Everything that followed felt like some kind of fever dream. From one moment to the next, we had taken back some of the control, and there was no time to spare. If we didn't act soon and hit back hard, we wouldn't make it out.
Following Dobby's act of bravery, we all headed upstairs. I tried my very best to prepare myself in any way possible for what was about to happen, but nothing really could. The last time I was put into the cold and dirty downstairs, it had resulted in the death of someone close to Draco. Who was to say, this time would be any different? Who was to say, that someone I cared deeply about wouldn't get hurt this time?
Tripping over our feet to get to Hermione, we finally saw her laying on the cold hard floor of the manor, blood dripping from where Bellatrix had been carving, the word
"MUDBLOOD" clearly written. She was still wimping, but barely moving a muscle. Upon entering the room, Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters caught sight of us.
"Well, well. If it isn't Mr Potter and his friends?", Bellatrix asked in a mocking voice, with her ludicrous smile reminding me of the cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland. It was apparent that they weren't expecting to see us standing there, and it wasn't long until another duel commenced.
Each of our wands cast lights as we uttered spells and jinxes under our breaths, hoping for the other party to lay down their weapons and retreat. I noticed that I was holding by breath for several minutes at a time, scared that this wasn't going to end the way I had hoped. Scared that we would ultimately end up in the same boat as Narcissa Malfoy. I could
sense my veins prickling underneath my fragile skin, as if it was a way for my subconscious to tell me to quit. To just give up and hope for the best.
But I wasn't about to do so.
I couldn't just leave everything and everyone I cared so deeply about. No matter how much I wanted to escape this whole situation that we were all in, Disapparate from this dark and gloomy house to somewhere were the sun shines more brightly behind the horizon; I couldn't. I was too involved at that point.
After what felt like forever, Bellatrix, Lucius and the other Death Eaters disappeared from view, Disapparating out of the ghostly manor, leaving us to share in whatever feeling of victory we could muster.
I spotted Draco standing by Hermione's fragile body. It was clear he was in a bad shape, as he kept on breathing unevenly, stuttering his words:
"I-I'm s-s-so sorry...", he kept on repeating quietly.
I knew Draco was beating himself up over everything that had happened. He had told me of his desire to be rid of the darkness hovering over him. He didn't want to be the person people thought he was, he didn't want to be a Death Eater. It was something that was practically forced upon him, something that he grew up with and would eventually have to face, himself. It wasn't something that he chose, but rather something that other people chose for him.
He wasn't free; but he wanted to be. Badly.
For a good while now, I had witnessed Draco struggle to be who he was, to make decisions based on his own free will. But it wasn't easy, in fact, it seemed impossible.
And now he had to deal with the subsequent consequences of other peoples choices.
Oh, how I was scared for him. How I wished for his freedom and happiness; and for our future together to not be clouded by a hovering darkness.
"Draco—" I started murmuring but my voice was quickly caught off by the more infuriated and struggling sound of Ron's.
"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK TO HER! This is all your fault! What— it wasn't enough to ruin Harry and Lane's life, now you have to go and ruin Hermione's too?!".
"Ron—", I put a gently but shaky hand on his shoulder.
"—NO! Don't you get it?", he turned to face me. "He's to blame for all of this! He got the Death Eaters into Hogwarts, he nearly gave Harry away, he is one of them!".
I felt my eyes start to prickle and the tears forming. Looking to Draco, I noticed he was just as upset, if not more so. His pale and bony face barely visible in the late hours of the evening, his grey eyes looking into mine, seemingly praying for forgiveness.
"He's right. It's all my fault". He finally answered, after Ron managed to get Hermione on her feet. He was still nearly hyperventilating, his voice shaky as well as his limbs. His eyes were glistening like diamonds, but he tried to hold back the last of his tears.
"What- no, Draco- don't say that. None of this is your fault. You didn't have a choice!". I felt myself getting more and more scared that he was about to do something stupid. The aching in my heart didn't seem to subside either, and I was still out of breath from the duelling.
"I always thought that. That it was the circumstances, the family I was born into, the views which I had been forced to believe in. I never realised the true calamity of my actions. My choices...".
Draco looked around the room, only for his eyes to land on mine again, sorrow and hopelessness radiating from them. At first, I didn't dare to look into his. I thought that if I didn't, then none of it was real. That maybe I could change his mind.
When I eventually did however, I couldn't hold back the flood any longer than I wanted to.
"I thought I could save you...", I sobbed, trying my best not to let the ground fall from under me.
"But you did. Don't you understand?", he took as many steps as needed towards me, before he could place his pale and cold hands on my face, wiping away at the salty tears that had started to dry out my skin completely. "You did save me. You took a broken, fucked up boy and made him feel loved and cared for, even if it was for just a short while".
"I wish we had more time", I said, placing my hands on his. I knew what we has about to do, I had known it for awhile at that point, I just didn't want to believe that it was true.
Draco was leaving, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. No matter how much I wanted him to stay, I wouldn't be able to change his mind, and that was one of the things I loved the most about him. His stubbornness.
"Me too. But trust me, this is all for the best. You and me, we were never meant to be together. Not really. I guess I just got too caught up with it all. Falling in love does that to you, I suppose". He gave a slight chuckle, the tear glistening behind his grey eyes.
"I love you", I managed to let out, a single tear making its way down my rosy cheek.
He was still smiling. "I love you too".
Then he was gone.
YOU ARE READING
(1) 𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄 | d. m
Fantasy(Previously named 'Marked for death') When I was seventeen, I learned what love truly meant. Love is waking up in the morning for your first thought to be of that one person. Love is that feeling in your stomach that you get whenever he or she looks...
