Transfixed: A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

Chapter 73

It felt like I stood at that window for forever before I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. I jumped a foot in the air and whirled around.

"Hi," Draco said softly.

"H-hi," I stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

He looked to his left and right to make sure no one was around before he leaned in towards me.

"I broke Dumbledore's Army out of the dungeons," he whispered.

"What? How?" I asked breathlessly.

"The spell you taught me. Secretum telum. It seems to work on everything."

I smiled weakly. "Yes it does. Dad taught it to me. Where are they now?"

"I've hidden them in the Room of Requirement. They should be safe there. And you won't believe this, but another secret passageway has formed. It goes from the Room of Requirement to a pub in Hogsmeade run by Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth."

"I didn't know Dumbledore had a brother."

"Neither did I. But he does, and Aberforth has been sending food to everyone."

I looked down at my toes. "How are they?" I mumbled.

"They're hanging in there, although your curse messed them up pretty bad. Some of them are still limping from it."

I turned around to face the window and leaned my forehead against the cold glass, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Audrey?" Draco asked.

"What," I mumbled, keeping my eyes closed.

"How could you do it?" he asked, his voice trembling. "How could you betray them like that?"

I slowly turned around and looked over his shoulder at the giant book that had just revealed the answer to his question mere moments ago. Then I looked at him, at his sad eyes, and knew that the truth might just break him. If he knew who I was destined to become, and what I had to do to stop it, he would break. And in my final act of cowardice, I couldn't bring myself to tell him.

"I don't know," I whispered. "I let the darkness inside of me win, and I can never take it back."

He looked at me with so much pain and confusion that I almost couldn't take it. But then he reached up and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear, and pulled me into a hug.

I took a deep inhale, breathing in his scent as I buried my face in his shirt. The weeks without him had been agony, and even though I knew our minutes together were numbered, I held onto him as tightly as I could.

"I'm sorry," I whimpered, my voice muffled. "I'm so, so sorry. For everything."

We stood there in an embrace for a while, before his voice finally broke the silence.

"So what are you going to do now?"

I slowly broke away and looked back at the book. I couldn't become Isolda's heir. I couldn't let myself go to the dark side like she did. I had to stop it, and it seemed like death was the only way. I was destined to become her if I stayed, so the only option was for me to go.

I didn't want to die at the hands of Voldemort or the Carrows, or any of the Death Eaters. I had to reveal myself to Dumbledore's Army, apologize, and let them do it themselves. Then they would finally have justice for all the terrible things I did to them.

"I want to see them," I said. "I want them to know the truth. They deserve it."

Draco nodded, and reached out to take my hand. "Good, Audrey. It's time to end this."