- The Maze, 24th of June 1995 -
The day after their end-of-year exams, the silver trio was standing at the edge of what once used to be the Hogwarts quidditch pitch. Because of the Triwizard Tournament, it had been turned into a giant maze, with traps and magical beasts hiding deep within.
In the past, Draco had never really been interested in who would end up winning the Tournament. He was just annoyed that it meant they couldn't play Quidditch all year long. But this time, things were different. He and Hermione had helped Harry and Cedric prepare as best as they could. The Slytherin witch even found a way to fight a blast-ended skrewt after Dobby moved what seemed to be half of the Malfoy library's collection on hybrid beasts into the boys' dorm room.
Hermione nervously adjusted Harry's collar and checked at least three times if he had both his invisibility cloak and his extra wand on him. At least this time Sirius had made sure to inform Amelia before he did something which was considered illegal. No one was technically allowed to carry two wands, but it wasn't as if the death eaters were fighting fair. Sirius and Harry had gone through some older wands stored at Potter Manor and found a holly wand which seemed to do the job in case Harry lost his own.
"Just… Be safe, Harry," Hermione whispered with tears in her eyes as she hugged Harry close to her.
"Yes, mum," he joked.
Draco could see the worry on his best friend's face though. Even if they had prepared him so he could at least survive the maze and outfitted him with more portkeys and tracking charms than he would ever need, they still had no clue what to expect.
Even Cedric had gotten his own portkey. "Stick together, and get out as soon as you smell trouble," Amelia Black had said sternly to both boys, putting a portkey into their hands. "The codeword is 'willow', and it should return you right here to the entrance of the maze."
"You will be alright, won't you?" Daphne asked them sadly as she finished saying her goodbyes to Cedric.
Both Slytherin girls were teary-eyed and Draco swung his arms around their shoulders, pulling them close. "Don't worry, I will take care of these lovely ladies while you're gone. Just disillusion yourselves if something goes wrong and get back here, alright?" Draco reminded them as a whirl of red hair passed by, flying into Harry's arms.
"Cute," Draco drawled when Ginny kissed Harry full on the lips. "Let's go to our seats, ladies, and leave the lovebirds alone for a while."
Cedric awkwardly looked away from the intimate moment and waved at his mum and dad who were sitting in the stands.
The three Slytherins finally found their seating a while later. They had picked some spots close to Neville, Hannah, Theo, and Susan. Sirius and Amelia were sitting in the row behind them.
Draco's mother arrived only a few minutes later and sat down next to her cousin. She smiled at her son reassuringly and gently put her hand on his shoulder. "They will be fine," Lady Malfoy-Black said to the three teenagers.
Draco nodded, but he was still apprehensive. What if Cedric would die like last time? He didn't know how Daphne would take it if that were to happen again. He didn't even know how he would take it. In the past year, and especially the past few months, he'd started considering the Hufflepuff Prefect as one of his friends. He understood now why the boy was so popular and well-liked by his peers. Was Cedric's death also something that was meant to happen or had Draco been able to prevent it by helping to prepare both him and Harry?
Deandra tried to soothe his worries, but he didn't want to get distracted. He needed to be alert at all times, in case something did happen. Even if he tried to act cool and collected, he too felt anxious.
Luna and Blaise were the last to join them, and the couple sat down right in front of Draco, Hermione, and Daphne. The blonde Ravenclaw was wearing her famous radish earrings and leaned backwards, touching Draco's knees with her head when she looked up at him. "You've trained him well enough," she tried to assure him.
"I just don't feel like spending another night watching over one of my friends in the Hospital Wing," Hermione sighed at Luna, her eyes darting towards the edge of the maze to find Harry. She was clearly distressed and Draco wished he knew what to say to make her feel better.
Luna's eyes glazed over as soon as she looked into Draco's. He could feel Hermione freeze next to him. They both knew what this meant. "Harry will not be the one ending up in the hospital wing tonight," the tiny witch whispered, blinking rapidly when she sat back up, Blaise supporting her back. He too knew that his girlfriend had seen something.
