know you want to talk me. I figured since you were always seeking me out, this would make it easier."
He took his blinker call thing and pressed the white button. Mine beeped twice. "You wanted to see me?" I jokingly asked.
He looked rather empathetic. "I love it, I do. But do you know what this really is?"
I peered at little electric boxes. "Not exactly. Daphne gave it to me from her box of muggle junk."
He laughed again. "It's a garage opener."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "A what?"
"A garage opener. You know, they are attached to houses. It's where muggles park their cars."
"Well, I know what a car is." I paused a moment, trying to think of what a garage could look like. "Could you explain it one more time? And how my blinker call things open it?"
"I'll show you one one day. But see these," He gestured to two large buttons on the blinker call thing that I couldn't figure out the use of. "These are the buttons that open and shut the garage."
"They make it blink."
"Yes, they make the garage open, as well."
I waved it off. "Whatever. My use is better anyway."
"I'm almost afraid to ask, but do you know what a pager is?"
"Like in a book?"
"I'll take that as a no." He kissed the side of my forehead. "I love your gift. I'm excited to be able to talk to you now whenever I please. It was getting tiring searching the entire castle for you everyday."
I beamed up at him. "And I love my new locket. It's beautiful, really." I looked down at the necklace in my hand. Along the brim of the heart, small designs were etched into the sides. My thumb traced along the two sides of the locket. I edged my nail in between them to try and pry it open.
"It won't open like that." He took my hands in his and shifted my fingers so they were pressing down on the locket. I heard a small click, and the locket opened up. "I had it charmed so only your hands and mine could open it." He explained.
I peered down at the golden words etched in. It was a tiny copy of the rules list we had made on the second week of being together. Little butterflies flurried through my stomach at the fact he had it personally made. How could I have ever questioned whether he cared about me? I looked back up to him. He was watching me anxiously waiting to see my reaction.
I reached up again to kiss him. "It's perfect, Harry. Thank you." He looked happy with my reaction. Help me put it on?" He nodded and took the necklace. I turned and moved my hair to the side. He carefully slid it over my neck and clasped the chain. I grasped the locket in my hand, holding it tight.
He took a step back, admiring his work. "Now, I get to be always closer to your heart." He paused a moment before grinning. "And your chest."
"How poetic. You should get that tattooed."
"Maybe I will."
My eyes went wide at the determined look on his face. "Harry, I was kidding. Please don't get that tattooed."
"It's too late. I've already decided where I'm going to put it." He gestured to right underneath his eye.
I laughed. "You're an idiot."
He cupped my face with his hand."You should laugh more. It's the most lovely sound I've ever heard." He leaned in to kiss the side of my forehead. "I have to go. Ron's going to get suspicious. Especially since I've already changed out of my robes."
I gave him a small half smile. "Go. I bet after this whole five minutes away from you he's dying of boredom." I raised my blinker call thing and waved it. "Make sure to...blinker call thing me."
He grinned. "I plan on it."
~
A few hours later, we arrived at Kings Cross. From there, a house elf apparated us to Malfoy Manor. I have no clue why our parents would still want us to stay here with all the deatheater stuff going on. At the very least, aren't they worried about us overhearing something?
Our bags floated behind us, thanks to a charm Athena used, as we walked the large halls of the manor. It was never a cheery place but now...you can practically feel the dark magic on your skin.
Athena and I headed to the room we usually share. It only has one bed but we didn't mind. Neither of us would admit it out loud, but we're both scared to be alone in this house. Our bags dropped atop the king sized bed. Everything is just as I remember it, same black duvet, same white dressers, same pearl blue walls, and yet, everything is different.
Athena sighed heavily. "We should have stayed at Hogwarts this year."
I opened up my trunk. "You know our parents wouldn't have let us. God forbid their perfect pureblood children don't accompany them to their perfect pureblood ball." I began unpacking my clothes into the drawers.
"Only two more years till we're free of them." Athena took some of my clothes and helped to fold them into the dressers. "Then, we can spend every Christmas in Paris. We'll get fancy french hats and drink tea and eat crumpets till the new year."
Someone knocked at the door, not waiting for a reply before walking in. Athena and I both stood up a little straighter and raised our chins a little higher at the sight of Portia Lestrange.
An exquisite woman, all around. With her hair in it's perfect curly black updo, her form fitting forest green blouse and business pants resting perfectly on her, and sharp red nails, it's hard to to be intimidated by the woman.
My eyes fell to the dark mark on her arm. Before I found out what she was, I wanted to be like her. Powerful, that is. Now I wish to be nothing like her. I never before realized how scared of her everyone is.
"Girls," She greeted with a curt nod. "I hope your arrangements are to your liking."
"They are, Mother." Athena confirmed. "We were just unpacking our trunks."
She grimaced. "That's what house elves are for."
"It's no trouble." I said through the fakest smile I could manage.
She didn't even try to hide the resentment of our choice on her face. "Very well. When you are done, meet me in the parlor?"
Athena spoke up next. "May I ask why?"
She turned to leave. "Narcissa and I wish to speak with you."
---------------
(2518 Words - Published May 15, 2021)
i hate writing fluff so much i much prefer arguments, torture, and death
they can be so fun to write
fluff, however, is not