The Slytherin Heiress

Chapter || 10

Draco and I merely stand by the vanishing cabinet and hear the wind barreling into the walls. The cabinet clicks and black smoke floods from the cracks before the door opens. My heart hammers in my chest as Bellatrix and a few others appear from the smoke. I nod simply to Bellatrix before Draco and I begin our search for Dumbledore. We search his office first and find him nowhere to be seen. Then Draco has the idea of the Astronomy tower.

"Why would he be there?" I ask, slightly panicking.

"A feeling." He says as we rush up the stairs.

I follow him and we make our way to the highest point of the tower. Draco climbs the stairs first slowly. Dumbledore's long hair blows to his side as Draco and I raise our wands. I shrug off my cardigan, revealing my dark mark. It pulses and slightly burns my skin.

"Good evening Draco, Verena." He greets us. "What brings you here on this fine spring evening?"

"Who else is here? I heard you talking." Draco spits.

"I often talk aloud to myself," Dumbledore says calmly. "I find it extortionately useful. Have you been whispering to yourself Draco?" Neither of us responds as we circle the fixtures to get a clearer view of him. "Draco, you are no assassin."

"How do you know what I am?" Draco's voice wavers. "I've done things that would shock you."

"Like cursing Katy Bell and hoping in return she'd bear a cursed necklace to me?" He says. "Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison? Or perhaps it was under Miss Riddles's influence that you executed these plans. Although I can't imagine through these weak attempts that your heart was really in them."

"He trusts me." Draco's voice cracks. "I was chosen."

Draco lifts his sleeve to brandish the dark mark that moves beneath his skin.

"Then I shall make this easy for you." He raises his arms and Draco disarms him of his wand.

"Very good. Very good." He prides his reflexes as a door below us opens. "You are not alone. There are others. How?"

"The vanishing cabinet in the room of requirement," Draco reveals.

"It seems you have gotten old Dumbledore," I say, circling to the other side of Draco to get closer to Dumbledore. "Too old to remember my father's methods of transportation in the first war."

"Let me guess it has a sister. A twin." Dumbledore coos.

"In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage." Draco says.

"Ingenious." He says breathlessly. "Draco, years ago I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. Her father. Please let me help you."

"He doesn't need anyone's help." I defend him.

"Don't you understand?" Draco says, his voice cracking. "I have to do this. I have to kill you. Or he's gonna kill me."

My eyes flick to Draco to see tears welling in his eyes and his hand shakes uncontrollably. Suddenly footsteps trample up the stairs. Bellatrix and the other death eaters join us and Draco attempts to steady his hand.

"Well, look what we have here." Bellatrix croons. "Well done Draco."

She leans over his shoulder and places a soft kiss on his cheek. I watch as Draco's features contort into one of near pain as he continues to aim his wand at Dumbledore. Slowly I let my wand fall.

"Good evening Bellatrix." Dumbledore greets Draco's aunt. "I think introductions are in order, don't you?"

"Love to Albus but I'm afraid we're on a bit of a tight schedule." She nips. "Do it."

Draco hesitates and the werewolf-looking man groans.

"He doesn't have the stomach, just like his father." The man grumbles. "Let me finish him in my own way."

I look at Draco and his eyes flick to mine for a mere moment.

"No!" Bellatrix yells. "The dark lord was clear, the boy is to do it. This is your moment, do it. Go on Draco Now!"

Her yells echo through the night as I place my hand on Draco's arm, moving to lower his wand as I raise mine. Then Snape appears behind us.

"No," Snape says stepping beside us.

"Severus." Dumbledore greets him. "Please."

Our eyes flick between the two of them before Severus says the curse strongly and flicks his wand. A simple gesture, a deadly curse.

Draco flinches into me as Dumbledore tumbles over the railing. My hand continues to rest on Draco's arm as Bellatrix shoves past us and everyone clamors to watch the man fall. Bellatrix sends out our mark into the sky before we are all ushered down the stairs and through the castle.

At some point, Draco latches into my hand as we strut through the halls. Bellatrix smashes cups and plates as she barrels through them atop the table in the dining hall. Severus leads us through and Draco and I stop as Bellatrix shatters every window in the dining hall.

My heart grows heavy in my chest as the memories here flood through my mind. We all sang along to the Christmas carols while our group was high at dinner. The laughs were shared over breakfast lunch and dinner. Any time of day we would laugh as though we had no care in the world. Tears threaten to pour from my eyes as I turn to Draco. I squeeze his hand and we make to follow the others.

Bellatrix skips us to us and throws her arms around our shoulders, separating our hands. She presses kisses to our cheeks along with hysterical giggles before shoving in front of us and skipping to reach the others. Draco and I quicken our pace to catch up with them as we exit the castle. We take a way through the woods and down to Hagrids shack.

"Hagrid!" Bellatrix yells in a sing-song voice. "Hello?"

"Snape!" Harry Potter appears behind us as Bellatrix lights the cabin ablaze. "He trusted you!"

"Go on," Snape orders us.

I move to stay back before Draco's hand turns me around and rests between my shoulders. We rush into the woods and hear spells being cast behind us. I glance back and between the trees, I see a skull with a snake erupting from its mouth in the clouds above the castle. Draco's hand urges me forward as we continue through the woods.

My limbs want to collapse. The weight of what we have done weighing down my limbs. I can tell Draco feels the same but he continues on, pushing me with him. Strange emotions swirl through my chest, causing my stomach to ache and my breaths to come shorter and faster. I am no stranger to anxiety but with what we have done. I can't help but feel like there is something we could have done to change the outcome of this night. In my heart I know Dumbledore would have died either way, it was only a matter of whether Draco and I died alongside him or not.