"I only brought the unicorn blood with me, but it won't be enough," she rambled, making more than a few heads turn. Had she just said unicorn blood? "I should have gotten those damned phoenix tears earlier. I have to go, now."
Without warning Luna hopped over the railing in front of her. She barely managed to cast a cushioning charm to stop her fall. Draco saw her lift the bottom of her flowery summer dress as she sprinted off in the direction of the castle again.
Daphne and Hermione each clasped one of Draco's hands. If Luna would need unicorn blood and phoenix tears… Bloody Merlin, what was waiting for the boys? This did not bode well at all.
"Luna, dear, wait for me!" Blaise yelled. He excused himself profusely as he tried to pass the other spectators who grumbled at him and the strange girl he hung out with.
"There is no time to wait, love!" Luna yelled back in the distance. "Get your beautiful arse over here and run faster!"
Neville looked at his three Slytherin friends, worry etched on all of their faces. "They will be alright," the Gryffindor stated confidently as Harry and Cedric looked back one more time and waved at them. Soon after, they were swallowed by the maze and an eerie quiet settled over the stands.
"Both Harry and Cedric will be fine," Draco nodded, both assuring himself and trying to help Neville cheer up the girls beside him.
However, the longer they waited, the more their fear for their friends' safety increased. Even Neville had started to fidget next to Hermione. Hannah had taken to holding her boyfriend's hand in her lap so he wouldn't do something stupid like jumping into the maze to get his friends out of there.
Draco didn't like the darkness and foreboding in the air tonight. It was as if magic itself was sitting on the edge of its seat, waiting for what would happen next.
"Something's brewing," Sirius whispered as he leaned forwards, addressing Draco. "Keep your wand at the ready, cousin."
The first red fireworks, followed by a huge bang, made all of them jump.
"Miss Delacour cannot continue, and will end in fourth place," Ludo Bagman announced as a small group of aurors and healers ran into the maze, ready to retrieve the Beauxbatons champion.
"I hope she's alright," Ron said from the next row over where he was sitting with Dean and Seamus. "Bill will kill anyone that hurts a hair on her head."
After another ten excruciatingly slow minutes, a second red light went up. Shortly after Viktor Krum was being carried to the healers' tent on a stretcher.
"Seems like we are looking at a Hogwarts victory, folks," Bagman announced happily. "Will it be the Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain, Cedric Diggory, or will the Boy Who Lived prove to be the victor?"
Hermione had started chanting next to Draco, praying for them to be alright. It had become her mantra. If she said it often enough, it would surely come true. If only magic worked like that.
Only a minute later, a blue light flashed at the end of the maze and the Hogwarts Band started playing celebratory music immediately. "Oh my!" Bagman yelled. "It seems like we have a double victory, as both Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter touched the cup at the same time. That's Hogwarts teamwork and fair play for you folks! Now, we would like to welcome the two champions-"
Bagman went completely still before he waved his hand at the Hogwarts Band to quiet down. "Did the portkey not go off to return the boys here?" his muffled voice echoed through the magically enhanced speakers. "What do you mean the portkey sent them somewhere else, Willoughby?"
Draco couldn't help but smirk as he saw that idiot Percy Weasley blush angrily at Bagman forgetting his name. But this was no time for jokes. He readied his wand, and so did his friends. Sirius and Amelia ran down the stands and started rounding up the aurors who had hidden themselves in the crowd.
"Aurors!" Director Black called sternly, a group of about twenty wizards and witches surrounding her from all corners of the crowd. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory have been brought to an unknown location. It is safe to assume this is the work of death eaters. Line up. Our portkey which is bound to Mr. Potter's magical core will leave in twenty seconds."
Albus Dumbledore had noticed the commotion and made his way down to the group. "With your permission, Madam Black, I would like to join you. After all, I need to see to my students' safety."
