❛ the antidote ❜ | draco malfoy

THIRTY - PART TWO

A FEW HOURS AFTER THE BATTLE OF HOGWARTS

***

ALICE LAY ON THE STAIRS in front of the doorway into Malfoy Manor. She had been laying there since they left Hogwarts, three hours ago, and it was now ten o'clock in the morning. She hadn't slept at all, nobody in the Manor had, but she was the only one willing to lay on the concrete stairs in hopes of her parents return.

    Just as she shut her eyes, she heard the familiar sound of her father's boots walking down the pathway into the Manor. Standing up, she quickly opened the door, calling for the others, "Father and mother are back."

    Opening the door, her eyebrows furrowed as her father stood in the doorway, covered in blood, but most prominently, he was alone.

    Alice saw the rare tears forming in her father's eyes as she shook her head, "No, no she's not– She's not dead, dad. Where's mum?"

    Blinking her eyes, Alice let out the largest sob she had ever had, falling to the ground as her legs gave out.

    The Malfoy's rushed into the hallway, seeing the scene unfold.

    Narcissa was confused, "Where's Gemma?"

    Thorfinn stared at the woman, shaking his head, and she instantly got the hint.

    Narcissa shook her head feverishly, "Thorfinn, she's not– She...?"

    Narcissa Malfoy hadn't cried in a long time, nor in front of people, but when she came to the realization that she had lost her best friend, her sobs echoed almost as loud as Alice's.

    Legs giving out, Narcissa sat on the ground holding Alice close to her as they cried together. Lucius was in shock and all he could think to do was hug Thorfinn.

    "I'm so sorry, Thorfinn," Lucius pat his friends back, "Gemma was a great woman."

    Nodding, Thorfinn sighed, rubbing under his eyes. He had cried and sobbed immediately as he watched his wife get killed, in a duel against another witch. He wanted to at least hold his wife in his arms a final time, but the witch had cursed her, her body splitting into thousands of pieces, floating into the air.

    Draco wasn't even as upset as Alice nor his mother, but seeing the two women he loved crying made him feel emotional. Sitting beside Alice, Draco took Alice from his mother's arms, holding his girlfriends head close to his chest.

    "You said it would be okay," She punched at his chest, hysterically crying, "you said it would be okay."

    Draco sighed, running his fingers through her hair, "I know, Alice, I know."

    It had been ten minutes until Alice fell limp in Draco's arms, asleep. Lucius had helped Narcissa up to their room to comfort her, a few minutes previously, and Thorfinn had gone on a walk around the Malfoy's courtyard.

    Taking Alice into his arms, Draco carefully carried her up the stairs and into his room, where they would be able to sleep and not think about the reality that was their world.

-

    Waking up to a dark room, Alice noticed she was in Draco's room, the space beside her empty. Draco walked out of his bathroom, giving Alice a light smile as he went to lay next to her again.

    "Did today really happen, Draco?" Alice asked as she lay her head on his chest.

    Draco sighed, "Upsettingly enough, yes."

    Alice nodded, feeling the tears leave her eyes again, hitting Draco's bare chest. They lay there for several minutes, Alice crying, while Draco ran his hand through her hair, trying to comfort her.

"Holland, Cara, and Blaise's family are here," Draco told her once she had quieted down, "There's a few others here, giving their apologies to your father."

Alice nodded, tilting her head towards Draco who began wiping the tears from her face, tucking a hair behind her ear.

"Voldemort is dead," Draco smiled as he announced the new to Alice, who nodded, she knew he would be. "My aunt was killed too, Bellatrix, I mean."

"Oh," Alice said as she revealed the information, she didn't know whether to apologize or congratulate him.

"Mum's not mad, really," Draco shrugged, "I'm kind of okay with her being gone, anyways, mad hatter that one always was."

Alice lightly laughed as Draco smiled telling her the withheld information.

"I'm sorry, Alice," Draco said after some moments of silence, "about your mum, really."

Staring into Draco's clear blueish grey eyes, Alice smiled for the first time in a while.

Neither the young witch or wizard said another word after that, they stayed there looking at one another thankful to be in each other's presence.