Dare - Draco Malfoy

Chapter 48: Sectumsempra

Draco:

It's done. Dumbledore is dead. The dark mark tarnishing the inky sky above, letting a glimmer of green blaze through the many windows of the narrow corridor. Rushing down the stone stairs, I feel my body rigid, a reaction of survival. I learned to control panic when I was child. I learned how to keep it for myself. I felt it growing in me ever since I left Maeve. Ever since the cabinet opened.

The sight of pure malice in front of me, within the walls of Hogwarts.

I learned how to not show my quick breathing, forcing m chest to raise slowly. My lungs pained.

I learned how to pretend to be calm when blood pounds in my head, when my vision is transfigured.

I can sense my wand slipping from my sweaty clutch. The the stabbing pain of the icy air tonight brought within the school, penetrating through my bones.

My shins hurting from the speed of our march. I can hear screams of duels happening down in the lower level. The rest of the death eaters who stayed to fight, to slow the school's protection. The loud thumping of our steps, the creaking laugh of Bellatrix, trotting down the corridors casting blasting curses at the window and walls, leaving peril at her every word.

My teeth clenching at the sight of wreck of a place I once called home.

Yaxley, Amicus, the Carrows, and Snape silent. Their grunts the only voice.

We appear at the entrance hall unnoticed at first. My sanity is on the verge of extinction. The sight that greets us is one of destruction. In the heart of the night, students screaming and running. Teachers and staff, along side the Order, fighting incessantly, protecting the sacred place.

I stop in my tracks. Lungs short of air. I see Longbottom and Ginny, panic struck struggling to cast spells at their offenders. I let my eyes move across and find Granger and Weasley fighting together. My eyes now focus on the battle ground. Blood and two bodies pushed to the side. I shudder.

I force my legs to move again but only to stop after a moment. The rest now too busy in the midst of the duels ahead.

With the corner of my eyes I spot a streak of hair. Just a golden shade amongst the havoc. I freeze and narrow my eyes. The jets of light, and people's agitation blocking my view. For a moment I think of all the devilish thoughts I can master. Then these thoughts become reality.

Maeve, fighting against hope, shoulder to shoulder with Aria.

Her face marked with dust. A cut on her cheek. Aria's eyes fearful. Meave's fierce.

It is a though a part of me has been snatched from my body. A seas of vertigo, instability. I want my body to react but my every nerve seems to fight against it. A sense of powerlessness grows steadily. I have promised to keep her safe.

The horror becomes overwhelming, and from some hidden place in my mind I feel a darkness, something huge and unnameable, begin to form as I wake from a slowed moment of frozen fear and make out the two men attacking them.

I cross the room, arm raised, wand gripped tightly. Chaos surrounding me. Anything that crosses my path, I push aside. My eyes fixated on my target, waiting for a clean shot, still far. I am behind the attackers, and Meave behind them. If I aim wrongly, I could hit her. I see an other jet of light from their wands and my arm acts of its own accord, in symbiosis with my lips.

"Incarcerous"

No light comes from my wand but the effect is instantaneous. Ropes appearing from thin air make the men fall to the floor. His body tangles in a struggle. I resume my running, racing to her. Begging not to let anything happen. I need to bring her to safety. Nothing else matters.