An Unbreakable Vow | dramione

17, Pt. I

Comment if you know what shoe brand is this!

Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide

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Monday, November 15th, 1999

Hermione

"Still hasn't shown yet?" Ginny asks when I see her for breakfast.

"It's been two weeks, Ginny. Something's wrong." I discreetly try to look for Malfoy at the Slytherin table, as I have been everyday since McGonagall sent me the last note, but I'm greeted with the same disappointment each morning.

"You care?" she asks, not incredulous, but rather condescending.

"Of course I care!" I say, my tone sharper than I intend. "He could be dead for all I know!"

"No, I meant why do you care so much?" she corrects, and I swear that her eyes are amused.

"I don't know," I sigh, shaking my head.

"You don't know..." she echos, an actual smile on her face now.

"Why are you smiling?"

"No reason," Ginny replies, shrugging, but the smile doesn't fade. "Now eat."

Ginny

Sod the deal, they need to get together by February.

Valentine's Day, specifically.

Hermione

The first half of the day passes without any sign of Malfoy, as it has for a while now, and as I walk down to the Great Hall for lunch, I try to remember the last time I saw him.

It was a few weeks ago, and he had created his Patronus... Professor McGongall came to see us... we left... conversation in the common room...

"I thought about when we came back from the party."

That was the last thing he said to me before he went up to his dorm.

But what happened after we came back from the party? It must've been terrific to create such a strong Patronus.

And then I suddenly find myself heading toward the Gryffindor common room in search of Ginny, walking quickly down the corridors and to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Fig Newts," I tell her, and she swings open with her eyebrows raised.

"Ginny!" I call, and I see her turn from an armchair near the fire.

"Oh, hi Hermione, I'm finishing up some work before going down to lunch, can I meet you there?" she asks as I walk up to her side.

"This is just a quick question," I plead, and she sighs.

"Alright then, what is it?"

"Do you know what happened after the party?" I ask her calmly, and immediately I know that she does because her eyes widen ever so slightly with a shocked look.

"No," she says flatly, and then starts to turn away, but I remain at her side.

"Ginny, if you don't tell me, I'll ask Zabini, who I'm guessing knows too," I say in a low tone because there are still other students in the common room.

She sighs, contemplating the outcomes of this situation for a few moments before turning to ask, "Will you go and not ask any questions if I tell you?"