32

Draco's POV

Crabbe was gone.

Potter saved my life.

I couldn't even process any of it as I was running through the now quiet halls looking for Daphne, for y/n but I couldn't find them anywhere.

Voldemort was waiting for Harry in the forest, this was coming to an end. Someone was going to win this, and there was a piece of me that couldn't help but hope it was Potter.

Blaise was running along side me.

"I'm sure she's fine Draco." Blaise was trying to get me to stop running. To take a breather while they could. It was only a matter of time before death eaters were back.

I stopped running when an all too familiar blonde head of hair stepped in front of me with a proud smile on her face. I turned to Blaise with wide eyes. The look on her face made me nervous that she had done something.

Find her

I mouthed to Blaise, I knew I wasn't going to be able to escape from Astoria quickly enough. Hoping Blaise would be able to find her first he nodded and ran off.

"Hello D" I furrowed my brows at her awful nickname.

"Astoria" I tried to get by her but she stepped in front of me again.

"I was thinking.... once this was all over. Maybe you drop y/n and be with me." She drew circles on his chest but he took her wrist and pushed it down.

"No thanks" I said as coldly as possible. But her asking me to 'drop y/n' gave me a small bit of hope that she didn't have the guts to actually try anything on her. That she was okay.

"Why not? She's just some dumb American girl you were arranged with, don't you want to be with someone you've known longer?" She was trying to act seductive and it made me want to barf. I'd been friends with Daphne for enough years now where she felt like an annoying little sister to me.

Nothing more.

"She's not going anywhere" I told her through gritted teeth.

"That's odd. Because I seemed to have found this on the ground" she lifted up the ring I'd gotten y/n for Christmas.

"How'd you get that?" My breathing became irregular. I'm sure it just fell off her hand in the heat of battle. She wouldn't purposely take it off. I like to think I know her well enough to know she wouldn't leave me at least without warning.

"I found it on the ground. Think she's had enough of you finally?" The smirk on her face held no pity, just pure pride. I ripped the ring out of her hand and moved closer to her.

"You will never be my wife Astoria." I told her through gritted teeth. I started to walk away but ignored the whisper I heard.

"We'll see about that" I'm sure it's just her throwing out empty threats again. She won't do anything.

I was down near the great hall, as I walked by I saw bodies of injured and dead people lining the room.

Should I go look for her..?

I was about to walk in when I heard a scream.

"Harry Potter is dead!"

I ran out to the courtyard to see a large group of death eaters walking towards the large group of students I stood with. As they got closer I recognized four people in front

"From this day forth you put your faith in me... Harry Potter is dead!" He said once again. The group behind him laughed.

As I stood and watched I made eye contact with my mother. She had a blank expression, not going along with the other death eaters actions.

"Now is the time to declare yourselves. Step forward and join us. Or die" I felt someone squeezing through the crowd I turned to look.

Blaise and Daphne.

Y/n wasn't with her. My mind was racing. But I didn't have time to think about it before I heard my father calling to me.

"Draco" he muttered waving his hand for me to join them. "Draco" I turned to look at the two next to me. Blaise put his hand on my back.

"Draco come" I heard my mom barely say.

"Don't get yourself killed. Go." Blaise muttered before pushing me forward. I walked slowly over to them.

"Ah, well done Draco." Voldemort said pulling me into an awkward grasp. "And where might my daughter be?" He asked. The thoughts of where she was swirling in my head.

"I- I don't know" I heard her mum whimper from behind him.

"Oh? You don't know?" He was silent before letting out a laugh. "Must not be my daughter then if she couldn't hold her own. Shame really. Probably died a cowards death" my jaw clenched at his words. Had my father not grabbed me I would have gotten myself killed right there. My father pulled me to the side with the others.

"Is my daughter dead?" I heard a whisper from my side.

"I'm holding out hope that she isn't" I whispered back. I waited patiently for a moment to get away, to find her.

We stood there as the others laughed when Neville limped forwards.

"Well I was hoping for better" Voldemort sneered while laughing. "And who might you be young man?"

"Neville Longbottom." Another laugh roared.

"Well Neville I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks-"

"I'd like to say something" Neville cut him off

"Well Neville I'm sure we'd all be fascinated at what you'd have to say" Voldemort said somewhat hesitantly.

