Golden Chain

They journeyed back to Rosalie's house with smiles on their faces. Hermione had given Rosalie an excuse to give her mother.

"Tell her, I got a new dress that doesn't fit, so since you are naturally bursty than me, I would love to give the dress to you. We can tell her that you will follow me to get it, and will be back before the time of the curfew." Thus came Hermione's excuse for her friend.

"Oh! You are the best friend one could ever ask for." Rosalie exclaimed, hugging her by her side.

"Wish I could say same for you." Hermione twitched, feeling her oxygen getting cut short from Rosalie tight grasp.

"What did you say?" Rosalie immediately whipped her head towards Hermione.

"I mean, you are the greatest friend one could ever ask for." She replied with a sheepish smile.

"You better mean it!" Rosalie threatened with a finger pointing towards her.

"Of course I do." Hermione giggled, using her finger to divert Rosalie's.

"Good. Now we should get this to mother before it is too late." Rosalie said.

"Excited much, are you not?" Hermione commented.

"You will not understand Hermione. When you do, I will be the one doing the teasing, oh! With some mockery too." Rosalie interjected before skipping her way further with a happy hum. Her mood was now elevated thanks to Hermione's idea, and now she cannot wait to get home.

Hermione steps slowed as she watched Rosalie moved forward with excitement. She did not believe in her ever understanding that. Hermione saw relationships as a bondage. To her it was like being in the dungeon with open doors but still choose to remain in there willingly. The last thing on her mind right now is to fall in love. No! Not the last thing. It isn't even among.

Shaking her head sideways, she smiled and went along to catch up with Rosalie who was already floating in happiness. "Lover girl, you should wait for me." Hermione called out.

"Oh no, Hermione! I am too in love to wait." Rosalie replied, tuning her already small voice, to be more smaller, which elicited a loud laugh from Hermione.

"Drama queen." Hermione called her.

They giggled and continued to move back to Rosalie's house.

Upon their arrival, Rosalie's father was already back home. Hermione paused, looking at him sitting outside and talking something with his wife.

"Urmm Rosalie, I think this is where we say goodbye, for now." She said with a tight smile.

Rosalie looked downcasted, her plans of meeting her lover was ruined by her father. It was funny though but she felt betrayed. Pursing her lips tight she nodded in acceptance. "I understand, bye."

Hermione felt bad for her friend. Sometimes she wished she could just help her sometimes, just the way she does to her. Everything kept being unfair when it gets to her turn and Hermione began to feel a certain guilt creep up her chest.

"I promise, one day I will make it all up to you." Hermione conceited with a willful light that shone in her dark eyes.

"You don't have to worry abo-"

"You both are back, that was fast." Mrs Bexon voice suddenly called out to them, making Hermione become on alert and her eyes widen slightly.

"Ah, yes mother." Rosalie spoke up.

"Good. I already used the little we had and it still worked out find. Hermione dear, you would not mind joining us for dinner?" Mrs Bexon inquired.

What's with all the dinner requests?

Her mind screamed, remembering a certain event.

Just when she opened her lips to reply, she heard Rosalie. "Mother, she was about leaving now, the clothes which she hung outside are still there, and it looks like it is going to rain soon." Rosalie interceded for her.

Hermione said nothing but nod silently at Rosalie statement, not wanting to look towards her father because she could already feel the stares pricking her soft skin.

"Alright dear, if you say." Mrs Bexon voiced out with a calm smile.

"Goodbye, Mr and Mrs Bexon." Hermione wished with a hurried tone before turning her back to leave, but not before mouthing a thank you to Rosalie.

Rosalie nodded shortly. She watched Hermione leave, before coming to stand Infront of her parents to greet.

Hermione reached her little home. Her solace for two years.

A sudden thought clicked in her mind, and without hesitation she scurried towards her backyard. She chuckled.

If only Rosalie knew how accurate her 'excuse' turned out to be.

Indeed, Hermione had not yet gathered the clothes they had washed together the other day. With hurried movement she picked them one by one.

Moving back after she was done, she immediately spread them out on her bed. Picking them and putting in their right places.

"Clang."

She paused. Taking few steps back, Hermione asked herself. "What was that?" Darting her eyes in search of the source of the sound. Her toes stepped on something icy and metallic. With a frown she bent to pick it up, and noticed as it glowed dimly at her touch. As if acknowledging her.

As she brought the object to her gaze, Hermione's brows squinted. Right now she was holding a golden chain followed by a golden pendant, which was a…. dragon?

Her brows squeezed in more confusion. This item wasn't hers, then who could it belong to?

More over, it was foreign, more different than any other golden necklaces she had ever seen or come across. It had a strange design pattern that was intricately etched on the body of the chain. And the size was thinner than most necklaces. The gold it was made shone more perfectly like it had been polished. Such thing couldn't be hers or Melanie's either.

She carefully checked for any particular place where the strange necklace could have fallen from, and she was appalled to see the beige coloured dress she wore to the local market last time. The day she got involved in an unwanted commotion.

The object could not have fallen from there right?

Her eyes widen in a fearful realization. "Could this be the precious possession the merchant spoke about?"