An Unbreakable Vow | dramione

24

Hermione

"He could be anywhere! Hell, he might not even be in the castle!" I can't help but start to panic. Usually, I would keep my wits about me, but Draco's become so much more to me that I can't simply not flip out over what I'm betting is a kidnapping orchestrated by Pansy.

"Hermione!" Ginny shouts, gripping my shoulders to stop me. "Calm down. You need to keep a level head and figure out where he is. Maybe you should check to make sure he's in the castle so you don't make a fool of yourself."

I take a deep breath, knowing that she's right. "Alright, let's go," I say, running out of my dorm and down the stairs quickly.

As we search the halls, trying to act normal, we run into a first year Slytherin that I recognize as Andrew Xander, the student that Ginny sees Draco talking to often.

"Are you in a rush, Granger?" he asks, frowning. It seems off, since I've always seen him looking nervous, but I'm too anxious to question it.

I hesitate, though, only because I'm not sure if I can tell him about my suspicions. Would he believe me? What if Draco was never harmed at all, and that message was only there to scare me? Someone must have broken into the common room to write that message on the mirror, though. "Draco was supposedly kidnapped. I'm not sure, but I haven't seen him through the castle, and there was a threatening message left in my dorm."

Andrew's face hardens, and he says, "Cast a finding spell."

Of course! I feel like an idiot, but I can berate myself later for not thinking clearly to use the spell earlier. "That's brilliant! Appare Vestigium Draco!"

Suddenly, a trail of faint footprints appear on the ground.

"Did it work?" Ginny asks, and I frown.

"You can't see them?"

"No, it's only the spell-caster who can. Lead the way," Andrew says.

Draco

"And here I was, thinking that you could come to your senses," a voice simpers.

"Pansy can't save you now, traitor. She's only here to watch the show," another voice adds.

I feel my wrists bound behind my back. I'm lying on a cold and hard floor, but the air is moderately warm. When my eyes finally adjust to my surroundings, I see that I'm tied up in the Room of Requirement. Standing in front of me is Goyle with his wand pointed at me, and two books over on a dusty table that Pansy is flipping through.

"Well, well, well," Goyle croons, "look who finally decided to wake up. If you haven't heard, Pansy can't save you anymore."

The pug-faced bastard glances over at me with a cruel smile. "Doing a Mudblood, are you? Well, I certainly don't need any ties to the likes of her."

"Now, Draco," Goyle starts, "we're going to play a little game. You see, I've been reading up on advanced Dark Magic, all of that, and I prepared myself for this moment for weeks. The entrance to where we are has a, shall I say, certain enchantment that requires someone that your traitorous friends won't qualify for. Now, I'm going to ask you some questions, and if you fail to answer, you shall get Cruico-ed. Got it?"

I muster a sneer at him. "How unoriginal of you. And I didn't know you could read."

His face twists sourly. "Another remark like that and you'll feel what that Mudblood felt that night she was captured at your manor. Bellatrix Lestrange is truly a role model."

I have to bite my tongue from saying another word.

"Alright. Now tell me," Goyle leers, "why you couldn't kill the old man."