Hi, everyone. So sorry I haven't updated in a long time. I've been super busy this summer, and I was on vacation for a couple weeks. I tried to post before I went, but I didn't have time to give this chapter the full attention it needed. I've also been really busy working on my other story, Cavere, which is a Supernatural fan fiction, so that's part of why it's taken so long. I hope you enjoy this chapter of Serpentes et Dracones, and I would love it if you would leave a nice review at the end! Thanks so much!—Kilakia
I could feel the tension building up in the days that came before the night Dumbledore died. I was terrified, not just for myself. I knew that there was a high chance that Victoria was right about my entire plan. I just couldn't come up with anything better. I mean, how do you kill the most powerful wizard in the world? You can't, especially if you're just a sixteen year old boy.
My moral compass was spinning out of control. I didn't know what to think, and all I felt was guilt whenever I could think. I was about to kill someone. I was about to take someone else's life-all for the sake of saving myself. Dumbledore was one of the only people in the world who could protect all these innocent people during the war, and I was about to end his life, because I was selfish.
I kept trying to tell myself that I was more concerned about Victoria than I was myself, but that wasn't true. As harsh as that sounds, I was so scared of dying. With Victoria, she was okay with that, despite the fact that her entire life after age two would be gone. Somehow, she wasn't scared of dying. She made peace with that a long time ago. I assumed that it was a side effect of coming millimeters away from death. But, the reality was that she just had faith that there was something beyond, and that she knew that everything would be okay once she died.
Me, on the other hand, had no idea how I could be so sure. I didn't have concrete proof that there was a life beyond this one, despite Victoria saying what she said about how she got the choice to go on. How was I supposed to know that that wasn't some sort of illusion or something? How was I supposed to know that what she claimed was real? I couldn't know that. I couldn't just have faith, like Victoria did.
That's why I needed so badly to kill Dumbledore. I had to keep myself safe, and Victoria safe as well. I knew that, if there was, in fact, an afterlife, that I wouldn't be able to stop blaming myself for being responsible for Victoria's death. And then she would go on nagging me about how ridiculous it is to blame myself. But I couldn't let anything happen to our lives (as in death), no matter what the emotional cost for me was.
But, honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was kill someone. The whole idea of taking someone's life away from them was scary. The idea still scares me. I knew that killing one would save the lives of four, but it really didn't help with my conscience at all.
That night, just before the death eaters were scheduled to arrive, I went over to Victoria. "When everything happens, I want you to be in your dorm, and I want you to stay there. I can't let you get hurt," I said to her.
Victoria studied me, thousands of things going through her mind in a single second. Eventually, she said, "I appreciate your concern, but I'm staying right next to you."
"Tori-there's no point in you staying next to me. You could get hurt. Like you said, this is an extremely dangerous plan. I honestly don't think that they would hesitate to kill you," I said. I always hated when Victoria tried to help me, not because I actually hated it, or anything. I love it when she cares. But I hate it when she puts herself in harm's way in order to do so.
"Well I'm not just going to sit back and do nothing," she said, a determined gleam in her eyes. I admire Victoria Potter so much (well, now it's Victoria Malfoy, but you get the gist) because of that. She always finds a way to help out, and she's so determined.
"Then keep everyone else safe. Make sure that they don't get anywhere near everything," I said.
Victoria was going to protest, but she didn't. She considered my suggestion for a little while, and realized that it was a good idea. I was surprised that she thought it was so good. Then, I realized that she was concerned about everyone else's safety more than her own.
That's why she got put in Gryffindor, I think. It wasn't just because her brother was in there. She cares about other people more than she cares about herself, at least in a life or death situation. Slytherins are brave, but they are self preserving. Gryffindors are the classic hero type, who will be brave and save everyone else, while hurting themselves in the process most likely. A Slytherin would be the villain who's only goal is to save themselves and get what they want. But does that really make them a villain? Everybody wants something, and there's no reason to harm yourself.
Anyway, back to Victoria. "Okay. I'll make sure everyone stays safe. That's a great idea," she said. Although, I saw something in her eyes that always scared me. And that was an idea. Her ideas were usually pretty reckless, despite what they did for the greater good.
"Please, don't do anything stupid," I begged her. I thought she was going to tell me that she wasn't, but she never ceases to surprise me. She just shrugged and walked off.
Before she was completely out of my sight, she yelled in my direction. "I love you!" Then, she blew me a kiss, which was very surprising. She hated anything as ridiculous as blowing a kiss. She still does, and she hates it when I bring that up, which I do once in a while, even to this day. "Forget that I did that," she yelled, before rounding a corner and leaving completely. I smiled and headed to the room of requirement, where I had been working for the past few months on fixing the vanishing cabinet.
The Death Eaters arrived one by one. Aunt Bellatrix was the first one to come. "Where's your fiancée?" she hissed venomously when she came.
