I'm so sorry for this chapter. Also, don't worry. This isn't the end of the story.

❝︎Don't make promises if you

can't keep them❞︎

Shell Cottage

I slowly opened my eyes inside a cozy room wearing a pair of blue satin pajamas. My stomach had an extremely uncomfortable feeling. It felt stiff but not too painful. I remembered everything that happened, how Bellatrix's blade stabbed my stomach. Harry's desperate screams and cries holding me in his arms as if he had just lost everything- even though I'd done something horrible.

"Good morning Evelyn," Fleur said from the side of my bed sitting on an armchair.

"Where am I- What happened?" I asked, my voice cracking.

"You're alive, I can tell you that. Luckily the blade was small and didn't leave a life threatening impact on you. If it had hit someone smaller like Dobby, I wouldn't have been able to help. You guys apparated in front of our house. You're in your own room Bill and I saved for you."

"Harry- Where's Harry? Did he leave?"

"No. He comes to check on you everyday and sleeps in here every night on this armchair."

"How long have I been out for?"

"About three days?"

"Merlin," I muttered under my breath sitting straight up wincing from the pain in my stomach.

"Don't get up. You're body's exhausted. Speaking of, what led you to be by yourself?"

"...How far would you go to save Bill's life, even for a moment?" I said looking away in guilt. "I'd go as far as murder. I just felt... Like the need to do it. Maybe it was just the heat of the moment, maybe it was the locket, maybe it was my consciousness deep down, but I broke his wand Fleur. I snapped in half so he won't be able to fight Voldemort anymore."

"You want my honest opinion?"

"Yes."

"That's just selfish."

"Thanks," I muttered feeling slight tears form in my eyes.

"But it was cruel for Harry to leave you in the midst of danger. Look what happened to you after he kicked you out."

"I deserved it."

"Both of you are in a lot of fault. Although, I'd blame you for the whole situation."

"He broke up with me. It's over."

"Is that why he came to your room everyday to check on you? He looked so guilty everyday and he was having a complete meltdown when you apparated. It was terrifying. I thought he too was dying. You're lucky you weren't there. I think I'll have nightmares for weeks."

"Well what am I supposed to do?"

"That's for you to figure out, not me. Take your shirt off, I need to replace your bandages," She said taking out a fresh roll of bandages. I sighed swallowing back the tears and unbuttoned my shirt to reveal bloody bandages wrapping around my stomach. "Love makes you do things you'd never imagined to do Ev," She said unwrapping the bloody bandages and revealing a nasty wound.

"Don't call me Ev," I scoffed, immediately regretting it and wincing in pain.

"Right because only Harry can call you that."

"You know, if you don't want to change the bandages then I can do it myself," I said out of embarrassment.

"Be patient Evelyn," she said wrapping a fresh pair of bandages around my stomach. It hurt a lot but it was nothing like the pain I felt back in the Malfoy Manor. Both mental and physical pain. "All done. Stay in bed. I'll come get you for breakfast," she said walking outside leaving the door slightly open. I sat still for a bit remembering every bit of detail back in the Malfoy Manor. How Apolline didn't even care, how Draco looked at me, him ripping through every part of my memories yet still lying. I took a deep breath and started to button up my shirt again, promising myself to never look back to that memory.

"Evelyn-" Harry called out walking in before I could finish buttoning up my shirt, "Oh I-I'm so sorry. Fleur walked out and the door was opened so I just assumed."

"It's fine," I said finishing to button up my shirt. He stared into my eyes for a moment and I had to look away. I felt so terrible for what I had done to him.

"I'm sorry for what I did back in the forest," Harry said, "I was blinded with anger. I shouldn't have done it. It wasn't safe for you to be out by yourself. It's my fault. I'm sorry."

"It's really fine Harry. I deserved it anyway."

"No, it's really not. You could've died. Or... What if Bellatrix never gave birth to you-know-who's heir? What would've happened to you then?"

"How far would you go to save my life?" I asked changing the topic. He looked a little thrown back, opening his mouth but no words came out. "I broke your wand to try and save you. Maybe it wasn't the best way there was but it was the only way I could think of. Please don't ask for any more details. I'm sorry Harry. I wasn't thinking straight. I just- All I ever wanted in my life was to make my family proud. Meeting you, I got another goal. To watch the sun set and rise everyday, watch the seasons change, wake up in each other's arms, grow old together."

