Too Broken to Heal

Draco's body trembled as he struggled against the chains binding him to the ceiling, the pain in his wrists a distant echo compared to the anguish ripping through his chest. He had to save her.Had to. But every time Hermione's broken screams tore through the air, every time she convulsed under the weight of Bellatrix's Cruciatus Curse, a small, ragged part of him shattered a little more.

"Stop—please," he tried to scream through the gag, but it came out as a desperate, muffled sob.

Bellatrix just smirked, her wand still pointed at Hermione. "Does it hurt, Draco? Watching her suffer?" she purred. "You could've been on the winning side, you know. But instead, you chosethisfilthy little Mudblood."

"Draco—" Hermione gasped, her voice faint and broken. Her eyes, clouded with pain, met his. She was barely conscious, her body trembling violently, her face pale and bloodied.

"Please," Draco choked, straining against the chains until his shoulders ached, until he thought his wrists would break. But it was useless. He couldn't reach her. He couldn'tdoanything.

Bellatrix's smile widened, her gaze flicking between Draco and Hermione. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, she released the Cruciatus Curse, letting Hermione collapse to the floor in a limp, gasping heap.

"Did you enjoy that, Mudblood?" she murmured, kneeling beside Hermione. "Did you enjoy your little taste of pain?"

Hermione didn't respond. She was barely conscious, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe.

"Hmm," Bellatrix mused thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "I wonder—what should I do with you next?"

She glanced up at Draco, her dark eyes glittering with malice. Then, with a sudden, vicious grin, she pointed her wand at Hermione's trembling form.

"Imperio."

Draco's heart stopped.

Hermione's body jerked, her eyes going wide and glassy, her limbs stiffening unnaturally. She gasped, her mouth opening as if to scream, but no sound escaped. And then—then she moved, her gaze vacant and unseeing.

"Get up, little Mudblood," Bellatrix whispered.

And Hermione obeyed. She rose to her feet slowly, shakily, blood dripping from her face, her body swaying as if she were a puppet on invisible strings.

"No—no, don't—" Draco begged, thrashing against the chains. "Don't do this—please,don't—"

But Bellatrix just laughed, a high, chilling sound. "What's the matter, Draco? Don't like watching your precious little Mudbloodobey?"

She turned back to Hermione, her expression gleeful. "Now, be a good girl and—hurt yourself."

Draco's blood ran cold.

"No—no—!"

But Hermione didn't respond. She turned, her movements jerky and mechanical, and slammed her head against the stone wall with a sickeningcrack.

Draco's scream was raw and hoarse, his voice breaking as he struggled wildly against the chains. "Stop it—please—Hermione, stop—"

But she couldn't hear him. She just kept slamming her head against the wall, again and again, the sound of bone striking stone reverberating through the hall. Blood streaked down her face, her eyes vacant and unseeing, and Draco felt something inside himdie.

"No—no, no, no—Hermione!"

"Harder," Bellatrix ordered softly.

Hermione's body obeyed, her head snapping forward with brutal force. The impact sent her reeling, blood pouring down her face, her legs trembling as if they would give out. But she didn't stop. Shecouldn'tstop.

"Hermione,please," Draco sobbed, his vision blurring with tears. "Please—don't do this—please—"

But Bellatrix wasn't done. She raised her wand, her smile widening.

"Now, cut yourself," she commanded, her voice sweet and cruel.

And Hermione obeyed. She reached down, picking up the cursed blade Draco had disarmed earlier, her fingers trembling as if some small part of her was still fighting. But it didn't matter. The curse was too strong. The blade sank into her ribs, and she began to carve.

Draco screamed, the sound high and broken and filled with every ounce of his horror and despair. "Stop—please, stop—Hermione,fight it—"

But she couldn't hear him. She just kept cutting, blood streaming down her arm in thick, dark rivulets, the blade digging deeper and deeper until the flesh tore and gaped.

"Stop it—Bellatrix,stop it—"

But Bellatrix only laughed, her eyes bright with delight. "Why, Draco, I'm only letting her do what she wasbornto do—suffer."

And then—then she flicked her wand, and Draco's chains fell away. He dropped to the ground, his legs buckling beneath him, but he didn't care. He scrambled forward, his heart pounding wildly, his gaze fixed on Hermione.

"Hermione—Hermione,stop—"

But she didn't. She couldn't. She just kept slamming her head against the wall, the blade slicing into her skin again and again, blood splattering the ground around her in thick, crimson drops.

"Please—please,listen to me—Hermione,please—"

He reached her just as she collapsed, her legs giving out, her body crumpling to the floor in a broken, bloody heap. Draco caught her, pulling her into his arms, his hands shaking as he cradled her battered form.

"Hermione—Hermione, please—stop—"

But she couldn't. Her eyes were still vacant, still unseeing, her head lolling weakly against his chest.

"Please," he sobbed, clutching her close. "Please—just—stop—"

But it was too late. She was bleeding out, her body shaking violently, her breathing ragged and shallow. He pressed his hands to the gashes on her arms, trying to stop the blood, trying tosave her—

But he couldn't. There was too much blood. She was dying. She wasdying.

"Hermione,please—please—don't leave me—"

But she didn't respond. Her body shuddered once, twice, and then went still.

And Draco felt his world shatter.

"Hermione—Hermione,no—"

But she was gone. Her head was bloody and bruised, her eyes blank and unseeing, her skin pale and cold. She was gone.

And Draco was left kneeling in the middle of the hall, cradling her lifeless body in his arms, his screams of grief echoing through the empty corridors.

Bellatrix's laughter rang out behind him, high and wild and triumphant.

"Poor little Draco," she cooed mockingly. "Didn't I tell you?Mudbloodsdon't belong in our world."

But Draco didn't hear her. He didn't hear anything.

Because the woman he loved was dead.

And he hadn't been able to save her.