Don't Ever Forget

XLIV.

When I got up in the morning and excitedly went to the kitchen, I expected Draco to be there. But when I walked out of my room the only people that were there were Hermione, Matthews, and Collins. The smile on my face instantly fell in disappointment and Matthews raised his eyebrow at me.

"Disappointed to see us?" he asked and Collins laughs.

"Don't worry, Y/N, we'll be out of your hair as soon as the Billingsgate issue is solved... although I'd hope you'd still allow us to visit sometimes," Collins adds and I manage to push aside my disappointment of not seeing Draco this morning. Of course, I couldn't expect him to be here every morning, he has his own work to attend to.

"I'm happy to see you two, and of course I'd want you to still visit," I tell them, smiling, and sit next to Hermione. She places a hand on mine and I look over.

"How are you feeling? About tomorrow?" she asks with a gentle smile and the anxiety hits me. The confrontation really came much sooner than I thought it would. A few days passed so quickly.

"Nervous," I admit, "But I know you'll be there if I need help." I squeeze Hermione's hand and she smiles.

"Do you think Billingsgate would confess anything to you?" Matthews asks me and I shrug.

"He might. If he thinks I'm alone he would probably think he can overpower me and tell me everything. Well... we've seen how many deaths he's responsible for, I don't think he's good at keeping things hidden," I say.

"It's going to work," Collins speaks up and I smile at him.

"I know."

After coffee and a heavy conversation about what I must do tomorrow, I go back to my room, needing to lie down and think. When I'm with Draco, the danger of it all fades away and it's easy to put on a brave face for him. I only think of what awaits me after the confrontation, a normal relationship with Draco. Now that he's not here, I'm forced to focus on the details. I would be, for a short amount of time, alone with a man who's killed many. Obviously, the Billingsgate I know is just a mask of what he's capable of. Would he kill me instantly if he thought I was suspicious of him? Would he even give the others the chance to help me?

I push the thoughts from my mind and try to relax. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Matthews, and Collins will all be there. I'm capable of defending myself as well. Him against all of us, he stands no chance. I smile to myself but my short moment of comfort is interrupted by a light tap on my window. An owl. I get up and open the window. It must be Draco explaining why he couldn't see me today and I blush at the thought of him coming back tonight. I take the letter from the owl and open it.

Dear Y/N,

I've thought a lot about your letter and have decided, somewhat last minute, that I would prefer to meet as soon as possible. I would like to see you today rather than tomorrow. It turns out that tomorrow feels like too long from now.

Billingsgate

I stare at the letter in shock. I try to think of a response, maybe an excuse as to why I can't see him today, so the plan doesn't fall apart. But, out of the corner of my eye, I see a small sparkle, like metal glinting in sunlight. I look back up at the owl and see it, clutched in its foot. I reach my hand out and it willingly drops the object in my hand. My mouth falls open in utter terror.

In my hand is his ring. Draco's ring. I can even see myself in it, from the charm he used to pair with mine. I look back at the letter in panic and see that, already, the words have started to morph into a new message. The letters appearing and rearranging across the page.