UNBREAK | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 5)

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The new year came quickly after Christmas, and so did the holidays that had gone by in a blink of an eye. Needless to say, though it was for a short while, both Aine and Draco had managed to find some happiness and peace during that time, healing their hearts and mind even if it was ephemeral. Winter was colder and lonelier that year, but Aine did manage to find some warmth and comfort which was hard to come by these days.

She had also spent her time wisely, valuing every second, minute and hour, day and making use of the fact that her friends were away to do the things she could not usually do. Since when everyone started to return to school, she knew doing such secretive things would not be easy.

Not only had Aine caught up with her studies (with a little tutoring help from Draco), she managed to complete all of her homework before the holidays came to an end, and even diligently revised in advance for her O.W.Ls. However, if there was one thing Aine wasn't quite satisfied with was the little to no progression of their attempts of assassinating Dumbledore.

In fact, her new Potions professor has yet to even touch the bottle of poisoned mead. When Aine purposefully went to visit him during one of her free days just to check if it was still in Slughorn's possession, the brown glass bottle was still sitting annoyingly on his coffee table in his office. The wrappings were already thrown away, but the bottle remains unconsumed which was a pity. Slughorn had told her that he had planned to share it with the Headmaster during Christmas, but Dumbledore had been travelling ever since the holiday even started.

When Aine asked where he had been travelling to out of pure curiosity, Slughorn only shrugged in disappointment. He too did not have a single clue about where Dumbledore had ventured to besides knowing he would only return when the term resumed. Which meant that trying to kill Dumbledore would have to wait until the new term comes.

Although Draco had told her that it was only a matter of time before Dumbledore drinks the spiced mead that was laced with poison, Aine could help but think about the 'what ifs'. What if things won't go the way they had planned? What then? Time was ticking now that the new year was here, and so was the new school term. The end of her fifth year was approaching and she needed to succeed.

So very desperately in need of their plan to progress right and succeed, because she would only know what dreadful and calamitous things will happen if they were bound to fail. She knew too well—

Death.

It was either she prayed hard that the old wise wizard will fall for the trap that she had Draco had placed or that they come up with a new plan, which wasn't exactly ideal. Considering her O.W.L.s were approaching, her time was constrained. She had little time to make the preparations and execute them. Moreover, when her friends came back for the new term, Ginny informed her that Harry had told the members of the Order that she was becoming suspicious. Which came to Aine as a shock that Harry would speak of her behind her back. However, if she had to think from his perspective, she saw that it would come sooner or later.

Though it was thanks to Remus coming to her defence that she was able to evade getting caught. But her mentor's justification only made Aine feel more guilty, knowing that she was taking his kindness for granted...

Her movements were greatly tightened ever since.

Aine was walking back to the Gryffindor common room after her classes had ended for the day, she hugs her books, and her gaze was adverted to her alternate footsteps. She stole a low peek at the Trio behind her and Ginny. Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, Harry made it slip that he was suspecting her when he asked her where she was going now that her classes had ended. When she had told him she was planning to head back to the dormitories, he gave her a raised brow, as if surprised at her answer.