"I told her to stay away from me, so she wouldn't get hurt," I said. I didn't have to explain myself to my aunt, no matter what she thought of the girl who I would end up marrying.
"You're smart, Draco. I would have killed her if she was here. She's no good for you," Bellatrix sneered. All I could think was that it was a good thing that I told Victoria to go away.
"That's where you're wrong. Victoria Potter is the best thing that has ever happened to me," I said, although I didn't really understand why I was having this conversation with her. I didn't need to justify my decisions to anyone, especially not Auntie Bellatrix.
"Your mom may think that, but she is wrong," Bellatrix said as more Death Eaters came through the cabinet. My mother was not among them, which surprised me. "Your mummy is too weak to help you, Draco. That's why you have me," Bellatrix crooned.
When everyone was in the room of requirement, I said one more thing before we walked into the battlefield. "We are here for one purpose only. Don't kill anyone. If anyone gets in your way, perform a harmless hex on them, just to get them out of your way. If any of you so much as touches Victoria, I will personally kill you. That is a promise," I said, directing the last comment towards my aunt with a lot of venom.
"You're a teenage boy. What makes you think you can actually kill one of us?" one of the Death Eaters asked me, sneering a little.
"You'd be surprised on what I am capable of," I said, although I was basically just spouting BS, for the most part. But, I knew for a fact, that I would kill someone if they touched my Victoria.
We walked out of the room of requirement, to a lot of people with surprised expressions. Most of them were too shocked to do anything, but a few of them fought. They all were met with simple, but powerful curses that didn't cause too much harm. It was late at night, and I was happy to see that Victoria had cleared out the majority of people from the halls. Only a few people were unfortunate enough to be in the hallway.
Most of the Death Eaters were sent to have a battle with the guards in the castle, but one was insistent to stay by my side. I wouldn't have minded if it was anyone else, but Auntie Bellatrix was the last person I wanted. Of course, she was the person who wanted to see the killing more than anyone else. I tried to get her to leave, but that only made her more stubborn and threatening. I had to give in at one point.
We headed up to the astronomy tower, where I knew I would find Professor Dumbledore-eventually at least. Everyone just watched in shock as I did one of the worst things in my life. During that moment, all I could think about was Victoria-how I was doing this for her, and how she would be so disappointed in me if I succeeded. But at the same time, I knew that she would still love me, and that gave me the strength and the courage to continue on. God, I am so lucky to have her. What kind of person deals with another person, despite every terrible thing that's been done? I have screwed up so many times, and I don't deserve Victoria. I don't deserve unconditional love, especially when I was a big enough jackass to push it away.
"You're thinking about that precious Victoria Potter," Aunt Bellatrix said, spitting out Victoria's last name like it was some sort of despicable vermin or something. "Aren't you, Draco?" she asked when we get to the tower.
I'm not ashamed to love Victoria, and I didn't need someone else telling me that I should be, just because her last name happened to be Potter. "You don't get to choose who you're related to. Victoria thinks that her brother is a bigger git than I do, which seems unlikely. The only thing you get to choose is who you stay with. Victoria chose me, and I chose her. So, of course I'm thinking about her," I said, meaning every single word.
Bellatrix still didn't seem to get it. "What is this con that you call love? You do realize that she's using you, right?" she asked me.
I know for a fact that my then fiancée has never used me in my life, and that whole statement is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard in my life. And I've talked to Tori when she's been drunk, so that's saying something. But, I didn't want to continue arguing with my aunt. I knew that that would be pointless, so I said instead, "Do you want me to kill Dumbledore or not?" I purposefully sounded irritated, so I could get out of talking to a cold blooded psychopathic murderer.
We waited much longer than I thought we would have to for Dumbledore to come. Every moment, more and more tension and pressure built up. I almost pissed my pants from everything that was going on. No, I didn't, Tori. You're making things up. Oh shut up, Draco. You definitely did. Don't deny anything. We all know that you were scared shitless. That may be true, but that doesn't mean you can add things that you just think happened. You weren't even there at that point.
Anyway, Dumbledore showed up when I thought all hope had been lost. "Expelliarmus!" I shouted the second I saw him. I then cornered him, with the help of all the other Death Eaters. We were right at the edge of the balcony, and I was terrified that I would fall off with one more step.
I barely remember the conversation I had with Dumbledore. My adrenaline and fear was pumping so hard through my veins that it clouded my memory. I only really remember Dumbledore being so calm throughout the entire thing, and me being a scared sixteen year old. I think that I kept trying to say how I was more capable than he thought. But really, I was young, and stupid as all fuck.
The only thing I remember with clear detail is what happened after Dumbledore scolded a particular golden eyed girl. "Ms. Potter, I highly suggest you leave while you can. This is, by far, the dumbest idea you've ever had," Dumbledore said, without his gaze wavering from my face.
