The Broken Blonde

Chapter Ninety-Three

Confused, I stumbled back as I felt the room become ice cold, an overwhelming feeling that something heavy was pressing on my chest, the hallway fell silent and dark so dark that it was as if a huge cloak draped over the both of us, the cold was so intense it made me shiver and all of the adrenaline I had built up was now compressed into a small ball that weighed my entire body down. My hand fell parting from Dracos as I clenched my stomach not knowing if I was having some sort of stroke, but it was a lot worse, it took a toll on me mentally, gradually filling me up with a feeling of dread and despair.

My head was then pulled up by a touch not distinguishable as human, more like a force of ice. I only saw black and white, it was like I was transported back to when colour wasn't even thought about, not having colour only made me fall even further into the spiral of despondency. I fumbled around for my wand, but the slightest movement was almost impossible only making it easier for the force to take effect, I tried breathing but it was like I was underwater, my airway being blocked or restrained. Eventually I was able to reach my wand but held it loosely as my hands were now numb not knowing if I still had a hold of it at all.

Whatever it was must have noticed what I was trying to do as the force that wrapped around my throat grew tighter making me drop my wand, instead clasping my neck flustering as my breath grew shorter. Before I knew it, I breathed my last making everything around me fade and my body go limp, and by this time I had given up. My eyes weighed themselves down and eventually it was impossible to hold them for any longer, perhaps I've dodged death that much that it finally caught up to me. Though the thing that scared me the most was the fact I felt nothing, nothing at all.

Silence is a quiet that is deafening, it is the point in which hearing no noise is that unbearable you'd do anything to hear one last pin drop. I wanted nothing more than a single spark to be lit inside of me just to assure me that there was something else, something that'd give me the slightest bit of hope. My eyelids draped over my eyes like curtains that left me in complete darkness but just when the darkness was about to shut me off a small light slipped through, at first, I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination letting loose for the last time but the more I concentrated, the closer the light got.

The heavy curtains that once obstructed my vision drew back and fluttered open to see a blinding blue tinted glow moving freely in the air, I was in awe by both its appearance and aura. It seemed to resemble that of a snake just by the way it moved, well slithered, but strangely I felt my mood rise, I don't know if it was simply just being able to see something that wasn't darkness or the fact it reminded me of a specific person. All in all, the hope that was drained from me, gradually started to return giving me enough strength to focus on getting myself to move, clenching my fingers together in a fist to get rid of the pins and needles.

I was able to pull myself up and adjust my eyes to see the light more clearly dawning on me what exactly it was, the light was comforting yet unearthly and could only be casted by one thing, the patronus charm. I forced myself to turn around catching a glimpse of a huge black cloaked figure hovering hastily as the patronus blocked its path warding it away, the snake moved assertively in a figure eight motion as if to guard me from the Dementor that once was offering me its kiss. I finally felt myself come back to my senses seeing that my entire body was shaking uncontrollably, I glanced around to see exactly where I was, now sitting blankly on the cold cobbled floor in the middle of the corridor.

Though the patronus can't be casted without someone to conjure it, thats when I looked up so see Draco standing there, his wand held tightly raised towards where the Dementor was once to be, on top of me. It took a moment to process everything since I was sure he was said to never be able to cast it, reciting what he said on the train in my head. 'Please Patronus is a useless incantation anyway, I haven't the time to bother learning it.' I could remember everything down to his snarky tone and was convinced he just didn't have the ability to do so, so what had changed?

To cast said charm one needed to concentrate on something that would bring them enough joy to summon their protection, I myself found it difficult enough to do so. It was the one incantation I found the hardest to cast since there wasn't much for me to be happy about, I'd often try and think of the times I had with my father before he left, when he'd play me piano or take me to my grandmas for Christmas. Though Draco was one of the few who was rumoured never able to do it, I never thought it was possible but seeing what he went through confirmed the rumours exactly, he hadn't a single thing that brought him enough happiness to summon it, how when his life was determined on whether he lives up to his reputation.

It baffled me how he was able to change that in a matter of seconds when it took years to master, wrapping my head around it was proving to be very difficult but the more I thought about it the more I kept coming back to one specific moment. I brushed it off deeming it as being too radical, I can't possibly sit here and think I was the reason for it, I've always thought of myself as being a burden so how was it that I'd enable him produce something so advanced in such a short period of time. Yet I kept coming back to one specific moment where he slipped up and exposed that for once, I made him happy, the time I felt cut off from everything around me and stood in the river just watching Draco finally let go.

"You-you said?" I stumbled on my words, them being the first thing I was able to form and the first thing to break the silence. Surprised I was conscious never mind talking Dracos focus shifted from being in a state of shock; seeing what he just did to realising that I was in fact alive. We both looked at each other for a moment struggling to grasp the thing we thought to have never believed, he was standing silently still holding his wand high his expression something to have been made by a mother who just saw her child take their first few steps. A mixture of awe and disbelief glistened from the light that reflected softly in his eye assuring that he too was just as shocked as I was.

The patronus was gradually waring away, the light dimming indicating it was becoming weaker striking me quickly with the realisation that once its gone the protection we had would be too. I reached over grabbing my wand that was resting a few feet away from me on the floor and shoved it back in my pocket steadily lifting myself up off the wall, my legs trembled, the effects of the dementor still lurking with me but nevertheless I wasn't going to take my chances. I stood up and hurried over to Draco as I saw the patronus start to fade, a strike of panic shot through me as I knew if we weren't out of its sight by the time it left, we'd haven't enough time to conjure another one.

Frantically I grabbed his arm my hands still shaking hysterically tugging him along as he didn't once break his stare with the light even when the snake had gone and all was left was that of an ordinary glow. He seemed to be in a trance that not even I was able to break, though he followed as I dragged him behind more worried about the Dementor than anything but by the way he reacted shown it was his first encounter with the patronus. Not being able to conjure it meant he was never able to experience how mesmerizing it was and both the shock of being able to do it and seeing that it actually worked must have put him in a state of disbelief.

"You told me it was useless, how did you do it?" I said asked as we finally turned the corner, I was able to break his trance as he looked around aimlessly to see where I took him. I grabbed his arm and pulled on it harder directing his focus back to me who was desperate for him to tell me what had changed.

"I don't kn-"

"Lie." I stated cutting him off, I knew he'd try and act as if it was a miraculous coincidence that he was just that good of a wizard he was able to conjure it first try.

"I said I don't know." He insisted trying to make his tone sound more convincing, but I wasn't believing any of it in the slightest, I grabbed his shirt and shook him not noticing I was still trembling making Draco realise why I was so eager.

"Don't lie to me Draco, you can't just summon a patronus out of the blue" I narrowed my eyes and let him go pushing him back into the wall as I tried to hide the fact I was shaking, he finally looked at me hesitant to speak and glanced at the floor.

"Fine. You, it was you okay. Nothing to do with me."