DARK SOULS ☽ 𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚏𝚘𝚢

𝔩𝔵𝔦𝔳 | seventh year

Daphne and I stand together in the courtyard, aiding the teachers in casting protective spells around the castle, creating a shell. However, the Death Eaters are quick, pommelling the force field with spells. It's cracking, but it'll take them forever. 

They're out there. The thought of that scares me to death. Arthur and Molly Weasley stand close to each other, their wands held to the sky, defending the castle and trying to throw off the Death Eaters. As I watch them I realize there's barely any time. 

I need to find him. I need to find Draco.

Daphne and I exchange quick words. I come clean to her, "I'm sorry. I have to find Draco. I... I..." I can't even finish my sentence, "I'm sorry. I should have told you."

She pulls me into a hug, knowing this could be the last time we ever see each other, "Y/N, I knew. You're so obvious," she laughs, "Good luck. I'm going to go help Neville with the bridge. I love you, stay safe."

"Love you, too." I turn around, my wand gripped in my hand, and rush through the castle, pushing past people. When Pansy and the rest of her little group were taken away by Filch, he put them in the dungeons, deep below the school. I need to find him. I need him. 

I need to show him I care, I need to show him he's more than just his father's son. I know him, and he's not a hurt little boy, and he's not evil. He's just scared.

Scared of disappointing his family, scared of bringing shame to the Malfoy name, scared of being seen as vulnerable, scared of letting somebody in, scared of communicating, scared of loving. 

I love him. 

And I need to tell him. 

The people around me become more frantic as the protective sheild breaks entirely and I hear a massive blast coming from the bridge. It must have worked. I pray that all my friends who went to the bridge are okay. I continue down, down, down the stairs, pushing against people trying to get to safety. 

Screams echo. There are Death Eaters in the castle. I find the dungeons just as they're broken open and the group of Pansy and the rest spill into the hallway. I push against them, "What are you doing here, mudblood?" Pansy spits in my face, shoving me against a wall. 

"Get out of my face, Parkinson." I push against her, my wand still held firmly in my hand. She reels her arm back to hit me, but I'm faster, "Stupefy!" She freezes up, falling to the ground hard. I don't even give her a second look, but smile, thinking about how all my D.A. practices really paid off. 

Someone Apparates in front of me. Familiar pale hair, familiar grey eyes. I'm stunned. He grabs Crabbe, Goyle, and Blaise, turning them around forcefully, until his eyes lock on me. For a second the blasts stop as I see him again, just for a second, but he just grabs me too, continuing back into the castle, "Come on!"

"Draco, what–" I start to protest as we begin running through the halls. He stops, letting the other three boys run ahead as he pushes me into a wall, softly. 

"Please just listen to me," he whispers, "I want you to be safe. We have to find Potter and turn him in. It's the only way the Dark Lord will stop this. Plus, he has my wand."

"No, Draco," Tears threaten their way out of my eyes, welling up, "He'll kill him. Think about what will happen. I'll die either way."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," He holds me tight, his hand pressing my head into his shoulder, "You'll be okay. We'll be okay, okay?" He breathes in sharply, and I wonder if he's crying, "Okay?" He asks again, needing me to say something.

"I... I..." I look up at him, "I can't let you take Harry." I cup his face with one of my hands, the other still tightened around my wand, "He's our only hope, Draco. Our only hope..." I stop myself before I say any more. Our only hope for a future together.  

"Alright, then..." His gaze flickers to the roof for a second, thinking, "Have it your way, Y/N. You're still coming with me..." He looks into my eyes, probably overwhelmed with disappointment, "Please?"

I let him grab my arm and lead me towards the other three. Blaise speaks up when we arrive, "He's just gone into the Room of Requirement." I scowl at him. How could he let Aurora ruin him like that. He used to be my friend. The three of us sneak behind Harry, the doors reappearing for us. Draco keeps his hand entwined in mine. 

We rush through the room, already far behind Harry. We get lost for a while and as we run, I search Draco's grey eyes. Determination is scarred into them and maybe even the beginnings of tears. He's not a coward– he just can't turn on his family. It's not his fault, he just thinks what he's doing is right. T

"There!" Crabbe says in a hushed whisper, pointing to Harry, who's gazing at a box containing a beautiful silver tiara, with a large sapphire atop it. Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. I suck in a breath, not wanting to expose what that artifact is. 

Draco's words cut through the air, causing Harry to turn around in shock, "Well, well," He trains his Mother's wand on Harry, "What brings you here, Potter." He doesn't spit out Harry's name like he used to. Harry looks at me for a second, but I keep my hand held firm in Draco's. I know he won't do anything to him.

"I could ask you the same."

"You have something of mine," Draco smirks, "I'd like it back. I'd like to stop using my mother's wand and instead be returned the one that was stolen from me."

Harry pauses, "Why didn't you tell her," he suddenly says. It seems to hurt Draco, because his hand falls from mine. What is he talking about, "Why didn't you tell Bellatrix it was me that day, when you knew." My mind tries to piece together what he's talking about, and it could only be one thing. When the golden trio was taken to Malfoy Manor and rescued Luna and Ollivander. Draco told me he had no part in that, but I didn't know he... vouched for Harry. 

"Don't be a prat, Draco!" Crabbe shouts. I turn and give him a dirty look, "Fine. I'll do it! Avada–"

"Stop!" Draco says, hesitating, "Don't... leave it to the Dark Lord." He bites his lip, thinking through his actions, but before we can even do anything, Goylee begins to chuckle. 

"It'll be easier if we just do it for him," Goyle says, his lips curled into a sneer, raising his wand in the air. Draco gives him a warning look, grabbing my hand again and starting to pull me away as Goyle lifts his wand into the air. Blaise gets the same idea, backing away slowly, "Fiendfyre." Goyle whispers the word under his breath. 

I've only heard myths about Fiendfyre, a magical fire that destroys everything in it's tracks. It explodes out of Goyle's wand, crashing through Crabbe and crumpling him to the ground. I gasp. Is he... dead? "Run!" Draco screams, pulling me with him. 

It's destroying everything in its path, and Goyle can barely even control it, his wand still spewing flames. Draco pushes me up a stack of furniture, making me climb higher, trying to lift me as high as he can. I climb towards the ceiling but it's no use. 

Fiendfyre's going to eat us alive. 

Crabbe is most definitely dead, buried in the flames below us. We keep climbing, Blaise and Goyle joining us, but soon Goyle slips, joining Crabbe in the fire below. Draco freezes up, looking down. 

"Draco," I plead with him, "We have to keep going, please." I grab ahold of his face, pressing my lips to his, begging him to hold on. We keep climbing. 

"Grab on!" A call comes from above us. Harry is soaring towards us on a broom, another one in his hands. He throws his spare broom to Blaise, who quickly mounts it, flying away, "Why'd he do that?!" Harry yells over the roaring of the flames. 

Three people are too heavy for a broomstick...

Harry gets closer to us, "Just grab on!" We both do, but the broom starts falling and we let go, "There's not much time!" 

"Just go," I say to Draco, "I'll figure something out, just go." But he's already mouthed something to Harry, who grabs onto my jacket and I'm in the air, my legs wrapped around the broom, watching as Draco gets smaller and smaller, still on top of that burning mound of hidden things. 

"No!" I scream. 

I left him.