"It doesn't matter that Harry's gone. People die everyday. Friends... family... we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us... in here" he motioned toward his heart. "We lost Fred... Remus... Tonks... all of them. They didn't die in vain. But you will. Cause you're wrong!"

Everything moved in slow motion for a moment. Neville pulled a sword out of the sorting hat and Harry.. Harry fell out of Hagrid's arms.

He's alive.

"Confringo" he yelled before running off. Voldemort was shooting spells at him over and over, missing every time. All hell broke loose as death eaters started disappearing in black smoke.

So I ran.

"Draco!" my mother yelled

"I need to find her" I shouted back as I continued forward to where Daphne and Blaise stood.

When I approached I saw Daphne's eyes, she was crying.

"I couldn't stop her Draco. She did the full body bind curse on me I couldn't help her." His heart dropped. "Please don't hate me" she started to fall to her knees but Blaise caught her.

"Where is she?" I said barely below a whisper.

"Great hall Mate" Blaise said softly. I nodded before running inside. I ran into people every few seconds, not focused on anything but the door to the great hall.

I stood in the doorway, looking over everyone. There was chaos in here as well. But then I saw her in the back corner, she didn't look like she had an injury.

Which is what I was afraid of.

I ran up to her not realizing that there were tears laced in my eyes.

"No" I said softly as I stood over her. "No please" I kneeled down and pulled her into my lap. "Y/n don't leave me. Please. I shouldn't have left you. I'm sorry. Just please don't leave me" there were tears steaming down my face I barely noticed as the pain in my chest was too intense to notice anything right now. When my tears slowed I saw a steady rise of her chest... is she alive. I heard footsteps coming up behind me. I placed y/n's body back in the cot.

"Is she alive?" I stood and looked at Daphne who was still letting tears fall. It took me a moment to notice Katie Bell standing behind her, holding her hand.

"Draco" I heard Daphne's weak voice. "She's in an eternal sleep.." I looked back to her laying peacefully. "There's.. there's no way to wake her Draco" I kneeled down again and grabbed her limp hand. I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. My tears stopped for now, all I could do was look at her in disbelief.

"Maybe kiss her?" I heard Blaise whisper.

"I'm not in the mood for your wisecracks Blaise" I muttered.

"It's not a wisecrack. I read it in some stupid muggle fairytale."

"You're serious? You think something you read in a muggle fairytale will fix this?" I somewhat snapped.

"I mean... I talked to Madam Pomfrey before.. she said there's nothing she can do." He squeezed my shoulder.

As if muggles were right... but I suppose I had nothing to loose. I was desperate. I leaned down slowly, keeping her hand in mine. My face was inches from hers and I felt a very slow but stead breath leaving her mouth. I took a deep breath connecting our lip. I gave her the best kiss I could muster in the moment.

Nothing.

She didn't move.

"My baby!" I heard a voice yell. It was her mum. Running towards us. "My baby, what happened to my baby!" her screams were unlike anything I'd ever heard. It caused my breathing to pick up again. she pulled her into her arms and was weeping. My hand was still in hers. Tears were escaping my eyes again. I heard sniffing behind me as Katie was holding a crying Daphne in her arms.

She felt like she failed. I asked her to watch her and she feels like it's her fault.

It's not her fault.

"Daph" I called out in my weak voice. I nodded my head to signal her to come over. Not wanting to let go of y/n's hand. She came over and kneeled next to me. "Thank you" she looked at me confused.

"What? I failed. I was supposed to help her. I was useless" Her tears fell harder.

"You did" I gave her a small smile. "I have no doubt in my mind you did what you could. Don't blame yourself" I put my hand on hers and she nodded.

I turned back to see that Y/n's mom let her lay back down, still weeping into her chest. Daphne's head was on my shoulder now, Blaise still stood above me with his hand still on my opposite shoulder. We just looked at her. Racking my brain of ways to get her back.

I had adjusted by position when I felt a small pinch from my pocket. I reached into it and felt the ring. I pulled it out slowly and eyed it.

I remember when I first met her.

I remember not wanting this at all but seeing her made me think it wouldn't be all that bad.

Man, was I wrong.

It was perfect.

I turned her hand over and put the ring back where it belonged.

"I love you." I barely even heard myself say. As we all lay there mourning, not realizing the war had ended. Not realizing we were free from Voldemort.

I felt her limp hand squeeze mine.