𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐝𝐞 || 𝐃.𝐌

Chapter 13 - Truth

*Later that same day*

Draco's POV:

Ivory had canceled all her classes, and in the state she was in this morning, I didn't blame her. Her hangover was brutal, just breathing seemed painful for her. So, I told her to stay in my dorm and rest for the day. I'd deal with whatever professors had to say if anyone asked.

Before leaving, I kissed her gently on the forehead and quietly shut the door behind me. I didn't want to wake her, and if she did wake up while I was gone, I figured she'd think I was just off to class. I moved quickly, slipping out without a sound.

The garden was quiet when I arrived, except for the two people I had absolutely no patience for today: Granger and the younger Weasley.

"Finally," Hermione said as I approached. "Took you long enough."

"Shut up, Granger."'I muttered.

"Does Rory know you're here with us?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, and she's not going to. This stays between us. You better keep your mouths shut after this."

Ginny crossed her arms. "Alright, what's this about?"

I exhaled, already tense. "Last night... when I was carrying her to bed, she said a name."

Hermione tilted her head. "Who?"

"Tom."

Ginny furrowed her brow. "Tom who? Do we even know a Tom?"

Hermione's expression shifted slightly. "As in... Tom Riddle?"

I laughed, short, dry, and a little too sharp. "Seriously? The Heir of Slytherin? Come on, Granger. Be realistic."

"Well, I don't know any other Tom." Ginny muttered, clearly trying to make sense of it.

"She said something else too," I added. "Something like... I don't want to do it."

Hermione frowned deeply, her arms folding across her chest. "That's... strange."

"Could've just been a dream," Ginny offered, clearly trying to be the voice of reason. "People say weird things when they're drunk."

"Maybe," I said, jaw tight. "But I asked her about it. She promised me it was nothing. I just... I guess I hoped one of you might know if that was true."

Hermione glanced at Ginny, then back at me. "We're her best friends, Malfoy. But Ivory's good at hiding things. Even from us."

That hit harder than I wanted it to. Ginny stepped forward. "Look. If she told you it was nothing, maybe you should just trust her."

"I want to trust her," I snapped. "But I can't shake the feeling something's off. You two don't know what it's like. I need to know who's around her. I need to keep her safe."

Ginny rolled her eyes slightly. "She's not in danger, Draco. This isn't a life or death situation."

I looked at her sharply. "Oh yeah? How do you know that? You weren't there when Pansy punched her on the train out of nowhere. You didn't see everything that happened with Cedric. Every day, I'm scared something else is going to happen to her, and no one will see it coming."

They both went quiet. I didn't mean to raise my voice, but I couldn't help it. I sounded obsessive, paranoid, but it wasn't without reason.

"You're right." Ginny said after a moment.

Hermione nodded slowly. "Okay. So... what now? You've talked to her. You've talked to us. What else can you do?"

There was a long pause. Then the thought that had been sitting in the back of my mind all day slipped out before I could stop it. "What if we gave her Veritaserum?"