Chapter 24 – Familiar Face
We both stand our ground, and quite honestly, I'm afraid to run. Facing each other, I watch as Goyle grips the hilt of his sword impatiently, making his knuckles turn white with anticipation. Suddenly we both break eye contact as the Earth shakes beneath us. We meet each other's eyes again, but this time in fear as we both hear the distance snarling and bellowing. The mutts… my heart starts hammering.
Goyle's fearful expression drops as the sides of his lips curl into a smirk, "Better start running, pretty boy."
I have an idea in my head, but it's stupid – really stupid. I take a quick breath and start running, with much more ease since I left my axe by Harry's body – Harry… every part of me just tell me to stand still, let Goyle do whatever he wants to me, but I keep repeating Harry's last words in my head. I have to win. I have to win for him. I shake my head to try and forget about him, but that's impossible. Goyle's gaining! Okay, let's see if stupid plan of mine works.
My legs are shaking with worry as the sounds from mutts get louder from behind us. Their giant paws pound the ground and I can even hear the loud huffs of their breathing as they run. I know Goyle is just feet, maybe inches away from me, but I know he can't keep up completely, because he won't admit he's scared as well. Although, I don't know how long I can run for. Not having Harry with me only makes me feel lost. I hate to say it, but I relied on him a bit too much and didn't think about what I would do if he did die. Now he's gone and I'm left alone. I need to think of a better idea and quick, before I go mad. As if I haven't lost my mind already.
"How you gonna kill me without a weapon, dragon boy!?" Goyle shouts from behind me. Apparently he just gave our position away because when I turn my head, a giant mutt leaps out of nowhere, just a few feet behind Goyle and he jumps at the sudden exposure of the monster, almost stopping his pace. For once, his face looks full of horror.
I turn back to the path in front of me and secretly smirk. A tree, I need a tall, weak looking tree.
I slow down my pace as I try to concentrate. Panting, I turn my head frantically as I notice the trees getting thinner. I must have stopped because I hear Goyle yell, practically in my ear. I turn around, just before he swing his sword at my throat. I dodge the blade by an inch.
"Goyle." I say, panting, trying to get his attention. He looks like he's about to take another swing at me so I jump back, standing under the tree I picked.
Goyle looks at me hesitantly and I can see the bear just yards behind him. "Okay. Goyle listen-"
"I don't need to listen to you! Just shut up and die already!"
I take a step back. He takes a step forward. I swallow hard looking at him miserably, wanting him to see the hurt in my eyes, secretly hoping he'd realize the wrong he's doing. But nothing can get through to him anymore. I've already tried. I've tried so hard to get him back. However this ends… it'll be over for the both of us. "If you don't wanna get killed, I suggest climbing this tree! The mutt won't get you!" I can't hide the hurt in my tone as I say this. Because even if I trick him and even if he dies, it's still murder. Because I would be part of it.
He looks at me thoughtfully and slowly lowers his sword, "You're lying… maybe you should climb the tree."
I back up when the mutt gets closer, "I'm… I'm dead anyway, right?" My God, this plan better work – I need to make him believe me. "And you want to win – I want to die… climb the tree." I shift my eyes casually, trying not to make it look like I'm planning head. I can see a small ditch on my right. If I can get the mutts to focus on Goyle, I can hide and they won't notice me.
He's considering this, I can tell. After all, there is no other way out. He'll never get away from the mutts any other way – they're too close, now and trying to run again will only be suicide. "You better be right about this, Malfoy." He says as he puts his sword in his belt and jumps up to grab a weak looking branch, sticking his toe into the bark to climb. The mutt is getting closer, but its eyes are on Goyle. Quickly, I run out of the way and take cover in the ditch I found, hiding most of my body possible. More mutts are appearing out of nowhere in particular – at least I can't see where their coming from in the darkness.
I duck lower, and watch as the shortest of the mutts, jumps up and clamps its jaws at Goyle's feet, almost grabbing him in its razor sharp teeth. I wince, imagining the mess that would take place if Goyle's leg got ripped off just now. Still, I try not to look away. Goyle grunts when his footing loses a bit of hold and he slides down a few inches, scraping his boots against the bark to keep hanging on. My heart stops for a split second, but he quickly grabs onto a thin branch, hauling himself up again. He kicks a mutt in the face in the process when it tries to grab him by swiping a paw at his leg. The bear bellows in pain and presses its big paws on the tree, making the thing tilt sideways with a loud snap. The roots at the base of the tree are pulling up from the ground.
