Bonded by Evil [COMPLETED STORY]

chapter sixty eight

Alora Slater POV

I couldn't exactly place what it felt like, all I knew was that it wasn't painful. It felt like I was watching this from someone else's point of view, but I was still in my body. Draco whipped around when he noticed I had stopped running and his face killed me all over again. I knew what had just happened, I just died.

   You're always told that it's so instant, you can't register what happens, but that isn't true. The second you feel yourself absorbing the magic, you know it's over. There's a fraction of a moment where everything moves in slow motion. Where all of the shapes break apart into just blocks of colour. Where you feel life slipping away from you.

   It's a scary second. You can hear everything for one last instant but you can't react. Your body doesn't move, that scream doesn't escape your lips. Your vocal chords freeze and then your whole body goes crashing towards the unforgiving ground. It's far from an instant death.

   The reason it's so terrifying is because you don't have enough time to process that you're dying, but you're practically dead the second you're hit with the jet of green light. It's not like when you're drowning or on fire, you can't think about your loved ones, but there's just enough time to realize you're gone. You're dead. There's no hope for you, there's no reversing it.

   I felt myself hit the stone ground. I heard Draco's scream, Bellatrix's distant laugh. I heard those things but it wasn't me hearing them, there was no possible way for me to explain it. It was so confusing. I knew what was happening, but it wasn't registering in my rapidly dying brain. That's it, my brain wasn't dead yet. That's why I was still half there.

   His cold hands clutched my shoulders as he threw himself on top of me. His sobs rang through my ears as a dying echo. His trembling figure shook me gently as he lay on me as if he were protecting me from any further damage. Not that it really mattered, I could feel myself slipping away.

   Everything was so clear at first. The realization hit and then I hit the ground. Time was moving like sludge trying to pass through a funnel. The edges of what I could see were darkening rapidly, I could only see tiny specks of Draco. Any feeling I had was disappearing, I could barely feel his freezing hands holding me. His voice begging for me to stay was a mere whisper in the wind.

   He had to run. He couldn't be here for any longer. If he didn't leave me, we would both be killed in a matter of a minute. It would be nice to spend eternity with him, but he couldn't die, not now. He never got to experience the world, he never made up with his family. He never had real, true friendships that meant the world to him. He was still a child and he had his whole life ahead of him.

   I tried screaming at him to run, to leave the slowly depleting shell of me and to get out of here. All he had to do was make it far enough away from the castle and then apparate to his house. Once he was out of here, he would be safe.

   And it wasn't like I was leaving him. Neville said so in his speech, I was always going to be with him, just not physically. I tried everything to shake him off of me, to throw him down the corridor, but my arms wouldn't move. My head was fuzzy, I couldn't make anything out anymore. I was seriously leaving now.

   Thinking it was scary before was a mistake. It was petrifying now. He was slipping away from me. I couldn't feel him anymore, I couldn't hear or see him. Everything was dark and uncomfortably silent. Maybe I was in space, Trelawney always said it was dark and quiet. But where were the stars? Why couldn't I still see him? Aren't you supposed to be able to see your loved ones when you finally kick it?

   It was so lonely. Everything you hear about seeing your friends and family, the people you love, that's all a lie, at least for this moment in time. I couldn't see anyone who had died, there was no one to welcome me to the afterlife. It was also strangely cold, extremely cold. All of the heat had been sucked from me and it was incredibly unpleasant.

   This part was nowhere near as gentle and welcoming as it was just mere seconds ago. All of the calmness I had felt vanished, leaving only panic and fear behind. It wasn't enjoyable and warm anymore. No, no I didn't like this at all. There must be a better phase coming next, they never tell you about this part when you hear about death.

   And as soon as it started, it was over. It felt like I was opening my eyes again, except only this time, everything was white and awfully bright. I was in a body again, I could walk and move and breathe. Was this the Heaven that is so desirable and envied in the living? Where was everyone?

   "Hey, kid."

   I turned around quickly. Adrian's familiar smile greeted me with a twinkle.

   "You died?"

   "I'll tell you all about it later. Ready to go?" He asked, holding his hand out.

"I guess so," I grabbed his hand tightly, at least Adrian could help me. We started walking into the white abyss.

"Malfoy, huh?"

"What can I say? He's my soulmate."

"You'll be able to see him soon. Come on, people have already been asking about you. Word travels fast up here."

   I smiled and took another step forward, it wasn't scary any more. Maybe this would all work out.