SALEM ᵈ ᵐᵃˡᶠᵒʸ

xxiii. Sacrifice

I should have stayed—should have been there for my mum—but the walls were slowly starting to close in and pity faces blurred into one another until the entire world around me was nothing but a fucked up glitch.

It was like I was having an out-of-body experience, only very vaguely aware of what was happening to me. I felt myself fall from the raised platform in my haste to get away, the pain shooting up barely a scratch against my body.

Everyone's worried shouts were so distant, so far away.

Slowly, I stood up and dared look down at the two dead bodies that lay in the cot, then felt my chest cave in again. I think a broken sound came of out me, but I wasn't so sure.

Maybe I was a coward, but I ran; ran and stumbled—away from my dead father, away from a dead Tonks and a dead Remus.

I ran from the Great Hall, ignoring the people calling my name, ran from the Grand Entrance until I found myself falling to my knees in the middle of the destroyed courtyard outside the castle.

My cries were the only sounds to be heard, finally growing louder and louder until it echoed off the stone walls and could probably be heard from inside the forest.

The sun was already rising to the east mountains, blasting it's golden rays from the peaks and casting the navy sky with warmth.

It was beautiful, the sunrise. And it made me angry. Nothing should be beautiful right now.

His peaceful face; his still chest; his no-longer beating heart, all flashing behind my eyelids like a continuous taunt.

A nasty voice hissed from inside my head, mingled with anguished screaming and broken whispers which all said the same thing:

Dead dead dead dead dead dead

My mouth opened to a silent scream as I clutched chest, heaving much harder this time, trying to relive the pressure occupying my chest; it was enough for me to spit my heart out.

No more learning new potions with him.

No more seeing him and mum dance around the living room.

No more walking me down the aisle, no more seeing me get kids.

No more no more no more no more no more

A body suddenly slid to a stop beside me, sending the tiny pebbles and rocks skittering away in a frenzy. They gently pried my shaking hands away from my chest and held onto them carefully.

"Margo," the person said shakily. "Margo—hey—Badger—I'm here, I'm here."

With as much might I could muster, I looked up at the face hovering in front of me, seeking the familiar warmth in those grey-blue eyes despite it's cooler tone.

And just like that I let out a choked sob and found myself crying harder, my breathing becoming a difficult rhythm that edged closer to ultimately stopping.

"You—you have to breathe, Margo," Draco begged. "Just hold on to me, okay? I'm here—breathe, love—" he cut himself off to inhale deeply, still looking into my eyes as he let out a long exhale.

"Breathe—follow my lead—that's it—"

He continued to do that as he rubbed circles on my back and let his hand be a victim to my vice-like grip. I tried my best, trying desperately to match his pace, but broke down again every time I got anywhere close as fresh waves of emotions came once again.