Blaire Zabini || Draco Malfoy

55 - The Game's Up

"NEVILLE!"

My heart caught in my throat as he crumpled to the ground right before my eyes, clutching his stomach.

Throwing a hex after the fleeing Death Eater who had just attacked him, I dived down beside my groaning friend, my knees splashing in the already growing pool of blood from the gaping cut in his abdomen.

"Just hang in there," I ordered as I tore my robes off from my body, hurriedly pressing the material firmly against his wound. "And don't you fucking dare close your eyes."

I looked up and down the dilapidated corridor, taking in the chaos surrounding us; Death Eaters and Order members firing hexes left right and centre. I cast a shield around us, hoping it would hold and praying no one would be so callous as to use the Killing curse upon us in our evidently defenceless state.

My head was spinning crazily - Draco had done this. Draco had let these murderers into our school; into the place that had brought us together; the place where I slept soundly in his arms at night feeling safer than I'd ever felt in my life.

Yet I knew, even then, as I crouched down by Neville's side, holding my increasingly sodding robes against his wound, that it wasn't Draco's fault.

No. It was all that big dick Voldemort's doing.

"So...thirsty," Neville rasped, his voice barely audible, "need w-water."

I took a deep shaky breath, trying to remain calm. "It's just shock, Nev," I assured him, pressing my robes against his wound more firmly, panic engulfing me at the alarming rate the blood was pouring out, "we'll be up in the hospital wing sipping pumpkin juice in no time, okay?"

I looked frantically around, trying to see a way I could get him help; but everyone was too involved in their own fights.

And just then, to my utter relief, I saw Snape striding purposefully towards us with a determined expression on his face.

"Oh thank god, Professor!" I called, taking down the shield charm so he could reach us. "Neville's hurt bad, we need hel-"

But my words stuck in my throat as soon as I realised he had no intention of stopping and coming to our aid, and not only that, a terrified looking Draco was running up close behind him.

What the fuck was going on?

Draco's eyes widened even more fearfully when he saw me crouched on the floor and he skidded at once to halt.

"B-Blaire?" he choked, his face going green in horror as he took in my blood soaked appearance. "No... fuck no... oh god, please, no...."

"It's not mine, it's Neville's," I said immediately, "but he needs help, please!"

To my relief, Draco didn't hesitate to drop down to his knees beside me, his fingers fumbling at the blood soaked material covering Neville's wound. "I- I think I might know a spell-"

"What in blazes do you think you're doing, boy?!" Snape roared, reaching down to drag Draco back up to his feet by the scruff of his neck. "Now is not the time to decide to be a hero! We need to get out - NOW!"

"We need to help Neville!" I cried desperately, reaching my hand up to try and grab Draco's arm. "Please!"

But it was no use, Snape, managed to wrestle a protesting Draco out of my reach and down the corridor, vanishing from view.

I actually felt like I was going to cry when I looked back down to Neville and saw he was rapidly losing consciousness. "Stay with me, Nev," I implored, squeezing his hand in mine to try and keep him awake.