Surprising turn - a turn for the better? Or into madness ... (Draco Ff)

Chapter 33 ~ Alone you are strong - together unbeatable

Victoria's Pov.

The day of days came furiously faster.
We had no idea what to do anymore.  We didn't know how to proceed.
We no longer had a plan.
The dead bird in the vanishing cabinet had only made things more difficult.
After we were able to teleport the apple, we still had hope, but it was dashed when we started the second attempt.
For weeks we had shied away from finally testing it with a living being.
We kept putting it off because we just didn't want to admit our failures to ourselves.
But at some point we had all our courage together and tested it with the little blue bird, which was always in one of the round lattice cages, and failed.
While we now knew that the Vanishing Cabinet was capable of teleporting objects, bringing a human to Hogwarts was impossible.
A flesh and blood human.
A human with a heartbeat and blood circulation.
A full living being...
We didn't know how many Death Eaters were planned to invade Hogwarts through the Cabinet.
But at the moment it looked as if not even one would make it out of this wooden box alive.
A gasp brought me back to reality.
It took me a moment to realize everything.
To understand where I was.
I turned my head slightly to the left and could make out Draco who seemed to be moving in slow motion.
He kept giving in his legs under his weight.
It looked like his bones were made of rubber.
He held my left hand tightly in his right hand.
I knew Draco was struggling internally.
I knew exactly what was going on inside him.
I saw it in his eyes.
I could read every little emotion in it.
The pressure of our hands increased briefly and decreased again.
Like clockwork.
As if the pressure were increasing briefly with every heartbeat.
I felt the Ice Prince draw small circles on the back of my hand.
It calmed me down.
Made me take a deep breath every now and then.
I've been better since Snape finished my assignments.
While I don't know how he managed to convince the dark lord, I was deeply grateful to him.
However, I didn't let him feel it.
He was acting strange.
He took everything too personally, as if he were the one it would affect.
I couldn't make sense of it.
It seemed to me that he was trying to earn the Dark Lord's respect by interfering in our affairs.
But it didn't help either Draco or me.
"I've run out of good ideas..." I heard young Malfoy come off to the side.
It sounded less like he had spoken to me consciously.
More as if he had thrown his previously mute thoughts into the room.
His voice rang through the cool corridors of Hogwarts and bounced back off the walls.
I didn't bother to answer, knowing he wouldn't be expecting one.
And I was to be right when he continued...
"I know I won't be able to kill Dumbledore while looking him in the eye.
I could never.
I'll never forgive myself for killing anyone anyway.
someone innocent
I mean Dumbledore just has to die because he's in Voldemort's way."
"Mmmh" was the only thing going through my head at the moment.
My voice felt so loud in the quiet hallway.
My words echoed in my ears and hit my eardrums hard, making it harder for me to understand.
It felt like I was wrapped in cotton.
Everything Draco said next to me came through muffled.
I didn't understand everything he said, but I knew he was just repeating himself anyway.
I knew the guilt was killing him inside.
I subconsciously put one foot in front of the other and let Draco pull me along slightly.
"What if I don't make it...?" he voiced his worst fear.
As he said this, he stopped, but did not let go of my hand.
He faced me and also took my second hand in his.
His touch felt cool against my skin, yet there was that familiar tingle I always felt when he touched me.
I looked up and tilted my head back to look at him.
However, Draco had lowered his gaze.
"Look at me...!" I spoke with gentle force.
He lifted his head and looked at me sadly.
A tear escaped from his eye and rolled down his cheek.
One followed several, leaving wet welts on his pale face.
I released my hands from his and placed them on his cheeks.
I brushed away his tears with my thumbs.
However, new ones soon followed.
My hands rested on his face.
Tears flowed down my fingertips, down the back of my hand and finally dripped onto the cold stone floor.
"Listen to me.  No matter what happens.
We make it.
Together."
As my words subsided, Draco lifted his gaze and opened red, swollen eyes that he had closed earlier.
I could see a hint of hope reflected in them.
He carefully removed my hand from his cheek and wrapped his fingers in mine.
With the other he pulled me closer and wrapped me in his arms.
I rested my head on his chest and let my eyes droop for a moment.
I knew deep down that we could do this.
That we would survive.
After a short time he put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me a bit away from him.
He looked at me with a sincere smile and spoke the same way I did before.
"Together."
This drew a wry smile from me.
He leaned his head towards me, put his hands on my cheeks and kissed me.
We'll survive this.
Together.