𝐚 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 {a Draco Malfoy story}

chapter fifty-six: the war, part 5

Draco

     When Harry told us he needed to go into that forest, I knew we were done for.

     "We could just run away, Rose. Run from all this. Go to America. Canada. Mexico - anywhere but Hogwarts. He would never find us," I said, glancing down to my mark every now and then.

     "You know we can't do that, Draco."

     "But why not? We could! We could Disapparate right now."

     "We have to fight. I need to know that I've done everything I can to make sure Harry wins. So, even if we lose, I'll know it wasn't because I didn't try."

     She was being completely reasonable yet still, for some odd reason, I wanted to argue with her until she agreed. It was useless, now, to argue.

     Rose slumped against me as though she was so tired that she needed sleep right away. I refused to be away from her because Voldemort was powerful, now. Really powerful. And if Potter really did end up sacrificing himself...

     "Everything's falling apart, it seems. Doesn't it?" she asked in a voice no louder than a quiet whisper. "Around this time last year, you almost bled to death. I had my emotions off - my emotions, Draco."

     It seemed laughable, really. "What in the bloody hell are we going to do?"

     She chuckled, but it wasn't a sincere laugh. "Your offer to go to America seems pretty appealing right about now."

     I raised my eyebrow suggestively and she slapped my leg. "Not appealing enough, yet." She twisted her head and kissed me. "At least we have each other."

     "Yeah," I said. "We have each other." And for a very long period of time, we did not move from that position. Pansy and Blaise joined us, holding each other very close to themselves. "Congratulations, mate. On the engagement."

     I smiled weakly in response, not having the energy to reply properly. The sun had risen and I saw a sleeping Rose next to me. I patted her head and saw Clara sleeping beside her as well. It was quiet in the Great Hall except for a few conversations going around..That was, until I could hear a horrible scream.

     It wasn't coming from inside the castle, so it must have been outside. Rose woke up in an instant and stood up beside me. "What it is?"

     "Something's happened," I said in a panicked voice. There was another scream and I held Rose's hand in mine as we trailed outside. 

     I would never admit it, but I knew this wasn't just a scream you'd hear because you're afraid of spiders. This was much, much bigger than that.

+++

     Rose

     The Death Eaters came to a halt. They spread out in a line, facing the open front of the school. Clara was cracking all of her knuckles and had bit away all her fingernails.

     "NO!"

     The scream was the more terrible because I had never expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound. I heard another women laughing nearby, and knew that Bellatrix gloried in McGonagall's despair. I saw the open doorway filling with people, as the survivors of the battle came out onto the front steps to face their vanquishers and see the truth of Harry's death for themselves.

     My stomach dropped as I realized for the first time that we really had lost. I held onto Draco's arm tightly and held his hand with my free arm, needing his company more than ever right about now.