CHAPTER 25 No Longer Afraid

Draco didn't know how to respond after discovering Ron Weasley's misfortune. He mentally kicked the guy on the shin for drinking what was not his- it was supposed to be for the Headmaster! not his!. Now, he would have another headache, scheming for another plan just incase- no do not think like that, Malfoy!.

He made a bee line to the Great Hall, clutching the silver pendant inside the pocket of his trousers. Somehow, with wishful thinking, he hopes that she had already forgave him entirely, and he wishes he wouldn't ruin her day; it was supposed to be special, today's the day she would turn seventeen.

"How's it going lover man?" Pansy attacked her with a big bear hug. Immediately, her hands began to roam the side pockets that he had, desperately wanting to see the gift that he was supposed to give to Luna.

"Go away cupid, I don't need your arrows" he pushed her gently and playfully away from him and with a small peck on his cheek, Pansy waved at him, lip synching a good luck. He rolled his eyes and entered the Great Hall, walking towards the Slytherin table.

"Told you Harry, I can't remember" He stood frozen on his spot when he heard Katie's voice, alongside with Potter. Harry was probably questioning her about the incident inside Hogsmeade. Draco stared nervously at them. His hands went to his tie, shuffling the cloth as if it can help his growing nerves. For a second, he thought of looking back and just to leave right before-

But then his eyes made contact with Katie. The girl was looking at him, somehow, her eyes filled with wonder, as if she remembers something. Harry looked quizically at the girl, then slowly turned his head to see him looking back at him.

What are you waiting for? Run.

He looked back and forth from left to right and swing his arms weakly to his side to work his system again. His hand, still on his tie and the other, snaked it's way to the unharmed pendant, clutching it as if he was afraid that it would get lost. He brisk-walked to make his way out, to go to somewhere nobody could see him. In truth, he just wanted to get away from his guilt and to finish everything off with hopefully, a pair of clean hands.

He bowed his head as he saw the cage missing some lovebirds; he stole and killed them just because of the vanishing cabinet. He grimaced as he feel like his tie was choking him intentionally, as if it really did want to kill him.

I didn't mean to, he would kill me if I-

He entered the abandoned loo, making his way to the basins. He crouched down with his hands on both ends, his eyes staring right to his own reflection.

It wasn't such a shock to see his face so not like how he used to. He was even paler than usual, he even looked like he can past as a ghost. The bags under his eyes were bigger and his whole body look so limp and eyes so lifeless. It was as if he was looking through someone on the other side of the mirror.

Before he knew it, his breath hitched violently upon hearing fast and heavy footsteps coming on his way. He turned his head, actually surprised to see Harry Potter with his wand on his side clasped with his fierce grip. Upon realizing what would happen next, Draco shuffled inside his pocket and immediately ripped his hand off and pointed it to Harry.

"Stu-"

"Expelliarmus!"

He tried to shout the stunning spell first but Harry was quicker. The spell immediately took place as his hands both dropped the things that he was holding, first, his wand, then, the silver pendant that was supposed to be his gift. He cocked his head, bowing down fast to debate whether he should grab them or not but then, Harry shouted the stunning spell again and his eyes bursted open as the red light had almost touched his head.

He made a run to enter the first cubicle, kneeling down as he figured out he had no choice but to try to leave being unharmed, even if he looks like a chick getting chased by a cat. All of his pride completely forgotten and the look of panic was obvious on his face.

Overand over, he can see the red light just an inch behind him and he was already on the last stall of cubicles. But he still manage to crawl violently though, being all athletic as that. Just when he finished to shoot from the small spaces of the cubicles that he crawled on, he immediately stood up and began to run again. Trying his hardest to dodge and be faster than Harry.

"Stupify!" Again, Harry shouted but with no luck, it didn't went straight to Draco. But then, Draco found himself running wildly to no where in particular, and that made him land on the same spot he had a few seconds ago. He found himself running to the center of the loo, right next to where the his things were located.

"Sectumsepra!"Harry shouted a spell? curse? that Draco haven't heard before. But then, when the green light had it's contact with his chest, he immediately fell to the ground. His breathing was lost and he can feel his skin struggling with something. He wanted to shout in agony because there was an unfamiliar pain oozing out from his chest and it feels as if he was sliced a million times. He tried to gulp some liquid that was forming in his mouth but immediately regretted it as soon as he can taste the taste of iron inside his mouth. On the ground, he can feel his own blood pooling around him and the smell of his blood reminds him of the days that he was punished by the dark lord.

He cocked his head in defeat, his own head was aching and was actually feeling lightheaded. There was a light blinking rapidly on his side and he immediately recognized the silver pendant that was staring right at him. He tried to move his fingers, trying to reach out for the disregarded jewelry.

I can do it, she would forgive me. Then, I would succeed the task- even if I don't want to.. I just want bad things to be finished.

His visions went blurry and the last thing he saw was Professor Snape kneeling next to him with a shocked Potter on his tail.

