The Key (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Chapter 37: The Snitch and The Ring

Amelia's P.O.V
So this is a recap over what's happened over the past week: Ron's left us and we have no idea where he is, Hermione's miserable about it and is gloomy all the time and we're all getting irritated with the whole situation. Well, wouldn't you? We've apparated a few times now, and we're currently sat on a cliff side, where no-one can find us... I hope. We've had no luck in thinking where the sword may be, we thought it might be in Godric's Hollow -mine and Harry's birthplace- but that would be too obvious, it has to be in the last place we'd think of. Harry and I have been talking about going there lately, we think it's a good idea, but we're not sure what Hermione will think. All three of us have been tuning into that little radio we have in the tent, just to make sure none of the Weasley's names were read in the list of the missing or dead. Those lists are always so long, it's sickening to think of how many deaths there have been since we went into hiding. Now that we're no longer in the forst we can't look for food any more, so we're pretty hungry if you ask me. I keep questioning myself about when this is going to end, but I can never really find the answer, no matter how hard I think. Not one of us can estimate when we will find and destroy all six of the Horcruxes (A/N: The ring that was a horcrux in the book is no longer one, okay?) and what makes it harder is that we still don't know what to destroy it with. I'm very surprised that my head hasn't exploded yet, metaphorically of course, just in case you didn't notice. Well, I have had anger streaks but that doesn't really count, that technically wasn't me. Christmas is drawing nearer and nearer so it's beginning to get cold now, which isn't that amazing for us as we're camping. The dreams have started bugging me again, so my sleeping problem has launched once again, so I must look horrible. I've gotten skinnier, my skin has got paler (if that were actually possible) and there are bags under my eyes from lack of slumber. So not very good on my part at the moment.

I laid down on the cold, rough, bumpy rocks on the very top of the gloomy, greyish cliff next to Hermione and just stared up at the fluffy, clouded skies. Hermione sat up beside me, her legs hanging in one of the massive cracks in the rock, the battered, old book Dumbledore left to her placed in her lap, the crisp pages flicking around in the gusts of wind that blew past us. I sighed and grabbed my bag from under my head (I was using it as a pillow) and unclipped it, stuffing my arm in and rumaging around for something interesting to do, but I was unsuccessful. As you can plainly see, I am bored very easily, and being the clever person I am, didn't think to bring anything amusing.

"Hermione?" I whined, dragging out both the 'e's in her name.

"What's wrong?" She replied, looking down at me from her book.

"I'm bored!" I sat up and squinted my eyes against the freezing wind.

"Then find something to do." She stated, her eyes fixing back in her story book.

"What do you think I've been trying to do?" I flopped back down again and let out a small 'ow' as my back hit the rock. When she didn't answer me I adjusted the bracelet on my wrist and just looked at it, all the amazing memories me and Draco have had filling my blank mind, making me smile widely. My scar had been burning non-stop for weeks, so much so that I was starting to get used to it. I ran my fingertips over the large 'x' on the side of my neck which felt as though it was on fire, not a nice sensation. I dropped my arm back to my side and something sharp was pressed under my hand. I lifted it and saw a pointy rock -probably chalk- sitting neck to my right leg, I picked it up and held it in the palm of my hand, examining it. After figuring out it was indeed chalk, I turned myself so I was laying on my side and began brushing the tip of it over a flat, smooth rock near me, the stone leaving a dusty, white trail behind it. I dragged the chalk pebble around until I had finished drawing an elegant butterfly. It's delicate wings pointed at the tips with rounded sides, the simple pattern on them was completely symetrical in every way. The body wasn't complex at all, it was small and think, with the antennae shooting out the top, curving slightly as they went up. I admired my sketch for a little while longer and dropped the chalk nub down one of the splits in the rock, watching it fall and wedge itself between the rocks as the crack got slimmer and slimmer. I then peeked over Hermione's shoulder to see what she was reading, after she noticed me there she poked my forehead and settled back with her book. I then laid back down on the ground and hung my legs through the crack just like Hermione did, it wasn't very comfortable, but I couldn't be bothered to move. The ring off metal hitting the floor caught my attention, I looked down to see my Dad's Gryffindor ring laying on the pale grey rock, it must've fallen off again, as it's way too big for my narrow fingers. I picked it up off the ground and rubbed it with my thumb to get rid of any dust from the rock. Instead of placing it on my middle finger I slipped it on my index finger, as it was a slightly better fit than my other one. Something on the shiny gold surface then caught my eye, the whole pattern was changing, fading away as something new replaced it. Words. I stared at it in confusion as the letters were formed, what the hell was going on with this thing? When the sentence finally finished carving itself into the gold my eyes scanned the words, which read:

For there to be life, there must be death.

