The Price of Love • Draco Malfoy [COMPLETED]

Chapter 24

A/N: right after posting the last chapter, I hit 500 reads and I just wanted to say wow. Now I'm at more than 630. (PUEBLOS SKYLAR PUEBLOS) and thank you so much it means a lot to me!!!

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[SKYLAR'S POV]

I walked down to breakfast with Neville the next morning, not recovered at all from the incident on the train yesterday. "How are you feeling, Skye?" Neville asked me for about the 50th time on our way to the Great Hall.

I shook my head and mumbled, "Awful. I feel awful, Neville. I never want to go through that again. I feel like I'll never be the same again." I felt Neville tense up next to me. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he lied.

"Neville, I may not feel the greatest, but I can still help you if something is bothering you," I said.

"You can't tell anyone... only a couple of people know about it; Harry, Dumbledore, and some of the Order," he started. "My mum and dad are in St. Mungo's, like you probably know, but, do you know why they're there?" I shook my head and he continued with a shaky breath, "Bellatrix Lestrange tortured my parents with the Cruciatus Curse; they can't remember a thing, not even me or Gran. I go to visit them every week over summer and they never recognize me."

"Neville, I'm so sorry, I... I had no idea..." I muttered, stopping to give him a hug. Neville shrugged and mumbled his thanks. "We should hurry and get to the Great Hall; I don't want to miss breakfast," I said, trying to sound cheerful but failing miserably.

Neville slung his arm around my shoulder as we walked the rest of the way to breakfast. When we entered the Hall, we noticed no one was talking except the House Heads, who were handing out Time Tables. I sat down at my usual spot at the Gryffindor table and Neville sat across from me. I caught Draco's eye and he mouthed, 'are you okay?' I quickly shook my head and turned my attention to McGonagall, who was standing behind Neville, looking for our Time Tables in her large stack of papers.



"Ah, here we are. Smith and Longbottom," she said with fake enthusiasm. "Oh, and Miss Smith? I heard about the incident on the train ride here yesterday and I would advise you not to mouth off to either of the Carrows again," she whispered sternly, leaning across the table.

I nodded my head as I looked at my Time Table. "Professor?" I asked quietly, "why does it say 'Dark Arts' instead of 'Defense Against the Dark Arts'?" McGonagall's mouth formed a tight line as she replied, "Your new Professor does not believe there is a need to learn how to defend yourself and others from the Dark Arts. Behave yourself today." McGonagall walked away and I felt my stomach start twisting and turning at the thought of class.

"Hey, Neville, I'm going to hit the restroom before class... I'll see you in Defen- I mean Dark Arts!" I dashed out of the Great Hall and walked to the bathroom. My arms were swinging by my side and I felt someone grab one of my wrists. I panicked, thinking it was one of the Carrows, and whipped my wand out of my robe. I spun around, only to see Draco with his eyebrows raised.

My breathing relaxed and I clutched my chest. "Draco! You complete arse! Don't scare me like that, not after what happened yesterday. You should have said something!" I yelled and hugged him tightly. "It was so awful..."

He slid his arms around my waist and kissed my forehead. "I know, I know. I know what it's like to go through a phase of complete pain. Do you remember what Potter did to me last year?"

-flashback-

I was walking back to the Gryffindor Common Room after dinner when I passed a bathroom and heard two very familiar voices shouting curses at each other. I burst through the door just in time to hear Harry yell, "SECTUMSEMPRA!" and see Draco fall to the floor and blood start forming a puddle around him.

"HARRY WHAT THE BLOODY HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" I screamed at Harry, who wore a look of shock mixed with horror.

"I just.. I don't know... a spell-"

"Go get Professor Snape!" I screamed and Harry ran out of the bathroom.

I ran over to Draco's bloody body and gasped. "Draco, no no no please be okay," I sobbed as I looked at his pale face.

"Skye?" he breathed and I nodded slowly, taking his hand.

I didn't have my wand with me, or I would have tried using Episkey. I doubted it would work, though. This seemed like some form of Dark Magic.

"Just... you'll be fine," I muttered, mostly to reassure myself. I rubbed circles on his hand with my thumb, anxiously waiting for Harry to return with Snape, who, I could only hope, knew what to do. The pool of blood around Draco's body was getting extremely large and I began panicking.

