(1) 𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄 | d. m

Chapter thirty-four

"You know they're coming back soon, right? Bellatrix, and the others... They're not finished with me". I broke the silence, resting my head on his chest, feeling his fast beating heart. I didn't want to say anything, but I knew deep in my marrow bone that this was all too good to be true. I might have gotten away with no serious injuries, and thanks to Narcissa's bravery, I wasn't dead. But they weren't done with me, and I wasn't done with them. I needed revenge. I craved it.

Draco placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "I won't let anything happen to you".

"You can't promise me that everything's going to be okay. It's probably not. Voldemort—"

"—Don't say his name—", he cut me off, the tone of his voice swaying.

"—The Dark Lord wants me dead, and I won't rest until one of us is. It's either me or him, and I can't have you be in the middle of it". I was raising my head from his chest at this point, almost sitting up, staring into his silvery blue eyes.

"What does that mean?!", he asked, tracing his hand through his light blond hair, his bottom lip shaking.

"It means I need you to promise me you won't do anything stupid."

He sighed, making sure our faces were close enough to plant another kiss, this time on my lips. I could tell by his shivering bottom lip, that he was anything but willing to cooperate.

"Promise me, Draco", I said once more. "Promise me you won't come after me. I need to know you won't try and save me".

There was a silence between us, serious and tense, cutting through like a knife. I knew that, when the moment came, I couldn't have him in the middle of any of it. That in order for me to be able to go through with my task, I couldn't be thinking about him. Where he was, if he was okay, if he was even alive.

It wasn't that I was scared for my own life or that anything would happen to me, in fact I was kind of set on the fact that I would in all probability have to give my life for this cause that I believed in. No, the thing that scared me the most, was that having Draco near the battlefield when the battled commenced would disrupt my senses and lead to me putting down my armour and sword to protect him. I wouldn't be able to go through with any of it, without knowing he would be safe. That's what scared me.

Finally, he said hesitantly: "I promise". It was a faint promise, one I knew he would try and honour, but I also knew he didn't really want to at all.

"Thank you". I lay back my head onto his chest, noticing that his heart was still beating ferociously.

***

As spring came, it brought sunshine and clear blue skies to Wiltshire, England. The dark was soon replaced by light, and it didn't feel like there was a war going on at all. These were dark and desperate times indeed, yet the spring atmosphere said differently. It felt like it had always done, and I kept telling myself it would all be over soon. That I would soon be reunited with my friends, my teachers. That Hogwarts was awaiting our return.

I was still grappling with the fact that the Death Eaters would soon return, and so would Voldemort.  I was updated on everything going on with Harry Potter by means of the Daily Prophet and Draco himself. He kept telling me to not go looking for trouble, despite the promise he had made. I knew of his role in the killing of Dumbledore and I was well aware of his many attempts at breaking free from the stronghold of the Dark Lord, but what I didn't know; was what was about to happen.

One evening in late march, while I was attempting to figure out just what to do in order to fulfil my task of defeating Voldemort, something happened, something that brought me even closer towards the answer. Draco was still in bed, shaking from his nightmares that seemed to plague his mind no matter what I did to try and soothe it. I, on the other hand, had completely given up on the whole sleep thing, and was rummaging through the kitchen to try and find something to eat. I wasn't particularly hungry either, but with lack of other ideas, I figured eating would at least keep me occupied for a few minutes. Finally, I found a green, tasty looking apple lying on the kitchen island, catching my attention. It almost seemed out of place, a contrast to the gaunt and gloomy greys of the mansion in which I had spent the last couple of weeks.

I grabbed the apple, biting into it, feeling my mouth water even more from the sour taste that lingered. But it wasn't long before my little enjoyment was interrupted by the loud sound of something popping.

"DRACO!".

I wasn't alone anymore.

Bellatrix and some of the other Death Eaters had Apparated back into the mansion, and were now holding me down, forcing my body into the cold floor. I heard the slamming of doors from upstairs, and my only guess was that they had alerted Draco as well, presumably taking him by force as they did me.

"Now, this is going to be fun!", I still hadn't learned to tolerate Bellatrix's cackling voice, feeling my ear drums tighten by the sound of her malicious and eerie tune.

They had planned this. Carefully and thoroughly. It had been weeks since their last attempt at bringing me in, weeks since Bellatrix managed to murder her own sister in cold blood, just because she refused to hand me or Draco over. They had planned this attack, and this time we wouldn't be able to hold them off. I was sure of it. The only way we would ever make it out alive, was if I surrendered myself, pretended to be at the mercy of the Dark Lord. Maybe then, I could
get close enough to take my shot. Maybe then, I would be able to finish all of this. Come hell or high water.

As I struggled to free myself from the stronghold of the Death Eaters who's faces I had dreamed of never seeing again, I caught a glimpse of what else was happening. Lucius was pulling at his son's collar, dragging him downstairs, threatening him in the process. Or more like desperately trying to reassure him that whatever they were doing, was the right thing and that Draco should go back to the dark side.

But it wasn't just me, Draco and the Death Eaters. There were other people in the room, and as soon as I noticed this, my heart began doing jumping jacks and my throat started to tighten.

I couldn't believe my eyes.

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were there and it was clear that it wasn't on their own accord. They had been taken there by force as well, and by the look on their faces as well as Bellatrix's, it would be a while before they could escape.

Fortunately enough, I had a plan figured out.