Amelia and her husband exchanged a quick look before she nodded and told the Headmaster to hold on. The deputy Headmistress tried to get the Director of the D.M.L.E.'s attention before they left. "Take care of the school while we are gone, Minerva," Amelia said before they were all whisked off.
As soon as the aurors and the Headmaster disappeared, chaos ensued. One of the stands exploded in a rain of fire. Students, parents, and other spectators were all screaming. The smell of burnt flesh hung heavily in the air.
Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall, the only two teachers close to where the teens were sitting, immediately took charge. "Get back to the castle!" they yelled, as multiple death eaters started crawling out from under the stands and out of the maze.
Lupin had already put up a Protego Maxima to protect them. Just in time too, as a Diffindo had been heading their way. It clashed off the magical shield with a loud bang, making the students scramble to get away.
"Neville!" Draco yelled, needing his help. He could only imagine what would happen next. If the death eaters got their hands on any of the students, then they would surely… No. They could prevent this if they worked together. "Go up front and start leading the younger years to the castle together with Daphne and Hannah. Theo, Susan, Hermione, and I will hold the line in the back and follow you closely."
They all nodded at his plan and a few seventh-year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs that had been nearby joined them, filling up the ranks.
Draco stumbled towards the castle as he pulled his mother with him, throwing spells and shields over his shoulder. "Faster, Mum," he urged her on, as she was protecting two first-years from an incoming incendio. He lost her in the chaos of the attack, however, and could only hope that she would be alright.
"Viktor!" he heard Hermione yell in a mixture of relief and fear about half a minute later. The Bulgarian was running straight at her, and Draco immediately noticed something was off. That glazed expression… Oh no. He threw a quick glance at the man behind Viktor. Karkaroff was cackling with laughter. Had he been the one to enter Harry's name? Was he the one who had orchestrated all of this?
"Mione, Viktor is under an Imperius," Draco warned her as he threw a Diffindo at the Durmstrang Headmaster, hitting him in the shoulder.
Hermione too had noticed the signs of Viktor being mind-controlled and she stunned the quidditch star right before Susan managed to catch him with a levitation charm.
"You! Second-years!" Theo shouted at the group in front of him. "Levitate Krum to the castle. Just make sure he stays stunned until you're there so a teacher or seventh-year can undo the Imperius Curse. Now, go!"
The children took over from Susan so she and her boyfriend could focus on shielding charms instead.
"We're moving too slowly," Draco grumbled as they had to dodge spells flying overhead. Not even the Malfoy's family magic could protect them from everything coming their way. There were simply too many dark spells trying to hit their shields, and both Draco and Hermione were getting tired.
Why was all of this happening anyway? This wasn't how it had been the first time around. Had him getting rid of Barty Crouch Jr. truly led to this? Had he made the wrong decision in getting the death eater kissed and his father thrown into Azkaban?
In the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione stumble as she deflected a stunning spell that was aimed at Theo. Draco reached out for her, and a purple spell flew over his head. If Deandra hadn't told him to duck in the nick of time, that spell would have surely hit.
Professor Lupin grabbed Hermione by her elbow and pulled her upright again, urging her on towards the castle. Another curse landed at their feet, making the two jump apart. A death eater roughly grabbed Hermione. Greyback.
"Remus. Malfoy. What a pleasant surprise." The death eater grinned and licked his lips as he pulled Hermione closer to him by pulling on her hair.
All Draco could see was red. His magic swirled angrily inside of him, ready to lash out. He would not allow her to get hurt. Not again. He'd seen her at the hands of a maniac before.
The fear was apparent in her eyes, and a trickle of blood ran down from her left eyebrow as she'd seemingly been hit with some debris. When Hermione tried to step forward to get away from Greyback, the werewolf tutted at her and pulled harder at her curls, making her scream out in pain.
"Put her down, Fenrir," Remus warned, pointing his wand at the werewolf.