Luna felt good this morning, you can't have your seventeenth birthday every year.

Everything was doing fine. Starting from when she went to the Great Hall with her friends surprising her with numerous of gifts and ended when she saw Harry with Professor Snape, with a pale and nervous Harry holding someone's disregarded wand and a silver locket.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her heart making an unexplainable beats and jumps. Harry looked at her guiltily with his eyes sending so many apologies. "I hope you're lucky enough that Mr. Malfoy wasn't killed. I must speak with Professor McGonagall about this, Potter" Professor Snape announced loud enough so that Luna could hear him. And without any doubt, she sure did. Infact, the Professor's words seem to repeat over and over again inside her head.

"Where was he?" she said mindlessly. Her eyes blank while she only stared right through the marble floor, fearing that looking at someone's pair of worried eyes would make her lost it.

"Hospital Wing" she dashed out from the conversation as soon as she heard Harry's response, not minding the way the Professor looked at her. All she ever wanted was to reassure that he was safe, even if they were still not officially back in terms of speaking or not. She needed to feel his heart beating, or else, there was a big potential she would be a big ball of worried mess.

"Luna wait!" she didn't stop. She wasn't that type of person to get mad at the people who would unintentionally harm her loved ones, but if something bad would ever happen to Draco after his and Harry's incident, she wasn't sure if she would stay calm after that.

dear God, please help him.

She grabbed the door frame to stop herself from running, and as soon as she had slowed own her breath, she braced herself to look for the possible scenarios. "I'm here to look for Draco" she said as soon as she saw Madam Pomfrey. The kind woman gave her a knowing smile, and directed her hand towards the left corner of the hospital cots.

As if the ground had swallowed her whole, she stood frozen on her spot as she stared right to the even paler Draco, who's blood was stained on the blanket. She went to his side, her own skin paling with what the boy inside the bed looked like. He looks so peaceful, she thought. Somehow, with his eyes closed and lips pale and chopped, he looks as if he was really- dead.

"I'm sorry Luna" Harry said, his hand sneaking his way to her hand and squeezed it gently. She nodded back at him, with a smile saying she doesn't blame him for anything at all. "It's fine. Well, to be honest with you Harry, at first, I didn't know what I should feel about you using that spell-" she unclasped her hand on his, summoning a seat for her to sit down next to Draco's cot. "-I don't know what had gotten into me. He already said I meant nothing to him, yet, I just can't help but to care for him." she touched Draco's hand, twirling her fingernails on his palm, sketching some kind of creature or maybe a name. She doesn't actually know, she just wanted to feel his skin and know that he was still breathing. It doesn't matter if she was angry at him, or trying to be. All she knows was that, she was angry, but then, she was still mad for Draco Malfoy.

With a long pregnant pause shared, Harry spoke. "I think this was supposed to be yours" he said with a light and happy tone in his voice. She turned her head to look at him. There, she gasped when she saw what Harry had been talking about.

There, on the middle of the silver chain was a single crescent moon that appears to be made of crystal-which can make you see your reflection when you looked at it enough. On the middle of the crescent moon was a carved dragon, with eyes as blue as the afternoon skies, which somehow makes her remind how Draco used to compare her eyes with them." " She read the words carved at the back of the pendant. Amour Vincit Omnia. She smiled bitterly on how beautiful the simple jewelry was. She tries not to be excited, because maybe, it wasn't for her and Draco was supposed to give it to someone else.

But then, she was wrong to think about the negative since her initials was carved on the lower end of the latin text.

She opened the clasp of the lock, opening them and wrapping them together once her hands met on the back of her neck. She smiled in joy, not because someone had given her a jewel on her birthday, but just because she somehow proved that Draco must've loved her too, and that she wasn't dumb for believing.

"He loves you you know" Harry bowed his head while she removed her eyes from the pendant to look at him. He looks kind of guilty over something Luna can't place her hand to. And so, instead of accusing him over things, she only tilted her head to look at her friend.

"I might not like him. Scratch that, I might hate him-" Luna again, smiled at her friend, and placed her eyes back to the blonde boy laying unconscious to the cot. "-but I think it's your right to know that he loves you, and he never actually stopped". Luna smiled when she heard those words. And somehow, when she looked back at her friend then to Draco, something had changed. As if the thorns buried deep inside her heart have been taken away and she can finally breathe without something hurting inside her.

She feels so relieved.

"I'm sorry for keeping his words to myself, I just don't want him to hurt you. But in the end, I ended up hurting the both of you" Harry exclaimed, the nervousness, regret, and relief were obvious inside his tone. He was scared of what Luna might do, but he was glad that he wasn't keeping any secrets anymore.

"It's alright Harry" Strangely, she doesn't feel any amount of range to her friend. Mainly because she was glad that everything turned out to be okay. And somehow,when she felt Draco's hand move and clutch hers gently, she didn't hesitated but to squeeze in return, no longer scared of the boy that she had fallen in love with.

Amour Vincit Omia- Love Conquers All

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