The Astronomy Tower < #wattys2016 >

The Heavy Burden

September 30th, 1996

Hermione didn't understand why Ron was acting like this. She knew that part of the reason for his awful behavior was due to the infernal chain around his neck. They all had to wear the thing in shifts, and whenever it was Ron's turn, everyone was miserable. Where her and Harry that insufferable while wearing it?

Harry was easily irritated, and snapped easily, but Ron was plain mean. Hermione found herself fearing that he would leave them. That was the last thing that they needed. Ron would often try to start conversations with her that would soon take a negative tone, especially towards Harry. Even when Ron wasn't wearing the Horcrux, he could be cruel.

Hermione looked down at the locket which was currently around her neck. She held it up to examine. Sometimes, if she looked close enough, she could see the cool medal churning, or bulging in certain places, as if whatever resided inside was trying to burst free of its golden prison.

She pulled it off of her neck and set it down in the grass beside her, under the tree in which she sat. She couldn't bear the burden of its wait much longer. She tried to return to her book, but found that she couldn't lose herself in it, the way that she once could before that night in the astronomy tower. Ever since then she found that she had trouble focusing.

She looked up at the night sky, then to the glow of the warm tent. It was now Ron's turn with the locket. And as much as she didn't want to have to put up with his attitude once he put it on, she had no choice, for her mind was no longer strong enough to stand the cool, beating medal against her skin.

So she picked up the necklace from where she had set it, gathered the rest of her things, and headed back to the tent. Once inside she handed Ron the necklace, who took it roughly from her fingers which were cold and numb from the cool autumn night. She climbed into bed, and immediately fell asleep.

That night she dreamed of Draco, and their last night together before everything shattered.

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Voldemort doesn't read the daily prophet

Draco had to remind himself of this as everyone went over everything that he had already read in the news yesterday. The death eaters all sat around the same, long table that they always seemed to sit around.

When Draco had been younger, he had looked forwards to the duties of being a death eater. Now, he found the dull.

"No sightings of the boy in weeks." Confirmed a death eater whose name Draco had already forgotten, or had not even bothered to remember in the first place. 

Voldemort nodded at the news. "Keep a tight watch on Godric's hallow, and around the school."

A few wizards nodded in answer.

"Everyone is dismissed."

Like always, everyone got up from the table, and went back to their other lives.

Nights like these, Draco finds himself aching fro Hermione's company. He missed her dearly, and found himself thinking about her often. He thought back to their years at Hogwarts. He recalled their third year, when she had slugged him on in the face; their fourth year, when she had gone to the yule ball with Krum, and he had gotten stuck with pansy; fifth year, when he had told on them for forming Dumbledore's army, not his proudest moment. Lastly, he remembered their sixth year, oh their sixth year.

I need some air  he thought to himself as he stumbled out on the balcony. He gripped the edge and stared up at the moon as he took him large gulps of air. But alas, this scene only reminded hi of the first night that they had started meeting.

Bloody hell, I'm pathetic

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Next chapter is going to be longer! 

I am going to try and post it tonight!