Greyback took one of his sharp nails and pulled it slowly down Hermione's neck, cutting through her skin and leaving a trail of blood. "She still smells as divine as at the World Cup." He smiled wickedly at Draco. "I heard you claimed this one to be of your House, Malfoy. But it seems like you haven't claimed her yet. How nice of you to allow me to have a taste of her first."
"Do you have the vial on you ?" Hermione asked him, the fear in her eyes dissolving and turning into determination instead.
"Always," he confirmed. "If you have a plan, I will follow your lead, Mione. Just be careful."
"For your information," Hermione grunted out, gritting her teeth as if she was trying to gather all of her strength. "I am not an object for any man to claim or own."
To the werewolf's surprise, she let out a deep breath and swung back her elbow harshly into his precious parts. Perhaps those muggle self-defense classes she'd taken had helped.
As soon as Greyback lost his grip on her, both Draco and Lupin reached out and each grabbed an arm to pull her behind them. A shield riddled with Malfoy family magic was the only form of protection between the three of them and the death eater.
Greyback laughed. "I love it when they are feisty. You, girl, will be a price once I get to you. A Malfoy mudblood. You are too unique not to add to my collection."
Remus had enough of the threats aimed at Hermione and stepped in front of his two students. "No more, Greyback. If you want to get to them, you will have to get through me first."
"You? You think a small little wolf like you could defeat an alpha like-" Greyback eyes went wild. His shoulders were hunched over and his back was arched, reminding Draco of a terrified little kitten. The werewolf tilted his head and studied the man in front of him. He'd cursed him when he was just a little boy, yet- "Why do you look so… human?"
Sniffing the air, the death eater stumbled backwards, his eyes wide. Draco could see the realisation hit Greyback like a ton of bricks.
"No… That's impossible," he stammered, his voice filled with both fear and rage. "You were mine, Remus. I gifted you the power to rule and you chose to abandon it! To abandon your pack!"
"I think Remus appreciated our precious gift much more, didn't you, Professor?" Hermione taunted the werewolf, a wicked smile on her face. Some would think her foolish. But Draco thought her magnificent. A Gryffindor hiding in a snake's skin was truly a sight to behold.
"How many of your sires would you lose if they could be free of you? Free of the curse? Instead of the big bad wolf, you would be nothing more than a lost puppy without its pack," the Slytherin witch reasoned.
Greyback's anger turned to fury at her words. The werewolf howled and ran straight at the shield, not noticing Draco had pulled a vial out of his pocket. Purple fumes swirled within. All he needed was one shot, and Draco Malfoy was not a chaser for nothing. Letting his shield falter for just a second allowed him to hit Greyback straight in the face. The purple fumes clouded the werewolf's vision, and he froze, just like Remus had done when he first ingested the cure. Instead of turning younger, as the Professor had, Greyback turned into an old man, revealing his true age.
Fenrir screamed. His hands raked over his body and he tore at his face in disbelief. In disgust. The moment his eyes locked on Hermione, he jumped forward, ready to claw at her throat. But the witch was faster than he was, and she yelled out a Diffindo, chopping off one of his arms in the process.
A wave of her nausea reached Draco through their bond as the cleanly cut limb fell to the ground. She fell to her knees and sobbed, disgusted at herself for hurting another human being.
"He's a monster," Draco tried to soothe her as he crouched down in the mud next to her. He took her by the back of the head and pulled it softly onto his shoulder.
Angry and desperate sobs came out of her tiny frame, and she clenched her fists in the back of his sweater.
"He would have done worse to you, Mione. It's alright," he whispered into her hair.
Remus had already cauterised the wound and cast a stunning and incarcerous spell at the werewolf. "I don't want him to bleed to death after all the suffering he's brought," the Professor stated as he rolled Fenrir over with the tip of his foot. Looking down into his eyes, he said: "Death would be too easy an out for the likes of you."
Focusing his attention on his young students next to him, Remus addressed Hermione. "What you did was very brave. I understand how difficult it can be to hurt someone else, no matter how foul they might be. But Draco is right. A monster like him would have killed you. You used that spell in self-defense."
