The Pact

“I thought you said Malfoy would meet us here at 3.” Harry crosses his arms, looking at me impatiently.

“He’ll be here, I promise. Just… be patient.”

“We’ve been patient enough letting you ramble on about him. Do you know how hard it is not to tell you to shut up?” Ron scrunches his face at me sarcastically, his tone whiny.

“Ronald,” Hermione warns.

“Don’t tell me you’ve started the party without me.”

I hear the scraping of the door to the Room of Requirement closing, and I turn my head to see Draco walking in. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“There you are. What took you so long?” I ask, waving him over to join us at the center table the ROR so kindly conjured for us before we got here.

“Relax, Lavigné. It’s been ten minutes.” He’s using his masking arrogant tone and it’s driving me up the wall. I know he’s being defensive because the trio are here, but I miss the version of him that’s sweet.

Draco strides over, his steps confident, but I notice the slight clench of his jaw—he’s bracing himself. He sits across from Harry, arms crossed, eyes narrowed.

“You’re late,” Harry says, voice edged with distrust.

“Potions with Snape isn’t exactly a walk in the park, Potter. I had to make sure I wasn’t being followed,” Draco snaps back, his eyes flicking to me for a brief second before settling back into a glare.

“Enough.” Hermione’s voice is firm, cutting through the tension. “We don’t have time for this. Let’s go over the plan again.”

Ron rolls his eyes. “We’ve been over it five times already. I could draw it in my sleep.”

“Good,” Draco smirks. “Then maybe you’ll actually remember something useful.”

Ron’s face turns red. “Listen here, you—”

“Stop!” I interject, exasperated. “If you two can’t get along for five minutes, this plan is never going to work.”

Draco sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Fine. Let’s get on with it.”

Hermione clears her throat. “Alright. Draco, you’ll sneak the Polyjuice ingredients from Snape. Are you sure you can do it without raising suspicion?”

Draco raises an eyebrow. “I said I’d handle it, didn’t I? Snape trusts me. I’ve done this before.”

“Convenient,” Harry mutters under his breath.

I glare at him. “Harry, please.”

Harry looks away, jaw tight. “What about the dinner distraction?”

Draco and I exchange a glance. “We’ll keep our parents occupied,” I say. “Between the two of us, they won’t notice a thing.”

Draco smirks, but there’s something softer behind it. “They’ll be too busy showing off to pay attention to anything else.”

Hermione nods. “Good. While they’re distracted, we’ll search your parents’ study. Are you sure the files will be there?”

“They keep everything important locked away in there,” I confirm. “Just… be careful. My mother’s traps aren’t just for show.”

Ron shivers. “Brilliant.”

“Well they can’t be worse than a Basilisk, right?” Harry sighs, adjusting his glasses. “It’ll be fine, Y/n. We’ve got this.”

Draco’s eyes meet mine for a fleeting moment, something unspoken passing between us. “This has to work.”

I nod, heart pounding. “It will. It has to.”

Silence settles over us, heavy with the weight of what’s to come.

“Say…” Hermione starts, looking at me curiously. “We need to learn as much as we can about the magic of your bond. How strong is it, exactly?”

“Good question,” Draco scoffs, feigning nonchalance. “If we knew we wouldn’t be here.”

“Well, we know it protects us to some extent. We honestly haven’t tested that part much,” I say, giving Draco a warning look.

“Protects you from what?” Ron asks, looking between me and Draco as if he’s about to bite his head off.

“I’ll show you.” I stand up, walking to one of the sides of the room. “Malfoy, stand in front of me.”

“Why?” he asks incredulously.

“So I can hex you,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. “Just do it.”

He groans and gets up begrudgingly, walking to the opposite wall in front of me. I look at the Trio and decide they’re a safe enough distance away before raising my wand and casting a sharp “Stupefy!”

As predicted, the white shield appears and blocks it, the force making a wind that blows our hair back. Luckily, though, we stay upright this time since we were expecting it.

“Was that all?” Draco drones. “Why’d I have to get up for that?”

“So we didn’t knock anyone over,” I reply, rolling my eyes. I turn to the trio. “We can’t harm each other. We know that much.”

Draco smirks, leaning casually against the wall. “Of course we can’t harm each other. Not that you’d ever stand a chance, Lavigné.”

“Typical,” Harry mutters under his breath. “Always has to play the big shot.”

Draco’s eyes flick to Harry, an amused gleam in them. “Careful, Potter. Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”

Harry clenches his fists. “Jealous? Of you? Don’t make me laugh.”

Draco’s grin widens, voice razor-sharp. “At least I’m not the one always hiding behind someone else’s name. Must be exhausting living in your parents’ shadow.”

Harry’s eyes flash, and before I can react, he raises his wand. “Expelliarmus!”

