𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐒 | 𝐃.𝐌

₅₁ ɪ ᴡᴀꜱ ʙʀᴀᴠᴇ

Sρσƚιϝყ ρʅαყʅιʂƚ ϝσɾ αʂʂαʂʂιɳʂ
ʅιɳƙҽԃ ιɳ ɱყ Ⴆισ
┈˃̶༒˂̶┈

I was brave, Ava thought to herself as she walked out of the castle doors and into the destroyed courtyard. It looked like the aftermath of a battlefield with all the destruction and bodies lying on the ground. But they had won. After everything, they survived and there will never be a war again.

All the fighting is over and all that is left for them to do is live. Find themselves again and create a life. A better life.

But through all of the victory, Ava couldn't help but still feel an overwhelming amount of grief and sadness for all the lives lost and the friends she had to watch be killed. It suddenly hit her that Harry, Hermione and Ron weren't here to see the end of the war. They couldn't share this victory with her like they had thought when they were kids.

Ava will carry their loss with her until her last breath and her heart will ache that she won't be able to live this new life with them.

The rising sun glistened beautifully ahead of her as Draco and Victor walked by her side. Victor had given Ava Voldemort's sword and he said it was up to her to decide what to do with it next.

"Lord Voldemort is dead," Victor announced and he turned to look their way, "the war is over and from this morning we will start rebuilding."

Ava could see the relief in everyone's eyes and the weight that disappeared from the air. But there was still that sadness in the eyes of the victorious. They were survivors but at what cost? Everyone in that courtyard had lost their families and many others, thousands had died in this war.

Victor raised his sword, "to those who didn't make it."

Ava's eyes glistened with tears as she averted her eyes to see Victor's sword high in the air. It was beautiful and Ava wanted to fall to her knees and cry for everyone who didn't make it. She had to keep her sadness locked away, she had to turn it into anger and use all her strength to become an assassin. Because becoming a killer was her only way to survive.

Everyone raised their sword into the air, holding it high, even those who were injured and had broken arms. They still raised their swords. Ava raised hers. She raised it for everyone who had died.

Draco raised his sword too and Ava was happy that this time round, he was standing on the right side of the war. She was glad he found his choice and peace.

"We will not let their deaths be for nothing," Victor lowered his sword, "it may take a year or longer but this world will be at peace once again."

┈˃̶༒˂̶┈

Ava ventured down the grassy hill, the long grass flowing wildly in the wind. Ava walked fast, eager to get rid of the sword in her hands. The weight of it pulled the muscles in her arm but she ignored it. She had become used to her body constantly being in pain and it often had made her stronger.

"Let me hold it for you," Draco called from behind Ava. He was following her with a limp in his step and Ava knew he was hurt, she was too, but she had to do this now.

"I got it," Ava said over her shoulder, walking through the long grass and the wind blowing the fallen strands of her braid. "You don't have to come with me-"

"I'm coming with you," Draco interrupted before she could finish her words. Ava smiled but kept up her speed.

She reached the bottom of the hill and avoided the urge to look over to her left where Hagrid's hut once was. Now it was a pile of ash. Ava let the sadness settle somewhere deep and then slammed Voldemort's sword into the earth. It was angled slightly but it was in the ground. Ava took a step back and bumped into Draco's side. His hand braced her waist and she turned her head to look up at him.

Why was she suddenly nervous to be around him?

"Are you okay?" Draco asked her.

She looked back at the sword, "I will be."

It may take weeks or years for her to be okay again, she may not ever be okay again but she did have hope that one day she will find peace and happiness.

"I will be here, by your side and help you be okay," Draco grabbed her hands in his and squeezed gently. His touch sent chills through her body and her heart skipped a beat. It was love that was making her feel this way.

"Good," Ava smiled as best she could, "because I never want to be far from you again. I want to be by your side through every step."

A grin pulled up Draco's lips, the golden sun gleaming against his pale bruised skin. His eyes glistened bright, brighter than she'd ever seen them, "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear those words on your lips."

Ava smiled and felt the blush on her cheeks, "I love you," the words left her mouth and processed the gleaming shock in his eyes and watched the effect her words had on him.

Draco leaned in and kissed Ava's lips. She stepped back from the impact of his sudden force and he steadied her by wrapping his arm around her waist. And Ava arched her back into him. A warm feeling settled through her body and felt his other hand cup her cheek as he deepened the kiss. His lips moved against hers in a gentle urgency.

He pulled away, leaving Ava breathless and their bodies were still in-tangled as one, "I love you," Draco said, his eyes looking into the depths of hers.

She smiled, really, truly smiled for the first time in a very long time. She had lost so much but gained so much at the same time. She had lived through a torturous, fearful life but now she gets to create a new life with a boy she fell in love with unexpectedly. She gets to live and be fearless because she is an assassin and she is an assassin in love.

She leaned up and kissed his lips, gripping the back of his head and pulling him in close. The two of them fell into a wild kiss of victory as the beautiful sun rose above the hill.

Ava had a long way to go until she healed from the past year but she couldn't wait to rebuild the world with him. Voldemort tried to make her into a ruthless assassin but instead gave her strength and the ability to kill him. To end him. She will wake up every morning and remind herself that she is not violent, she is not malicious, and she is not a killer but she is a result of a monster. She will use her new ruthless skills and create something good.

She ended a war. Ended a life of death and suffering.

Ava was brave and will embrace her new life as an assassin, but she won't kill as Voldemort intended, she will protect.

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THE END
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Copyright © Kirsten Enn