Through the Darkness | Draco Malfoy

Forty four

"Young Mistress, are you feeling well?" Kreacher asked worriedly as he approached her with a bowl of water and a small piece of clothe.

"Yes, I feel better now, Kreacher." she helped herself sit up as she took the wet clothe from him to wipe her face with it. "I heard Remus' voice, was he here?" she asked.

"He was, but he left to bring some medicine for Young Mistress." he answered.

Aries nodded and looked around, she realized that she's sleeping in the room her father never opens, Regulus' room. It was always locked, so this was her first time seeing it.

"Kreacher, that's my uncle's room," she slowly stood up and started looking at his things curiously. "Wow, he really loved Voldemort, huh. That's unexpected from him."

Kreacher lowered his head and made some grumbling sounds.

"Kreacher?" Aries frowned. "You know something, don't you?" she asked.

He quickly shook his head and looked away with his eyes closed.

"You always make those sounds whenever you have something important to say." She approached him. "Is it about my uncle?" she tried to guess.

He let out a small gasp as his eyes widened. Giving her the answer.

Aries closed the door then locked it. "Uncle Regulus was killed by Voldemort, or that's what everyone though." she sat on the bed, still looking at him. "What really happened to him, Kreacher?"

"Kreacher doesn't want to take Young Mistress to where it is dangerous."

"Me getting hurt will not be your responsibility, Kreacher. It would be my fault not yours, do you hear me?"

He looked away again, hesitating.

Her face softened as she called his name again but this time in a gentle tone.

After a long moment, he finally agreed. "Kreacher will take Young Mistress there," he told her with some difficulty. "But Young Mistress should promise that she will follow Kreacher's steps without doing anything reckless."

He knows her very well.

"I promise." she nodded.

Kreacher extended his hand, as soon as she grabbed it, the two of then vanished and reappeared in a cave, where it was very dark, the only thing she could feel was Kreacher's long pointy fingers.

"Lumos." she said quietly, as her wand lit up in her hands, revealing some kind of cave with a lake in it.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"This is where Master Regulus died." he told her as he took the lead. "Follow Kreacher carefully, do not do anything reckless."

And Aries did as he said. With his hands and his magic, he managed to pull a boat and they got in.

The boat made it to the other side, and the light of her wand increased, blinding them for a second.

She followed Kreacher until they finally came upon an area that has a small basin in the middle.

"This... this is where Master Regulus took the Horcrux and replaced it with the fake one," Kreacher pointed at the basin as he approached it on his own. "Kreacher wonders if it's still here..."

Aries heard a sound coming from the lake, and she approached the shore to get closer. She saw something black moving beneath the surface.

"What is a Horcrux?" she asked, her attention still focused on the lake and whatever just saw.

Kreacher turned his head and saw Aries on the edge, looking at the lake. "Young Mistress!" he started panicking.

He startled her, making her step back quick. "What?! you scared me!"

"Do not come close to the water!"

"I- I thought I saw something," she looked at the lake one more time before walking to his side. "Is there something in the lake?"

"Yes, the lake is full of Inferis. Young Mistress must be careful, those Inferi will drag you into the water and drown you."

She lowered her head. "Is that how my uncle died?" she asked nervously.

Kreacher froze in his place as his eyes went down. "Yes..."

"Oh, so he wasn't killed by Voldemort," she felt bad for worrying him. "I'm sorry, Kreacher,I- I shouldn't have—"

Suddenly, a loud splash of water was heard behind them, the place where the basil was placed.

"Help me!" a man screamed, trying to get out of the lake. "Help!"

Aries' eyes widened, she immediately recognized her uncle from the photos her grandmother had. "Oh shit!" she didn't think twice and ran to help.

"No!" Kreacher shouted. "Young Mistress, this is not—!"

"Hold onto me!" Aries grabbed his arms before he slipped and drowned. He grabbed her arms as well and she started to pull. "Don't let go! you will be alright just please don't let go!"

"I don't want to die, please help me!" He cried as he tightly and painfully gripped her arms. "I don't want to—"

Suddenly, his face turned into the face of a skeletal face with sharp teeth and scarh cloudy eyes.

"Young Mistress!" Kreacher exclaimed.

That thing, which happened to be an Inferi, dragged Aries into the water.

Kreacher didn't think twice, and with no hesitation, he jumped in the water and started to swim down there really fast, extending his hand to try and reach Aries.

The past cannot be repeated, he told himself so many times in his head.

Aries extended her hand to him despite how much those Inferi were pressuring her to drown, and just as soon as her finger touched his hand, they both apparated and reappeared at the exit of thr cave.

Aries started to cough up the water and gasp for air at the same time, while Kreacher was panting on the ground in shock.

"Young Mistress..." he called quietly. "Is Young Mistress alright?"

She slowly turned to look at him, then gave him a weak nod.

Kreacher stood up and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Master Regulus wanted to destroy the Horcrux, but he failed and drowned. But that Potter boy... he will destroy it, you have to help him without getting yourself in danger."

"I know that! but... if I do get in danger, promise me that you will take care of my brothers the way you took care of me." she told him.

He didn't want anything to happen to her, but at the same time he knew she was strong and dependable. "Kreacher promises that."

Aries softly gasped as soon as she her voices. "Someone's coming."

"Take my hand."

The two apparated back to the house of the Black family, in the living room.

Aries rushed to her room and started to scoop her things, while Kreacher was following in case she needed help.

"Kreacher, I will be gone for a long time this time, take care of the house, will you?" she asked while shoving her things in the bag. "If a stranger comes in, do not let them get away with it."

"Is Young Mistress going back to Hogwarts?" he asked.

"Yes," she stopped in front of him and gave him his hand. "And I want you to take me there."

Kreacher nodded confidently, he was always proud of her bravery. "Kreacher will do his best to make Young Mistress proud of him."

He took her back to the school and left her there.