Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, they are the brilliant works of the marvelous J.K.Rowling. I also do not own Coldplay or To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
CHAPTER 24
Hermione sat wide eyed, frozen still. The sound seemed to upset Draco and he yelled at the sudden noise. Still holding the gun, he covered his ears with his left hand and right wrist. He looked around nervously expecting another sound but when there was none, he let his arms drop to his sides. Hermione figured that since he'd never used a gun before he probably didn't realise the loud noise they made or whether they made any noises after being fired. Hermione's head was spinning with shock and she realised she had to do something or he would kill her. She put her hands out in front of her as a sign of peace and quietly started,
"Draco. Don't do this. Please don't. Just- just put the gun down and we'll talk about this. Please. You don't want to do this." Draco didn't seem to hear what she had said for a little while; he was too busy staring at the gun in his hand. Then he seemed to register what she had said and he looked at her menacingly.
"Oh yeah? And what makes you so sure of that? What makes you think I don't want to do this?" He was sauntering towards her as he said this. Hermione put her hands into her lap; she did not want him to see that they were shaking uncontrollably. He continued.
"Huh? You don't know me! You don't know a thing about me!" He was overreacting and agitating himself further. He turned away and leant on the mantelpiece again, this time leaning in close and bashing his head on the edge of it.
Hermione was desperate. She knew this was serious and hoped she would think of some way to talk him out of it.
"Draco…" The sound of her voice tipped him over the edge and in slow motion he whipped around and pointed the gut directly at her -
In a blinding flash she remembered the potion Madam Pomfrey had given her. She closed her eyes and thought All I want is to disappear. She waited. But there was no cold chill like the last time. She opened her eyes to see Draco spinning around to look right at her. She was not invisible. The potion had expired and she had no way out.
- In the same swift movement as the spin, he closed his eyes and pulled the trigger again, flinching at the loud blast the gun produced.
Draco stood frozen. He started shaking and lowered the gun to his side. All he could do was stand and stare. The reality of what he had done hit him like a tonne of bricks and he snapped back to reality. He swallowed hard and stepped towards the girl on the floor. What had he done? He took a few steps backwards and rested a hand on the mantel to steady himself. His eyes were no longer darting around the room, they were transfixed on Hermione. Feeling slightly more stable, he took a step forward and lifted the gun to his right temple. A lone tear rolled down his cheek. A whispered I'm sorry escaped his lips before he pulled the trigger for the last time. Draco's limp body hit the floor and he did not stir again.