The Key (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Chapter 31: R.A.B

Amelia's P.O.V

I want to believe what Hermione said about the dreams was right, but there's a tiny voice inside my head squeaking 'It's not! It's not!' I just don't know what's happening anymore, why couldn't everything be less damn confusing! Life would be a whole lot simpler then! But all the confusion will end soon and it'll all go back to normal... I hope. Harry and I will end it, Voldemort, the suffering, the world of evil we live in. We'll end it together, like everything else we've done. I wish Dumbledore were here, he could tell us what to do, because to be honest I don't have a clue, and I'm sure winging it won't help us much. I still haven't taken the ring off, and I don't think I will. I reckon Dumbledore gave us these things in his will for a reason, I just haven't figured out what yet. I mean, why would he give Hermione a story book, or Harry a Quidditch snitch? And why did Scrimgeour look disappointed when Harry and I touched the objects we were given? It all adds up.

Hermione and I exchanged a look of confusion and interest before hopping up from our seats. We both headed upstairs where we heard Ron call from, when we reached the first floor we found Ron stood by a room. I stood next to Harry and took a step inside the room, it looked like a bedroom of a boy. It seemed as though no-one had been in there for years, nearly every surface was coated in a thin layer of light grey dust. The wooden bed was still neatly made, the crisp duvet and sheets a dull purple-ish brown. The headboard of it looked as though it had been hand carved, all the patterns of the Black family seal engraved into it. Next to the bed was a small wooden desk which had parchment and ink pots scattered all over it, sat in front of the desk was a navy blue velvet chair tucked just underneath the desk. The wardrobe in the far corner had the exact same markings as the bed did, except they were slightly larger and had more detail put into them. The mirror to the left of the door was rusted and cracked so you could hardly see anything in it, again, it hadn't been used in years. The floor however, was completely different to the rest of the room. Instead of being nice and tidy, it was covered in books, parchement, quills, clothes, the lot.

"Brilliant." Hermione said sarcastically, not knowing why we were there. Ron then pulled the door closed so we could see the name plate that was fixed onto the glossy wood. It said the name Regulus Arcturus Black. Hermione and I read the name aloud and looked at Ron, both of us very confused.

"R.A.B." Ron said simply. All four of us stayed silent, just staring at the door trying to figure out what was happening. So R.A.B used to live at Grimmauld Place? Maybe he was one of Sirius' cousins or something of the sort.

"Can we read the note R.A.B left again? I want to see it." I asked and Harry nodded, placing the fake necklace in the palm of my outstretched hand. We returned back downstairs and journeyed into the kitchen, I sat down at the wooden table next to Harry. I unclipped the necklace and pulled out the tiny piece of parchment with my index finger and my thumb before carefully unfolding it, revealing the neat, slanted print that was written on the page.

"To the dark lord, I know I will be dead long before this is read but I wanted you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. Not my older brother S.O.B, or my parents, they know nothing about such things. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face my death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. -R.A.B" I read out, my eyes scanning the small curly words. I dropped the note back on the table and looked at the others.

"So R.A.B is Sirius' brother?" Ron asked in surprise.

"Yes, he is." Hermione paused for a moment. "But the real qustion is, did he destroy the actual Horcrux?" We then heard some bottles knocking in the cupboard, all of our heads shot towards the source of the noise and we quietly rose from our seats, our stares locked on that cupboard door. Hermione, Ron and I stood about two meters away from the noise, while Harry advanced towards it, he yanked the door open and grabbed the house elf that was concealed inside, pushing it half way across the room while it grumbled and groaned.

"You've been spying on us then?!" Harry exclaimed angriliy.

"Kreacher has been... listening." Kreacher mumbled, turning around to face us.

"Maybe he knows where the real necklace is." Hermione suggested from beside me.

"Have you ever seen this before?" Harry showed him the locket and Kreacher cringed, looking away.

"It's Master Regulus' necklace." He stated, slouching back slightly.

"But there were two, am I right? Where's the second one?" I continued, stepping closer to Harry.

"Oh, Kreacher has no idea where the other one is." Kreacher answered, holding onto the table with his boney hands.

"Yes, but did you ever see it, was it here?" Hermione asked immediately.

"You filthy mudblood! Dirty little!- Ah blood traitor Weasley!" Kreacher yelled at Ron who tried to hit him with something for insulting Hermione.

"Answer her." Harry ordered, going in front of the elf.

"It was in this house, the evil object. Before Master Regulus died he ordered Kreacher to destroy it, but no matter how hard Krecher tried he could not succeed." Kreacher said, backing away to the stairs.

"Do you know were it is now? Did someone steal it?" I questioned, looking straight at the elf.

"Yes, he came during the night. He stole lots of things, which included the locket." Kreacher explained quietly,his arms wrapped around his skinny body.

"Who? Who took it, Kreacher?" Harry asked, the necklace still hanging from his hand in front of him.

"It was the theif, Mundungus. Mundungus Fletcher." Kreacher told us and I raised my eyebrows, not very surprised that it was him.

"Find him." Harry ordered and Kreacher apparated into thin air.

