Avada
Author's Note: This is a oneshot about life, love, death, and a new beginning. I would feel honored if you would review.
Disclaimer: The world of Harry Potter is purely the property of J. K. Rowling. I am honored that she is willing to lend it to an undeserving human like me.
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Avada
Draco Malfoy stood at the top of the Astronomy Tower. He was having another one of those nights. The nights where everything in your life has gone horribly wrong. The nights where you feel as if there is no hope of redemption from your current state. The nights where no one can assuage your fears of eternal torment. The nights when everything has left you.
Draco looked out into the starry sky. The cold winter sky was frozen and littered with a million stars. The constellations stared back at him, as if saying something. A thousand words compressed into a series of stars forming a figure in the darkness. That figure was an image of the only person on Draco's mind: Hermione.
Draco had often thought about dying. When he was two, and his mother denied him of a toy broom, Draco considered starving himself until his wish was granted. However, he had only lasted for four hours, until hunger and the sweetness of a well-decorated birthday cake overtook him.
At nine years of age, Draco found himself grieving over the loss of his pet owl, and again considered suicide. At that time, it seemed as if nothing else mattered, all he wanted was a way out.
At sixteen years of age, Draco was burdened with a task from the Dark Lord himself; a task that seemed impossible to complete. He seriously considered taking his life, but somehow survived through that phase of his troubles.
And now, Draco Malfoy was leaning over the Astronomy Tower of Hogwarts, once again thinking about life and death. The naïve thoughts of death swam about Draco's mind, which was also consumed with the more mature ideas of suicide. Death was only an easy way out. After that, there would be hell to pay, quite literally. Death was an escape to an unknown place, and perhaps that fear of the unknown might overwhelm Draco in his desperate plea for an end to his misery. However, without death, Draco would be forced to face… his love. Hermione, the innocent Gryffindor girl, whom he had hurt more than death possibly could. How could she ever forgive him?
Draco hated himself. He had done what he had never imagined. He had done what he desperately wanted to take back. Draco had cheated on Hermione. Even worse, she had cheated on Hermione with Pansy Parkinson.
He had no idea what had driven him to do it. He had no idea what was he was thinking. He had no idea why he hurt Hermione.
The look on her face when she caught him; Draco would have given anything not to have seen the look. It was a look of anguished shock, in combination with pure hatred. At that moment, Draco knew he was past redemption. He was as good as dead. In Hermione's heart, he was already dead.
It wasn't that he didn't like Hermione; he truly loved her. That night, Draco had been drunk, angry, and reckless. The perfect combination for ruining a good relationship. Out of all the things he regretted doing, cheating on Hermione was at the top of Draco's list.
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Hermione Granger sat in silence in the Gryffindor Common Room. It had been ten days since the incident. Ten days since her heart had been throw aside and broken into a million pieces. The image was still fresh in her mind: Draco and Pansy. Together. Inseparable. It was disgusting. Hermione had never imagined that Draco would do this to her. She thought Draco had changed. Truly changed, from the arrogant ferret he had once been. What had gone wrong?
Somehow, Hermione felt that it was her fault. Her fault that things had gone this way. her fault that Draco got tired of her. All her fault.
Hermione was deeply wounded. She had cried for ages, and now, there were no tears left, just an empty heart. Nothing could ease the feeling inside her, the feeling of nothingness, of worthlessness, of rejection. Draco's act had been a sign of rejection. A sign of the monotonous boredom that one could only receive from an unenthusiastic love. A sign that she was unwanted. Draco didn't like her at all; she had simply been a toy, a child's plaything, to be tossed aside at will.
And now, there was nothing left of Hermione. All she could do was forgive and forget. Forgive herself for being such a girl who caused people to despise her; forget all about a guy named Draco Malfoy.
Hermione paced around the Common Room. It was late at night. There was no one awake at this hour. No one to comfort her. At first, Ron and Harry had tried comforting Hermione, but the comforting words and reassuring smiles ended after a few days, when the original shock had died down; when everyone thought she would be okay. What they didn't know was: Hermione was not okay. She would never be okay. A part of Hermione had been broken beyond repair.
