Hiraeth // draco malfoy

FORTY FOUR

an end to a seven years war

"Ophelia Pierce," the name rolled off his tongue like velvet. "I've heard many things of the name." He spoke with greed on his mind. If he had the Pierce girl on his side, then he would truly be unstoppable. Lifting his cold boney hand, he pressed it against her cheek and she flinched away, warranting a laugh to escape his mouth. "You could be quite the asset." He told her. "If you joined me."

"I'd never join you." She managed to stifle out, trying her hardest to suppress her fear. 

"You'd be treated like a queen." His voice hissed and she turned her cheek to him, refusing to make eye contact. "How have you managed to stay hidden for so long?"

"The same way you managed to stay alive." She snapped and he laughed yet again.

"I really believe you should consider my generous offer." He insisted as she locked eyes with his and snarled.

"Fuck you." She spat blood onto the ground in front of him. Yaxley, who had followed her to him, struck her once again, this time causing her to fall to the ground. She took this chance to look up at Hermione. 'Draco?' She mouthed to her, and Hermione thought to herself briefly before she shook her head, sadly. In a quick moment, Dru felt the weight of the world crumble over her. Everything in Dru's body felt like hot lava, just itching to explode. She slowly stood back up, facing Voldemort again, and narrowing her eyes at him. His smile began to fade as the white in her eyes filled with a darkened color and the veins throughout her body turned black. She turned to face the crowd around them as a blood-curdling scream escaped her lips. Everyone watched in fear, as she stood there, black veins pulsating in her cheeks and bodies of death eaters collapsing to the cold hard ground. Fred slowly stood to his feet, as they all gazed at the scene in horror, never imagining that this could be the outcome of her dangerous powers she held inside her.

Voldemort began to laugh like a mad man. Even with his allies dropping like flies around him, he was too blinded by amazement to care. If one could hold this much dark power within them, they could be swayed to join him, or so he foolishly believed. The entrance to Hogwarts began to rumble as it crumbled to the ground behind him. He turned to it, with a loud clap of amusement. Somewhere in his twisted demented mind, he really believed he could win her over on his side. This darkness was so pure that he assumed she would want the political power that he already acquired. And he was too full of himself to realize she would never take his side. The remaining death eaters were eagerly casting curses at her, but nothing was happening. She was protected by her own abilities. Nothing could hurt her. And she unlocked the darkness within her. The death eaters surrounding her began to drop like flies as they crumbled to ash before her.

By the time that only a handful of death eaters were left alive, she stopped, and turned to face Voldemort, who was thrilled for his own personal reasons. "You are magnificent." He was mesmerized, and how could you not be? She was the answer he was looking for to take complete and total control. She stared at him, unresponsive. "Join me, Ophelia Pierce, and we will become unstoppable." He sneered. She stared at him, with rage in her eyes, and pure hatred in her heart.

Raising her hands slightly up, she felt herself taking everything from him. His smile faded, as he looked to his hands which were glowing with a dim crimson color and flowing into her own. He felt the inability to breath as he was now gasping for air. But Dru was absorbing his powers, along with his life. His knees buckled as he dropped to the ground, kneeling before her. The very few death eaters left, disapparated from the scene and now it was only him, by himself with no followers or friends in his defense.

"You are alone." She told him, peering into his soul with her darkened eyes. "Nobody cares about you. Nobody loves you. You have no one. And you will die the same way you lived." She managed to say with a deep and cold tone. Bending down, and pressing her hands against the top of his head, she reapplied the powers she drew out from him, into his skull, causing him to combust. She stood straight, feeling the air leave her lungs as the veins quickly faded and her eyes went back to normal. Severus began to approach her, when she collapsed into his arms beside the victim of her power.

— — —

"You're special, Ophelia. You've always been special." The voice of Dru's mother came through and she saw her standing before her. But times were different. She couldn't have been older than 8 or 9. "You have so much light in you, and you must stick to that. Darkness will try and creep in, but you must never give into it. Don't let it take control."

"I wont, mum, I promise." The sweet tone rang out from her mouth.

"But you already have." Her mothers voice turned sour, with a hint of detest radiating from it.

"What do you mean?" She tried to ask, but her mother simply shook her head at her daughter before her, and then walked off into the distance. "Mum!" The girl called out, in a desperate plea.

"Dru?" Another voice spoke, shaking her from her dream. Her eyes flickered open as she was faced with Pansy above her. "Oh, thank God." Pansy breathed a sigh of relief. "She's awake." Pansy turned to the person to her left. Dru couldn't find the ability to speak. Her head was pounding and her whole body felt tense and sore. And then, she remembered.

"Draco– he's." She managed to spit out, emotionless.

"No, love, he's not." Pansy assured her, as Draco appeared beside them, holding Dru's hand tightly within his. Dru turned to him, confused and wondering if she was hallucinating.

"Hermione made it seem like–,"

"She did that to get you angry. She knew you'd be able to tap into your full capabilities if you believed I was dead." Draco told her, with sympathy in his tone. "I was up with a few of the centaurs at the top of the hill. I'm so sorry you had to endure that, Dru." He kissed the top of her hand and she shook her head.

"Ophelia." She choked out, and both he and Pansy looked to each other, confused. "I, uh, remember everything." She took her hand out of his grasp and pressed it against the top of her head. Everything felt like a blur.

"What?" Pansy nearly gasped, moving closer to her. "How?"

"I don't know. I guess when I absorbed Voldemort's power, the internal torture it caused me was enough pain to break the spell." She said, sitting herself up against the sofa she had been laying on. She quickly realized she was in the Slytherin common room. "Where uh, where is everyone?" She looked around.

"They're in the Great Hall. But, Jesus, Dru– Ophelia, you really remember everything?" Pansy continued on, but Ophelia slowly stood to her feet and winced from the slight pain her body was enduring right now. She continued on, walking out of the dormitory, with both of them following behind her. Draco held onto her arm as she walked quietly to the great hall. Everyone immediately looked to her as soon as they spotted her. She could tell they were happy, but she didn't feel the same. Quite honestly, she wasn't sure she felt anything at all. She did notice Fred approaching her, and she reached forward, accepting his hug.

"How're you holding up?" He asked her.

"Five by five." She said, as he rested his hand against her arm. "You know, Freddie, you're a much better kisser than I remember." She told him in a joke, as he furrowed his brows in confusion.

"Did you–? Did you get your memories back?" He asked, astounded. She nodded with a small smile. "Bloody hell." He hugged her again, tighter this time. Draco tried his hardest to not be jealous, but he was confused as to why she hadn't hugged him yet, or really even spoken to him. "You were amazing, Dru. Well, er– Ophelia." He told her. She looked around, noticing the few missing people and felt her heart drop.

"Where's Ron?" She asked, realizing Hermione was sitting by herself with her head in her hands. Fred shook his head. "I'm sorry, Fred." She said, stepping backward. Then she remembered Theo. He didn't make it either. And that was painful. Guilt racked her brain as she wished she had done something sooner. Something to prevent the outcome of any lives lost. But it was too late.
Blaise noticed them from the far wall, and rushed over, scooping Ophelia up in a hug.

"You were brilliant." He whispered to her.

She stepped backwards, a small smile fading from her lips, and turned to face Pansy. "I uh, I need to get some air." She told her, and with that, left the castle and went outside, leaving everyone to themselves.