To Be (Draco Malfoy x Emerald Black)

XXVIII

I feel my heart practically breaking as I walk down the dark street that was dimly lit by the night sky. Draco and I hardly fought; the last time I remember one was before him and I made things official. In the astronomy tower. I close my eyes and suck in a cold breath of winter. My teeth sting out of retaliation of the coldness. I wrap my hands around myself. Every bleeding moment Draco and I had started to flood into my brain. The astronomy tower fights, our silent shared moments, our.. his- his cottage. How he held me back from Cedric's dead body, his arms wrapped around me as he calmed me. How I dragged him from the bottom of the lake, and when he woke up.. the worry on his face. How he waited outside of my door for months and months, talking with our thoughts through a thick piece of wood. How we rode brooms and soared through the skies. How we danced at the Yule Ball, and the way he looked at me. How I lay my head on his chest. When he kissed me, cleaned up my bloodied hands, how he hugged me like I was the only person on earth..

In the manor. Voldemort claimed I had spoke parsel tongue. Something someone so evil possesses. Unless it was Harry; I wasn't evil. Was I?

"Emerald!" I turn around, and the blonde boy comes sprinting down the icy sidewalk. I breathe out and my heart accelerates as it hitches in my throat. I keep walking, but faster. "Emerald!" He says again; he knows I hear him. I hear his footsteps near mine. He was nearly sprinting, risking falling. Not like we could use magic right now; we were only 16. Just one more year and we could use magic outside of Hogwarts.

I stop in my tracks. And he breathes rapidly. "Here." I turn towards him slowly and look to see him holding a faux fur coat. It's thick and black, and it looked heavy. Expensive as well. I grab it slowly and he softly shoves it towards me.

"Just so you're not cold." He looks away.

"Uh- thank you.. thank you, Draco." He nods and turns around without another word. I stroke the fabric between my fingers. I sigh and bring the jacket to my nose. It smelled of him, and I can't help but frown. I'm sorry Draco, but this was and is for the best right now. If I'm here any longer, I'm afraid I will get you killed. I need you.

"We are a team, Draco!" I yell. I clutch the jacket. He stops and turns around, nodding. He knew it wasn't the end for us; he wanted me to be safe. He simply didn't know how to express himself. He was uncertain in these kinds of situations. I throw the coat on over my shoulders, and my lips quiver. I wanted to cry for once. This Draco wasn't the Draco in the cottage or the Draco in the astronomy tower. I had just taken his chance at redemption to his father; I was going to help him destroy our school. But I wasn't going to let him battle this alone. He looked.. ill.. with every given day he got more pale and his hair wasn't glowing in complexion. He had a more stern walking pattern instead of his third year cocky strut. He barely smiled anymore unless it was with me. Even with me, he was hesitant. He looked crushed. And that crushed me. We go down as a team and we rise as a team. We haven't even told each-other we loved one another yet, and I wondered when that would be. As we burned down our school together? How romantic and uncanny. Rusty truth is, I just laid down my life for this boy; just so he could be safe. I knew when things went down, the blame was going to be shifted on him. But maybe, just maybe.. him and I- we can fight against the Death Eaters. Rig the cabinet somehow- maybe curse it. We both can fight on the side that's right.

It's dangerous. We would be double crossing Voldemort, but would it be worth it? We could always shift the blame on "some Gryffindor". Surely Draco and I wouldn't "betray the Dark Lord because our lives are in his hands". He wouldn't think we did such a foolish thing.

I wrap my hands around my torso; I hadn't realized how long I've been walking. All I had to do was find the nearest fireplace to use the Floo Network to Ron's. I was going to wait for the laugh in my face and the told you so. I still cannot believe how close we have gotten- all those Gryffindors and I. I guess we bonded through trauma, especially Harry and I. I remember not being able to tolerate them first year- I was so set on being a Slytherin I lost sight of the actual reality I was in. They still welcomed me with open arms despite my coldness. Despite who my father was. I did my hands into the soft pockets and catch another waft of Draco. My heart sunk; he was left alone in that manor of darkness. Only Merlin knew what Lucius was saying to him- doing, even. Did he go back to bed and feel the spot next to him realizing it was now cold?