This handwriting was very familiar to me, a smile formed on my lips when I finally figured out whose it was. Dumbledore's. That's why he gave this to me, it was some kind of clue, not one that I could easily figure out, but still a clue. I shot up into a sitting position and held my head in my left hand, as sitting up too fast gave me head rush.

"Hermione! Look at this!" I exclaimed excitedly, thrusting the ring into her hands so she could look for herself.

"For there to be life, there must be death. What does this mean? Dumbledore obviously left it as a clue, but it isn't detailed on any way, shape or form. It could mean anything." Hermione said, handing me the ring again, after taking a good look at it.

"It could mean something like: For Harry and I to live, You-Know-Who must die." I suggested with a shrug and Hermione furrowed her eyebrows together in deep thought.

"I don't know, it's a possibility. However, you already know that you need to kill You-Know-Who, so that might not be it. Dumbledore would tell you something you don't know. You'll have to show Harry, now would be best." She answered just as Harry dashed out from the tent.

"Speaking of the devil..." I trailed off, laughing as he stumbled over loose rocks on the flat cliff top we were currently sat on.

"Hermione! You were right, Snitches have flesh memories! But when I first caught this one, I almost swallowed it." He threw it to Hermione and sat down beside me.

"I open at the close." Hermione read from the flying golden ball that was resting in her palm.

"What do you think it means?" Harry asked curiously as Hermione gave the Snitch to me so I could examin it.

"I have no idea, but Amy found something too." Hermione said and Harry looked over to me.

"I was fiddling around with the ring Dumbledore gave me, and when I put it on my index finger this message showed up. I don't know why it did it or what it means though, so I'm stumped." I explained, handing the precious piece of jewelry to Harry.

"I have a picture of Mum and Dad where he was wearing this ring, it was on his first finger, so maybe when you put it on that finger, Dumbledore charmed it so this would pop up." Harry guessed and I nodded, slipping it back on my finger.

"Looks like we all found something worth while today." Hermione smiled, pulling out her book and turning to the first page, pointing to a tiny ink drawing that looked a bit like an eye.

"When I first found it, I thought it was just an eye, or something that was part of the boo. But I don't think it is, it's been drawn with a quill and ink. It's not anywhere in my runes books, so it can't be a rune." Hermione showed us.

"Mr Lovegood was wearing that on a necklace at Bill and Fleur's wedding." Harry informed us and Hermione put her book back down. We sat in silence for about a minute until I perked up.

"Hermione? Harry and I have been thinking, we want to go to Godric's Hollow." I blurted out, wrapping my jacket (well, Draco's jacket) around me tighter.

"It's where Amy and I were born, where our parents died." Harry continued and Hermione sighed.

"He will expect you to go there, he knows it means something to both of you." Hermione said, standing up which we copied.

"Yes, but it means something to him as well. He almost died there, Hermione. You-Know-Who might've hidden a Horcrux there, it's exactly the type of place he would." I attempted to persuade her.

"It's very risky, you know. But I can't say I haven't been considering it. I think the sword might be hidden there." Hermione told us, beginning to walk back to the tent. Harry asked why and Hermione rolled her eyes at him, as if the answer was obvious.

"Dumbledore wanted you to find it and didn't want it falling into the Ministry's hands there would be no better place to hide it than the birthplace of Godric Gryffindor." Hermione said and I nodded in agreement. Hermione pushed some of his hair aside and I stifled a chuckle at the awful haircut we gave him.

"Another thing, never let us cut your hair again." I told him with a laugh and he rolled his eyes, flinging his arm around my neck so I was in a headlock.

"Harry! Stop it!" I giggled, trying to bat his arm away from me as his free hand ruffled my hair up.

"You mess up my hair, I mess up yours!" He exclaimed, letting go of me with a grin. I glared at him playfully and chased him back into the tent, with Hermione in fits of laughter behind us.