The spell shoots toward Draco, and my heart stops. Neither of us moves—Draco wasn’t holding his wand. But just before it hits, a brilliant white shield bursts into existence, shimmering like glass. The force of the deflection sends a pulse of wind through the room, rattling the mirror on the wall and knocking papers to the floor.

Draco stares wide-eyed at the fading shield. “What the—?”

I look at him, equally stunned. “It… it blocked it.”

Harry lowers his wand, frowning. “What was that?”

Draco straightens, shaking off the surprise, though I can see the tension in his shoulders. “I didn’t know it would protect us from other people’s magic.”

Ron’s eyes widen. “Blimey. It’s like some invisible wall.”

Hermione steps closer, her brow furrowed in thought. “This bond is stronger than we realized… It’s not just about you two. It’s protecting you both from outside threats.”

“I don’t think that’s just the bond, though. The book said it could only protect us from each other.” I furrow my brow and look at Draco, then glance down at my ring on his finger. “Wait… do you think…?”

His eyes flicker with recognition as he looks at his necklace around my neck. “Maybe that’s what it was!”

“Uh, hello?” Hermione chimes in, trying to pull our attention. “Care to fill us in?”

“Sorry,” I shoot back quickly, walking over to her. “When Malfoy and I were talking about the duel the other day, we traded our jewelry. You know, the heirloom ring I was telling you about? Well, his necklace pendant has the same runes on it. When we traded, these shimmery white bubbles surrounded us and dissipated.”

“So you think it’s the jewelry?” Harry asks, leaning forward.

Draco walks over to stand beside me, less than an arm’s length away. I look up at him and see his facial expression. He’s wearing a cold mask, but his eyes are constantly sweeping over the trio, studying them, like he’s waiting for something.

“Y/n, let me see that,” Hermione says softly, getting close enough to look at the pendant as I hold it out to her. “Funny enough, that stone looks just like the kind embedded in your ring. Malfoy, what is it?”

Draco scoffs. “Diamond, obviously.”

“Mine’s diamond, too... Do you think they were cut from the same stone?” I look up at him, realization dawning on me. “An enchanted one, maybe? Something laced with protective magic?” My voice rises as I feel like I’m getting closer to something, a real answer, finally. At least something will make sense.

“Maybe. Magical artifacts like that are hard to come by, though,” he responds, his voice soft. It’s almost as if he forgot anyone else is in the room. His eyes widen just a bit as he snaps his fingers.

“Your parent’s storefront!” he says, at the same time as I say, “My parent’s store!”

“Your parents own a store?” Ron asks, cutting in.

“They sell magical antiques. I always thought something else was going on behind the scenes,” Draco mutters, mostly saying it to himself.

Harry clears his throat, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Not to imply anything about your parents, Y/n, but do you think they could be smuggling and selling dark artifacts? It’s a surprisingly saturated market for dark wizards, and it would explain how they’d have access to a stone so powerful.”

“Honestly, at this point, I wouldn’t be that shocked.” I shrug halfheartedly, looking down at the pendant. I run my fingers over it before looking back to Draco, my gaze settling onto his. “I wanna try something. Here, hold this.” I pull the pendant off my neck, immediately feeling the break in the magic, then put it in his hand.

“What are you—”

“Harry,” I cut Draco off, stepping back a bit. “Throw a hex at me.”

“What?” Harry asks, obviously caught off guard. “Why would I—”

“I need to test it. If the protection only works with the pendant on, I need to know.”

“She’s gone mental,” Ron sighs melodramatically.

“Just do it. I’ll be fine. Just don’t cast anything harsh.”

Harry looks at me and narrows his eyes with confusion. He hesitantly puts his wand up, saying, “If you’re sure—”

“Put your wand down, Potter!”

Draco stands in front of me, his voice suddenly sharp.

“She asked me to—”

“I said put. Your. Wand. Down.” Draco’s voice comes out low and protective, glaring at Harry.

“I can handle myself,” I say indignantly, crossing my arms over my chest. He turns around to face me, not moving himself out of the path between me and Harry.

“I’m not letting him cast at you.” His voice loses some of its edge, but he’s still deathly serious.

“We need to test it,” I reply, throwing my arms up.

“He can test it on me, then. Not you. Now put this back on and don’t take it off.”

He opens the chain and places it over my head as I roll my eyes. “Don’t tell me what to do. I’ll take it off if I want to.”

“No, you won’t,” he snaps, his voice quieter but still sharp. He takes off my ring and holds it out to me. “Here. He can try it on me since I know he wants to so badly.”

“If you get hurt—”

“He can hardly cast a proper spell, I think I’ll be fine,” he says arrogantly.

I still feel oddly vulnerable since he’s not wearing the ring, so I hold it tightly in my fist. Draco takes a few steps back, holding his arms out to his sides.

“Go ahead, Potter. Disarm me.”

