Cessation ⌁ Draco Malfoy [3/4] ✔

30

It all happened so quickly. One minute Emma was standing there, listening to the sound of her own racing heartbeat, feeling herself go dizzy, giving up entirely on ever succeeding to walk out those doors. Looking right to see the fear in Draco Malfoy's grey eyes, his chest moving rapidly. 

Emma's frightened eyes found Hermione's . . . so lifeless and for the first time, so helpless . . . seeing the helplessness in Hermione Granger's eyes was a whole other fear in itself. The brightest witch of her age they had called her . . . laying there on the floor, broken, tortured and unable to move. Emma felt her heart punching against her chest. 

Greyback approached.

It only took a second to unleash total and absolute chaos.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Heart still racing, Emma wheeled around. Ron had burst into the drawing room, alongside Harry.   Emma had never seen Ron look so furious and frightened, but he held it together and yelled "expelliarmus" and a wand flew into the air and was caught by Harry. 

Emma was barged into by Lucius Malfoy and she slipped over Hermione, falling down onto her back. Lucius, Narcissa, Draco and Greyback were all focused on Ron and Harry. Next thing Emma knew, Lucius was collapsing onto the hearth. 

Bellatrix forced herself down to the ground, nothing but insanity in her black eyes. Emma scooted back in horror, eyes watering. But Bellatrix didn't even look at her; her attention was on an unconscious looking Hermione, who was pulled up by Bellatrix. The older witch held a short silver knife to Hermione's throat. 

"STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix screamed, her god awful high pitched shriek echoing off the walls. "Drop your wands. Drop them or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"

Emma looked to see Harry, who was straightening up, still holding Bellatrix's wand. Emma felt a sinking pressure under her arms and she groaned, fighting off the sharp fingernails that were digging into her skin. Greyback had forced her up and was now holding a tight grip on her arms. 

"Draco, take their wands! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!" Bellatrix continued to shriek.

Emma heard her breath shudder as she breathed, and she looked at Harry with fear in her eyes. Harry look at her as well, his face slightly blank. She didn't know why it was blank. Had he gotten so used to cheating death that he no longer feared it? Or did he just . . . give up?

"Now," said Bellatrix, now in a soft voice, after Draco had taken the wands from Harry and Ron. "'Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again, while Greyback takes care of these girls. I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you them, Greyback, after what you have done tonight."

As soon as Bellatrix stopped talking, there was a strange noise coming from up in the air. It was so loud and unpleasant that everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and glanced upwards at where it could have possibly been coming from. The crystal chandelier began to shake and tremble and creak. Emma gasped as it began to fall, crystal and chains landing right on top of Hermione. 

  Shards of crystal flew in every direction, one chipping Emma in the lip as she raced to pull Hermione out from under the wreckage. Ron beat her there, and together they managed to get Hermione out of the chaos, Emma pulling her arms and Ron pulling her out by the torso. There was a goblin clutching a sword who was caught under the wreckage too, but Ron paid him no mind and focused entirely on Hermione, supporting her once she was free. 

 Greyback was suddenly flying into the ceiling and landed unpleasantly on the ground. 

"Dobby!" screamed Narcissa, who was pointing a wand toward the doorway. "You! You dropped the chandelier -?" 

The elf was walking into the room as though he was not already in it in the first place, shaking a disapproving finger at his former mistress. 

"You must not hurt Harry Potter."

"Kill him, Cissy," shrieked Bellatrix. "Kill him!" 

But Narcissa Malfoy's wand was snatched from her, too, and went soaring across the room. 

Ron groaned when Hermione was suddenly slipping from the side of him, and Emma quickly grabbed her by the shoulder and threw the Muggleborn's arm over her shoulder, that way she was supported by both Ron and Emma. 

"You dirty little monkey!" Bellatrix yelled, her voice quivering with anger. How dare you take a witches wand -- how dare you defy your masters?"

"Dobby has no master! Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

Emma couldn't remember the last time she had felt so, so grateful. She jumped at the sound of Harry's voice.

"Ron, catch -- and GO!" he yelled, throwing a wand to Ron, before bending down to haul the goblin out from under the wreckage of the chandelier and throwing him over his shoulder. 

Harry snatched Dobby's hand, and then Emma felt herself spinning. 

Everything was blurry. She got a mouthful of somebody's hair, saw a knife being tossed through the air, only she wasn't sure which way it had gone or how far it was thrown before everything went dark for a brief moment. She thought Harry's glasses had pressed into her cheek at one point.

And then everything was clear, and the air smelt of salt, and Emma had never loved the starry sky as much as she did in this moment. 

"Dobby, is this Shell Cottage?" Emma heard Harry whisper. "Have we come to the right place? Dobby?"

Emma gently took Hermione's arm off her shoulder as Ron lowered himself with Hermione down onto the grass, where Hermione leaned into him, weak. Emma couldn't help but reach down and tuck a bundle of Hermione's bushy hair behind her ear, and give her shoulder a gentle squeeze. 

"DOBBY!"

Emma jumped at the sound of Harry's voice and whirled around. She couldn't see anything, only Harry and Dobby's backs. 

"Harry?" Emma jogged over to them. Her mouth dropped. "Oh my . . . oh no . . ."

It was dark, but not dark enough to miss the silver hilt of Bellatrix's knife sticking out of the tiny elf's stomach. Dobby's eyes were wide, and Harry began to panic. 

"Dobby - no - HELP!" Harry shouted, turning to face the cottage. "HELP!"

Emma did the same, screamed for help, and when she turned back she found that Harry was laying Dobby down in his lap on the cool grass. 

"Dobby, no, don't die, don't die --"

Emma covered her mouth. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know what to say. 

Harry looked up at her where she was standing, desperation in the watery eyes hidden behind his glasses. Then she knew what to say, but she couldn't. She felt her heart breaking for her brother more than anything else. He had lost so much . . . so much more than she had . . .  and in that moment all Emma wanted to do was give her brother the world. 

"Harry . . . Potter . . ." Dobby the elf shuddered, quiet and quivery. And then he was still. And his eyes were blank. And Harry Potter broke down in tears.

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A/N: so sorry it's taken me forever to update :((( 

I'm not too happy with this chapter but I wanted to update. Feel free to hate.