Filthy Little Secret - Draco x reader

32 - Valiantly, but in vain

Cho runs up to me. "Y/N, are you alright?" I nod.

"Draco, go somewhere safe. I don't want you to get killed because you're helping me", I say. "Cho and I will stick together."

Before he can say otherwise, I let go of him and run into the battlefield.

"Petrificus totalus! Alarte Ascendare!" I shout all offensive spells I know, whilst trying to block all spells casted towards me. Cho and I are a pretty good team. We can feel what the other is doing and think ahead. Great minds think alike I suppose.

We're driven into the castle by the teachers, but it's not much better there. Death Eaters are apparating everywhere and a troll has just completely demolished a wall.

It's hell, it's absolutely hell. It might even be worse than that. There are kids dying all around me. Students, teachers, friends. Spiders and trolls and cries of agony everywhere. People are losing hope. We're losing a lot tonight. Please let Draco be alive.

But underneath all of that, I can also see love, friendship and trust. Old students coming back, family and friends, all to help defeat the Dark side. Love always wins, right?

"If it isn't Draco's little girlfriend", I hear and point my wand to the sender. It's a Death Eater and he looks oddly familiar. He blocks my non-verbal spell and smirks, showing his dark yellow teeth.

"Now I've heard that you're not on our side. I don't think that's a very good influence for little Draco Lucius Malfoy", he says and his voice is sending chills down my spine. Where is Cho when you need her?

"I think I can solve that problem", he says and lifts his wand.

"Protego", I mumble and block his first spell. Anger boils in his eyes. 

Suddenly, an excruciating pain fills my head and I can see everyone around me feeling the same. Everyone puts their hands over their ears, even the Death Eaters stop fighting and the one only a couple of feet away from me looks up.

I feel cold and I've felt this before. Voldemort.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest, and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."

A shiver runs down my spine as I stand up again. I look around and everyone looks confused. Death Eaters start disapparating and the spiders retreat. The Death Eater that was ready to kill me just moments ago is nowhere to be seen.  

They retreat, until nothing's left but a bunch of scared kids and some adults not knowing what to do. I see bodies and I slowly start to panic. I drop down on my knees and notice the blood on my hands, the cuts in my robes and the throbbing headache. My friends, I need to know if they're alive. I stand up and run to the dungeons. Draco must have gone there, right?

I look everywhere, but he's nowhere to be found. Where did that stupid git go? 

"Maybe he went to the Great Hall, to look for you", Cho says and I breath in slowly. He better be.

So we walk to the Great Hall.

My breath is taken away when I enter the Great Hall. There are bodies everywhere and I recognise so many of them. I walk down the pathway between rows of bodies and my eyes start to sting. Lavender Brown, Ron's ex-girlfriend, Remus and Tonks with whom I have spent an entire month at the Burrow, little Collin who I met in Dumbledore's Army. But when I look up, it gets so much worse. I see the Weasley family, hugging each other and I see George crying next to a body. Oh no, please not Fred.

I take a few steps closer, but I know it's him. The battle killed Fred, the person who could always make me laugh, the person who made me feel at home. I fall down on my knees and start to cry uncontrollably. They didn't deserve this. Molly didn't, Arthur didn't and George definitely didn't. I can't handle it anymore. I've lost too many people in my life. It has to stop.

Suddenly, a pair of arms pick me up and I'm being carried away. The person sits down and pulls me into his chest, muttering calming words and combing my hair with his fingers.

I look up into the sad, grey eyes of Draco Malfoy and a new set of tears run down my cheek. He pulls me impossibly closer and rests his head on mine. I don't know how long I'm sitting there, but he calms me down.

"I'm so glad you're alive", I say and hug him tightly. I stand up and pull him with me, allowing me to get a proper look at him. He looks frazzled, yet unharmed, which makes me smile. I don't think I'd ever be able to cope with him dying.

"So are you. You're crazy you know that, storming into the fight like that", he says and a tear runs along his cheek as well.

"Fred died", I say and I start crying again. He knows that I stayed at the Weasleys that summer and he knows how much I love them.

"I'm so sorry", he says and kisses my forehead, hugging me again. I cry in his chest and let all emotions flow out.

Suddenly, he flinches and I pull out of the hug. I look at him confused. He's holding his arm and a look of pain is written on his face.

"What's wrong?" I ask and take his arm.

"It's the mark", he says and looks away. I gently remove his hand and pull up his sleeve. The dark mark is moving and I can see that all of his muscles are tightened. It's hurting him.

"What does that mean?" I ask and place my hand gently on the mark, which seems to calm him down a bit.

"It means no good. It means that Voldemort is calling in all his Death Eaters", he says. 

"Something has happened."