Chapter 3. Death would have been easier

May 2nd 1998

The day of the battle of Hogwarts

Something tugged at him. Like it was pulling him. Then he was plunging down, down. Then searing pain burst fourth back onto him like it had never left him at all, as he fell back into his body. Bursts of tiny lights assaulted and popped in front of his eyes. Someone groaned.

Draco was flat on his back. His mind whirring, rebooting, thinking. Trying to make sense of what had happened. Then he remembered a flash of light ripping through the air above him, and he had seen Bellatrix flung away away from him. Maybe flung was the wrong word, because when she went airborn she began to turn black like ash, and then she burst into dust. Dead.

There was a face above his, the person who had been pulling at him. Moving him. Moving his body around in the ground. A warm hand touched his cheek. His vision was still flawed, but he swore the woman hovering over him wore a halo. An angel? He wondered.

Then things began to shift back into focus. It was strange to see his vision as it came back and cleared. Molly Weasley. Though they were never formally introduced they were family somewhere down the line, he knew.

Draco scanned the surrounding area that he could without lifting his neck, and in a moment decided he could never again pick on Ronald Weasley for his family or their lack of money. Draco had been saved by their matriarch. A woman who looked like the picture that defined motherhood. Molly Weasley tutted at him like a small child.

She was healing him he realized. Replenishing him, his blood, knitting the injuries back together.

He could move again he found, wiggling his fingers and toes, bitting down hard on his lip to keep from making any sounds. The feeling of heat swam throughout him. The charms she used were soothing away some of the pain. He tried to sit up.

"No lie back, for now." She accosted him, then her hands were slipping over Draco, searching for more wounds. "Tell me where else it hurts, deary."

"Everywhere." Draco choked.

"Hmm. I expect so." She began to stitch together the bits on his face. "Healing spells aren't my specialty but they'll do. For now."

"Thank you, the back of my head i think it's bad." Draco told her then he wondered didn't she know who he was though? Didn't she know the unkindness his family had always paid to hers. "My name-" he began.

"Is not important." She smiled at him. "The spots on your head were rather bad. I've stopped the bleeding there for now. St. Mungo's will have to do the rest."

Draco realized she didnt care. She knew who he was, and she didn't at all care.

Then he began to notice that things were quiet, much quiter than before.

"Is it over?" He asked.

"Yes."

"What happened? Who- is Potter?" Dread filled him.

"Draco?" A voice he knew all to well asked.

Lucius Malfoy was stood exactly where Bellatrix had only just been. He was looking dazedly at the display of his son being cradled in the lap of a woman who's husband he hated. Molly turned her wand on his father. Unsure of whether his entire family wanted him dead, or not.

"It's okay. He's okay. I was trying to find him, when-." Draco tugged at her sleeve like a child. Molly lowered her wand uncertainly.

It was awkward to be sure. Death would have been easier than being there bearing witness to the moment Lucius had to pay Molly Weasley a kind word. Lucius and Molly probably had nothing in common other than being purebloods. But on this, healing Draco it seemed the animosity in them had been placed on the back burner. A young boys life mattered to them more than the line drawn in the sand many years ago.

"Thank you." Lucius said practically sounding foreign to Draco. Molly didn't acknowledge him if she heard him.

"What happened, who did this to you, Draco? "Lucius asked. Vengeance dripping off his tongue. "I'll end them."

"Your sister in law." Molly replied her eyes narrowed, and angry. "She's dead now." Molly finished without a trace of remorse for her actions.

Lucius did not look at all surprised. He did however look suddenly guilt ridden. Lucius had allowed her into their home. Had allowed her presence in their family, and this was his consequence. His only son nearly nearly killed, barely at age 17.

Lucius sunk down on his knees next to them. Lucius together with Molly Weasley began to heal what they could of Draco. Noting to each other when they found another mark or cut. Swapping spells that might work best. Draco took note that his father favored one arm as he worked.

"Your arm hurts to doesnt it?"

"Yes."

"Why, father?"

"He's dead son. Voldemort is dead." Draco could not decipher what emption that staement had for Lucious. His emotions were schooled. "You can sleep, if you'd like. You should sleep. I'll be getting you to a healer who can repair what we cannot, you will be perfectly fine when you wake up."

"Potter? He made it then?"

"Yes." Then his father seemed to pause and think for a moment, then added. "It was odd though, half way through it was like Voldemort had just given up. His wand flow diminished 1 moment and the next moment it and broke entirely. The boy hit him full on in the chest. I don't know how he pulled it off."

Molly was happy to hear the news of Potter's triumph she was smiling, but it looked somehow sad. "You should try to sleep, like your father said."

Draco didn't think he could sleep if he tried. If Voldemort was dead then that could mean..

"Mother. She's with Hermione. Part of the castle blasted off, their concealed in the wreckage. They're still there waiting for me." Draco said. Unsure of what his father might say or how he might react.

"Hermione Granger? The muggleborn?" His father asked his voice indifferent. His father had not yet come to understand what Hermione meant to his son. What had he thought of Draco's departure from their home he wondered.

"Is Hermione alright?" Molly asked concerned for the girl she considered to be as good as her own daughter.

"She was when i left, they both were. I have to go, i have to-" Something pricked Draco in his finger, and he looked at his father. Seeing the conflicted range of emotions in his eyes.

Draco's eyes were heavy. His father had charmed him to go to sleep, with the prick of his finger, on the sharp end of the silver on his wand. "Father, no. Why, Dad. Dad listen to me we're all in danger, great danger." Draco could hear his own words slurring together. He needed to warn someone. He had to tell them what he thought had gone wrong. Very wrong.

"I'll look for them both, son. I'll make sure they're both okay." Lucius ruffled his hair like he had as a young boy. "Now sleep."

No. Please. Draco couldn't form words with his lips and yet he was still conscious long enough to hear the exchanging of words around him.

"I couldn't be more sorry for your loss. Your son i saw it happen, i cannot imagine Molly. I'll never forget what you've done for Draco here, even after what you and Arthur must be going through. There has been bad blood for many years between our families, and i swear it stops now. Your boy was to young." Lucius Malfoy told Molly, with his voice breaking at certain parts.

"My was 18 and yet i expect i would still feel the same heartache i do now, even if he had reached 70." Draco felt cool droplets of water splashing and dripping down onto his skin. They tasted of salt. There were no sobs to be heard, just her silent tears, because Molly Weasley intended to keep a brave face for her other children. A Gryffindor.

Draco had a final thought before he slept. "Not Ron." Don't let it be Ron who died, he begged of the universe. Draco had begun to like Ron Weasley an awful lot, he was funny, strong, and at times the kind of brother Draco would have liked to have if he had one. Draco was very much afraid of what losing both of her best friends in a single day could do to Hermione. Then nothing mattered for Draco was dead to the world.

End of chapter