She was still clinging onto Draco when he pulled her back to her feet and smiled down at her. He would advise her to go to a mind healer after what she'd seen and done tonight. Merlin. All of them could use a talk with a mind healer after the despair and destruction they'd seen. The smell of burnt flesh still hung in the air, and Draco couldn't help but wonder how Harry and Cedric were faring.
Doing a quick scan of the Hogwarts grounds now turned battlefield, he noticed that the younger years had all vacated the area and had seemingly reached the castle by now. There were only a few stragglers left behind, and they were fighting some of the last death eaters. He hoped his mother had gotten to safety too. That no one but snake face's followers had died or gotten seriously injured.
Right as Lupin started levitating Fenrir to move him to the castle, Draco's blood turned cold. There, near the Forbidden Forest, was a woman dressed in silk dark green robes. Her scream made even Hermione freeze.
Without thinking, Draco rushed towards his mother who was suffering under a Cruciatus curse, flicking his wand angrily at the death eater who had dared to touch his mother. The blunt force of the unexpected spell made the mask fall off his face.
Draco stared at his father in disbelief. Had he truly just tortured his mother?
"You," Lucius spat as Draco cast another hex at his father, making him stumble backwards. "Of course, you would run to the aid of your mother! Do you realise what you have done? You have ruined the Malfoy name, all because of a little mudblood!"
The blond teen noticed Remus and Hermione approaching as they wanted to help him and get Narcissa to safety. He would need to distract his father so his ire wouldn't turn on them. Perhaps he could push him further into the forest?
"Me? Ruin the Malfoy name?" Draco taunted his father, aiming another stunner at him to force him where he wanted him, away from his mother and Mione. "If anything I am restoring it. Getting rid of you and turning you into a no-name without a House definitely helped. No one will ever associate the name Malfoy with you again, Lucius. And it wasn't anyone else's fault but your own."
He'd fueled his father's rage after pointing out his status as an outcast. A purple spell flew over Draco's head, and a wicked grin split his father's face. Following his gaze, he saw that his father had set his sights on Hermione and Lupin who were carrying his mother to safety.
"Let's see the monster you turn out to be without your mudblood heiress, Draco," Lucius threatened him. "Perhaps the Malfoy name can still be saved after all."
Hermione had her back turned to them as she was hauling Narcissa to safety together with their D.A.D.A. Professor. His mother could barely stand it seemed like, so her arms were slung over each one of their shoulders. None of them saw that the beginnings of a curse left the previous Lord Malfoy's wand. Draco didn't have the time to cast a shield, and he did not have the time to warn them either. Before Hermione knew to duck, it would hit her.
All he could do was…
Jump in front of it.
Draco had never felt such excruciating pain before. His chest was blown wide open and the force of the spell flung him backwards several yards. He landed in a lifeless heap at Hermione, Lupin, and his mother's feet. If he lived through this, he would forever remember the terror in their eyes.
Air, blood, and magic seeped out of him. But that wasn't the worst of it all. He'd dealt with physical pain before. What made him nearly lose his wits was that his magic was being ripped in half.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
He blinked up and stared at the night sky. Someone was screaming in his mind. He recognised her voice. Understood she was panicked. But when he reached out with his magic to try and get to her, her screaming suddenly stopped and he couldn't feel her magic anymore. She was no longer there.
No.
Where was she? Had the curse hit her after all?
Feeling desperate, Draco lashed out with every ounce of magic he had in his body, trying to find hers. Trying to find the bond they once shared.
All he felt was his mother's magic as it crackled through the air, heavy with the Black family's powers. She was yelling at someone about hurting her son. He wondered if it was pure adrenaline forcing her to act. After all, she'd looked so sickly before.
Spells lit up the sky above him. Purple. Red. Blue. Green. Draco mused if the stars had always looked so beautiful.
A voice tried to speak to him in the back of his mind, but he couldn't make out the words. He did not hear her pleas for him to calm down and to reserve his magic so he could heal. What magic? Half of it was gone already anyway. The reason why he'd done all of this, was gone. Again. What a failure he'd been. Twice.
