𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 '𝟗𝟔 ; 𝐝. 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 ✓

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞

5:24 am
May 2, 1998

His somber grey eyes glanced from the fallen mask, back to me. Jitters creeped down my spine as I stared at the boy who I had loved, and now at the boy I couldn't even recognize anymore. I could tell he could easily read my disappointed expression as his lip began to tremble while studying me.

"I-I'm not here to hurt you, Estelle." He stuttered, inching a little bit closer to me.

"So that's where you went? You left me to become a Death Eater?" I scowled, causing him to stumble back and flinch. "Who even are you? You're not who you made me believe you were."

"They took me away!" He bellowed, "I was forced!"

Tears percolated out of his gentle eyes. You'd expect a Death Eater to look as if they were filled with hatred, but Draco was the absolute opposite of it.

"Right as I left, I was taken away. Recruited. We went directly to Azkaban to bail my Aunt Bellabitc—Bellatrix, out. I was taken to Lord Voldemort and he told me that if I didn't accompany him and his army, he would kill my family and I. So I became a Death Eater. I had no choice. None. If I did have one, I would've stayed with you." The sorrowful blond explained shakily. "Please, i-it wasn't my choice. I've come to protect you and your team."

His glassy grey eyes stared into mine with raw hope.

God, those grey eyes.

I gave in and cautiously approached him, my feet sloshing through the shallow water. The pale moonlight glowed onto his skin, revealing his damp cheeks, stained with tears. Glancing up at him, I slowly took his shaky left forearm into my gentle grasp. He flinched as I tugged his sleeve further up his arm revealing the vile black mark that trailed down his forearm. It was red with irritation, with scratch marks and bloody scabs all around it. My bottom lip quivered and I whimpered a small cry, as I knew he was deeply ashamed of himself. My thumb gently rubbed across the scarred mark.

"Fuck." He flinched, tensing up.

"Sorry."

My teary eyes trailed away from his, and back to the dreaded mark. How bad that had to have hurt to get that. Nothing hurt more in this world than knowing that he wasn't safe where he had been, and that he was troubled all along. Both of our warm tears fell down onto his scabs, and his tenseness declined. While maintaining eye contact with his sad, grey eyes, I lifted his wrist up to my shaky lips and kissed his injured mark gently.

"I remember I told you when you left that I wouldn't stop loving you until the day the world ended. Even though you're not the same Draco I knew a couple summers ago, I will stand by that phrase forever." I whispered, holding his rough hand against my tear-stained cheek.

"Forever?"

"Forever."

His trembling sobs echoed throughout the bathroom, barely audible over the endless shrieks, just outside of these walls. Our eyes met, and with one pain-stricken wail, he yanked me into his chest, his big and safe arms wrapping around my small body. I buried my face into his broad chest and bawled into his black suit that was underneath his cloak. The expensive scent of cologne filled my senses, giving me comfort amongst the chaos. This is what home felt like, whenever, however, and wherever I was with him.

He divided himself from our embrace and took my hands, pressing his bloody forehead against mine.

"Listen, Estelle. I don't know what's going to happen today. Anything could, anything. So I want you to please take this." He removed a dark, matte black ring with the letters "D.M." neatly carved into it from his index finger, placing it carefully onto my shaky thumb. "Today is going to be full of all things unexpected. It pains me greatly to say this, but if anything happens to me today, please remember me with this."

Our lips locked passionately, giving me a sense of security even though I refused to accept that people were outside of this bathroom, dying left and right.

"I am going to stick by your side today. We're gonna go out there, and we're going to fight. I'm not siding with the Death Eaters, no way." He murmured in a panicky fashion, removing his cloak and dropping it into the shallow water below, along with his mask.

"But Draco, we'll die out there."

"If we die, we'll die together, just like we always wanted."

Suddenly, roaring flames were heard from outside of the thick walls, with more panicked screeches erupting into madness. The place had been set on fire.

"Listen to me, Estelle!" Draco shouted, clutching onto my cheeks. "I love you. So fucking much. I'm going to be right by your side this whole day, making sure nothing happens to you, because you're my beautiful star and I was absolutely nothing without you."

The north wall of the Prefects Bathroom erupted into flames. Draco and I screeched, clutching tighter onto each other. His hand creeped into mine, and we looked at each other sternly.

"I love you too, Draco. Together."

"Together."

Scrambling past the scorching blaze, we frantically shoved open the heavy door and raced down the staircase. The place was a complete madhouse. Ashes flew everywhere, rising into the grey, cloudy sky. People lay on the rough ground, unconscious. Flames were crawling up the walls of the Great Hall. Stones that had crafted the walls of the place in which we used to call home, crumbling to the ground. Trolls absent-mindedly swung their clubs at crowds of people in the front courtyard, with spiders swarming around them. Draco shakily sighed at the horrific sight, looking down at me who stared back at him.

"I'm going to protect you with everything I've got."

The tears rolled down my scorching cheeks, as we shuffled down the stairs and ran through the chaos. Spells were flying left and right in bright flashes of color, Draco and I having to dodge a few. Finally, we spotted Pansy, Blaise and Goyle gathered around in a duel.

"Stupefy!" Draco exclaimed, flicking his wand and knocking one of his malicious members unconscious.

"Estelle! Draco! Come on!" Pansy shrieked, plowing through the loads of people who surrounded.

This time, we stuck together, running through the endless clouds of thick smoke. Draco squeezed my hand as tight as he could while we ran, we ran, and we ran. We struck Death Eaters left and right with a large variety of spells, saving our classmates from ferocious duels and guiding them where to go.

Suddenly, everyone stopped in their tracks. Silence. Pure silence aside from the roaring flames. An ear piercing ringing sound echoed throughout everyones head, while we all flinched and hunkered down. Not long after, an eerie voice crept into everyone's heads. The voice of Lord Voldemort.

You have all thought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me, in the forbidden forest and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me.

"Draco... don't go." I whispered, regarding that he had told the Death Eaters to retreat.

"I won't. I'm staying right here with you, Estelle."

Pansy, Blaise, Goyle, Draco and I all noticed the prodigious army of Death Eaters marching out of the castle, which practically remained in ruins now. Draco's face morphed into a horrific grimace, for if the Death Eaters saw him working with us, he would be killed. Unhesitatingly, I shoved him into a hole underneath the stone ground, me and the group not far behind. We ducked and scurried under the stone above as the army marched over us, cursing, and whispering things that were about to happen.

We all sat in the puny location with faces of raw horror. Draco yanked me into his lap as I clutched onto the sleeve of his suit for dear life. His callused hand clasped over my mouth in which longed to utter a raw shriek. His teary grey eyes met mine again.

"I've got you, Estelle."