25: You're Here

For months on end, Draco has been living in constant fear. With his family's living at the mercy of the Dark Lord and that Draco barely succeeded in completing his task, he and his family are at the edge of the cliff. One more mistake and his family will be pushed down the thousands of feet tall cliffs, to their deaths.

But compared to this, Draco was more worried about you. He heard from his mother the snatchers had already captured a lot of muggle-borns and imprisoned them in Azkaban.

It was driving him crazy that he didn't know if you were safe. He imagined countless scenarios of you, none of which he wanted to think about. He was so stressed out about this that he was having nightmares about it every night. And after one of those nightmares, he can't fall back asleep.

Tonight was like every other night he had since the start of the new term, he had a nightmare and he can't fall back asleep. One of the perks of being a Death Eater was that he could have his own room and not have anyone noticing him sneaking out.

Since December, Draco would roam the empty corridors to your and his spot by the Black lake. He would've gone to the Room of requirements just in case he would not be caught, but he knew that there are some other students hiding in there from the Carrow twins.

He sat down beneath the tree where you used to sit with him.

With how Draco was feeling lately, he couldn't relax at all. The only way he ever felt himself before was when he was with you. Now without you here, all he could do was think of you and missing you to calm himself. The music box you gave before Christmas helped at first, but over time it started to lose its effect on Draco.

He brushed the bracelet you gave him again for the thousandth time this month, caressing it while thinking of you. Just the thought of you brought a smile to his smile.

But then, he thought about you being captured by snatchers and being put in Azkaban.

He quickly shakes that thought out of his head.

The thought of you in danger really would only just bring his mood even down than it already is.

He believed that you would be just fine on your own.

But without any news from you only made him imagine more and horrible things that might happen to you.

He sighed loudly.

Draco stroked your bracelet again, trying to keep himself from thinking anymore.

Then, Draco heard a faint alarm for a distance, seeming to be coming from Hogsmeade.

He sighed again, he figured it must be another student escaping Hogwarts or someone sneaked in.

Now that the other Death Eaters are going to come out, he needs to get back to his dorm before they find him.

-

It was a day later since the alarm at Hogsmeade went off.

Draco heard that they found no one so they had to keep their guard up for a while.

He thought that tonight was safe to finally go out to the lake again.

He wandered through the dark hallways, where only his footsteps could be heard.

It was only his footsteps, until when he heard someone else's.

Draco paused, listening carefully if he had just imagined it.

He panicked when he realised that he didn't just imagine it.

He stood frozen there, not knowing what to do. The hallway back to his common room was long, he'd be immediately discovered if his running legs were heard. But staying here wouldn't do him any good either.

It was too late to run when he heard the footsteps coming closer, a turn in his direction, and he would be found.

Then he could hear the footsteps in front of him, but......

There was no one there.

Draco was confused.

He was tired and exhausted but he didn't think that he would start to hallucinate so soon.

But when he looked closer again, it looked like a cloak but blending in with its surroundings that take on the appearance of what's around.

He quickly whipped out his wand, pointing it at the cloak.

Why would anyone do that around Hogwarts? No one does that unless if they want to escape or sneak out.

The person underneath the cloak made a movement like it turned around.

Draco didn't know if it noticed him, but when it froze, he knew it did.

Draco was about to ask it to reveal itself when......

"Draco..." He heard a shaky voice.

How did it know his name?

He quickly figured that anyone who is anyone that is in Hogwarts knew who he is.

Why would anyone here call him by his first name?

Everyone here hated him...

Wait.

He knew that voice.

A voice he would recognise anywhere even if he could not see her.

A voice that he wished desperately to hear once more.

"Lia?" his voice was shaky, he thought that maybe he heard it wrong.

Because there was no way that you would be here at Hogwarts. It would be impossible.

The cloak slowly fell off, revealing a girl underneath.

Draco stared with wide eyes.

It was you.

It was really you.

"Lia..." He couldn't believe it.

You ran towards him just as he did, quickly pulling each other into a hug.

Both of you were pulling the other into your own chests, pressing each other into a bone-crushing embrace.

Draco couldn't believe that you're here, In his arms again.

You really are here.

But...

You shouldn't be here.

You can't be here.

He pushed you back with so much force as if he just realized something important.

If Draco wasn't holding you by the shoulders, you would probably fall back to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, almost sounded angry.

He could see that your eyebrows frowned.

Why did he think you came?

Before you could answer him, you held his cheeks, catching Draco off guard.

Your touch was warm; he'd imagine the day he could feel you again would be after a long time. But, you were here, touching him.

"You've gotten thinner and paler." You said instead of answering his question.

It was like your words snapped Draco out of his mind.

"Come with me." He quickly took your hand in his, leading you back to his common room.

You knew that Draco was bringing you somewhere safe, but... his footsteps sounded heavy. Almost like he was stomping, was he angry?

He was walking in rushing steps, so you assumed he was upset about something.

As both of you walk through the halls, Draco noticed that rather than walking fast with him, it was like he was pulling you to match his speed.

But Draco soon forgot about it as soon as you approached the stairs.

You were quickly brought to the front door of his common room.

"Parseltongue." You heard him said and the door to the Slytherin common room opened.

You wanted to ask if it was alright for you to know the password, but you were quickly pulled by his hand into the common room.

And soon, Draco took you to his room, where the both of you would really be alone and no one would walk in on you.