The Villain's Redemption

The Epiphany

Only Draco was now in the Room of Requirement. This room, that was his ticket for freedom. The room that would determine either his doom or his victory. For some reason, however, he did not feel that victorious. Still feeling weak, Draco slowly got off the bed and walked to a mirror that had appeared against the wall, as soon as he thought he needed to look at himself. Even though he drank a lot of water and managed to eat a little bit, he was dizzy and had a horrible migraine. He looked himself in the mirror and it was as if he was seeing a ghost. His pale skin, was even paler and had stress wrinkles, he had a soft stubble forming around his chin, had dark circles under his lifeless eyes and his lips were chipped from dehydration. He had been lucky that Anna found him on time. With all the stress he had been going through lately, he had severely neglected himself. All the worry he had about his mother not writing him back, had been translated to anger and determination to fix that stupid cabinet. So determined, that he had pretended he was sick so he quits Quidditch and his prefect duties and had taken time off his lessons. He stopped attending meal times at the Great Hall, asking Pansy to save him some food for later, so he will not be losing any time. Not that he was eating what she brought. Draco really wanted to get the cabinet fixed, however, time was passing by and he had zero successes. Not even with Dumbledore's assassination. Bell had opened the package and got cursed, he could not smuggle the potion at the party and the cabinet was in the same condition as to when he had found it. Draco had never felt more disappointed in himself and more anxious about a task he had been given before. This whole month was yet a massive fail for him. 

He sighed and teared up, feeling exhausted and frustrated, causing his tired eyes to burn. For the first time in his life, Draco felt humiliated. He was not even worthy of performing a task, he was everyone's laughing stock and lost everything that had mattered to him. Thankfully, he still had his guardian angel, Anna. Draco had done unspeakable things to her, things not even he thought he would do, and yet, instead of her hating him like Potter and his friends would have, she saved his life. Draco was still unsure if she was one of his hallucinations. That would have made more sense than her actually being there. He had stayed behind when everyone was watching the Quidditch match, so he had more time with the cabinet without interruptions. Once everyone apart from the Aurors and Pomfrey were outside the castle, Draco rushed to find the Room of Requirement for once more. He was ready to get inside, when he heard Anna Stone's melodic voice calling him. He had swiftly turned around to ask her to leave, but suddenly, everything got dark and he lost his consciousness. All he can remember after that point, was a rather worried Anna, comforting him softly and helping him stand up to get inside the room, because Draco would refuse to go to the infirmary or for Snape to know of his state. Pomfrey might have seen his Dark Mark if he stayed there for long and Snape might have taken advantage of the state he was in to get the information he wanted from him.

Anna, on the contrary, respected his wish and hid him from everyone. To Draco's relief, she did not try to undress him, she just loosened his tie. She brought him food and gave him water, even if he was protesting at first. Then she actually stayed there, holding his hand, stroking his hair when he was having hallucinations of Grayback attacking his mother and telling him that everything was going to be okay. That was the moment Draco realised that this is what he truly needed during the difficult times he was facing. For someone to hold his hand and tell him that everything was going to be okay. Draco could still not comprehend how a person like Anna Stone really existed. Potter, Granger and Weasley, would have easily left him die there. Or humiliate him even further. But Anna was...simply amazing. Draco is rarely feeling gratitude for anyone, but he is for Anna Stone. None in his life had ever treated Draco the way she had. With so much compassion and care. Apart from his mother, he had felt no such affection from anyone else. Even the thought of her delicate nature was melting his heart. That day, Draco had realised he feels more than attraction for Stone. Until he met her, he had thought it would be impossible to even like someone of her kind. But Draco has gone past 'liking her' now. There was a deeper connection between them. One he could not explain. One that felt really scary to him and he did not wish to explore, but at the same time, craved for. She was there, even in his dreams and he felt himself constantly going to her. As if their souls were tethered.