"Ok so it says here that vanishing cabinets were extremely popular during the first wizarding world war, someone would simply need to disappear into the cabinet for a few hours until danger had passed....does that mean the one you're fixing has been used before? But it wasn't in the room of requirement last year?" We were sat in the almost empty courtyard, the book balancing on both of our knees as we tried to find any kind of information about the cabinet.
"The room of requirement presents itself as what you need the most at that time, last year it was somewhere to practice for you guys, now it's the room of hidden things"
"Where's the other cabinet?"
"Borgin and Burkes in Diagon Alley"
"Right, so it says here the incantation is harmonia nectere passus for repairing it, but that's all it says"
"Well that's something to go by I guess. Mother said she's working on getting Borgin to send me some instructions but that's something to get started on. I just need something to test."
"How about something small.....like an apple?"
Draco turned to look at me. "An apple?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, I've just always associated you with apples."
"Wait a minute.....when you were coaching me in potions you said your amortentia smelt like apple? Don't tell me it was me the whole time Belle."
"Took you long enough to figure it out."
"You, Victoria Belle Greenwood are something else." He cupped my face gently with his cold hand and leant down to kiss my lips gently, stroking my cheek with his thumb.
"Now, you go and do your homework and I'm going to go and try and do this incantation."
"What? No let me help!"
"Belle we had the agreement. You do nothing, remember? You've helped me all you can, this is something I have to do alone now."
"God Malfoy you are so stubborn." I folded my arms in mock disgust and he simply laughed and gave me a nudge.
"You love it. Now go and do your little potions work Professor."
"Will you be ok?"
"Yeah, it's when I'm asleep that I worry. The dreams I've been having aren't fun."
"I've got something for that," I rustled in my bag and pulled out a vial of dreamless sleep potion. "Saved it from this morning."
"How do you always know what I need?"
"Because I'm the best."
I gave him one last kiss before heading up to the common room where Harry bounded over to me before I had even made it through the portrait.
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Did he tell you anything?"
"No Harry, he was just getting me to help him with charms homework."
"I think we should follow him, tonight."
"He's in the common room, I walked him back there myself, trust me, he's not doing anything tonight."
"Right, well tomorrow then."
"Tomorrow."
I sat down, exhausted, at a table in the warm common room and got out my quill and parchment and began to complete the day's homework. After half an hour of attempting to start the essay on defence charms, I let out a huge sigh, exasperated. All I could think about were cabinets and whether Draco was ok. I so badly wanted to go to the room of requirement and help him but I made a promise to him, a promise that I wouldn't break. Defeated, I headed up to bed.
~
"So no luck?" I said as Draco sat down at the table opposite me in the Three Broomsticks with a face like thunder.
"I was so sure I could do it. But nothing happened. I'm just going to have to go back tonight"
"Don't overwork yourself, it will just make things worse Draco."
"I'm fine." He snapped, and I couldn't help but notice that he was shifting around in his seat, almost like he was looking for someone.
He downed his butterbeer before I had been touched mine, and then got up saying he needed to go to the toilet. That's when I saw Harry sat at a table with Ron and Hermione, spotting Draco heading into the bathroom. His head instantly turned towards me, and he raised his eyebrows. I simply shook my head back.
Draco came back a few moments later, and that's when Professor Slughorn came over to our table.
"Ah Victoria, I've set a date for the first dinner of the Slug Club, Thursday evening, you will be there won't you?"
"Of course Professor, wouldn't miss it for the world." I smiled quickly at him, and could sense Draco looking at the bathroom door, that's when I saw Pansy Parkinson heading out and going straight to the door of the pub.
"Excuse me a moment." I didn't wait for a reply before I headed out of the door, hearing Draco calling after me frantically.
"Parkinson, what have you got there?" I called after the brown haired girl and she kept walking.
"None of your business."
"It is when it's clearly something to do with my boyfriend!"
"Ok fine" she turned around, and showed me what she was holding. Wrapped up in cloth was a necklace, made of opals and diamonds. "Have a closer look Greenwood, Draco was going to wait to tell you, but he's leaving you for me, it was only a matter of time." Something about her smile and the way she said it in such a sickly sweet voice made me want to hex her instantly. I didn't believe her for a second, but I walked forward and examined the necklace. It was only as my skin made contact with the opals that I realised that I had made a mistake. My body suddenly felt cold and I lost all control as the world around me faded to black and I hit the cold, hard floor with a bang.