𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆 - 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 (𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝟑)

19 - Shock

"WILLIAM!"

"Where's my Dad?" I screamed.

Lupin dragged his body right in front of me, making me stare right at him.

"NO," I screamed sobbing.

Fred's arm grabbed me.

"Wake up," he said.

"Wake up, Caroline," Draco was shaking my shoulders. I sat up in shock, my breathing rapid. "He- He was-"

"Shh, it was just a bad nightmare," he spoke, his voice raspy. "What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my hands on my forehead. "Two in the morning, come back to sleep love," he pulled me back down, and I nuzzled back into his chest. I was too scared to close my eyes, so I just looked up at him.

"Do you still love me?"

Why was I asking these damn questions? Why was I being so bloody sensitive?

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked, confusedly.

"I don't know, I feel like I'm losing my mind," I sighed, laying back in his chest.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, running his fingers through my hair.

"Tomorrow, I'm tired," I lay there.

"You can't sleep with your eyes open," he smiled.

"I'm not that stupid," I smiled back.

"Close your eyes baby, I'll be here when you wake up," he wrapped his arm around me tighter, intertwining one of his hands in mine. I finally shut my eyes, drifting off to sleep again, feeling safe in Draco's arms. God, I missed this. As I fell back asleep, I couldn't help but think to myself.

I watched people I love die before my very eyes, and for just a moment, I felt as though I deserved it. Draco had shown me differently. We needed each other, more than ever now, and I'd almost thrown that away. I don't know what could've happened if he hadn't shown up.

All I knew now is that taking your own life wouldn't take away the pain, it would only replace it with more. I couldn't do that to him; he was the one thing keeping me alive.

No matter how small the reason, I have one. I have to stay alive.

March 1st

"Did you honestly think you could just walk up to Old Sluggy and ask for his deepest darkest secret?" Hermione scoffed. We sat on the common room couch, discussing how Harry had to discover one of Professor Slughorn's memories for Dumbledore.

Draco had promised not to tell the others what had happened last month, and he was helping recuperate me on his own. He understood why I didn't want my friends to know, but he made me promise to let him help me. I agreed.

"Honestly Harry, sometimes I think the daily prophet should call you the dim one," she scoffed. "Nice," was all he could respond. I watched as he studied the Marauder's Map in curiosity.

"You're going to have to persuade him somehow, and now you've made it even harder for yourself. I'm going to bed," she said, leaving Harry and I alone. "I think Malfoy's leaving the castle," he said suddenly. "That's not possible," I scoffed. "I've been with him nearly every bloody day."

"But-"

"Don't you disappear off the map when you enter the room of requirement? I thought that was how that worked," I said.

"You're right," he sighed.

"Bloody hell Harry, stop with your conspiracy theories, you're going to drive yourself insane," I laughed.

"Even though half the time I've been right?" he looked up at me.

"That still leaves half the time for you to be wrong," I smirked.

"Goodnight Harry," I rolled my eyes, walking upstairs to see Hermione and Ginny already in bed. I hopped in the bathroom for a quick shower, allowing the steamy water and soap bubbles to run down my body. I hopped out, dried my hair, got in some pajamas, then went straight to bed.

I woke up around an hour later to go to the bathroom, but instead I saw Harry and a very strange looking Ronald leaving the common room. "What's going on?" I asked as they opened the door. "To see the love of my life, Romilda Vane," Ron smiled. "Oh bloody hell, what happened to him?" I pointed. "Love potion," Harry mouthed. "Ohhh, mind if I come with? I can't sleep," I said.

"Sure," Harry said, and we walked out into the corridors. "Where's Romilda?" Ron smiled as we approached the door to Slughorn's office. Harry knocked on the door. He opened the window latch. "Sorry to bother you Sir, but I wouldn't have come if it weren't absolutely essential," Harry pleaded.

"What's wrong with Weasley?" he asked. "Very powerful love potion," Harry whispered. "Ah, better bring him in," Slughorn opened the door, and I sat down on one of the couches. "I would've figured you could've whipped up an antidote for this in no time, Harry," Slughorn chuckled. "Well I thought this called for more practiced hands, Sir," he smiled. Ron was hugging Slughorn's arm, and I pulled him off.

"Hey!" he yelled at me. "Sit. Down," I commanded him, and he pouted, slumping onto the couch. "I'm sorry by the way, about our little disagreement earlier," Harry said. "Oh not at all, all water under the bridge," he smiled, rummaging around in his ingredient shelf.

He quickly whipped up a remedy, and gave it to Ron. "What's this?" he asked. "Something to help with the nerves, drink up," Slughorn said. Ron quickly swallowed it down, and immediately looked drowsy, almost depressed.

"What happened to me?" he asked. "Love potion," I answered. "A bloody powerful one that that," Harry said. "I feel really bad," "You need a pick me up boy, fancy a butterbeer, maybe some elderflower wine? I had other intentions for this but under the circumstances," he began to pour the elderflower wine into four glasses, handing Ron a cup first. He began sipping, then handed Harry and I a glass.

"To life!" Slughorn said as we all clanked our glasses. Ron collapsed onto the floor, his body trembling, foam dripping out of his mouth. "What the-" before I could finish my sentence, Harry was running over to the potions ingredients shelf. Slughorn watched in confusion. "Ron," I held his arm, sitting down next to him on the floor. "Harry, hurry," he chucked me a bottle of bezoar, and I stuffed it in Ron's mouth.

"Come on Ron, breathe," I whimpered, Harry running over next to me. Ron sat up, choking as Harry and I watched in shock. Slughorn sat in his chair, bewildered. "That drink, it could've killed me," he sighed, laying back down, passing out on the floor.