The voice of his godfather arguing with his father drifted somewhere in the air, but he could barely make out what they were saying. Something about the Dark Lord returning? Well, he'd fucked that up too then, hadn't he?
A series of angry screams followed distinct pops in the distance. "Coward!" he heard his mother yell. But he couldn't focus on that. He had to find her.
He faintly noticed someone sitting down next to him, but his vision was clouded. Her eyes reminded him of a storm on the grey northern sea. Why was his mother crying? Why was she chanting healing spells, only to be interrupted by a desperate calling out of a name? His name he realised. Draco.
The blond noticed someone trying to charm potions into him. Blood-replenishing he assumed. It wouldn't surprise him if he'd lost a lot of blood. Thinking clearly was becoming so difficult. But what would some blood help him? After all, it seemed like he'd already lost his heart tonight. That would never heal. As he realised this, more threads unwound themselves.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
A silver hue lit up the sky. People gasped. He gasped. But not because he was in awe. He knew her after all. His protector. What he desperately needed was air. What he needed, was her. Hermione.
"It isn't working," he heard the spirit say. "I'm not as strong as I am at the Manor. The Lordship should aid him to have enough magic to heal himself, but he's burning through it. He's lashing out at something as if he's desperately looking for something, but I don't know what he's trying to find."
"Me. He's trying to find me," a girl quivered in the crowd that was gathered around him.
The voice of an angel finally reached him. She was alive. But then why couldn't he feel her?
"Mione," he breathed out as she finally reached him and cradled his head in her lap, wiping the hair out of his face. "I promised I'd protect you."
"You did," she agreed, sobbing as she too tried to desperately heal him by pouring magic into him so she could aid the others in helping him. "But you also promised you would tell me a secret after the Tournament was over. Do you remember, Draco? You need to keep that promise."
He closed his eyes, basking in the sound of her voice. She was safe. That was all that mattered. That was what he'd come here to do.
"Why is it so cold?" he asked her, his breathing laboured as he struggled to talk.
"It's cold for me too, love," she said as she put her hands on his cheeks and touched his nose with her own. "But we'll be alright. You will be alright. You just have to allow your magic to help heal you until the healers get here. Can you do that for me?"
"I'd do anything for you," he confessed. "I would rewrite the stars for you if I could. And I did," Draco answered, making her eyes widen.
Before she could answer, there was a commotion in the distance. Distinct pops, followed by screams and gasps, were all he heard. The ground beneath him trembled. Boots slushed through the mud and grime of the battle to get to him.
Harry yelled his name, and more and more people started to surround him. He could feel their magic, intertwining with the healers' and his mother's, as they tried to heal him. But he could no longer see them. All he saw was an impending darkness. He could barely focus on Hermione's face.
She said something about Harry bleeding from his arm, and a flicker of a memory returned to him. Draco remembered when his wife had told him how the Dark Lord had been resurrected. Part of him wondered if he would meet her again soon, as he muttered quietly, "Blood from the enemy, unwillingly given."
Some people gasped, but Hermione stayed perfectly still, staring into his eyes, trying to reach him. It felt like a struggle now that he could no longer feel the thread between them, but he opened his mind willingly to her.
"This was not what I meant when I said I could one day become the Mistress of Malfoy Manor," she scolded him. He could hear the sadness in her voice. But he was too tired to reply. "So don't leave me alone in this, you hear? I need you. I can't lose you, Draco."
Sirius and his mother were discussing something about Black family magic. An ancient curse that his aunt must have taught her fellow death eaters once upon a time. Noting the seriousness in their voices, he assumed this was it then. This was where the Lord of the Most Ancient House of Malfoy would die. Betrayed by his own father, his so-called 'pure blood' turning muddy as it mixed with the earth beneath him. What a fitting end for the son of a bigoted supremacist.
