When Twins Strike Back | Draco Malfoy [3]

Chapter 21 ~ He's Back

"I killed Sirius Black!" she cackled. "You're coming to get me?!"

"CRUCIO!" we yelled.

Bellatrix fell over as we pointed our wands at her. She was whimpering, scared. She knew we had the power to kill her. Right now, we could commit murder. She killed our godfather.

"You've got to mean it, you two. She killed him. She deserves it." Voldemort was messing with us again. "You know the spell. Do it!"

But when we turned around, there he was. Standing right before us was the man who fucked with us this entire year.

"So weak," he commented. "I thought you'd have some guts to finish her off. Especially you, Maxine. After all, you did try to hurt your twin, your own brother, and you also made an attempt to kill Draco Malfoy. It seems as if you're turning into me."

"I'll never be you," I spat. "I'm nothing like you. Harry's nothing like you. You're a murderer."

Suddenly, the man himself showed up. Dumbledore. "It was foolish of you to come here tonight, Tom. The Aurors are on their way."

"By the time they get here, I shall be gone, and you...shall be dead."

Dumbledore waved his wand in the air and his other free hand at us as he started dueling with Voldemort. We slid across the floor near a fireplace, where we watched Bellatrix leave and the other two colliding spells. Voldemort cast the Killing Curse and tried to aim it at us. Parts of the wall were crumbling down near us as Harry covered my head.

Voldemort transformed his next spell into a fiery dragon. I was starting to sweat just by looking at it. It was heading for Dumbledore until he waved his wand and most of the fountain full of water and transformed it into a ball. He trapped Voldemort inside of it for a few seconds and then released him. We managed to get up and went beside Dumbledore. Then we fell over again somehow. Glass was now shattering and falling everywhere. As it fell, Voldemort aimed it all towards us. Dumbledore formed a shield so the glass turned into sand.

Now he was mad. In a blink, he was gone. I felt a cool rush hit my face and an unpleasant feeling as Voldemort was now inside me. I started to shake and then I collapsed on the ground as Harry did the same thing. My eyes rolled back and looked at Dumbledore.

"You've lost, old man," Harry and I said in a distorted voice.

Harry screamed, then I did as well. I saw everyone I loved die all over again. I was now crying. Voldemort made my entire body paralyzed. I couldn't move. He kept on saying the same thing over again.

"So weak. So vulnerable."

I saw myself the night I was in the bathroom. His face was where mine was. He said I was tainted, a slut. I wanted to take everything back. When I attempted the Cruciatus Curse on my brother, when I tried to kill Malfoy. When I fought with Harry, when I was someone that wasn't me.

"Harry, Max, it isn't how you are alike. It's how you are not," Dumbledore told us.

We were at that point where we just stayed on the ground, looking at memories that were in our heads. I grabbed Harry's hand and looked at him with tears.

I had enough. I had enough of the pain, the hurt, the big hole in my chest that was aching for so long. I wanted it all to stop. I wanted it all to go away. But if I wanted it to go for good, then Harry and I had to get rid of it ourselves.

"You're the weak one," Harry said.

"You'll never know love or friendship," I added. "And we feel sorry for you. What Harry and I have is something you'll never have."

"And what is that?" he hissed.

"We have everything," Harry whispered.

Suddenly we felt a rush of relief as he left us. But we continued to lay there, motionless. I saw his face as he made his way to us.

"You're fools, Harry and Maxine Potter, and you will lose everything."

"You keep on saying that. No matter how many times you say it, you won't do anything," Harry told him.

"Go ahead," I added. "Try us."

Before he could do anything, Fudge showed up. He stood there in shock as Voldemort disappeared.

"He's back," he whispered.

"Harry..." My voice cracked. "Is he gone?"

"Yes, Max," Harry replied. "He's gone."

I managed to move again and went over to my brother. I wrapped my arms around him and he wrapped his arms around my arms. I was still shaking from the shock that overcame me. "Thank Merlin."

*******

"Harry? Wake up, Harry."

Harry groaned as he woke up from his bed at midnight. "Max?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Why are you in here?"

"I...I couldn't sleep," I said. "You think you can stay with me downstairs tonight?"

He looked at me and nodded. "Sure." We headed downstairs, where the fire was barely lit up.

"I miss him already," I told him. "And it's only been four hours."

"I miss him, too."

"Harry?"

"Yeah, Max?"

I looked at him just when the tears were coming. "Why does everyone we love have to die?" I looked down at the two necklaces that Cedric and Sirius gave me.

Harry's voice was shaking as he replied. "I don't know, Max. But I promise you that I won't be the next one to die."

"Every time I make a promise to someone, they end up getting killed. I can't promise you that I'll be okay or that you'll be okay. If I do, then one of us will die."

"Max, look at me." I looked at my brother. "Please, Max, promise me that neither of us are going to die."

"Harry--"

"We're doing this for us, Max. This is for us. I want you to do this not only for me but for yourself also."

I said nothing for a minute. If I did this then nothing would change. Voldemort would still continue to kill everyone we loved. But I wanted to do this for Harry. I wanted him to know that I cared about him just as much as he cared about me.

"I promise," I whispered. "Neither of us are going to die."

We linked pinkies together. "I love you, sis."

"I love you, too, bro."

We drifted off to sleep after that. Neither of us had nightmares.