The bear pushes on it again. Snap! I gasp and quickly duck down when one of the mutts hears me and turns its broad head in my direction. I wait a few seconds until it looks away and pick my head back up.
I know Goyle is way too heavy for this – which is exactly why I planned it – and this tree won't be able to support him much longer – especially if it falls. I smirk when he lifts up a foot to climb onto the next branch. This is it! Fall! Fall!
Crack! The branch snaps off from under his fat foot and dislocates from the tree. I anxiously grip the grass under my hands. Goyle's trying to grab onto anything as he falls, hitting weak branches on his way down that immediately break on impacted due to his weight. He hits the ground hard, gasping when his breath hitches as the wind gets knocked out of him. He grunts and quickly rolls out of the way when one of the mutts brings down a big, sharp clawed, paw to slash him open. I slam my fist on the ground, frustrated. Well, that plan didn't work.
Shit what do I do now!? Harry help me!
Goyle's eyes shoot at me as he jumps to his feet. Now's my queue to run.
I jump out from the ditch and run as fast as my legs can go, ignoring the loud, angry bellowing of the mutts when they finally see me.
"MALFOY!" I hear Goyle scream from behind me, followed by loud roaring of the mutts. They're all behind me now. If I don't do something soon, we're both dead. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU FOR THIS, MALFOY. YOU'RE DEAD WHEN I CATCH YOU. YOU CAN'T RUN FOREVER."
Please just give me something – anything to help me. I'm looking around frantically at everything my eyes can hold in the process of running from death. They're all getting closer, I can tell by the sounds as they echo louder in my ears, and the vibration under my feet like an earthquake.
I'm running short of breath, but I force my legs forward. I'm doing this for Harry… even though I want to die and just give up – no – I'm doing this for him. One of us has to finish this – all of it.
I'm about to skid to a sudden turn, ready to use my trick that picked up from the dragon fight, when, suddenly, I see another mutt in front of me. Now I can tell where these beasts are coming from. They're coming from the ground – they just emerge like holograms on a platform. The bear ahead of me is standing in place, with its paw raised high. It's waiting for me to get closer so it can cut me open – I know it.
Something tells me to stop running but I don't. I can't turn back, and I can't stop… but I do have a plan… a good one this time.
Even from here, I can notice something familiar about this mutt. There's a long scar running across its face. Wait… scare. This is the same mutt that was pinning me to the ground – the one with Blaise's eyes. I was right about them enhancing him into a mutt – this is Blaise – and he's here to help me, I know he is.
I'm remembering that mutt fight now – when I got scratched on my neck by Blaise. Harry's voice is echoing in my head, "Don't ever freeze up in front of a mutt like that. If you didn't get out of the way in time it could have took off your head, or possibly slit you open."
As I get closer I hear Goyle screaming, "WHERE YOU GOING, PRETTY BOY? YOU'LL KILL US BOTH!"
No, Goyle. In is where your road ends. For good.
Blaise looks ready to bring down his paw as his roar makes the blood pound in my ears and my heart turn to ice. I feel like I should freeze up, but I don't. It's almost like he's telling me to get out of the way.
Just as he brings down his paw like a fallen pillar, I quickly duck, feeling his sharp claws graze my hair as I skid between his bowl shaped legs until I stop right behind the bear's back, brining my head up to face the horror. I yell in fear and jump back at the sight.
Between the gap in the bear's legs I see Goyle. He's frozen, completely frozen and white as a ghost. My eyes trail down to his torso, where his hands are cupped around his stomach. I try to fight back the nausea as I back up into the tree behind me.
From what I can see, I managed to get out of Blaise's way before he could cut me open – which was part of my plan. But Goyle didn't know what I was thinking – obviously – and couldn't get out of the way fast enough. The bear – Blaise – caught Goyle instead of me, and used his sharp claws to cut open Goyle's stomach. It's disgusting. All those horror movies I watched… I feel like I'm in one right now.
I watch in terror as Goyle tries to hold his intestines inside, but blood and other things that are meant to stay in his body, are seeping through his fingers and arms. I gag as I clamp my hand over my mouth to keep myself from throwing up. His face is a straight look of terror that I've never seen on him before. But still… as he dies, he's looking at me as if saying: "You did this." But there's also that look of the kid I grew up with. It's like this particular moment in death; he's finally realizing what he did wrong. But it's too late, Goyle… it's too late.
