OMG so I got two more reviews earlier today so you know what that means! Double chapters again! Thank you so much for the reviews everyone. They really mean a lot to me and I'm so glad I have followers who enjoy the way the story is unfolding. I had someone review and say they hope there was more because they were obsessed so I'm happy to announce that ooooohhhhhh there's so much more left! I plan on continuing all of this until the very end of Deathly Hallows so keep the reviews coming and predictions because I love hearing everyone's thoughts. You guys are stuck with me for a while so buckle in, kiddos!
Draco POV
"Snape! Open the door! SNAPE PLEASE!" I yell and bang on the door so hard I can feel bruises already forming on the side of my hand. The door is ripped open and I find a very angry Snape on the other side of the door.
"Mr. Malfoy, do you have any idea what time it…" I shove my way into his office and start pacing back in forth.
"I KNOW!" I yell at him as my hand grips a fist full of my hair. He storms over to me, ready to tear me a new one for being disrespectful, but I look up at him as I feel my heart breaking. A tear runs down my face and I see him freeze in his spot in shock as he has never seen me cry before.
"Draco…" He says cautiously.
"I don't think Briar's okay…The necklace… I don't know how to get in touch with her. She's not answering me when I reach out to her mind. I don't know if she's too far away or if she can't respond because she's…" My voice breaks at the thought of why she can't response.
She has to be okay. She's coming home soon.
I look up and see Snape nod his head at me before rushing over to his fireplace, but he is stopped when the flames ignite and someone steps out. The man steps out with a grim face and stares right at Snape with a look of sadness.
"I'm so sorry, Severus. She's gone," the man says before I see Snape turn to look at me in sorrow. The man finally notices I'm there and his face falls even further, if possible.
"Who's gone? Who are you?" I yell at him in anger, but find my voice wavering as I fight to keep my emotions under control. He hangs his head in sorrow and walks slowly towards me to stand in front of me.
"I'm Sirius Black, Harry Potter's godfather…And an admirer of Briar Griffin," he whispers the last part reverently as if her name was a sacred prayer. He looks into my eyes and sends me a small smile. "She loved you so much, my boy. She spoke highly of you when I met her over break and the few times we floo messaged before Umbridge started to monitor them. I even started to see her as a daughter I never had because of her wisdom and kindness." My eyes widen in panic at his use of tense. Before I can open my mouth to ask him why he was speaking that way, the floo network opened up again and a tear stained face of Granger stared back at us. Her eyes settle on me and a tear runs down her face as she walks briskly towards me.
"What are you doing here, Granger?" I sneer. She stays silent and just sniffles in response. "What? Weasel got your tongue?"
"Draco…" She says in a broken whisper. I gulp and my malicious demeanor falls away and is replaced with a vulnerability I never thought anyone, but Briar would see.
"Where is she, Hermione? Where is Briar?" I hear Snape gasp in pain and turn to face him to see him staring at Hermione wide eyed. He turns to face me and he walks the few steps to me before placing a hand on my shoulder before I can shove him away. Suddenly, I'm not in Snape's office, but the Ministry of Magic staring right at Briar.
I must be in Hermione's memories.
"Harry," Briar whimpers out while looking around. I see my hand on her shoulder before suddenly I can hear her voice in my head.
Tell Draco I'm sorry and that I love him.
Why is she sorry?! I think frantically as I watch the memory unfold.
I can feel arms restraining me as Briar and Potter are in the center speaking with my father inaudibly. I see the man, Sirius, punch my father and the scene changes to fights all around me and I catch a glimpse of Briar fighting my father as I fight Death Eater after Death Eater. I hear a shout and see Briar standing next to Potter and Sirius as I see my father incapacitated and wandless all thanks to Sirius.
I hear Briar yell "SIRIUS!" and turn to see her shove him out of the way through Hermione's eyes. A bolt of green light rushes towards Briar and envelops her as a tiny glint of rainbow is seen meeting the green light from her chest. Her body slumps to the ground and I see Potter yell in sorrow and rage as he rushes towards the one who shot the curse; my Aunt Bellatrix. Sirius bends down over Briar's body and I see myself rushing towards them. In Hermione's body still, I bend down so that I can stare at the ashen face of Briar as Sirius places his hand on hers. A tear falls on Briar's face and I reach up to wipe it from my eye before everything fades to black.
I'm transported back to Snape's office. With a jolt, I look at all three of them in utter shock as I find myself on shaky legs barely able to hold me up. I take a step back only to stumble and see all of them reach out to me to help.
"Don't touch me!" I yell as I stare at different spots of the room. I think of the promise I made Briar and feel the need to get to her room as quickly as possible so I don't get there after she does. A numbness has filled my body and I can feel my mouth opened slightly in shock still.
"Draco, we should go see Dumbledore," Hermione says as she reaches a hand towards me. I shake my head slowly as if my head is full of heavy sand.
"No, I need to get back to her room…Briar's room. I told her I'd be there when she came home safely to me. I need to…" I trail off in my numb stupor as I stumble and turn to stagger through the halls. As I'm walking, I see Potter, Longbottom, Lovegood, Weasley, and Dumbledore leaving his office and they all look at me somberly.
"Malfoy," Potter says as his voice cracks. I shake my head and continue to blindly make my way through the halls ignoring him. I feel a spark of rage as his hand touches my shoulder.
"NO!" I yell as I shake him off. I stumble backwards as I face him and stare at all of them before my gaze settles on Potter. "She warned you! She warned you and you didn't listen and now…" I yell before settling into a detached tone. I shake my head to clear my thoughts.
"Draco, step into my office, please. We should discuss what has happened," Dumbledore says from behind Potter. I stand still and shake my head as I stare wide eyed at him.
"I can't. I need to get to her room. I told her I'd meet her," I whisper barely registering the look of sympathy all of them give me. After stumbling through the hallways, I find myself in front of the painting that hides her room. The doe seems to stare at me sadly and I whisper the password before going inside. Barely taking time to close the door, I find myself sitting in the center of the bed facing the door waiting for my doe to walk in with her beautiful smile that lights up the room. Movement in my peripheral vision has my gaze shifting to the side table where our photo from Christmas is. I scoop it up delicately and stare at it with a smile on my face before I see a droplet of water splash onto the glass surface. In confusion, I wipe my face only to find it's wet with tears that have been silently falling down my face.
Toeing my shoes off, I take off my robes to leave me in my fancy slacks and button down shirt that still smelled of Briar from when she wore it earlier. Loosening and removing my tie, I lay it on the night table and scoot back onto the bed with the photograph still in my hand; my eyes refusing to leave her face. Laying down slowly onto my right side, I rest the photograph onto the pillow so it lays horizontally. I lay my head on the pillow where I had stared into her eyes as I caressed her beautiful face moments after we made love. Clutching my left hand around my necklace and my other hand under my pillow, I stare at her smiling face and watch her laugh, kiss my nose, and snuggle into me on my couch at the Manor. My tears stain the pillow and I feel the numbness settle as well as the sadness that she won't be walking through her door ever again. I close my eyes and focus on my breathing until I find myself giving into my exhaustion. I send out one last message to her in my mind and wait for her response, but am only met with a restless night's sleep and images of her face as she lays on the stone floor of the Ministry of Magic. She looked so peaceful. She could've been sleeping.
Where are you, my doe? Please, come home.
A/N Yes, I ripped my own heart out writing this! What do you guys think? Do you think Briar is actually dead? How do you think this will affect Draco as a person and decisions he makes going forward? R&R as always, loves!