The Darkest Star

Chapter 13: Lyra-Bella Cassiopia Malfoy

Quia Nolo Mortem Sine Cicatrices Relaturi Sint // I Don't Want To Die Without Any Scars.

There was something oddly satisfying about the twinge of pain you get when you didn't eat enough. The actual pain wasn't pleasant but usually, if you left it long enough it went away. And it was satisfying when that happened because it showed you were strong. It was the one part of my life where I had control, even when everything else was running rampant.
This was why when mealtime came around I didn't eat much. I ate enough so as not to be suspicious to those around me, but I was never full, never satisfied. Today, however, we were in Hogsmead. This meant I wasn't forced to eat just to please others.
Dray and I were walking around Hogsmeade where there were fewer people around.
"The necklace has a rather nasty charm on it. It should do the trick," Draco explained. I nodded and he tucked the box back into his bag.
"And if this doesn't work?"
"Then I'll have to figure something else out I suppose," Draco sighed and ran a hand through his platinum hair. He let his arm fall to his side and looked at me with pleading eyes.
"I hate this Ly," he whined. I nodded and pulled him into my arms hugging him tightly.
"I know Dray, me too."
Draco sighed and pulled away from me after a moment. I watched as he put up his barricades, blocking his emotions from showing on his face.
"I have to go," Draco said apologetically, "I promised Jake I'd see him today," I smirked at my twin brother.
"Oh is that so?" I asked suggestively and nudged his arm. "What is going on between you two?" I said, becoming a little more serious. Draco shrugged.
"Not really sure to be honest," he admitted. "It's mainly casual hookups, nothing exclusive. I do feel kind of bad though because I'm mainly using him to get over Potter," Draco chuckled dryly, "I had hoped to be with someone would help me forget him."
"Not working?"
"Not even a little bit." I laughed with Dray and pushed him off to find his handsome Quidditch chaser. Even though Draco was kind of using Jake, surely Jake had his own reasoning for why he was with Dray. Slytherins don't do casual and non-exclusive unless both parties are gaining something from it. I wasn't a fan of Jake. But I want about to tell Draco not to see him.

Draco's plan had backfired and Katie Bell ended up cursed. Potter suspected Andy, which would make sense if I hadn't known it was Draco. Andy had snapped at Pansy earlier for being annoying (as usual) and now I lay on the bed with my head in Draco's lap. His fingers brushed through my straight platinum hair. Having him close was comforting, like two parts of a whole, two hearts beating as one. All the cheesy romances I've read describe love as intense, powerful, like fireworks sparking inside your belly when you kiss. And while I wasn't about to kiss my brother, because that's weird, I still felt all those things. I loved him more than I loved myself. He is my sun. He revolves around my world, my life. I closed my eyes and the familiarity of the situation began to lull me into a comfortable sleep, laughs echoing around me as Andy, Pansy, and Dray fooling around.

Flashes of light. Scream and cries. Spells fly. A green light blazes. It's cries are no more. The cold dungeon stank of blood and dirt. Recently dead bodies littered the floor. A crying brunette girl sat in the corner. Her face mutilated. Her arm twisted at an odd angle. A scream. A sob. A choke. Then a snap. Her head is in the wrong place. Her neck isn't quite right anymore. More blood. A loud thud. Eyes of gold growing dull. A sinister woman laughing happily. Next to her a dark-haired teen smirking. And farther away, standing and staring at the body of a muggle-Both second-year student. A platinum blonde girl. Her eyes dull and scared. She wipes a tear and kisses her pointer and middle finger. She knelt down. Two fingers pressed against the boy's forehead along the bloodstained hairline. A gentle hand closed the boy's eyes. A barely audible farewell spoken. The next victim dragged in. A half-blood. A first year. Another innocent boy. A crack. A thud. He's on the floor. His leg is twisted. His knee is out of place. A cackle and a slice. A scream. A sob. A plead. Another cackle. Another scream. His voice cracks. The girl watches. She's scared. She's helpless. More pleads. He's pleading. And pleading. A loud gurgle. His throat is open. No time for a scream this time. A tear, rolling from scarred eyes. She's dismissed. She doesn't need to suffer. But she already has. A soft farewell spoken. Another two tears shed. One for the children who could no longer be consoled. One for the dark-haired girl whose heart had gone cold.

I was crying when Draco shook me awake. Andy and Dray looked at me in concern while Pansy continued to stare at Draco.
"Ly?" Draco whispered questioningly. I shook my head and dropped my head into Draco's lap once more. The events at the manor haunted me. In my dreams, all I could see was the bodies and torture. I watched Andromeda and Bellatrix mutilate so many innocent people for sport.
Nobody questioned me when I continued to silently cry while clutching Draco around the waist.

Draco Lucius Malfoy's POV

Fuck this can't be it, was my first thought. I could hear my own sobbing (disgusting) and my whole body stung as slices began to form. My torso was cut one slice at a time and I felt like my body was burning alive. It hurt so god-dammed much. But I deserved this. This was fair. I was about to crucify him after all. I remember seeing emerald green eyes filled with fear as I fell into the water. The same emerald eyes I'd fallen in love with, the eyes I couldn't seem to forget no matter how hard I tried. But those same eyes were killing me. Metaphorically and, currently, literally.
My second thought was, What about Lyra? I didn't really have much time to ponder this. Perhaps she'd move on, perhaps she'd be broken forever. If I died I couldn't reverse it. I'd regret leaving her behind, but she had Jaiden and Andy. What even was I in the grand scheme of things?
My third, and final, thought before I blacked out was, maybe dying isn't such a bad thing.

Lyra-Bella Cassiopeia Malfoy's POV

"Miss. Malfoy," my godfathers monotone voice called across the charms classroom. He beckoned for me to follow him. I sent a concerned glance to Pansy who shrugged and I followed Severus as he led me with a brisk pace through the castle.
"Uncle Sev," I spoke, "where are we going?" Severus stopped in the middle of the hall abruptly. I halted quickly, trying not to fall into him. He glared down at my feet,
"You're on my robe," he drawled. I apologized and stepped back. "The Hospital Wing, Your idiotic twin decided to have a wand fight with Potter in the bathroom," he said with an irritated scowl, not unlike how he usually speaks. I couldn't contain the small amused scoff inside me as I heard his wording. Although I was slightly worried about my brother. Uncle Sev continued as if I hadn't made a single noise, "Naive little Potter threw a spell he didn't know the purpose of." My eyes widened as I digested the information I'd been given, Draco was okay right?
"Is he okay?" I asked. " Severus' silence only increased the fear inside me and suddenly I felt panicked. He has to be okay. I can't live without him. 

I felt my vision tunnel as soon as I saw him, laying on the hospital bed with blood surrounding him. Madame Pomfrey was frantically healing long slices across his chest. My legs collapsed beneath me and I was caught by the arms of my godfather. He helped me onto the hospital bed across from Draco. Only taking his arms away when he was confident I couldn't fall on my face. I stared at my brother. My twin. I wasn't sure when the tears started but I desperately tried to hide them. It seemed as though I cried so much lately, I was weak. Gross. Usually, when things happened I went to my brother for comfort, but here he was covered in blood and hanging on to life by a thread. I never thought it would hurt this much to see him like this. And there would be so much more to come. The sudden realization hit me that one of us might not make it out of this battle alive. At any moment one of us could be taking their last breath. But I wasn't going to die easily, not until I know Draco is safe. He will always be my top priority. I'll take any hit, any spell, to keep him from being in the situation he was in now again. But I already failed one, he was here wasn't he. I started pathetically at the bloody body of my twin and said nothing as I tried to cover my tears. Please be okay, please be okay.