A tremendous amount of blood is gushing from his mouth and stomach as he stares at me. And even though I want to turn away, I can't. It's almost like my neck is made of steel – it's impossible to turn. Finally, Goyle's eyes roll back in his head and his hands fall to his sides limply, allowing whatever he was trying to keep in his body, to fall to the ground in a disgusting pile. He drops limply to his knees and hits the earth, on his side, with his insides poured out beside him.
The cannon fires. Finally… he's gone… but I can't believe what I just saw and my eyes won't turn away from the gore before me. This isn't what I wanted it. I didn't… no… why does this hurt so much? He wanted me to die. He was sticking by his promise in tearing me apart. But at the same time, I really don't think that was it. In the end he realized what he became and he use to be. I know… I saw it in his eyes. But now he's gone… everyone is gone…
I whimper softly into my hand as tears blur my vision. Harry…
Finally, Blaise moves, using his hind leg to block Goyle's body from view. The other mutts turn and walk away, vanishing into thin air as they do so.
I look up at Blaise with horror on my face and press my back to the tree behind me. He gets down on all fours, blood dripping heavily from the claws he used to slash Goyle open. Blaise takes one step towards me, which is enough to close the gap between us so that our eyes are locked.
He sniffs softly and uses his muzzle to press against my right arm. I'm too scared to even pull away and watch as he brings his eyes back to mine. I look up at this mutt a bit terrified but also a bit relieved because he's not hurting me. Suddenly, a smile snakes onto the bear's – Blaise's muzzle and he nods curtly at me – as if implying that I did a good job.
"Blaise…" I said shakily, feeling the rock in my throat. God, I feel so nauseous.
He grumbles in reply.
"Thank you…" He nods and looks like he's about to pull away. I feel tears block my vision again, and out of now where I just wrap my arms around his furry shoulders. "Don't go." I say softly, "Don't leave me again, Blaise." He grumbles in my ear which almost sounds like a laugh. I hear him snort and nuzzle his nose into my hair, playfully.
I pull away from him, looking up at his eyes and try to ignore the scar on his face. But I can't help it and my hand reaches out to it instinctively. I gently run my fingers over the visible skin and Blaise doesn't even move.
"I'm so sorry." Just looking at this thing on his face only reminds me that I did this to him. I gave him that mark – I killed him. I hurts so much. Of course he can't talk, but he does press his wet nose to my cheek, pulling back with a sad smile on his muzzle. "Give Pansy a hug for me?" My voice is cracking with emotion.
He nods once and lastly, presses his nose to the left side of my chest where my heart is still racing like a Firebolt. He pulls back with a sad look on his face, causing the skin on his forehead to wrinkle. His mouth gaps open a bit and a soft, sad whimper emanates from it.
I smile softly, feeling the tears running down my cheeks. "I love you too, bro." My voice is breaking and I watch as his bear eyes get glassy with tears. Finally, his pelt begins to give off that black smoke and that only tell me it's time for him to go...
He slowly turns and, like the others, walks away, evaporating into the air slowly, never to be seen again.
"Bye, Blaise…" I say when he's gone.
Goyle's body is visible once again, but now I'm able to look away.
"Attention. Attention!" A voice says somewhere around the arena. It… sounds like my father…
"I present the winner of the second annual Hunger Games… Draco Malfoy."
The wind picks up, but I'm suddenly, so dizzy. My body limps to the side and every sound around me fades out, along with my vision.
AN: I think we got either 3 or 4 more chapters left... my God, I can believe what's happening in this chapter though. Like seriously, I got a bit teary when Blaise and Draco said good-bye. Although, Blaise would probably make a very cuddly bear.
Also, I'm not sorry about the horrid death scene for Goyle. The bastard deserved it. Goyle, honey... I have no sympathy for you here. Good-bye.
Well, I think this will be the only chapter today. However once this is done I will post more stuff! I don't like posting too many fics at once becasue I like to finish things before I start other stories, otherwise I feel overwhelmed with updating. However, Halloween is coming up so you can expect a Draco/Harry special.
Also, any Kick-Ass fans out there? (You know the movie... comic book?) Well, keep an eye out for some Hit Girl/Kick-Ass, coming soon!
Just giving you all a little update on what's going on inside my head. I'll see you all in chapter 25! ENJOY