Uncanny Snake

XXXIV - The Great Escape

The clock was already ticking, and I had limited time preparing for the journey ahead. I honestly didn't think the spell would work; otherwise, I would have geared up beforehand. Still, my hope remained with the expectation that it would take less than three hours to find the goblet. Afterall, apparition was a blessing, and Severus was helping in any way he could, such as fetching my dagger. And to my surprise, a vial of Felix Felicis, also known as Liquid Luck.

I thanked him, slipping the vial in the inner compartment of my cloak, my dagger followed, lodged safely inside my combat boot. "Worry doesn't suit you," I murmured, cupping Severus' face. He didn't answer but instead placed his hand atop mine, the worry far from gone. He was getting easier to read, and knowing what he was thinking made me feel worse. Who would be there to protect me should things go south? Honestly, I didn't have an answer either, and I sure as hell wasn't the answer.

"3 hours," he drawled.

"3 hours," I echoed with a firm nod.

With everything set in motion, Severus escorted me past the apparition line and pressed a soft kiss to my lips, then my forehead. He couldn't bear the notion of losing another loved one, and I would make sure he would not suffer that pain again. "Please don't be reckless," he whispered, grasping my hands in his.

For the first time, I looked into his eyes and nodded. "I promise." I hated promises. There was always some unrealistic expectation attached to it like the probabilities would somehow shift, but that's not how life worked. This time though, it felt different. The expectations remained unrealistic, but I was determined to keep this promise and try to fulfill it to the best of my abilities.

No.

I would fulfill it. "I will come back to you. Every. Single. Time." With another kiss, I slowly parted from his side, putting some distance between us. "I love you," I whispered before apparating.

Despite not knowing where the object was, I could feel it. We had formed a bond, a sort of magical connection that linked us together. It reminded me of when I played Hot and Cold as a child, it was yet again, a gut feeling. I had to be considerate of where I wanted to apparate. I could only whisk myself to so many places, and the fear of being splinched lurked beneath the surface.

Apparating twice more, I glanced at the sliver of magic guiding my way, I was getting closer, but I didn't want to apparate at the cost of a limb, so I stopped to think. You either hide an object in plain sight or somewhere unlikely to be frequented, even guarded perhaps. Would Tom put his precious Horcrux under the care of a Death Eater? No, that would be ridiculous. Based on the connection I felt, the object had to be in a 50-kilometer radius.

I mentally mapped out any important places within said radius as I tried to narrow down my options. There was an old abandoned graveyard not too far from my location. The village had long since been evacuated due to Death Eater raids. However, it would be a perfect place for looters to pick clean, and it would be foolish for Tom to store his Horcrux there unless he wished for it to be stolen, but realistically speaking, he would want to know where his Horcruxes were at all time. I crossed it off the list.

Next was Diagon Alley, and it wouldn't make sense to hide something in such an open commerce area. There were more lucrative corners across Diagon Alley, but I wouldn't trust any of those men and women. They had quite the sticky fingers, and all someone had to do was offer double, and whatever they wanted was theirs. There was no code and no honor when trading under the table with those crooked merchants. The type to steal your coins and disappear into the night, only to be seen six months later, getting wasted and trying to lure women into their bed with the appeal of money—the money that wasn't even theirs. I realized I was going on a tangent and cleared my head of spiteful memories.