The Deeper you Dig, The Darker it Gets

76.

Blaise's POV

               "I dare you to finish the rest of that bottle."

      Aary gives me a disgusted look. Before she can go along with her dare, Draco rips the bottle of whiskey from her hands and finishes the tiny bit inside.

                  "Okay, show off." Aary mumbles.

      He bows his head to her while wiping his mouth proudly.

                 "Alright Z," He smirks. "I dare you to lay in the snow naked."

          "You didn't even ask him if he wanted a dare or a truth." Mal points out.

                    "He's a daredevil, he'll do it." Aary giggles.

         I rub my temples aggressively, then let out a heavy sigh.

                           "Fine, let's go."

      The entire night has been filled with this. Draco and Mal found the liquor stash in the basement of the church and ever since we've been playing ridiculous drinking games and trying to get each other plastered. So far I think Draco is the most fucked up, but what's new?

            "You have to make it quick," Mal says quietly. "We're not supposed to be in here."

      I nod, letting her know that I hear her, and continue out the side door of the church. The second I open the door, the freezing winter breeze hits me right in the face and chills grow on my neck.

      "Are you actually going to get naked?" Draco asks. "I don't feel like seeing that right now-"

                      "No, you git." I snap. "I'll just take my shirt and trousers off."

     He raises his hands in defense and chuckles. Once the four of us are completely outside, Mal begins checking around the front of the building to make sure we're clear. Honestly, I don't think anyone would really mind. But I guess she's had some experiences with guards here in the past.

             "Do it right there, maybe your bum will leave a mark." Aary snickers.

       I flick her off and she instantly kisses my middle finger playfully. Malory returns from the other side of the church and when she does, I notice a piece of parchment in her hand. She doesn't mention it though so I assume it's nothing.

                "Alright, let's see it then." Draco nudges me closer to the snow.

       I exhale aggressively, then within an instant I'm ripping off my suit jacket and top. The last piece to come off is my trousers and the second they do, I realize how cold it is outside.

                    "I regret agreeing to this." I mutter.

         "You can still forfeit and take the shot...." Draco taunts me.

         For a minute, I do consider that. But I've had so much booze tonight already, I think another shot would kill me.

       So with that thought, I bury myself in the snow.

            "Bloody hell, mate! I didn't think you'd actually do it!" Draco laughs.

       Aary rushes over and I pull her down into the snow next to me. She screams at the cold touching her back but I refuse to let her stand.

                    "You have to suffer with me!"

          I look over to Mal, who is completely distracted by the newspaper in her hand. Quickly, she reads the words on the front page over and over, like what it says doesn't make sense. But then I notice the photograph on the back moving.

         "How is that here?" I ask her while getting up. "We're not in the wizarding world-"

             "I don't know." She cuts me off. "It was just taped to the front door."

      I finish getting dressed and wiping the remaining snow from my back, then Draco, Aary and I wait patiently for Mal to explain to us what it says.

                      "Well?" Draco huffs.

        Malory swallows hard. "They did it, they broke into her vault."

      My eyes grow big in disbelief. We all talked about this for days, there's no way they could've gotten in. Maybe they had help from inside the bank?

               "So now they have the fucking horcrux." Draco mumbles.

      Aary takes the newspaper from Mal's grasp and starts reading through the report. I see hope growing on her face when she gets to the bottom of the page.

                "It says here nothing was taken." She tells us.

       Malory places her index finger on the parchment and glides it across the words, then looks up at Draco. She nods.

                 "They didn't take anything."

      "So does that mean they couldn't find it?" I ask. "Do you think it's even in there?"

                    Malory nods immediately. "Bella said it was."

      The wind starts to pick up intensely and that's when I start heading back towards the door leading inside. The others follow behind.

                        "You don't think-" Aary starts.

       I turn around to face her and she gets lost in thought. While Draco and Mal are distracted I pull her aside.

                    "What is it?" I ask.

      She runs her hands through her hair and sighs. "Bella and Mal have always gotten along so I'm probably wrong but I just have this gut feeling..."

      She continues to ramble while staring down at the newspaper. I place both hands on either side of her body, making her look up.

                 "What if Bella thinks it was us?" She whispers.

                     I tilt my head. "Thinks what, that we took it?"

      She nods. "I know it doesn't make sense but she was really quick to blame us for the sword...What if she thinks we took it before Harry could?"

                "What are you talking about?" Draco interrupts.

       Aary glances at him but I keep my focus on her. Although what she's saying doesn't seem like something we actually need to worry about, I can tell it's getting to her.

               "Your aunt makes me uneasy." Aary says to him.

        He scoffs. "You know, you two are related also. Stop acting like my family is scary, it's yours too."

       She rolls her eyes at him and leaves the conversation. I give him an irritated look but he just ignores it and returns to Mal's side.

        Aary sits down on the steps at the front of the room and places the newspaper in her lap. I watch as she reads through it again with a worried expression.

       "I don't know what it is," She says as I join her. "I just don't trust her. She blamed Mal without even hesitating, if she thinks even for a second that we stole the cup-"

         Before she can finish her sentence, a loud bang comes from the front of the church and makes each of us jump. I wait for a second thud after but it gets silent again. The four of us make eye contact nervously, and all at once we start smelling the smoke.