UNBREAK | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 5)

[ 19 ]

As Aine's friends spent the next few days looking into the mysterious 'Half-Blood Prince' who had been Harry's favourite cheat book owner, she occupied her time in the Room of Requirement fixing the Vanishing Cabinet. Mending the furniture was no easy task as both Aine and Draco expected, it wasn't just speaking the repairing incantation as it required tremendous concentration and repeated efforts. Thus, the process became a long and winding one that resulted in them being exhausted by the time they were done for the day, or in most cases, done for the night. They would return to their common rooms drenched in a cold sweat, faces pale and worn out and pass out from the tiredness. This was their regular agenda and lives they had lived in their fifth and sixth year.

If it were possible to have the cabinet delivered to Borgin for inspection, they would have done so without hesitation. But it would have caught too many people's eyes and drawn suspicions to them both as to why they had brought a big ominous cabinet out of the school.

Aine stared at the encased necklace sitting on the abandoned desk, she open the display box covering it and struggled with the urge to want to touch it. The opals glistened in the gloomy room and she could hear the soft shrieks coming from them, probably from the souls that were lost because of it. Draco sat next to her and observes the girl and the necklace, neither one of them spoke. They were enthralled by the deadly piece of jewellery.

"Tomorrow—" Aine started, her eyes fluttering away. "We should bring this to Hogsmeade."

"I can do the compelling if you're not comfortable with doing it," Draco offers. He could see the hesitation swirling in her golden eyes, he could tell that Aine didn't want to do it.

She shook her head, ignoring the bitterness in her lips as she spoke, "No— Let me do it." She has compelled people before, a couple of times actually. If anyone is to use such unforgivable curses, it should be her. She couldn't risk Draco doing it since she has done it before. She has already sinned.

Draco sighed, he closes the box and wraps it back with the cloth to protect it. "I'll lure Madam Rosmerta away then," he said and Aine nodded with a small smile. The two had decided that they would compel the landlady of the Three Broomsticks since they found out that Dumbledore would usually go to her pub to drink. There, they hoped that Rosmerta would hand over the opal jewellery to their Headmaster as a gift.

"We should head back and have a good rest before tomorrow, love," Draco suggested. It was getting late and they were clearly tired from fixing the cabinet. He extended a hand to Aine and the girl took it before he pulls her up and gives her a hug.

Aine returned the embrace and they stayed in each other's arms for some time, finding the strength and comfort they so desperately needed. They could only pray that their plan works tomorrow so that they could be done with it. Yet, on the other hand, they had secretly wished that it would fail. For neither truly ever wanted to kill their Headmaster, nor hurt anyone who was innocent. 

They thought of their family, Narcissa and Aion who were both back home. Godric knows what they're being put through while they were gone. The Dark Lord had sworn to Aine that he would not touch their family, under the agreement that they carry out their tasks properly and successfully. So as much as Aine and Draco hated to do it, they had to for the sake of their families. 

The Dark Lord was watching their every move. He might not be physical with them in Hogwarts, especially with the protective enchantments around the school preventing dark forces from intruding. They know that Voldemort was there, lurking in the depths of their slowly corrupted minds and crawling under their skin, hidden in the Dark Mark on their forearms.

Although Aine had gotten into bed earlier than usual, sleep had not come as easy as she thought. How could she sleep in peace when her mind is screaming with uneasiness and doubts? When she finally drifted off to the darkness, her dreams haunted her. It would come nearly most nights, causing the girl to toss and turn under the covers. Dreams about her father's death, replaying again and again and every single time, she tried to save him by getting him out of the house before the Deatheaters invaded or even send him away on some errands. His death was something she cannot reverse, he would always end up dying one way or another. An endless loop of misery and anguish.