The Diggory Sister || Draco Malfoy

101 - Rory

Screams ripped through the night air.

I could barely breathe as the dust billowed around me. I looked up, trying to work out what on earth had just happened.

"Aurora?!"

I pulled myself up out of the rubble that had landed upon my back, trying to ignore the pain that was screaming from every pore of my body. Draco was calling out from somewhere behind me, but I couldn't see where he was; the air was too thick with dust and smoke.

Cold air hit me, telling me that the side of the castle had been blown away. I stood up, swaying, more frightened than I'd ever been in my life.

"No - no - no!" Someone was shouting. "No! Fred! No!"

My blood turned to ice as I looked at the scene in front of me. Fred was lying slumped on the ground as Percy and Ron crouched over him.

Not hearing or seeing anything else, I stumbled over scattered stone and wood to get to him; to get to the boy who had done so much for me and shown me such unconditional love.

"Fred!" I cried, throwing myself down at his side; my heart in my mouth.

He slowly turned his head to look at me, blood pouring copiously from a gash in his forehead.

"Aurora," he croaked, a small smile tugging at his lips, causing his eyes to crinkle as they twinkled up at me.

I leant over him, grabbing his hand, relief flooding me that he wasn't dead.

"Fred," I breathed, entwining my fingers tightly in his. "You scared me."

"I've always loved you, Aurora," he rasped, his breathing sounding more strangled by the second. "You'll tell Nova about me, won't you? Tell her how much I loved you both."

"You can tell her yourself," I urged, trying to ignore the panic that had started to rebuild in my chest.

"I'll tell him you said hi," Fred breathed, his eyes never leaving mine, but he wasn't really looking at me anymore; it was as though he was staring up and seeing something that wasn't there. "At least he won't be alone anymore."

"Don't say that, Fred," I said, my voice breaking despite my efforts. "We're going to get you help. We'll get you out of here, and you will go home and sleep in your bed tonight. Do you hear me?"

I squeezed his hand tightly in mine as the sobs started escaping me beyond my control.

"I love you, Rory," he rasped, his breaths getting shallower and shallower. His eyes started flickering strangely and I stared into them, begging him to stay with me.

"Fred," I wept as his hand went limp in mine.

And there went my heart, shattering into a billion pieces as Fred's eyes glassed over.

I tried to ignore the sounds of Ron and Percy howling next to me. I didn't want to understand what it meant.

I didn't want to except the truth of the horror that lay before me.

Hands grabbed at my shoulders, trying to prise me away. But I didn't want to move. I didn't want to leave him.

"Aurora," Draco murmured in my ear, "there's nothing we can do. I'm so sorry."

I was faintly aware of bangs and shouts around us. But I refused to let go of him; to let go of Fred.

Because as soon as I did, it would mean accepting that he had died.

"Aurora!" Draco's voice was growing more frantic as his hands clawed at me, pulling up to my feet. "We need to get out of here - now!"

Fred's hand slumped limp to the debris on the ground as my own hand slipped away. A howl caught in my throat at the sight of it; panic and terror tearing at my insides.