Drapple

The Last Duel

I awoke the next day with Lisle clutched tightly in my hand.

I smiled at the sight, gently kissing her forehead. "How did you sleep, my love?" I asked her as I put on my robes.

I then told her about my dreams and stowed her away in a secret compartment before walking down to the Main Hall to get breakfast.

As I was absently eating my eggs, not really thinking of anything but the fact that Lisle was back where she belonged, someone came up and roughly shoved me.

"Where is she?" Cedric demanded in a panic.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied coolly, taking a bite of bacon.

"That's not true and you know it!" Cedric said, his voice becoming louder.

"I just took back what's rightfully mine, Cedric," I told him through clenched teeth. "It's not a fricking sin or anything."

Cedric darkly shook his head. "This isn't the last you've seen of me, Malfoy," he said menacingly as he turned to walk away.

"What are you gonna do about it, pretty boy?" I shouted.

He turned, incensed. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do about it, Draco. I'm going to challenge you to a duel. Winner gets the apple."

"You're on," I told him, roughly shaking his hand.

"Meet me by Whomping Willow at 7:00 sharp."

I nodded and Diggory turned on his heel and walked away.

/\/\/\

At exactly 6:50 that night, I got into my dress robes, wanting to look nice for the occasion where Lisle would finally wholeheartedly belong to me.

I picked up Lisle, an ominous air cast over the castle.

Gently I cradled her to my chest, painfully aware that this might be the last time I ever experienced her smooth touch.

With a heavy heart, I briskly walked to the Whomping Willow.

When I arrived I was surprised to see that quite a large crowd had gathered at the foot of the feisty tree.

Upon seeing me, someone roared, "It's him!" and half the crowd cheered and the other half booed.

I walked uncertainly and the crowd parted for me, forming a path to the middle of the circle where Cedric awaited.

"You're late, Malfoy," he said.

"Fashionably late. Ever heard of it?" I replied menacingly.

Cedric's eyes narrowed and he pulled off his robes, throwing them into the crowd. Some hysterical girls caught it.

"Where is she?"

I held Lisle up and the mob cheered.

Diggory nodded and I handed Lisle to Crabbe who was stood right behind me.

"On the count of three, cast your jinxes," Dean cried.

I nodded, glaring at Cedric who cracked his knuckles and then winced.

"One," Dean began to count. "Two ... "

I turned for one last look at Lisle, her little body so full of trust for me.

And suddenly I knew. I couldn't do it... I couldn't do this to her ... I could tell that she loved both me and Cedric evenly, maybe me just a little more.

"One!" Dean said finally and Cedric raised his wand to cast his spell ...

"Stop!" I yelled. "We can't do this to her!"

Cedric looked at me in confusion.

"This isn't fair to her, Cedric. Of course it isn't. What were we thinking?"

"What do you propose then?" he asked, lowering her wand.

"I think we need to let her decide," I said.

Cedric stowed his wand away. "Of course. Yes. Of course."

"Wait ... So you two aren't going to duel?" someone from the crowd yelled.

"Not today," I cried back.

There was some groaning.

"Absolute crap," someone sighed.

"God, what a rip off."

"Pussies, my god."

I turned to Crabbe to grab Lisle but he jerked her away. "This isn't the reason I walked all the way down here!" he yelled.

The next few seconds happened in slow motion. He threw Lisle to the ground, then stomped on her, causing her sides to collapse and her delicious juice to spurt everywhere.

"Noooo!" I yelled, falling to the ground.

Crabbe cruelly kicked her corpse to the side before turning and walking away.

"What happened? What just happened?" Diggory cried as he too fell to the ground besides Lisle's corpse.

"He--he--he murdered her! She's gone!" I sobbed.

"This--this is all my fault," Diggory wept as we watched the life go out of her core together.