Silence is Deafening

Chapter 25

Blood. I could feel it, hot and angry, coursing through me. I could hear it, beating a drum beat in my ears. It was the drum of war. Blood flooded my vision and I saw red. I felt the blood push hot on my skull as it squeezed my brain and pounded on my head.

I was moving before I could stop myself.

"Lizzie, no!" Harry said behind me, but he was too far away. I was sprinting, faster than I had ever run to the stairs. As I descended, my head was alight with pictures and words.

Draco, sobbing in the bathroom. Talking about someone trying to kill him. 

His face when he would tell me not to ask questions about the cabinet.

Draco, lying to me. Over and over again. Begging me to remember how he felt about me when I had heard what he had done.

He was lying. He never felt anything for me.

I was sprinting through the corridors now, following closely behind the group of Death Eaters. I heard shattering from ahead and knew that they were destroying the school. Bellatrix was laughing, jeering as she always had in my nightmares. It made me even more angry. I wanted to hurt them all. I wanted to hurt even Draco. I wanted him to pay for the pain he was causing me.

I could hear Harry's footsteps behind me, but I didn't slow down or hesitate. I flew out of the front doors to Hogwarts and saw them making their way across the grounds. I poured on the speed, ignoring the burning sensation in my lungs.

I almost lost my breath when a familiar shock of blonde hair was bobbing next to Roy Clarke. My grandfather.

Roy had his hand on Draco's shoulder protectively, as if he cared for him at all. The sight made me lose my breath.

For a brief moment, I thought about my parents. What would they be doing in the situation I was in? I knew my brilliant mother would try to rationalize with me, and explain all of the risks and benefits of charging after a band of Death Eaters that could most definitely kill me. My brave, lion-hearted father would be telling me to stand up for what was right, and to fight in Albus Dumbledore's honor.

I wasn't them. I was not my brilliant mother, or my brave father.

I was Elizabeth Clarke. I was vindictive. I was cunning. I was going to make them all pay. Each person in that group had hurt me in some way. I wanted them all to hurt.

"MALFOY!" I bellowed once I was close enough. I saw his steps falter as he turned over his shoulder. The sight of him looking lost and scared almost stopped me in my tracks.

Almost.

I raised my wand in my last few steps, aiming it straight for his chest. Before I could cry out a spell, I heard Bellatrix's voice echo through the grounds.

"Impedimenta!" She cried, and I was flung from my feet like a ragdoll. I hit the ground, hard, and looked up.

"No! Stop, no." Draco ordered, looking like he wanted to run toward me. Bellatrix looked at him in shock and rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me, Draco...a Clarke?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm. I watched as Roy's eyes snapped to my face, and he looked at me like a blind man seeing. He was staring at me in amazement.

"Just stop, Bella. Please." He muttered, breaking away from Roy and walking slowly toward me. I stood up quickly, aiming my wand at him again. This time, Draco's wand aimed too, at my chest. He looked at me with regret and fear. I looked at him with unaltered venom, daring him to do something.