Henrietta Potter || Draco Malfoy

45 - Dobby's Sacrifice

"You two?!"

Ron's face was positively thunderous. His face now redder than his hair so that he closely resembled a red hot chilli pepper.

"Have you forgotten he tried to kill me?!"

"That mead wasn't meant for you," I tried to explain weakly.

"Oh, well - that's OK then!" Ron said hotly, "just so long as he doesn't hit the right target, then it's perfectly alright that he goes storming around the castle carelessly killing off his classmates one by one."

Draco bristled next to me, but said nothing.

"Ron, it wasn't like that," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, even though I wanted to just scream in his face.

"Try telling that to Dumbledore!" Ron spat, making both Draco and I flinch simultaneously. "Oh, wait - you can't," Ron continued, jabbing his finger furiously at Draco, "because he let in a load of Death Eater pals ensuring Dumbledore would never see another day!"

"This isn't the time, Ron!" I implored, suddenly feeling fraught as I glanced up at the ceiling, wondering what Bellatrix was doing to Hermione.

Draco suddenly strode over to Ron, roughly grabbing his bound wrists, and used his wand to untie them.

"I'm trying to help you," he snarled, throwing Ron's hands back down before wheeling around and returning to my side.

With a lot more care, he lifted my hands in his. The ropes fell away, but his fingers remained clasped around mine as our eyes met.

I would have kissed him if Ron wasn't stood there scowling at us.

But then a blood curdling scream sounded from above and we all whirled round, looking up at the ceiling in horror.

"HERMIONE!" Ron bellowed, his voice full of strangled anguish. "HERMIONE!"

He started to run towards the door, but in a flash, Draco immediately flicked his wand, and it slammed shut, locking us in.

Both Ron and I turned to Draco in horror.

"I can't let you go. I had orders to bring you down to the cellar." His pale face was cold as he looked determinedly at Ron. A sudden, sick feeling swooped low in my stomach.

"I thought you said you were going to help us," I said quietly, as Ron drastically tried to force open the door, continuing to shout to Hermione over the horrifying sounds of her screams.

Draco looked at me, his face full of regret. "I want to, Etta, I really do."

"You have a wand," I said desperately, knowing I was clutching at straws, "help us. Let's go and get Hermione and you can Disapparate us out of here."

Draco shook his head sadly. "I can't, Etta,"

He reached for my hands, but I quickly snatched them away.

"You can't or you won't?" I spat, unable to keep the anger out of my voice. I knew I was being unreasonable and that Draco was in a horrific position, but I could not help but feel as though we were back on the top of the Astronomy Tower all over again; my heart breaking.

"I'm sorry," Draco whispered, remorseful eyes looking into mine.

I swallowed, willing myself not to cry as he raised his wand and flicked it at Ron who went flying into the air, landing sprawled to the floor six feet away.

Without another word, Draco strode over to the door, yanked it open and left, locking it firmly behind him.

Git.

*****

Thankfully, Ron's rat came to the unexpected rescue when he choked himself to death with his own hand, freeing up a wand. Get in!

Feeling high on luck, we dramatically flew into the drawing room where Ron heroically disarmed Bellatrix, her wand landing spectacularly in my hand.

Before I could stop to appreciate our awesomeness, however, Lucius, Narcissa and Greyback started firing curses at us.

I was relieved to see that Draco, at least, decided to keep out of it and cowered by the fireplace.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!"

Christ, I couldn't catch a break.

We all froze as Bellatrix held up Hermione, pressing a short silver knife against her throat.

"Drop your wands," Bellatrix whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly how filthy her blood is!"

Reluctantly, Ron and I threw our wands down at our feet.

"Pick them up, Draco. Now!" Bellatrix screeched.

All eyes followed Draco as he nervously crossed the room towards us. He refused to look at me as he bent down at my feet to pick up Bellatrix's wand with a trembling hand. I could literally feel the fear coming off of him and I suddenly found myself feeling ridiculously sorry for him.

"Now," Bellatrix said, as Draco scurried back with the wands, "Henrietta Potter, all bright, shiny and new again! Just in time for the Dark Lord. Call him, Draco."

My blood went cold. Draco's horrified eyes instantly met mine at his aunt's command. The panic on his pale face rife as I looked at him imploring, silently begging him not to do it.

But, looking away, he shakily started to lift his sleeve. My heart tore into tiny fragments as he slowly revealed his Dark Mark. The tears that I had tried to hold back suddenly escaped without my knowledge and I couldn't help but let out a great shuddering sob as he slowly raised his right hand, ready to call my enemy.

He paused, glancing up at the sound of my distress. And I knew then, from the look in his eyes, that he wouldn't do it. He couldn't do it. I shakily released a breath I hadn't even known I had been holding, silently thanking Draco as he lowered his arm back down.

However, Lucius had no qualms about bringing on my untimely death, and quite happily touched his Dark Mark without a seconds hesitation.

Some Father-In-Law he would make.

And then, quite unexpectedly, the chandelier came crashing down on our heads.

There was utter chaos. Narcissa, Lucius and Greyback started yelling as a great explosion of crystal and glass flew all around us. Ron went charging at Bellatrix like a mad bull, grabbing Hermione from her clutches. And Draco, covered in shards of glass, came skidding over to me.

"Here," he said breathlessly, pressing three wands into my hand. "Take them."

I looked up at him startled, my heart both swelling and breaking as a small, sad smile twitched at his lips.

"Thank you," I whispered, smiling sadly back.

We held each others gazes, a moment of understanding passing between us amidst the chaos and confusion.

And the next thing I knew I was at Shell Cottage and Dobby was dead.

***