Chapter 64

Tensions Rise

Draco's POV

I let Lily sleep until we were ready. I gently picked her up and she wrapped her arms around me, but she didn't wake up. I smiled a bit and carried her outside.

"I'm just gonna carry you for a while." I whispered.

They packed up the tent and we left. We didn't know where we were going, just that we had to keep moving. Lily woke up when we stopped to rest. It wasn't a very long rest and Weasley seemed annoyed. He seemed to be annoyed a little too often these days. It had to be because of the that damned locket.

Lily's POV

"Harry where are we going?"

"I don't know. For now we just have to keep moving."

I sighed but nodded.

After a while, Ron spoke.

"I'm hungry."

We all looked at him.

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

"We're all hungry."

Hermione looked at him and started to reach for his bandage.

"Leave it."

There was something wrong with Ron. I could only hope it didn't get worse.

"Mum can make food appear out of thin air." Ron said.

"No one can make food appear out of thin air. Food is the first of the five principals of Gemp's law. The other four are-"

"Speak English would you!?" Ron snapped.

Draco took a small step forward and I laid a hand on his chest to stop him. He looked at me and I slowly shook my head.

"Gonna do something Malfoy?"

Draco just shook his head and stayed silent. Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out some bandages.

"I said leave it!"

She sighed but put them back in the bag.

"It'll be dark soon." Said Harry.

I nodded.

"We need to find a safe place to make camp." I agreed.

'Yeah, brilliant... only correct me if I'm wrong… wasn't that yesterday's plan? And the day before that? And the day before that? Sleep. Walk. Sleep. Walk." Ron said.

I chose not to respond. We kept walking but my feet were starting to hurt. I refused to complain. There was already quite a bit of stress in the group, I didn't want to add to it. After a few more days of walking we came to another forest. We made camp there and cast the usual enchantments. Harry and Ron tried to catch a rabbit but it got away. I got worried when they started casting spells at each other. At first they seemed to be messing around, but towards the end they seemed to want to hurt one another.

"How's the rabbit hunt going?" I called out.

"It got away." Harry said.

"Well, come back then."

They did what I asked and I took the locket from Harry.

"Keep in mind what this locket does to people." I said.

I walked off before he could say anymore.

Draco's POV

It was another quiet night. Granger was giving Potter a haircut, Weasley was lying in one of the bunks staring at the ceiling. Lily was sleeping in the bunk below while I sat at the table. I was worried about my mother.

"Oh my god."

I looked up.

"What?"

Granger started flipping through her book.

"I'll tell you in a minute."

Potter and I looked at each other.

"Maybe you could tell us now."

"Alright. The sword of Gryffindor. Its Goblin made."

"Brilliant."

"What's that got to do with anything?" I asked.

"You don't understand. Dirt and rust have no effect on the blade. It only takes in that which makes it stronger."

'Right get to the point please." I said.

She smiled.

"Harry, you already destroyed a horcrux, right? Tom Riddles diary in the Chamber of Secrets."

"With a basilisk fang. If you tell me you've got one of those in that bloody beaded bag-"

"You stabbed the basilisk with the sword! It's impregnated with basilisk venom!"

My eyes went wide and I looked at Potter.

"So then the sword-"

"It destroys horcruxes!"

"Which is why Dumbledore left it to you in his will."

"You're brilliant!" Potter and I said.

She seemed surprised that I would say that.

"There's only one problem…"

The lights suddenly went out.

"The sword is missing."

Weasley was standing there with an angry look on his face. He turned the lights back on.

"Yeah, I'm still here. But you three carry on, don't let me spoil your fun."

I narrowed my eyes, but decided to stay silent… for now.

"What's the problem?" Potter asked.

"Problem? There's no problem. Least not according to you."

"Look don't be shy, if you've got something to say then say it."

I saw the locket chain glisten around his neck. He must have taken the turn after Lily.

'Well, spit it out then."

"Alright, I'll spit it out. Don't expect me to skip up and down because there's another damn thing we need to find."

"Ron…"

"I thought you knew what you signed up for." Potter told him.

"Yeah I thought I did too."

Granger looked at me nervously. Did she think I would be able to do something about this?

"Well then, I'm sorry but, I don't quite understand."

"What part of this isn't living up to your expectations? Did you think we were gonna be staying in a five star hotel? Finding a horcrux every other day? Think you'd be back with your mum by Christmas?" Harry asked.

"I just thought after all this time we would've achieved something by now! I thought you knew what you were doing! I thought Dumbledore told you something worthwhile."

"I'm sure Harry told us everything Dumbledore told him." Granger said.

"Who's shouting?"

Lily came around the corner rubbing her eyes. I immediately went over to her and quietly explained.

Lily's POV

The good news was, we finally knew how to destroy the locket. The bad news was, Ron was losing it. Ron grabbed his bag and headed for the tent door. He stopped right before he reached it and looked back... at Hermione.

"You coming?"

"What? No I... we said we'd go with Harry."

"Oh I see. I saw you two the other night." he snapped.

I frowned because I was confused.

"Ron! Ron there's nothing!"

He turned and left. Hermione went after him.

"Ron!"

I sighed and leaned into Draco who wrapped his arms around me. Harry went back and sat down at the table. When Hermione came back in she had tears in her eyes. I went over and she hugged me.