I turned around and saw my Tori. My beautiful, beautiful, Tori. Her hair was messed up, dirt was on her face, and there was a spot on her black shirt that was wet with blood. I hoped to god that it wasn't her own. When she started walking closer to me, I could see her having a slight limp. Still, she was strong and brave, and sassy as hell. "You're about to let Draco kill you, and I'm the one with the dumb idea?" she asked Dumbledore, kind of not believing what he was saying.
I stopped myself from laughing at my fiancée's sass, only because I knew that this was a serious time, and I was scared shitless, as Tori puts it. Also, I was not happy that she came, despite me telling her to stay out of the line of fire. "Tori, what are you doing here? I told you to stay as far away from here as possible," I said, kind of angry, kind of scared, and also a little relieved.
Tori knew the risks of coming here. She knew that everyone would probably blame her for Dumbledore's death just as much as they would blame me. She knew that she would witness me murder someone. But she didn't care. "I'm not going to let you be alone," she said, her gorgeous golden eyes staring deep into my blue ones, and piercing into my soul.
"I can't let you see me kill someone," I said, although I should have known that that wouldn't change her mind at all. Victoria is one stubborn girl when she puts her mind to something.
I honestly thought she was going to say something all lovey dovey, but sass wins out with her. "Oh stop with the bullshit. If someone loves you enough to risk their life just to make sure you're not alone, you freaking appreciate it. Don't push me away. I think you've made that mistake enough times already," she said.
I didn't know what to say to that, so Tori took the opportunity to walk closer to me. She was a little hesitant whilst walking, but she ended up realizing that I wouldn't hurt her. That's what scared her most of all-me becoming a monster to keep her away. "Draco, listen to me. You don't have to do this," she said, barely in a whisper.
"She's right, Draco. You don't have to do this," Dumbledore agreed. I looked back at him, and then back at Victoria. Both of them were smiling kindly.
"Crucio!" Bellatrix shouted and pointed her wand at Victoria, who immediately dropped to her knees, crying. She didn't scream, though, which was quite possibly the bravest thing that I've ever seen her do.
"STOP IT THAT'S MY FIANCÉE YOU BITCH!" I shouted at her, with more rage than I have ever had. And then, I said, "Avada Kedavra," and Bellatrix was dead. Honestly, Tori. Everybody knows that she lived until the Battle of Hogwarts, when Molly Weasley killed her. Although, to be honest, I would have loved to kill her.
Bellatrix stopped and pouted like a five year old who didn't get the candy she wanted from the candy store. I helped Victoria up. "Are you okay?" I ask, biting my lip to stop myself from breaking down in the middle of the scene. If Victoria can keep from screaming, I can keep from crying.
"Honey, I've had a lot worse," she said with a weak smile. I knew that she had, and that only made things worse.
I turned back to Dumbledore, who was standing there watching like it was a goddamned show or something. That made me just a little beyond irritated. "I have to kill you, Dumbledore. He's going to kill Tori and me if I don't," I said.
"Draco, there is another way," Victoria said, and gestured towards a dark figure in the corner. I knew exactly who it was, but I didn't say anything.
Then, the other Death Eaters came in. "Wow! Draco! You cornered Dumbledore! Turns out you're not the little wuss we all thought you were! Kill him!" were among the things said to me.
"Draco, you aren't a killer. You know there's another way," Victoria whispered.
"What the hell is she doing here?" Fenrir Greyback asked. His teeth were dripping with blood, and he advanced on Victoria. "I bet your blood would taste delicious," he crooned.
I pushed Victoria behind me with one hand and held her to my back. "Don't come anywhere near her, or I'll kill you," I said, simply stating the facts.
"Draco, I get all tingly when you take control like that," Tori said with a mischievous smile, which I found rather out of context in this moment. Then I realized that it was her way of taking control of the situation without freaking out. No, I was quoting someone, Draco. Gosh, do your research. Anyway, that's what happened. I don't really know if she was actually quoting someone, because that came from a book, and she didn't read the book it came from until much later-until a friend of hers forced her to.
The Death Eaters tried to get me to kill Dumbledore, and I was so close to doing it. But I was scared, despite Victoria being there with me. There was another way, wasn't there? I looked back over at the dark figure in the corner. But what would the consequences be if I didn't kill Dumbledore? Did they outweigh the consequences of killing him?
Luckily, I didn't have to make that choice. Before I knew what was going on, avada kedavra, Snape killed Dumbledore. I watched with wide eyes as Dumbledore fell to the ground. "You two need to leave-now," Snape said to Victoria and I, eyes and voice cold.
All I can say is that Victoria and I don't really remember what happened after that. I'm pretty sure that Victoria protested leaving, saying that she needed to do something, but other than that, it was a complete blur. All I know is that somehow, I ended up in my dormitory, and she ended up in hers.
