Lexi Layyer my only weakness*hp fanfic*

The Escape

…Draco gives the smallest of smiles, before reaching down and gripping my hand. His grey eyes fix with mine. He speaks in no more than a whisper. “…Now let’s get out of here.”

The next moments occur so quickly I’m barely even aware of them happening until they’re over. I somewhat register the sight of Blaise giving me a weak grin as Draco’s clasp around my hand tightens, and me blowing him one final, loving kiss, before Draco breaks into a run, yanking me after him. We whisk out of the room, leaving Blaise behind us.

Draco and I tear down the steps of the Manor five at a time, our feet clattering against the stone floor. Draco hesitates for a moment when we arrive at the bottom, glancing at each corridor leading off from the hallway we’re standing in and I attempt to catch my breath as he does so.

But another second later and he’s broken into a run again, down a long corridor I instantly realize leads to the front doors. Despite everything, I can’t help almost smiling.

Because all I can think is, is this it? Are we really doing it? Are we getting out of here? Maybe, just maybe, my future isn’t doomed, after all… we could get out of here, away from it, from everything - me and Draco both…together…

“Draco?”

Draco freezes mid-run and I crash into him. Shit.

The huge front doors of the Manor are literally right in front of us; agonizingly close. But from behind us comes a voice; it’s coming from the open doorway of an old parlor room I was too excited too even notice moments ago. Shit…

Lucius Malfoy’s voice.

“Draco?” his voice comes again when Draco doesn’t reply. It already sounds more demanding; more suspicious. “…Is that you?”

Shit.

Draco and I catch eyes in horror. We’re so close… to be caught now…

Next second, Draco spins round on his heel and sprints off in the opposite direction, his hand still gripped around mine. He’s pulling me so hard I swear he’s going to pull my arm right off in a minute but right now there are more urgent things to worry about.

But now our thoughts are in sync and it’s not so much him dragging me but us running at the same time, down the opposite corridor, which we both know leads to a back entrance to the grounds.

We tear across the hallway, not letting anything in our path be an obstacle now – now Lucius has heard us, we don’t have to be quiet, either, so we send tables and candelabras and knights of armor crashing to the floor. I push a particularly expensive-looking ornate vase off a table for good measure, letting it smash to the ground in a million pieces.

“Draco!” Both Lucius and Narcissa’s voices are urgently calling out from the room now. A second later and I can hear footsteps of them crossing to the doorway. Narcissa lets out a shrill scream.

But too late – we’ve reached the back door. Draco slams it shut behind us and pulls out his wand from his pocket, pointing it at the lock and muttering under his breath.

“That should delay them for about five seconds,” he mutters, before turning to look over his shoulder at me. “C’mon, let’s go!”

Sunshine leaks into my eyes and I blink, momentarily blinded by the bright weather. Draco’s hand once again tightens around my own, and the next moment we’re chasing up the grand lawn of the Malfoy Manor grounds.

“C’mon, towards the forest,” Draco pants as we sprint. “…Once we’re there we can get on the broom – the trees will disguise us and by the time they see us, we’ll be too high up to be shot down.”

I nod, unable to find the breath to reply verbally. The desperate urgency to escape combined with almost being caught by Lucius moments ago has robbed me of all almost all my energy – only the adrenaline of escaping the Manor, maybe for forever, is keeping me going.

“…Draco!”

It’s them again. They’ve broken through the door already; but now Bellatrix Lestrange is calling out, too. Oh my god…

“Shit!” Draco exclaims, his pace getting even faster. “…How have they got through the door already – I thought I locked it…?!”

“There’s three of them, Draco, of course it wouldn’t take them long,” I say between pants. “But it doesn’t matter now, just run!”

The forest is in view, and creeping towards us - but not at the speed I’d want it to. My legs ache and, whether I like it or not, I’m getting slower.

“Draco, please!” It’s Narcissa’s voice shrieking out from behind us now. I risk one look over my shoulder to see her hunched up on a pile on the floor by the door; Lucius and Bellatrix, meanwhile, are charging towards us with impressive speed.

“Draco, they’re coming!” I screech, completely petrified.

“C’mon, run!” he replies, but I just can’t run fast enough. I’m exhausted. Oh god, this isn’t working… what’ll they do when they catch us…?

But then, suddenly, we reach the safety of the trees, which cluster around us protectively in thick clumps almost immediately after entering the forest, temporarily hiding us from view. I collapse onto the floor in relief but Draco pulls me up.

“It’s not over yet,” he tells me. “C’mon, Lexi, don’t give up now…”

As I pull myself up off the ground he casts another look over his shoulder before cursing wildly. “They’re getting here too fast…” he murmurs, “shit, what are we going to do?”

His eyes meet with mine. And before either of us know what he’s doing, he thrusts his broomstick into my arms.

I frown. “Draco – get on…”

“No, there’s not enough time,” Draco mutters, glancing over his shoulder again and retrieving his wand from his pocket. “Father and Aunt Bella are hot on our heels, they’ll be here any second – I need to fight them off…”

I shake my head, unable to believe my ears. “No, Draco, I - I’m not leaving without you –”

He spins around to face me, taking my face in his palms. “Now listen to me, Lexi,” he says firmly. “We havemoments before they get over here, do you understand? I’m going to stay here and fight them off, it’ll give you a few more seconds to get away…”

“No!” I exclaim at once, trying to sound as intimidating as I can. “…No way am I letting you risk yourself anymore than you already have for me! Look, you get away, and I’ll give myself in to them – then you won’t get hurt anymore…”

“And what good would that do?” he snaps bitterly. “This isn’t a request, Lexi, it’s an order – get out of here! Fly up high into the clouds – the higher you go the less chance they’ll spot you… fly for as far as you can, and when you’re sure you’re far away from here land somewhere and apparate back into Hogsmeade. If you run you should be able to make Hogwarts on foot before any Death Eaters get to you…”

“Draco,” I say, tears welling in my eyes. “Please, don’t – we can go away together…”

“The only chance of you getting away is if you go now and I fight off Father and Aunt Bella,” Draco repeats, “… so get out of here! Run!”

“I don’t want to leave you behind,” I tell him before I even know what I’m saying, but as soon as the words leave my lips I want to cry because I know they’re true. Completely.

His fierce look temporarily weakens. He pulls my head closer and kisses me on the forehead. “I love you,” he murmurs. “I’ll find you. Now go!”

I nod one final time and kiss him on the cheek. “I love you too,” I tell him. “Always.”

We catch each other’s eyes one final time before I lurch in the other direction, further into the woods. I can hear shouting behind me but I try to block it out as I fling myself onto the broom and kick off the ground, into the skies.

I haven’t flown a broom in a while and I have no idea which way I’m going – not to mention I’m somewhat blinded by the stinging tears welling up in my eyes – but that doesn’t matter. Nothing matters. I have to get out of here.