Hermione left the Common Room. She was thinking of only one thing: suicide. There was no other way to end the boundless pain that had built up inside her. The ending of life is the ending of all the things that go along with it. Right now, Hermione had nothing left. There was nothing to lose. No one would miss her. Especially not Draco.
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Draco leaned farther over the edge of the Astronomy Tower. The moment had arrived. Draco felt that it was finally time. Time to die and leave the world. Time to leave all the ones he had hurt, and all the ones he had loved. Draco's mind returned to Hermione. His love. His only love. There was no one but her. She was perhaps the only person in the world who had truly cared about me, Draco thought. She was the only person in the world who loved me for who I was inside. She was the only one who might possibly miss me. Draco pushed that thought from his mind. No one would miss him, not even Hermione. She would probably burn with hateful joy when she saw his dead body. The same hateful joy that had possessed Draco to unintentionally cheat on her in the first place. Although he loved Hermione very deeply, Draco knew that she would never forgive him. He was, in her eyes, branded for life.
Draco took a deep breath. Now or never. Countless times, Draco had asked himself this question. Every time, he decided to wait. To wait until another time. The time was here.
This time was the last time. Draco savored his last minute on earth. He remembered the joy he had… His mind yet again returning to Hermione. But, she was gone. She would never return to him. She would never be his. Never in all eternity.
Draco swung one leg over the edge, and then the other. Draco balanced himself on the edge of balcony, and sighed. This was life. He had experienced it. Now, he would experience death. The pain would be nothing compared to the pain he had caused. He deserved every bit of what he was about to do.
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Hermione walked up the steps of the Astronomy Tower. She thought about her life. Her troubled life. Her worthless life. No one would miss her, not even Draco. Draco would never love her as she loved him.
Hermione's mind wandered back to the image of Draco and Pansy. Hermione sniffled, and her heart filled with pain. Never-ending pain. Hermione couldn't deny that she still loved Draco. Some things never die. Love is one of them, Hermione thought passionately.
She placed her hand on the doorknob of the balcony of the Astronomy Tower.
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Draco breathed his last breath. His hands let go of the railing. Draco felt his body slowly slip forward. He still had time. Time to stop from plunging off. Time to reach out his hand and save himself. But, he chose not to.
Draco fell. The wind rushed through his body. Draco opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Seconds later, Draco hit the ground hard. The last thing he felt was searing pain everywhere. But, it was worth it. He had no more regrets.
So this is what death feels like, Draco thought. Immense pain, a deafening roar in his ears.
All of Draco's memories came flooding back to him in an instant. His childhood… his life at Hogwarts… Hermione. Innocent Hermione. He would give anything, even his life to be reunited with her. Some things never die. Love is one of them, Draco thought passionately.
"Hermione," Draco uttered. He chose his last words carefully, not that anyone would ever hear him. "I love you." Hermione would never hear those words. She would never know that Draco still cared for her. Some things never die. Love is one of them.
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Hermione opened the door. The balcony was empty. She thought she had caught a glimpse of blonde hair for an instant, but it was gone. Hermione shook her head. Her mind must have been playing games with her. There was no one there. Only herself.
Hermione took a deep breath and make a decision. She would take her own life.
Hermione reflected on her life, but all she could think about was Draco. How he had hurt her, and how she still loved him. She would give anything, even her life, to be reunited with him forever.
A single tear rolled down Hermione's cheek. She didn't bother to wipe it away. Hermione slowly walked to the edge of the balcony and peered into the darkness below.
Hermione placed her hands on the railing and hoisted her body over. Then, she let go.
The last thing Hermione remembered was a falling sensation, and pain. Pure pain. But not the pain of death, it was the pain of her life. All of Hermione's memories came flooding back to her in an instant. Her childhood… Her life at Hogwarts… Draco.
"Draco," Hermione moaned in pain. She chose her last words with care, not that anyone would ever hear her. "I love you." Draco would never hear those words. He would never know that Hermione still loved him. Some things never die. Love is one of them.
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If anyone were to pass by Hogwarts the next morning, they would find two dead bodies. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. Side by side. Lifeless, and yet alive in love. Reunited in death. Together for all eternity. Life separated them, but death could not.
Some things never die. Love is one of them.
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The End