Your Grief is My Grief [DM] sequel to Beauty and the Beast

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Draco's POV:

A week and a half after Lizzie's birthday, we stole away to the Room of Requirement after curfew, intending to start our trials on living things. As we weaved our way through our well-worn path to the Vanishing Cabinet, I noticed Liz's lip was caught between her teeth. She was chewing on it nervously.

"Are you nervous?" I whispered, slipping my hand into hers. She nodded wordlessly in reply. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, I spoke quietly. "We'll get through this, you know. I promise." She nodded again.

The cabinet loomed over us as we approached it, and since we would be testing living things today, it seemed to be more ominous and foreboding than usual.

Trying to stall a bit, I looked around, searching for an item to transfigure as Liz took a seat on the sofa nearby. She folded her hands in her lap and continued to chew on her lip.

My eyes landed on a white and black marbled ashtray, which looked as if it had never been used. With a sigh, I picked the ashtray up in my left hand and transfigured it into a small, white bird. I quickly but gently clasped my hands around the bird, refusing to let it fly away. It squeaked quietly and nipped at my fingers.

"I'm sorry," I hummed to the small animal. "Could you open the door for me, Liz?" Silently, she stood up and opened the door to the cabinet, shutting it after I placed the bird inside. It began to flap around and squawk, obviously not pleased with being trapped.

Liz and I stood there for a few moments watching the cabinet before it gave it's telltale noise, signalling to the bird's movement from this cabinet to the other. I began to count in my head.

One... Two... Three... Four... Five... Six... Seven...

When I reached twenty-seven, the cabinet sounded again, and with a glance at Liz, I opened the door. Inside, the white bird was lying in an unmoving heap, a golden ribbon tied around the neck. Lizzie gave a choked gasp beside me and kneeled down. She ever-so-gently picked the bird up and ran a finger down its lifeless back. As a tear ran down her cheek, she passed her hand over the bird and wandlessly transformed it back into an ashtray.

I wrapped my arms around her after she placed it on a nearby table. She brought her hands up and held them in front of her chest, as if she were holding her heart. Slowly, she slid to the floor, dragging me with her.

"We're going to have to let them in soon," she muttered as if she were holding in her tears.

"Yeah," I replied quietly, not wanting to admit it, but not wanting to lie to her.

"A week from today," she said suddenly, reaching out and placing her hands on either side of my face as if she knew something I didn't. "Promise me. One week from today we do it. I want this over with."

I was surprised by her insisting, but I agreed. "One week."

One week. Seven days. 168 hours. 10,080 minutes. 604,800 seconds. That's how long we had until the Dark Lord had Hogwarts or until Lizzie and I would die.

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Lizzie's POV:

After I left the Room of Requirement, I told Draco I had to use the loo and I would meet him in the common room, when in reality I took off to the Gryffindor common room.

"Those don't look like Gryffindor robes," the Fat Lady drawled, almost disgusted at the fact I had the nerve to show up there.

"I need to speak with Hermione Granger," I panted. "Is she inside?"

"If you can't tell, the back of this painting is not transparent. I cannot tell if Miss Granger is inside."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's very important. Do you know where I can find her?" I practically begged the woman to listen to me, but she dismissed me with a wave of her hands.

"I do not. Now, hurry along." I gave a frustrated squeal and stomped my feet. Upon turning around intending to look for Hermione in the library, I found a small second year looking up to me. Her bright hazel eyes blinked at me in question. She obviously noticed that my tie was green instead of red.

"Hi!" I greeted her, over excited by the new chance to find Hermione. She jumped at my excitement but continued to watch me. "Could you do me a favor please?" The girl narrowed her eyes and said nothing. "I need to find Hermione Granger. If you see her inside, could you send her out? Tell her Lizzie needs to see her."

The girl crossed her arms in front of her chest and popped her knee. "Why should I help a Slytherin?"

I wanted to throttle her right here and now for that. "Please. It's very important," I urged her. She must have noticed my desperateness, for her eyes softened and she uncrossed her arms.

"Alright," she agreed, her eyes still narrowed. "But if she's not in there, I'm not coming back out to tell you she isn't."

"Deal," I agreed quickly.

The girl nodded and disappeared through the portrait behind me. I noticed the password was 'Niffler gold'. I began to pace, feeling the Fat Lady's eyes on me.

Right as I was about to leave it had been so long, the portrait opened and my bushy haired confidante appeared, looking semi-guilty.

"Hermione!" I squeaked.

"Hello, Liz," she smiled, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

"Could we find a place to talk?" I asked, suddenly nervous.

"Sure," she replied, sensing the seriousness. She lead me away from the Gryffindor tower and into an abandoned classroom, caked in dust. With disgusted face, Hermione sealed the room up and turned to me with an expectant yet nervous expression.

"First of all, I need you to promise me that this conversation will stay between you and me. You will warn Harry and Ron and anyone else without flat out telling them what is going to happen," I began, looking at my feet, which were smudged with dust.

"To an extent, I promise," she agreed with a nod.

"What do you mean?" I quirked my head, suddenly second thinking my choice to talk to her.

"If this is serious enough, I have to tell someone."

"Oh." I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What is it, Lizzie?"

"One week," I muttered, not taking my eyes off of the toes of my shoes.

"One week?" she repeated.

"One week until we do it." I lifted my head and met her brown eyes. I felt tears pricking my eyes. If I didn't get this out now, I wouldn't and I needed to warn Hermione. "One week until we let the Death Eaters into the castle and kill Dumbledore. Just thought you should know." Having gotten the words from my mouth, I rushed from the room with a quick unlocking spell. Tears were spilling down my cheeks fluidly now. My feet slapped the ground as I ran. I didn't know where I was going; I just was going.

Why had life become so hard for me? What did I do that made me deserve this life?