"Draco, please, please just hang on. Snape will be here soon... Oh Merlin, I don't know what to do... Snape, please hurry..."

It was like Merlin heard my prayers, because at that very moment, Snape bustled through the door, pulling Harry by the ear and shoved me out of his way. "Out of my way, stupid girl," he said. I wanted to be angry at him, but there was no time.

Snape pulled out his wand and started muttering some sort of healing spell. When I saw Draco's blood start traveling back into his body, I relaxed an enormous amount. I turned on Harry and started screaming at him. "HARRY POTTER HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID AS TO USE A SPELL WHEN YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT IT DID?! YOU COULD HAVE KILLED HIM!"

Harry, it seemed, was still too shocked to speak, so he just looked at me, opened and closed his mouth a few times, and shook his head while muttering, "No no, ridiculous. Not possible." I figured he had guessed I was with Draco, but thankfully, he decided to believe it was impossible. Snape stood up, carrying a limp and very pale Draco in his arms, and walked out the door to the Hospital Wing. I glared at Harry one more time before storming back to the Common Room.

-end flashback-

"That was horrible..." I whispered as he released me from his hug. Draco only nodded.

"Anyway, what classes do you have?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, I've got Defense- I mean Dark Arts first, Potions, two free periods, Transfiguration, Charms, and another free period. What about you?"

"All the same!" he said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Good," I breathed. "Oh, and um Draco? Do you mind if I use the bathroom?" I felt asked and he laughed.

"If you really have to," he said and I gushed out a small 'thanks.'

When I came out of the bathroom, Draco was sitting against the opposite wall waiting for me. "You're weird, you know that?" I asked and he looked up from whatever the hell he was looking at. He smiled before leaping up from the ground, wrapping his arms around my waist and placing a surprise, yet gentle, kiss on my lips.

"I've been waiting three months to do that again," he said, pressing his forehead to mine with a smile on his face.

"Oh, my Godric, Draco, we can't do this!" I said suddenly, pushing him away from me.

His eyes widened in fear once he realized what I meant, he nervously looked around the corridor, which, luckily, was empty with no signs of Professors anywhere. Draco ran his hand through his messy hair and sighed. "Tonight, Room of Requirement?" he asked, almost begging. As bad of an idea that this was, I couldn't reject him. I nodded and he smiled broadly, kissing me one more time and walking away before someone could see us.

I made my way to my first class alone, and took a seat by Neville in the back. Minutes later, Alecto strode into the classroom and I grabbed Neville's hand under the table. I know it's weird, but she scares me more than anything now. "Welcome to your first ever Dark Arts class!" she sneered and I sunk even lower in my seat. "First order of business is seating arrangements. None of you will be paired with someone from your own House."

'Great,' I thought, 'Just great. I'll probably get paired with some stuck up bitch like Parkinson from Slytherin...'

"Parkinson and Longbottom," Alecto said and I shot Neville a look as he got up. 'I'm sorry,' I mouthed and he shrugged.

"Malfoy and Smith." I tried to keep the smirk off my face as I got up and moved to the table I was directed to. Thankfully, it was in the back corner. I don't think I would survive if I had to sit in the front row.

"Smith," Draco sneered as we sat down.

"Malfoy." I said weakly. Immediately as we sat down, I gripped his hand under the table. Draco shot me a confused glance but must have noticed how pale my face was. Yes, Alecto scares me that much. Draco slowly intertwined our fingers and squeezed my hand. Maybe this class wouldn't be as bad as I expected.

Just kidding. That was awful. Alecto had assigned us a two-foot essay on the Unforgivable Curses and why they should be used as punishment. "I can't write this paper! There's a reason those Curses are unforgivable!" I muttered under my breath as I walked to Potions with Draco.

"I'll write it for you," he offered and I sent him a wary glance.

"If you get caught..." I started but he ignored me.

"I won't get caught. Alecto is extremely stupid. She'll give everyone who isn't in Slytherin a 'D' unless she loves what you've written. A bitch, that's what she is," Draco muttered and I hid a smile.

"I really appreciate this. Usually, I would never let someone do my homework, especially such a large essay, but I'd rather jump off the Astronomy Tower than write this. Thank you so much," I said earnestly and he smiled.

"Anything for you."







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A/N: I hope this chapter is alright... it took me forever to write and I still don't like how it turned out. asdfghjk;

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