"All we can do now is wait. Let's go somewhere else." I said, gesturing over to the door with my head. We all strolled out of the door and into what looked like a second sitting room, except it had a large black paino in the corner instead of book cases. Hermione and Ron sat down at the instrument together while Harry and I dropped down onto the nearest chairs. He pulled the snitch out of his pocket and let it hover in the air above him, keeping silent as Hermione taught Ron a song on the piano. I picked up my small hand bag that laid beside me and placed it on my legs that were stretched out in front of me. I plunged my arm inside and rummaged around inside until my hand got hold of the square-shaped box that contained my birthday present from Draco. I hadn't opened it yet, as the day of my seventeenth we were a bit pre-occupied, so I decided to open it now. I set the wrapped box on my lap before carefully tearing back the paper, revealing a navy blue velvet box. I pulled the box open to see this sat neatly in the middle of the soft material inside:




I gasped at the bracelet and gently took it out, holding the diamond and emerald encrusted piece of jewelry in my pale hand. The jewels shimmered in the dim light as I slipped it on my wrist, it was truely beautiful. Inside the box there was also a letter, on the cream colored parchment was Draco's handwriting. This was what it said:

Dear Amelia,
I know you will have gone into hiding before you read this, as the Deatheater's plan to attack the Burrow, the decision was made only minutes ago, and it will occur very soon. You wouldn't have found out before the wedding because there would be no time to open this, and I'm sorry. I really hope you're okay, and that you succeed in what you need to do quickly. My mother gave me this bracelet to give to you, it's a family heirloom that's been passed down from generation to generation since the first Malfoy went to Hogwarts. I want you to always wear it, and think of me. Try and stay safe for me, it's horrible not knowing where you are and whether you're okay or not, so wherever you are, please be safe. Also, be very, very careful about where you go, Voldemort is desperate to find you and your brother. He'll stop at nothing until he catches you, people will be searching the entire wizard world for you, so think through where you go. Try to come home unharmed, no matter how long it takes I'll wait for you, I'll be here when you return. I know soon after you come back all of the danger and deaths will be over, and none of us will have to hide anymore. When you return I won't let you go again, so you'll be stuck with me for a very long time, that is if you'll take me. Even though I haven't seen you for just over three weeks I miss you so much it's unbelievable, but I know you'll be gone a lot longer than that. Just remember, I love you more than anything, and that I will never give up on you. I will always love you, future Mrs Malfoy.
Love Draco x

I wiped a stray tear from my eye and smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I read the letter over and over again. Harry noticed this and sat next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and I rested my head on his.

"What's wrong, Amy?" He asked softly and I shook my head.

"Nothing, I just opened my birthday present from Draco." I replied, showing him the bracelet, the intertwining snakes fitting perfectly around my wrist.

"Now you have jewelry about two rivalling houses." Harry observed, referring to the ring that was twisting around on my middle finger. It was too big for that finger but I didn't think toy swap it. Harry's snitch then began hovering in the air in front of us and Hermione sat to the right of my, while Harry was on my left.

"They have flesh memories. I thought it would open at your touch. I thought Dumbledore might've hidden something inside it." Hermione told us, looking at the golden snitch which was at our eye level. Before Harry or I could say a word, a loud cracking noise errupted from the kitchen. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I jumped up from our seats and dashed back into the room. There we saw two elves jumping on none other then Mundungus Fletcher, even though I didn't know who the second elf was, it still looked very funny watching them trip the wizard to the floor.

"Harry Potter! I haven't seen you for five years! It's been too long!" The unknown elf squeaked, his glassy eyes the size of tennis balls. Hermione disarmed Mundungus and caught his wand in mid-fly, leaving him defenseless once the elves had left him alone.

"What do you think you're doing?! Setting a pair of house elves on me!" Mundungus exclaimed and the mystery elf jumped up on the table. He was wearing an old, dirty pillowcase with holes for his head, arms and legs with a pair of knitted socks on his feet.

"Dobby was helping! Dobby saw Kreacher down Diagon Alley which seemed strange to Dobby. Then Dobby heard Kreacher say Harry Potter's name.-" He was interrupted by Kreacher who tried to speak but this 'Dobby' pushed him away.

"And- and then, Dobby found Kreacher having a convrsation with the theif, Mundungus-" This time Dobby was cut off by Mundungus.

"Theif?! You foul little... git. I buy rare and wonderous objects." Dung lied, trying to convince us he wasn't.

"You steal stuff, Dung. Everyone knows it." Ron perked up from behind me.

"Master Weasley! It's excellent to see you again!" Dobby greeted, shaking Ron's hand who greeted him in return.

"I panicked the night we were moving you, alright! It wasn't my fault that Mad-eye fell off his broom!" Mundungus yelled at us, while Kreacher poked him saying "You!" stretching out the 'o'.

"When you turned this place over -don't deny it!- you found a necklace, a locket actually. Correct?" Harry asked sternly.

"Why? Was it worth something?" Mundungus questioned and Hermione asked if he still had it.

"No, he's worried the buyer didn't pay enough for it." Ron sneered.

"I had to give it away didn' I! This Ministry hag came up to me in Diagon Alley and asked to see me license, said she might 'ave to lock me up! She would of done if she hadn't seen that locket." Mundungus explained to us.

"Who was it? Who was this Ministry woman?" I asked curiously.

"I dunno, I- Well, that's her! Bleedin' bow an' all." Dung pointed at the newspaper that had a picture of Dolores Umbridge on it, Harry, Ron and Hermione had told me about what she did in Hogwarts the year before I came.

Soon after we then decided to let Mundungus go, as he had no more information for us, but the elve's were still here, and the one called Dobby was looking at me curiously.

"Dobby, this is my twin sister Amelia. Amelia this is my friend Dobby." Harry introduced us and I shook the Elf's tiny hand.

"It's nice to meet you Dobby."

"And you Miss Potter, and you!"