OBSIDIAN HEART 2 (Draco Malfoy)

N I N E

*
     *
*
|
|
|

•Caeracie's Tunnels, A forest somewhere•

Lavinia, Draco and Ezekiel walked in a slow procession along the various tunnels, the youngest blond boy keeping his eyes on the greying tips of his soulmates hair as they wound their way through random chambers and across platforms. Lavinia knew that if not for her connection with the Cauldron, they would have never been able to locate it in this labyrinth. She was still not entirely convinced she'd taken them in the right direction but it most definitely did not seem like the right time to point out her doubts.

"Shh," she urged them and they silenced from where they'd been bickering back and forth about how hungry they were. Lavinia hadn't a clue why that was a decent argument topic but she was focused on something else now... Namely, the sound of hushed whispers up ahead. Another of her parent's favourite tricks, then... Marvellous. Lavinia reached into the satchel she was carrying and pulled out her dress from the Merlin Festival. Using her knife, she cut off long strips. "Hold hands," she urged in the most serious voice she could muster and they wisely did not question her as they did as she asked.

Carefully, Lavinia tied their hands together and then instructed Ezekiel to tie her hand to Draco's. Their chain was now fully formed and there was no breaking it. Lavinia was glad for that security, knowing that they could not get lost or separated in what was to come. 

"What is it, Nia?" Draco questioned, linking his fingers with hers and she smiled as she handed him more fabric to use as a blindfold-- he just did not know that yet. 

"Up ahead is an Echo Chamber, it was designed using the science behind a Boggart. The whispers reflect different voices to each person who enters, they are designed to waylay you, if you look at them-- it will kill you. You need to keep your blindfolds on no matter what you hear and you need to keep moving. Just like before, do not allow it to get to you. It may very well be the last thing you ever do. Remember that we are together, that we are all that is real-- the whispers, they are all lies," she attempted, not wishing to show her terror. The creatures were daemons, Echo daemons but there was no use in telling them that. They did not need to be any more scared than they already were.

"So just ignore them?"

"Yes," she smiled.

"I say we sing a song and just keep singing it until we get to the other end. Do you both know the words to 'Do the Hippogriff?" Ezekiel offered and Draco scoffed around a smile. Lavinia didn't but listening to them sing it would certainly help distract her from the echoes. She was grateful for them.  

"Blindfolds on and don't stop singing," she urged and they did as instructed. Lavinia tugged hers down and pulled them into the chamber, slowly moving the procession. Ezekiel started singing almost immediately.

"Move your body like a hairy troll, learn to rock and roll--" he started and Draco soon joined in, sounding much less excited about the singing but doing it regardless. Lavinia squeezed his hand reassuringly. She knew the instant the whispers must have reached them because they were suddenly singing much more loudly. 

"You are a failure, Lavinia," her Hufflepuff mother hissed in her ear and she reminded herself that it was not real, even though it hurt so profusely to hear the woman she loved say that. "You had one job and you failed us. You are no daughter of mine," it switched to her Ravenclaw Mother instead. 

"Can you dance like a Hippogriff, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma, ma," Draco and Ezekiel chorused loudly, nearing a shout, loud enough to drown out the whispers and she was grateful as she continued to tug them... More managed to find their way through to her.