Our Little Secret || Draco Malfoy

Chapter 6.

It was a cold night in late December when I woke up suddenly by the fireplace in the common room. I looked down to see my necklace heating up against my skin, sparkling brightly. He was out of his bloody mind. 

I pulled on my shoes and my cloak, casting an invisibility charm on myself. I had practically perfected it by now, what with all the times I'd snuck out to visit him after dark. I let the magic in my necklace guide me through the dark corridors until I was taken to the front doors of the school, which were opened just slightly. I hesitated for a moment before slipping through them, shivering in the frigid night air. I saw Draco standing on the steps, his rucksack beside him, and my heart dropped.

"Draco?" I whispered, dropping my spell. Draco turned, and I flinched. He had the same expression now as he did when he broke up with me last year. "Draco, what's going on? Why do you have your bag?" I asked, stepping forward and taking his hands in mine. Draco was silent as if he was trying to find the words to say. "Don't pull this shit, Draco. You promised you wouldn't hurt me again." I said, my lower lip trembling as I tried not to cry. 

Draco's eyes widened and he pulled me against him, kissing my hair. "Absolutely not. Never again." He murmured, holding me tightly. I sighed and wiped away my tears, looking up at him. "Why do you look like you're leaving?" I asked again, looking down at his full rucksack. He was quiet for a second, refusing to let go of me. "Because I am."

My eyes widened and he pressed on before I could speak. "My parents want me to come home. They said that Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, that I belong at home with them and the other Death Eaters." I bit my lip, holding back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. Without him here, this place was truly hell on earth. Just thinking of having to be at Hogwarts without Draco made me die a little inside. I didn't think I'd be able to survive this place without him. 

"You should get out too, Isa. I don't want anything to happen to you." I shook my head firmly, blinking away the tears. "No. I can't leave the younger students at the mercy of these...monsters." I said, and Draco pulled me to his chest, kissing my hair. "Please, stay safe and be smart Isabelle. I love you so much." I leaned up and kissed him, tears rolling down my face. "I love you too. Promise that we'll find each other when this is all over?" I asked, my voice small. Draco nodded, smiling at me. "I can't live without you."

Draco looked up at the sky, and his eyes widened. "Go, Isa. Run. I love you." He kissed me quickly before pushing me back through the doors. I stayed absolutely silent as I heard people materializing outside. 

"Are you ready, Draco?" I heard a female voice say, and my blood boiled - it was Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman who had murdered Sirius. A streak of rage ran through me at the sound of her voice, and the urge to do what Harry wasn't able to do coursed through my body. I stayed put though and covered my mouth so I wouldn't give myself away. When I heard Draco and his companions apparate away, I closed my eyes tightly, silent sobs leaving my body. Draco had been one of the only things that made this living hell even half bearable. Just seeing his face and knowing that he was here had given me some small comfort from day to day. Now, I only had my friends to keep me sane in the madhouse.

I got up and began to wander through the castle in a daze, the sadness overwhelming me. The rational part of my brain was screaming at me to recast my spell and get back to Gryffindor Tower, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I walked through the icy halls, tears streaming silently down my face. There was an ache in my chest that was slowly spreading to the rest of my body, pulsing through my veins and reaching from the top of my head to my fingertips. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to contain it, but it felt like I was going to burst and shatter into a thousand screaming pieces. I had finally reached my breaking point. Draco was gone, my brother and friends were who knows where, my best friend had been murdered by Death Eaters, and the rest of my friends had retreated into hiding, leaving me to fend for myself and the rest of Gryffindor. I didn't know if I could take much more of this because I was sure that anything more would kill me.