The Final Parting

Draco's heart raced as he faced the Dark Lord, a tempest of emotions swirling within him. The drawing room pulsed with tension, the air thick with dark magic and the remnants of battle. He could see Theo and Ginny struggling against the oppressive force Voldemort wielded, but there was no turning back now.

"Ah, the little Malfoy," Voldemort hissed, his red eyes glimmering with malice. "You come to avenge your precious Granger, but tell me, where was your loyalty when it truly mattered? You killed your own parents, betrayed your blood, and for what? To embrace a mudblood who couldn't even save herself?"

Draco's grip tightened around his wand, fury igniting within him. "You don't get to speak her name," he growled, pushing back against the wave of anger threatening to consume him. "You took everything from me!"

With a flick of his wrist, Draco unleashed a curse that sliced through the air, the spell colliding with Voldemort's chest. The Dark Lord staggered back, red welts blooming across his pale skin, but his malevolent grin only widened.

"Such fire," Voldemort mocked, pain twisting into amusement. "But it will get you nowhere. You're nothing but a pathetic blood traitor—fighting for a cause that has already lost. Just like your dear mudblood, lying dead at your feet. You ruined your family for her, and in the end, it meant nothing."

Draco's breath quickened, the rage boiling over as he envisioned Hermione's lifeless form, the cold weight of her absence suffocating him. He lunged forward, casting curse after curse, each one filled with the weight of his grief.

But in his fury, he lost focus. Voldemort took advantage, his wand flicking with practiced ease. A jet of dark energy shot toward Draco, and before he could react, he felt a crushing weight envelop him. The world around him warped, and he was plunged into a dark abyss, as if he were drowning in an endless sea. His lungs burned, desperation clawing at him as he struggled against the suffocating spell.

Draco's vision blurred, He felt cold water slapping against his face. Draco's heart rate drops and his veins and arteries constrict. Already, he can feel the strain in his lungs. His blood, normally a rich, oxygenated red, was turning blue. Dimly, he feels his arms and legs burn from the buildup of lactic acid caused by oxygen deprivation. He let out a great sigh of carbon dioxide. Just as he starts to take a breath, the spell pulls him back under. he gags, larynx in spasms as it reflexively closes to keep water out of his lungs. He starts to lose consciousness.

the walls of the drawing room spinning as he found himself tethered to the ceiling, helpless and gasping. The sensation was reminiscent of the torment Hermione had endured, and he could almost hear her cries echoing in his mind. Panic gripped him as he fought against his bonds, but the more he struggled, the more the curse tightened around him, the darkness closing in.

"Look at you, Malfoy," Voldemort taunted, his voice dripping with mockery. "A sad little boy, hanging from the ceiling like a plaything. You're nothing, and you will be left with nothing but the ghosts of your failures."

Draco's heart raced, but the icy grip of despair clawed at his chest. The world faded to black around the edges, his consciousness teetering on the brink. Just when he thought all hope was lost, a flicker of movement caught his eye.

"Draco!" Ginny's voice pierced through the haze. He saw her struggling to her feet, a fierce determination igniting in her eyes. Theo was there, too, trying to regain his footing, but the Dark Lord's power was overwhelming.

"Ginny, no!" Draco shouted, desperation lacing his voice, but it was too late. In one swift motion, Ginny raised her wand, her face a mask of fierce resolve.

"Avada Kedavra!" she screamed, her voice cutting through the chaos. She wouldnt have been able to get such a head on shot if the Dark Lord hadn't been wounded by green light shot forward, striking Voldemort squarely in the chest. For a heartbeat, time froze. The Dark Lord's eyes widened in shock, and Draco felt the pull of the curse weaken, a momentary breath of relief rushing through him. Then, with a sickening thud, Voldemort collapsed, his lifeless body crumpling to the floor.

He fell, the spell dissipating as he dropped to the ground, gasping for air, his heart racing with disbelief. He coughed violently, lungs burning as the water of the curse receded, the dark magic finally lifting. Ginny and Theo rushed to his side, concern etched on their faces.

"Draco! Are you alright?" Theo knelt beside him, his voice frantic.

Draco struggled to sit up, still gasping for breath

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Draco lay on the ground, the sounds of battle fading into a dull roar around him. He could feel the warmth seeping away from his body, a heavy exhaustion weighing down his limbs. The world had become a blur, and all he could focus on was the pain, the relentless ache in his chest that felt like a void, one that had only grown larger since Hermione's death.

Theo knelt beside him, desperately trying to keep him awake, while Ginny hovered nearby, her face a mask of worry. "Stay with us, Draco! We need you!" Theo urged, his voice cracking.

Draco turned his head slightly, meeting Theo's gaze. "I'm… so tired," he murmured, each word a monumental effort. "I fought… I fought for so long, but I don't think I can anymore. Just… let me go."

"No!" Theo's eyes widened in horror, and Ginny shook her head vigorously, tears brimming in her eyes. "You can't say that! We're going to get you out of here, you'll be fine, just hold on!"

Draco's breathing was shallow, and he felt the darkness tugging at the edges of his vision. "No, you don't understand," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I want to be with her. I want to be buried with Hermione. Please… let me go."

Ginny's heart dropped as she realized what he was truly saying. "Draco, no. You have so much to live for!" she pleaded, but the conviction in her voice faltered as she saw the resignation in his eyes.

With trembling hands, Draco reached into his pocket, pulling out the crumpled list of names he had taken from Hermione. He held it out to Ginny, his fingers cold and unsteady. "You need to take this… It's important."

Ginny took the list, her hands shaking as she unfolded the paper. As she scanned the names, her heart sank further. Each one was a reminder of the people they had lost, the lives that had been taken too soon. But it was the two names at the bottom that caused her to gasp in shock.

"Hermione… and… your name?" she whispered, disbelief flooding her voice. The same handwriting scrawled both names, as if Draco had known this day would come, as if he had planned this with no intention of making it out alive.

"I've always been broken," he murmured, a single tear slipping down his cheek. "I tried to pretend I could stay, but it's too hard without her. I thought if I could just fight long enough… but I can't do this anymore. Not without her."

Ginny's heart shattered at his words. All the time they thought Draco was healing, was finding his way back to the light, he had been fighting his own battle in silence, one they had never truly understood. She looked to Theo, who wore a look of devastation, realizing they had lost him long before the battle even began.

"Draco," Theo choked out, his voice thick with emotion. "Please, don't say that. You can't leave us. We need you! You're part of our family now!"

But Draco could hardly hear them over the overwhelming pull of darkness that beckoned him. He felt the weight of their hands in his, but it was as if he were floating, drifting away from the pain and sorrow. His thoughts turned to Hermione, to the life they could have had together. The peace she had offered him in a world so cruel.

"Hermione is my family" he whispered back.

With a final, shuddering breath, Draco whispered her name, "Hermione," as warmth enveloped him. He let go of their hands, surrendering to the darkness that awaited him.