"And I promise we will," He said sitting down on the bed beside my waist.

"Don't make promises if you can't keep them."

"Who says I won't?" He said taking out a small ring from his pocket. It wasn't anything too fancy. It was just a simple ring with Harry's initials engraved on it. "It's a promise ring... You don't have to take it if you want to."

"I love it," I replied. He leaned in closer putting our foreheads against each other's and grabbed my hand gently lifting it up like I were fragile sliding the ring on my ring finger. On his ring finger was the same exact ring with my initials on it. "...When did you get this?"

"Hermione had a spare polyjuice potion. Dobby helped me disguise into a random person."

"Harry that's too dangerous-"

"And it was worth it," he said gently kissing me. I pulled him closer for a deeper kiss before he could back away. He didn't try to back away afterwards. Instead leaned in closer pushing me down on the the bed as gently as possible, climbing on top of me. He stopped, only to leave kisses on my chin and trailing down to just under my collarbone. With one hand he began unbuttoning my shirt while gently sucking on my skin leaving a mark. As his hand made it's way to the last button he brushed the bandages on my stomach causing me to wince. He immediately stopped everything pushing himself up and just looked down at me worried.

"Are you alright?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's just hurts a little when something touches it," He didn't say anything back. Instead, his eyes traveled down my body.

"Did I mention you're the most beautiful girl in the world? How are you mine?"

"Yet it took you 5 whole years to ask me to be your girlfriend," I scoffed causing a small laughter out from him as well.

"The things I would do to you if you weren't hurt," he said looking down at the bandages covering my wound.

"You don't want to stop don't you?"

"No."

"Then don't."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He smiled widely grabbing my wand from the bed stand and pointing it towards the door. "Muffliato."

~***~

(I'M SO SORRY)

(The following scenes in the movies happened in desperate rooms. I changed that and also a couple of lines for this story.)

Harry picked me up on his back walking down the stairs. Both us were still red from the experience and had a smile impossible to hide. I buried my face into his neck as he continued to carry me inside the dining room.

"Evelyn!" Hermione called out looking up from her seat. I slightly peaked over Harry's shoulders seeing everyone around the dining table including Luna, Ollivander, and the dwarf from back in the cellar. Harry gently placed me down on an empty seat next to Luna and sat down beside me trying to hide his smile.

"You guys look happy," Luna said. That was enough to chase the smile away from our faces.

"Yeah, well, I'm alive," I said laughing awkwardly though no one joined in. Everyone was too busy eyeing Harry and I. I tried to ignore it taking a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Is that a bruise?" Luna asked making me spit the pumpkin juice back out into the cup.

"What?"

"Under your collarbone, right here," she said pointing just beneath her collarbone. Fleur let out a snicker before quickly covering her mouth with her hand. An extremely uncomfortable silence followed.

"Yeah... It's a bruise."

"How did you come by the sword?" The goblin asked changing the subject with a serious face, pointing at the Sword of Gryffindor that laid against the wall.

"It's complicated. Why did Bellatrix Lestrange think that it should be in her vault at Gringotts?" Harry replied clearing his throat.

"It's complicated."

"The sword presented itself to us, in moment of need. We didn't steal it."

"There is a sword in Madam Lestrange's vault identical to this one. But it is a fake. It was placed there this past summer. And she never suspected it was a fake. The replica is very convincing. Only a goblin would recognize that this is the true Sword of Gryffindor."

"Who is the acquaintance?" Hermione asked.

"A Hogwarts Professor. As I understand that he's now Headmaster."

"Snape," I said remembering meeting him at the forest of dean. He planted the sword under the lake after replacing it with a replica.

"He put a fake sword in Bellatrix's vault," The goblin said nodding.

"Why?" I asked.

"There are more than a few curious things in the vaults at Gringotts."

"And in Lestrange's vault as well?"

"Perhaps."

"I need to get into Gringotts. Into one of the vaults," Harry said.

"It is impossible."

"Alone, yes. But with you, no."

"Why should I help you?"