I shoot Harry a warning look that says hurt him and I’ll kill you. He gives me an anxious look, slowly turning back to Draco. “You two are weirdly intense. It’s freaking me out.”

“Man up, would you?” Ron says sarcastically, pulling out his wand. Without hesitation, he throws a quick “Expelliarmus!” at Draco, and he knocks the wand out of his hand. Draco clenches his teeth when the spell collided with his skin.

“Ow! Merde. What the hell, Ron?” I hiss, shaking out my hand.

“Did that… hurt you?” Hermione asks with wide eyes, looking like she’s pieced a puzzle together.

“Obviou—”

“Merde?” Ron chimes, looking utterly baffled. “You speak French?”

I look at him like he’s a toddler. “I’m from France, you idiot!”

“No wonder he’s not a Ravenclaw,” Draco scoffs, chuckling at his own joke.

I give him a warning look. He sighs and rolls his eyes. “Alright, alright… are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” I snap, clenching my jaw. “You three—” I say, gesturing to the boys, “—are going to be the death of me.”

Harry and Ron hold their hands up defensively. Draco just smirks and walks back to me, taking my hand in his. “There’s no mark or redness. I guess you just feel it, then.”

Hermione clears her throat, and I’m grateful for the attention grabber as I feel the heat rise in my cheeks. “Okay, so you can feel each other’s pain, can’t harm each other, and no one else can harm you as long as you have your stones on. That means not only is this bond stronger than we thought, but those stones are definitely laced with magic.”

“So we keep them on,” I say quietly, handing my ring back to him. He slips it on quickly, and the magic hums once more, gentle and warm and safe.

Hermione’s eyes are wide, her voice filled with awe. “This is remarkable… I’ve never read about anything quite like this. The bond and the stones—there’s a connection we don’t fully understand yet. Protective enchantments this strong… they’re ancient magic.”

Draco’s jaw clenches slightly, and I can see the gears turning in his head. “If our parents know about this… if they planned it—”

“Then they’ve been playing a much deeper game than we realized,” I finish, my voice barely a whisper. “This isn’t just about power or alliances. This is something bigger.”

Harry’s eyes narrow. “We need to figure out exactly what they’re planning. This isn’t just some family agreement. If these stones are linked to the bond, and the bond is this strong, there’s a reason for it.”

Draco looks down at my hand, running a hand through his hair. “We need to get into your parents’ store. There must be records, ledgers—something that explains where the stones came from and why they chose us.”

Ron shifts uncomfortably. “You really think they’ll just leave that lying around? If they’ve gone through all this trouble, they’re not going to make it easy for us.”

I nod, a knot of determination tightening in my chest. “That’s why we have to be smart. The dinner distraction gives us one shot. If we fail…”

“We won’t,” Draco cuts in, his voice firm. “We can’t.”

For a moment, there’s silence—an unspoken agreement hanging heavy between us. This isn’t just a mission anymore. It’s survival.

“Okay, so new plan,” I say slowly, looking at the trio. “Instead of all three of you digging around at the manor, one of you should go to my parents storefront and look there. I’ve got a spare key, and using it to unlock the door takes down the wards.”

Hermione finally breaks the tension, her tone thoughtful. “I’ll take the storefront. I’ll know what I’m looking for with the artifact ledgers.”

Harry and Ron give her resigned nods, not ecstatic about her going off by herself but knowing that she’s more than capable. A resolute look settles onto her face. “The stones protect you from harm, but there’s more to this magic. If your parents knew… if they wanted to bind you two this tightly, there’s a reason. Something they’re afraid of.”

Harry’s jaw clenches. “Then we need to find out what. Fast.”

I look at Draco, feeling the weight of everything unsaid. He nods, his eyes meeting mine with a rare softness.

“So we’re all in agreement?” I ask, looking between all of them. They all give me verbal confirmations and I take a breath, feeling ever so slightly more confident.

As the trio split off to grab their things, Draco steps closer, his voice low enough that only I can hear. “If anything goes wrong, we stick to the plan. No heroics.”

I meet his gaze, seeing the flicker of concern behind his guarded expression. “You think I’m going to let you have all the fun?”

He smirks, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just don’t do anything reckless, Lavigné.”

Before I can respond, Hermione speaks up. “We’ll meet back here after. No matter what happens, no one goes off alone.”

“Right,” Harry says, his voice tight with tension. “Let’s get this done.”

As we turn to leave the Room of Requirement, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re standing on the edge of something dangerous—something we can’t fully see yet. Draco’s hand brushes against mine, a fleeting touch, but it steadies me.

“We’ll figure this out,” he murmurs.

I nod, swallowing the fear threatening to rise. “We have to.”

As the door opens and we step out into the dim corridors of Hogwarts, the silence feels heavier than ever. This isn’t just about uncovering secrets anymore. It’s about survival, about trust, and about whatever unspoken force binds us together.

There’s no turning back now.