Innocents Be Damned

Accidents Happen, But Why Do They Hurt So Much?

It didn't feel real.

Harry stared blankly as he recieved the news.

Astoria crumpled to the ground and screamed.

Blaise seemed to curl in on himself, gasping as a panic attack took over his body. Luna attempted to comfort him.

And Draco...

Draco seemed to just... break. His shoulders slumped, whatever light was held in his eyes went out, and he just fell to the floor.

Harry knew this wasn't his loss to mourn. He knew it was for Astoria and Draco and Blaise, who had known her the best, but he still felt the ache of loss deep within him.

She had been the heart and soul of their group, always a source of laughter and love and jokes.

And now she lay cold and dead on a hospital bed, alongside the boy who barely made it through.

Blaise was shaking as he reached Neville's side, brushing hair away from his face. Tears streaked his cheeks, and Harry could see his relief in learning only one of his best friends died today.

Astoria was shaking hard. Luna sat next to her, eyes filled with more pain than Harry had ever seen in her, and whispered comfort to her.

Draco stared blankly at the wall, shoulders heavy with the knowledge that one of his closest friends in the world was gone.

Harry had known Hermione for six years, and never once, until today, had he seen her cry.

Ron just hugged Hermione tight and squeezed his eyes shut in pain.

Ginny's hands shook, and she slowly sat down in one of the plastic hospital chairs. Silent tears rolled down her face.

Harry watched this happen, unable to comprehend the weight of their loss.

Neville laid on his bed, breathing even, attached to several monitors that measured whether he would be okay or not.

And as the nurse went on to talk about "car crash" and "hit from the side", a man and a woman rushed through the door and begged her to tell them it wasn't true, that their baby wasn't gone.

Blaise hugged them tightly, and Harry could see the familiarity. They must have been her parents.

He saw their eyes fall on Draco, who sat, broken on the floor.

The woman screamed, crying and begging the nurse to tell her she was lying. The man's eyes filled with shock and tears, and he held his wife tightly.

And Pansy lay still on her hospital bed, eyes glassy and body broken.

anyways, goodnight ;)