On the Run: A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Lost in Despair

DRACO POV

Part of me wanted to go back into that classroom to make sure that Liana was staying put. But there was nowhere for her to go. She was without a wand and there were no windows for her to try to crawl out of. I felt much better knowing that but Liana was . . . well, Liana. And she was just as stubborn as I was. If she had locked me in a room, wandless and helpless, I’d probably be doing my best to find a way out. But I couldn’t worry about it now. There was nowhere for her to go. She was safe, thanks to Seamus and I.

            Seamus wasn’t half bad. Even though I didn’t really like the fact that he was still very much in love with Liana, I didn’t think that he was a bad person. As we walked through the castle to defend Hogwarts, Seamus stopped walking.

            “I’m sorry,” he said.

            I furrowed my brow, puzzled. “What for?”

            “For loving her,” he said.

            I sighed. “You can’t help who you love,” I said quietly.

            Seamus shrugged his shoulders. “I know. It’s just . . . hard for me. She was my first love . . . and I ruined everything with one mistake,” he explained. “Just do me a favor.”

            I raised my eyebrows. “What’s that?”

            “Take care of her,” he said, smiling a sad sort of smile. “I can tell that you make her happy. Just don’t make the same mistake that I did. She’s been hurt enough already . . . by me.”

            “I will,” I answered.

            “When this is all over, I want to make things right with her. I need . . . closure. I just want to be her friend, at least.”

            I nodded, returning his smile. “I think that it will be good . . . for both of you.”

            He pat me on the shoulder. “Ya know . . . you’re not half bad, Malfoy.”

            I smiled to myself, glad that I had been accepted despite all of the terrible things I’d done. I’d been mean before—evil, even. No, I thought. Not evil. Voldemort is evil. But I’d been forgiven. And for that I was proud of myself and how far I’d come.

Seamus and I continued onward, toward the battle that raged ahead.

LIANA POV

I climbed and I climbed. Once my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I was able to see better. The climb was far. It seemed like I’d been climbing for an eternity. After a while, I started to see some light.

            I let out a sigh of relief as I pulled myself up. Now, I was in a hallway. But nothing looked very familiar as I walked down the narrow passage. Booming sounds echoed through the corridor, probably coming from outside or from within the castle itself. The walls were not very thick, I guessed, as I began to hear slightly muffled voices.

            “You can’t go!”

            “I have to. It’s the only way.”

            “You don’t have to do this, mate.”

            “I do. Don’t try to stop me. Please.”

Then it was silent.

            I knew those voices anywhere. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were near, but I didn’t know where. I had no idea where I was in the castle. I wasn’t even sure how to get out—if there was a way out.