Hallows Game || HP X Squid Game (Draco Malfoy)

30 - Adore You

"I'm sorry," Draco murmured in my ear, gently rocking me as I sobbed in his arms, clinging onto him like he was all I had left in the world. "I'm so sorry."

"He shouldn't have died," I wept, my tears flowing in a way they'd not flowed for Luna or my sisters. "He had so much reason to leave this place."

"So do you," Draco said firmly, his fingers tilting up my chin to force me to look into his piercing grey eyes. "Listen to me, Alia. You have so much to live for, too."

Our lips were so close, they were almost touching, and I was desperate to close the gap and kiss him, to get lost in his comfort and not think... never think again.

But instead, I closed my eyes, as more tears spilled out and splashed down my cheeks. My mind was overflowing with information and horrors I wished weren't there. In less than a week I had lost both my sisters, two of my closest friends, discovered I had a brother who was dead, and that Draco had a brother born out of the result of his father doing an unforgivable act on his son's ex.

To say I was exhausted was an understatement.

Draco pulled me tighter against him, fervently kissing the top of my head. The sound of his steady heartbeat comforted and reassured me as I clung to him. I never wanted to move, did not want to face another second of the hell that we were being forced to endure.

Could a person go insane from such a thing? Probably.

"Come on," Draco said authoritatively, "let's get you to bed."

He glared over my shoulder, presumably at Harry who was doubled over in belly-aching laughter with the pink guard (of whom had since acquired for them a bottle of port), smacking his hand down on the table in hysterics ("And then he said -hic- he said 'It killed meh! It killed meh!' You should have seen his face!").

Numbly, I let Draco guide me to the bunk furthest away from Harry and the guard, his hand clasping mine tightly.

I was grateful when, without a word, Draco lay down with me and scooped me back into his arms.

"I don't want to fall asleep," I whispered against his chest, knowing that the morning would bring the final game, and very likely tear me apart from the last person left in the world I cared about, bar my parents.

Although... if what Padma had said was true about my brother, then could I forgive them for keeping such a thing from me?

"Shhh, you'll need the rest," Draco hummed. "If you want to get out of here and find your parents."

But I did not want to leave this place alone. I did not want to leave without him. And besides, he had more reason to survive this game than me.

"Draco," I whispered, recalling my promise to Nico, "before I fall asleep, there's something I need to tell you... about Nico."

He frowned, but said nothing, silently waiting for me to continue as his fingers played in my hair, brushing soothingly down my back.

I took a deep, nervous breath. "The thing is, he had a reason to win that money... well, we all did. But Nico's one was more surprising."

"How so?" Draco asked slowly, giving me his full attention.

"I only found out just now, he told me when you went to fetch the towel. And he made me promise not to say anything until after he... well, you know."