Left Behind (A Dramione Romance)

Proving a Point

"You're soft on her," Bellatrix accused stepping back with a gasp.

Lie, Draco's mind screamed.

Lie well, lie better. Lie and save her life.

"Like hell I am!" said Draco. "Give me a wand." The request rang through the room. "A wand, someone give me a wand," he demanded and held out his hand waiting.

Narcissa came forward and handed her wand to her son. Her expression was hard and unreadable.

Was his mother going to hate him for what he was about to do?

You don't have a choice and you can't afford to think like that, Draco told himself. He needed to convince his aunt, and everyone else in the room that he was not soft on Granger. He wasn't...he just didn't want her to die.

Draco turned to Hermione who was crawling on her belly away from the group. Draco saw the small trail of blood being left in her wake.

She's already hurt...

Draco steeled himself.

"You think I'm soft on her?" Draco asked looking at Bellatrix. He smiled his most wicked grin.

You have to...you have to do this or they will never believe you, he told himself and turned his mother's wand on Hermione.

Her cry of pain sliced straight into his soul and he felt himself bleed inside.

"You think I have feeling for this filthy little Mudblood?!" he shouted and cursed her again.

Granger began sobbing.

He hated the sound, hated that he was the cause.

"Draco please stop, don't do this," she pleaded holding her hands up half in surrender, half in instinctive defense.

I want to stop, I don't want to do this, he answered her silently.

"Look at her beg him," Bellatrix laughed and clapped gleefully.

"You think," Draco said as he struck out again with a slash, forcing himself to attack the person he was trying to protect; doing everything he could to block out the blackness of his own actions. "That I want to be bound to a filthy little bitch like her?"

Oh god, what am I doing? He raised his wand again.

"I don't." He finished darkly.

Draco lashed out and Granger went flying across the room. He saw her hit his reading chair and knock it over. She rolled across the floor and to the side, Her arms collapsed beneath her as she tried to raise herself up.

Draco turned to his aunt.

"Make no mistake dear aunt: I hate her, for what she is and for what she has been in my life. She is a thorn in my side. And now here she is," he gestured to her crumpled form. "I have her at my disposal, away from any 'Do-gooders eyes' and you think" he turned to Greyback, "I'm going to let anyone else have fun with my new toy?" His voice rose and he turned back to Hermione who was looking at him like he were truly a monster. "She's mine now," he said darkly. "And I don't share."

He saw Hermione's eyes widen with fear.

Draco raised his wand.

Forgive me Granger.

"CRUCIO!" He cast. She screamed in pain and Draco bit the inside of his cheek hard enough to taste the metallic of his own blood once more.

Bellatrix clapped him on the shoulder.

"Guess you are a little dragon after all," she kissed his cheek. "Sorry to have doubted you sweetie." She smiled up at him turned "I'm going to go play," she said with a wave and walked out.

"To the cellar," said Lucius, who seemed shaken by his son's violence. "Take her to the cellar."

Draco nodded. Greyback's eyes were on him and he felt the heat and anger in them.

You're not going to give up so easily are you Greyback?

"Father would you pay the mutt so he can get on his way?" asked Draco wanting Greyback gone.

"Right of course," Lucius straightened turning to Greyback. "Follow me then."

The drawing room emptied of all but Draco and Hermione.

She was crying softly and Draco hated himself and her in that moment.

Why did it have to be you who got left behind? he asked silently. Why not the Weasel? Why you?

Draco waved his mother's wand, he could feel it obey him, unhappily. It didn't fit in his hand the same way his had.

Draco waved it smoothly and chandelier pulled itself back together piece by piece and returned to the ceiling, missing a few links here and there. He tried to make new ones, but the wand balked and Draco decided not to push. The statue in the corner likewise came back together. All the while the sound of Granger sobbing was like thunderstorm to Draco.

When there was nothing left to be repaired in the room Draco took a deep breath turned to Hermione.

"You can walk or I can levitate you there," he said simply.

Granger didn't respond. He reached for her to help her up and she clawed at his hand her nails tearing the skin by the base of his thumb. Draco hissed in pain.

You deserved that, after what you did to her.

Draco waved the wand and Granger rose in the held captive by the invisible bonds of the magic. She fought uselessly against the restraints.

Draco walked her down the corridor and down the steps to the cellar when he opened the door he gagged at the smell.

Blood.

There was blood all around and on the floor in a rumpled mess lay Wormtail, eyes bulging and throat torn out.

Draco turned away to the wall for a moment.

I can't believe Potter would do this, Draco shook his head and fought back the urge to vomit.

The spell dropped and so did Hermione. Without so much as a seconds hesitation Hermione turned to run. She made it two steps before Draco caught her pinning her against the stairs. She beat at his chest. He grabbed hold of them wrestling them down and pinned her arms beneath him.

"Let me go!"

"No."

"Let me go!"

"I can't!" he bellowed at her and she froze. "Don't you understand?" he shook his head and spoke quietly. "I can't let you go."

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