𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 (𝖽𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗅𝖿𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋)

chapter forty-eight

Draco was the first person I ran to.

"Y/n!" he cried, wrapping me in his arms and holding me tightly. "When the Dark Lord said you were dead, I-I. . . ." He started stumbling over his words, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

I kissed Draco softly. "I'm here, love," I whispered. "And I'm alive."

He smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too."

I stayed in his arms for a moment longer before Star came over to us. "I'm not trying to ruin a special moment," she said awkwardly, "but there's quite a lot to do. Also, Y/n, you might want to check the dead."

I nodded in affirmation and walked with Draco to the row of fallen fighters.

"Oh, no. . . ."

On the ground in front of me lay Lupin, and next to him lay Tonks, both dead. My mind moved to Teddy and the promise I had made to Tonks earlier.

Draco noticed the lost look on my face and squeezed my hand, just to remind me that I wasn't alone.

I closed my eyes, pretending for a moment that things were normal again. But what even was normal? Living in constant fear of Voldemort and having to fight just to survive one year?

Voldemort is dead now. We don't have to live like that anymore, I reminded myself. We have to create a new normal.

"Let's go help Star and the others," I said quietly, shaking away my thoughts.

Draco agreed and we walked to the side of the Great Hall, observing the damage. The wall we stood by was partially crumbled and the windows were shattered. The tall doors were wide open and cracked and students were sitting around them.

Harry approached me. "Y/n," he said, holding up two halves of a broken wand, "I found this by Bellatrix. It's your wand." Harry paused. "Do you have the Elder Wand?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I think we should put it in Dumbledore's office."

"That's a good idea," I said. "Shall we?"

Harry nodded.

"I'll stay and start helping Star," Draco said, letting go of my hand. "I'll see you in a bit."

Harry and I left the Great Hall. We walked up to his office calmly, quiet in the newfound silence since the battle was now over. The Death Eaters who hadn't been killed or arrested were now on the run, lacking someone to tell them where to go without Voldemort's orders.

We entered his office quietly.

"Give me the pieces of my wand, please," I said. Harry obliged, and I held the Elder Wand up to my broken one and said, "Reparo."

My wand repaired itself immediately, the two halves sown back together so well I wouldn't have known they were broken just a moment ago.

I handed the Elder Wand to Harry, who placed it behind a moving portrait of Dumbledore.

"After we're done cleaning up here, I'm going to stop by Tonks' father's house."

"Why?" Harry asked, following me out of Dumbledore's office.

"I promised Tonks I would take care of Teddy."

Harry was quiet for a moment as we walked through the halls. "I can't believe they're dead. They were both so strong."

"Lupin and Tonks . . . they died so that the rest of us could live," I said quietly. "They're heroes."

Harry nodded in agreement and we made our way back to the Great Hall.