Ironic Love

Chapter XXIII: Memories

A/N: I left that last chapter on quite a cliffhanger! Sorry about that. On a totally unrelated note I'm in love with Taylor's new album, folklore. It's so good! Anyways I hope whoever is reading this is having a good day <3

~Blaise POV~

We watch in horror as Draco's body is carried out of the atrium. Lucius curses Grindle and sends him crashing to the floor, bound tightly with thick ropes. Narcissa is on her knees, staring at where Draco's body had been just moments before. Tears are falling silently from her eyes and her mouth is slightly open. Lucius drops down next to his wife, putting his arms around her and shooting a murderous look at Grindle, who is being carried away by six armed wizards.

Hermione is standing incredibly still, resembling a statue. She looks too stunned to comprehend anything. Ginny lets go of my hand and her sobs fade slightly as she approaches Hermione, putting a hand on her shoulder. Hermione still doesn't move but her eyes cloud with tears.

None of us can quite process the evening's events. It feels like a cruel joke. There's no way he can be gone. I can't imagine a world without him. Draco has been my best friend since I started Hogwarts. I think back to the first time we met.

"I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy. What's your name?"

"Blaise." I reply, looking up at the blonde boy who has just entered my otherwise empty train compartment.

"What's your first name?" The boy demands.

"I just told you," I answer, slightly confused. "But my full name is Blaise Maurizio Zabini."

The boy laughs, although not mockingly, then asks what house I'm expecting to be in. I hardly have the chance to answer 'Slytherin' before he sits down opposite me.

"Great, me too. Let's be friends." He extends his hand and I shake it, smiling. We spend the rest of the journey talking and swapping Chocolate Frog cards. I'd been feeling very apprehensive at the thought of making friends but here I was, not even at Hogwarts yet but having an animated discussion about Quidditch with a boy I didn't even know a few hours ago.

Draco, despite his reputation, had been nothing but nice to me. It may have at first been because of our similar backgrounds, pureblood status and Slytherin heritage, but over the past seven years we had formed a bond with stronger roots than any of those things. He'd been there for me when my family had been murdered, he'd convinced his parents to let me live with them, he'd confided in me about liking Hermione, about the pressure he was under to become a Death Eater and how he had to hate muggleborns in order to avoid being disowned. We'd shared so much pain, suffering and pressure but also fun times with each other and he was like the brother that I'd never had. I don't know what I'm going to do without him.

~Ginny POV~

I'm not really aware of what's going on around me. I vaguely feel the warm tears slipping down my cheeks and the lump in my throat but all I can think about is Hermione. And Blaise. And Mr and Mrs Malfoy. Me and Draco had been friends for a short while and I'm devastated that he's gone but that must be nothing compared to how any of the others are feeling.

My instinct is to go over to Hermione, who seems to have lost all sense of function. I put my arms around her shoulders and for a moment she doesn't move. Suddenly she lets out a sharp gasp and collapses into my arms, unable to stand. Sobs escape her as she shakes, head embedded in my shoulder. We clutch each other, not aware of anything around us. Draco's face as the spell hit, his last laugh still lighting up his handsome features, flickers before my eyes. It reminds me of a time when we practiced Quidditch together just a few weeks ago.