NUMB WITHOUT YOU | Draco Malfoy

| 47

It was hot underneath the invisibility cloak when you were sharing already very limited space. Draco's breathing was heavy on the back of my neck as I weaved us through the house, careful not to run into any more hoards of Death Eaters. We knew where they were headed with Narcissa in tow for the ceremony, but we had to be quick. Clearly, this ritual was going to happen as soon as possible. It nearly broke my heart that Narcissa knew what was about to happen to her. She was a smart woman, she had to. That's why she told Draco goodbye.

"What exactly is your plan here?" I whispered. We never thought much of this through, but I figured anything might be better than going in blind.

"Kill as many of them as I can before..." Draco's words petered out as we neared the open doorway to the dining room. Draco didn't have to say it. I knew exactly what he meant. We might die here today if we weren't careful.

I could think of worse fates than dying here tonight with Draco Malfoy by my side, but I didn't want it to come to that if we could help it.

I could see our friends all tied up and leaning against the back wall. They were battered and bruised, forced to watch what was about to happen. Even Viktor Krum looked like he took a pretty brutal beating, possibly the worst of them all. He was determined to make sure he internalized his pain, which I knew would only make things worse for him. Krum wouldn't give them the satisfaction knowing that they had broken him.

The dining room had been completely transformed this time around. Everything felt carefully planned out for the ritual, and much less less impromptu. In the center of the room there was a platform designed to look like a stage, and Camille sat front and center in Lucius's chair. She looked like a bored queen overlooking her kingdom from her throne.

Narcissa sat in a chair off to the side of the stage. Her hands were tied together and her hands looked slightly purple from lack of proper blood circulation. The room was buzzing with a sort of anxious anticipation as they crowded in front of the stage.

Goyle limped into the room right past us, flanked on either side by Pucey and Montague. Draco looked at me and raised a brow as if to ask if I was responsible for Goyle's appearance.

Unable to speak without being heard, I shrugged in acknowledgement and kept my eyes trained on Goyle. He walked up to Camille and whispered something to her, possibly about our little encounter by the look on her face. I tried to start walking closer so we could hear, but Draco held me back.

"Don't." He muttered in my ear as he grabbed my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. The nerves were beginning to kick in and he was getting worried about what was about to happen. Narcissa's sacrifice was about to begin and we were being forced to watch.

I had a split-second inclination to disapparate with Draco as far away as we could go and to disappear with him forever. We could make our way to America and start over in a place where no one knew us or any of our baggage. But we couldn't do that. Not now. We had friends and family that we couldn't possibly abandon.

To think, how far we had both come from those days as teenage Death Eaters. The others in this room had gone so far the other way. This was so much worse than when Voldemort was in charge. Back then, we were all motivated by fear of what would happen if they didn't follow Voldemort. This time, they were all here of their own volition, consumed by their greed and the promises of power.

Camille stood up and the room went quiet.

"Montague. Get me the book" She snarled as she began ordering the two men around like her own personal servants, "Pucey. The bitch."

Draco looked like he was about to lose it. Graham reached for the Necromancy book while Adrian jostled his mother around carelessly. He laughed as he yanked her from her chair and pushed her towards Camille.