BREATHE -draco malfoy

forty one.

Ana stood leaning over the railing, staring out at the scene below. There was an eerie breeze in the air, whipping through her thick hair and turning her whole body cold. Ana shivered, not because of the cold but because of the scene below her. She felt herself start to choke up as she watched the battle from afar. There were huge, intermediate explosions of fire from various sections of the tower walls. She could see smoke all around, dust and stone flying up from the ground below her. She could just barely see the bridge through the darkness, a gaggle of various creatures and stone figures dueling with abandon, offering no mercy. The sky was tainted a sickly, dark green, and Ana felt sick to her stomach. She knew that people were dying as she watched from above, safe and at least partially out of danger.

Ana almost left the safety of the Astronomy Tower many, many times. She would see something, a new display of carnage or devastation, and she would shuffle her feet, her instincts urging her to run down and lend a hand. But Ana's mind would immediately sound an alarm, convincing her to stay. The one, sole thing that kept her rooted in place, leaning against the railing of the tower, was Draco. Ana would not do anything that would put him in danger, wherever on Earth he was. So she stood, torturing herself by forcing herself to watch the battle, thinking that having to witness the death and destruction was her punishment. If Ana was going to hide away, she would make herself watch. 

Draco hadn't wanted to listen to Hermione. He didn't want to go to the Astronomy Tower, as he knew how it would feel to stand there, alone and without Ana. He had been there with her so many times, met her in the middle of the night and kissed her over and over again, basking in the freedom of the fresh air. They were such happy memories, but as Draco ran through the corridors, he felt himself start to sob. It was overwhelming his senses, the destruction happening all around him, the pandemonium and the fear and the screaming. Eventually, he found an empty hall, the walls caved in and destroyed by the fighting but empty of any people. It was one of the outdoor bridges, connecting the towers of Hogwarts, and he breathed in the fresh air as much as he could, feeling himself start to hyperventilate. It was too much, watching as the sky lit up with flames and smoke and various colors of the spells being thrown between the enemies. Draco leaned against a window, shutting his eyes lightly as the loud noises and rumbling explosions overwhelmed him. Draco wasn't brave. He was falling apart, his heart laced with fear at what was happening all around him. He didn't want to fight anymore. Draco gripped his black tie, yanking it loose in order to get more air into his lungs. But nothing would help, nothing could shield him from the horrors that were around every single corner of the castle. Draco longed for Ana, so desperately. He let out an awful sob as he watched another explosion light up the sky with a flash of amber light. Draco needed to get the hell out of there, as he could feel himself starting to dry heave, tears squeezing freely out of his eyes. 

Draco started to sprint. The floor rumbled beneath his feet as he flashed through the corridors, looking for the right hall to take him where he wanted to go. His breath was coming out high and squeaky, little whimpers escaping his chest as he powered on, barely able to see through the haze of panic in his mind. Draco was still idly curious about why Hermione Granger had directed him to the Astronomy Tower, but that was not why he decided to go there. Draco was desperate to escape the agony blooming in his chest and, more than anything, he wanted to go there to feel something, some kind of connection to Ana, even if that connection was simply seeing the room where they had spent many intimate moments together. 

As Draco ran through the corridors, right towards her, Ana continued to watch the scene below, her knuckles turning white from her grip on the railing of the tower. She was crying, little dry sobs coming out as her face contorted in pain, watching with a heavy heart as the war continued on before her eyes. It hurt so much, watching the explosions and the devastation, the castle that had always been her home being destroyed. It hurt even more to know that she could do nothing to help, that she had decided to run away.