Hiraeth // draco malfoy

FORTY THREE

the long night

The sound of Draco's shoes hitting the stone floor echoed through the corridor as he walked past the library. The fighting had made its way into the castle halls below, but most of it took place outside. He was on his own mission right now, and he had no time to spare. He made his way down one of the stairwells, when he heard snickering coming from one of the old classrooms to the left. Slowly walking in, he noticed one of the death eaters Hubert, and Rodolphus deep in conversation like cowards hiding from having to actually fight. "What's this?" Draco asked as they turned to him. "You see there's an attack down there?"

"Yes, we were just collecting some things." Hubert motioned to the desk, but Rodolphus stay scowling in Draco's direction. Rodolphus went to turn back to his grimy friend, but Draco beat him to it.

"Avada kedavra!" He shouted at Hubert, who flung backwards onto the floor, in a fatal smack. Draco's wand was now directed at Rodolphus, who was growing nervous.

"Now, listen here, son, we can talk about this–,"

"Talk about it?" Draco smirked devilishly at the man he once called uncle. "Talk about how you sent Goyle to murder me or how you murdered my mother? Which topic would you like to address first?"

"Draco, you can't truly believe I would do either of those things." Rodolphus gave an uncomfortable and nervous laugh, raising his hands in self defense, while slowly approaching him. Draco held the wand out further and Rodolphus stopped walking.

"You speak to me like I'm a child. I'm no child, uncle, and you are just simply an old man with too much time on their hands. You really expect me to believe that you haven't done what I know you've done?" Draco's grin widened. Rodolphus stared at him, practically speechless. He knew there was no escaping this now, but he still would try. "Say it." He demanded. Rodolphus shook his head vigorously.

"Say– say what?" He asked, pretending to be clueless.

"Don't be coy. Say what you did." Draco said slowly, causing a chill to run down Rodolphus's spine.

"I didn't do–,"

"Crucio!" Rodolphus fell over onto the floor, screaming out in agony. Draco walked over to him, standing above his body which was violently shaking, wand just inches from his face. "Say it." He asked once more, rage filling his entire body. "Or I'll only make your agony last longer."

"I killed your mother!" Rodolphus cowered, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I killed your mother!" His voice sharpened as the crucio curse began to wear off quickly. "And I don't regret it." His voice turned into a loud maniacal cackle. "She was a good lay, too, boy." He was insane, he had to be. It was obvious by now, that the man had completely lost his mind at some point in his life, because even in the face of death, he still had sly remarks to make. Draco, though, needed to feel his death in his own hands. He tossed his wand to the side, and straddled Rodolphus's waist, beginning to punch his face over and over. Feeling the bones crack and break beneath his fists, he didn't end it until Rodolphus was completely unrecognizable with his skull caved inward and blood covering the floor. Draco rolled off him, burying his face in his hands with sobs ringing out. He could care less about killing the man, but the thought of his mother enduring whatever she may have– was enough to make any son cry.

After just a minute or so, he recollected himself, standing to his feet and dusted his jacket off. He picked his wand back up, looked at Rodolphus's mangled body once more before exiting the room.

— — —

"Fred!" Dru shouted, tossing him his wand once again as she ran from the scene with him following. They were making their way to what was once the Slytherin dungeons. It was the closest place they could go with three death eaters on their tail.

"Go through that door!" He shouted at her, as she held the wand out.

"Alohomora!" She said to the door as it unlocked and opened. The two hurried in, slamming it behind them and pressing all their weight against it. "What do we do?" She asked, panicked. He thought for a moment, examining the room and realizing they had little to no options.

"In a second, we're going to step away from the door and back up as far as we can." He said, breathlessly. She looked at him, horrified.

"What?" She shouted at him, confused.

"It's our only chance, Dru." He told her, assuringly. But he was trying to convince himself that this was the answer. "Just repeat these words, 'avada kedavra' and point your wand at them when you say it." He instructed, but she was hesitant to this plan.

"What does it do?" She asked. He ignored this, and grabbed her hand, pulling them both backwards from the door that opened immediately.

"Avada kedavra!" They shouted in unison at the three death eaters in front of them. Only one fell to their death, being that the wand didn't answer to her. She looked at Fred, worry in her glossy eyes, but before they could try and flee again, the two remaining death eaters lunged forward and captured them. Ophelia felt herself become delirious as her consciousness was wavering in and out. Fred was trying to speak to her, but she couldn't hear anything. Only muffled yells and commotion from all around. She had been hit with a spell of sorts, but she didn't realize it.

Dru's eyes flickered as light began to appear once again, and she realized she was outside. She tilted her chin to the sky, feeling rain drops trickle across her face, and for a brief moment, she felt a wave of calmness wash over her. It took her a second to gather herself as she looked around at the blurry figures around her, with a sharp ringing echoing in her ears. The faces began to come into focus and she realized pretty fast what was happening.

Hermione stood beside a death eater halfway up the hill they had been at the bottom of. The death eater holding onto her was Bellatrix Lestrange. And her grip was tight and personal on Hermione's arms. Dru glanced over to see Fred had been bleeding from the top of his head, slouched on the ground a couple yards away. Luna, Ginny, and a few others were also captured by them, standing about. She looked at the hands holding her and peered up to the face of one of the men she had seen at the fight club. It was Yaxley. She remembered the conversation Draco had had with him that night and she felt a sickness creep into her abdomen. But then, her eyes drifted over to Pansy crouched over a body in the distance. Horror struck her as she realized that body was Theo Nott. Her heart sunk into the pit of her stomach as she felt like she could vomit. Pansy was sobbing, and no one around her seemed to care.

Still trying to gather her mind and recollect herself, she looked around trying to find Draco, but he was nowhere to be found and this struck her as odd and made her even more worried. Her eyes soon met with Blaise, who had been staring at her this whole time. His eyes widened slightly as he mouthed the words 'stay quiet'. She looked ahead now, seeing the face of the monster who was responsible for all this madness to begin with. And just behind him, was Severus. He was still in his role of a death eater. He had to be.

"You all have made a grave mistake." The man spoke, sending chills across her body. This was the dark lord. This was Voldemort. And she now was looking death in its grim eyes. True fear petrified her to her spot. "You truly believed your little rebellion would be able to defeat me?" He said to anyone who would listen. The death eaters roared with laughter. Dru wasn't sure what to do. Nobody was. Where was Draco? Who all was dead? Was she supposed to attack? How long had she been unconscious for? She needed instructions, but she didn't have any. Her eyes drifted back to Blaise, who nodded slowly. 'Use your gift' he mouthed and she took a deep breath in. "You really thought you could win?" He laughed once again and Dru took this as an opportunity to do what needed to be done.

"Yes." She spoke out loud to Voldemort, whose head snapped in her direction. Everyone looked at her, and Yaxley lifted his hand, striking her across the cheek, cutting her lip.

"Now, now, Yaxley. Let the girl speak." Voldemort instructed, curiously before lifting his index finger and indicating she come closer. She shook her arm from Yaxley's tight grip and stepped forward, approaching him. "What is your name?" He asked, curiously, eyeing her.

"Drusilla." She responded, staring dead in his cold snake-like eyes. His head turned to the side slightly as he examined the girl, curiously. "You may have heard of me by the name Ophelia. Ophelia Pierce." She continued, trying her hardest to control the shakiness in her tone of voice. His eyes widened just slightly and a smile formed upon his face.