"I have gold. Lots of-"

"I've no interest in gold."

"Then what?"

"That, that is my price" the goblin said pointing at the Sword of Gryffindor before leaving the room without even eating anything.

"Are you thinking there's a Horcrux in Bellatrix's vault?" Ron asked.

"Well, she was terrified when she thought we had been in there. She kept asking you, what else was taken? I bet you anything, there's Horcrux in there. Another piece of his soul. Let's find it, kill it, and we are one step closer to killing him."

"And what happens when we find it, How're we supposed to destroy it, now you're giving the sword to Griphook?" Ron asked again. Griphook, that's the goblin's name.

"I'm still working on that part," Harry replied.

"I agree with Harry. Bellatrix is you-know-who's most trusted death eater. He would've definitely given her a horcrux to guard. I think we should leave as soon as possible," I said.

"We?" Ron said furrowing his eyebrows.

"Well... yeah, we. What else?"

"You're not going," Harry said.

"What? Why?"

"I agree with Harry. You shouldn't come. You just woke up Evelyn," Hermione said.

"Mind you, if I had enough energy to shag..." I paused for a moment as Harry cleared his throat. "Well, what I'm trying to say is... I'm completely fine with going to Gringotts."

"There's no way you're coming with us," Harry said.

"Do you guys even know how to get in?"

"We'll think of something-"

"No, I'll tell you a way. When I was... Getting tortured, a strand of Bellatrix's hair fell onto my clothes."

"That's what it was," Fleur said, "when I found you bleeding out on the seashore, you were holding out to a strand of hair for your dear life. I knew I should've kept it."

"There, now we have a way into her vault. Do you still want to leave me behind?" None of them answered and gave each other looks. "Alright, sounds good. I'm coming."

"I need to ask you a few questions," Ron said breaking the short silence.

"Anything, m'boy. Anything!"

"Would you mind identifying this wand? We need to know if it's safe to use," Ron said pulling out a wand from his pocket and handing it to Ollivander.

"Uhh... Walnut Dragon Heartstring Unyie... Unyielding. This belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange. Treat it carefully," Ollivander said examining a wand and giving it back to Ron.

"And this?" Ron asked pulling out another. I recognized it right away. It was Draco's wand.

"Hawthorn. An unicorn hair. Reasonably pliant. This was the wand of Draco Malfoy."

"Was? Is it not still?" Harry asked.

"Well, perhaps not. If you won it from him. I sense its allegiance has changed."

"You talk about wands as if they have feelings."

"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr. Potter. That much has always been clear to those of us who've studied wandlore."

"And, what do you know about the Deathly Hallows?" Harry asked.

"It is rumored there are three. The Elder Wand, the Cloak of Invisibility, to hide you from your enemies and the Resurrection Stone, to bring back loved ones from the dead. Together, they make one the Master of Death. But, few truly believe that such objects exist."

"Do you? Do you believe they exist, sir?"

"Well... I see no reasons to put stock into an old wives' tale."

"You're lying. You know one exists. You told him about it. You told him about the Elder Wand and where he could go looking for it," Harry said raising his tone a bit.

"...He tortured me. Besides I only conveyed rumors. There's... There's no telling whether he will find it."

"He has found it, sir."

"...He's after you, Mr. Potter. If it's true what you say, that he has the Elder Wand, I'm afraid, you really don't stand a chance."

"Well, I am supposed to kill him, before he finds me, then," Harry said.

~***~

"Well? How do I look?" Hermione said walking out onto the seashore disguised as Bellatrix.

"Hideous," I replied looking away feeling chills down my spine.

"You can give that to Hermione to hold. Alright, Griphook?" Harry said. The goblin didn't reply and let Hermione take the sword out of his hands. His eyes remained on the sword the entire time we gathered around placing our hands on top of each other's.

"We're relying on you, Griphook. If you get us past the guards into the vault... The sword's yours," Harry said before we apparated.

꧁♡꧂

Thank you for reading my story! Commenting / Voting greatly helps the growth of this story :)

This chapter actually took me two weeks to write lol. I started writing this before The Sword of Gryffindor. It had a smut scene in it but when I was like 1000 words into it I just stopped and thought what the hell am I doing and so I deleted it.