"You will be fine," he assured Hermione. "You have Harry and Daphne. I'm just glad I was able to save you this time. To have spent the past four years getting to know you all over again. Be strong. Be brave. Be as you've always been and you will survive. I'm sorry I won't be here to-"
"I can't feel him…" Hermione whispered to Deandra. "Why can't I feel him?"
Draco could barely think straight. He felt so cold. So empty. He couldn't finish a single coherent thought. But he wanted so desperately to tell her. Tell her that he'd gone back in time to save her. Tell her how sorry he was that she didn't grow up with the Weasleys this time around. Tell her she would always be the best part of him. Tell her he loved her. But all he could do was accept the darkness that was claiming him.
A bright flash of orange and red seemed to oppose that idea, however.
Long blonde curls tickled his face and it took him a split second to realise Luna was looking down at him, her whole body covering his chest.
"Drink up, little dragon," she urged him as she lifted his head out of Hermione's lap.
But he couldn't drink. Everything was too much. Where would the potion she was giving him go even? He was sure that his organs had been turned to dust. That's what it felt like anyway. "Can't."
Hermione flicked her wand, and he could feel the contents of whatever Luna had given him settle in the little blood that was left in his body. The pain he felt before started to lessen, but the damned empty feeling in his magical core was still there, gnawing at him.
"Are those what I think they are?" Hermione asked Luna right after he felt magic ripple across his chest, making his body whole once more.
"Yes." The Ravenclaw whispered quietly as she was still covering his upper body and conjured a blanket out of thin air, seemingly hiding his chest from any onlookers. "No one can know what he can do. Else, he will truly die."
Draco blinked up at both witches in confusion as an unfamiliar weight settled on his chest. It was almost as if his skin was knitting itself back together. Before he could ask what they were on about, Luna moved away and started talking to the Headmaster.
"Miss Lovegood, I see you've met my familiar?" Dumbledore questioned her.
"Yes, Headmaster. Me and Fawkes had a little heart-to-heart in your office. I hope you don't mind. You must be happy with such a supportive familiar. He's very therapeutic to talk to. Fawkes was even moved to tears by the end of our conversation," Luna answered.
Phoenix tears. Of course. "You're brilliant, Luna," Draco told her earnestly. "But why do I still feel so cold and empty?"
"You've lost a lot of blood, Draco," Severus replied instead. "We will give you some more blood-replenishing potions before we move you to the Hospital Wing. Poppy will be here soon to help stabilise you."
"You don't understand," he argued, his thoughts clouded again. "I'm cold. Empty. Half of a whole… I'm missing something…"
"Your brain cells?" Harry joked, trying to lighten the mood now that Draco was no longer dying. "Don't scare us like that, mate."
Hermione leaned down and pressed a kiss to his temple. There it was. A flicker of the magic he'd been trying to find. A tiny thread between them. He felt it. Wanted to hold onto it. To the warmth of her magic. But it no longer led anywhere.
Draco was too tired for this. All he wanted to do was sleep.
"What's missing, son?" Narcissa asked worriedly.
"Snap. Snap. Snap," he deliriously answered his mother, remembering what it felt like when his magic got ripped apart.
"It's alright. We're all trying to heal you and are pouring magic into you, Draco. You will survive," she whispered. "You will be alright."
Alright? He? But what about the others?
"Mione ok?" he asked, even if he could still feel her hands lightly touching his face.
"I'm fine," the brunette witch hiccupped.
"Harry?" he enquired.
"Never better, just wait until you properly join the land of the living again. I've got so much to tell you, mate," he answered.
"Ced alive this time?" he slurred.
"This time?" Hermione questioned out loud, right as he could hear Cedric confirm he was indeed still alive and breathing.
"Good," Draco whispered, closing his eyes, as he felt the last of his magic leave him. "Snap. Snap. Snap."
Deandra's worry seeped into his mind. "Are you sure you are alright, little dragon?"
No. He wasn't. Even if his chest was whole again, he wasn't.
"Cold," he told her. "Lonely."
Draco passed out.