Chapter 67

                                    

                                          
Watching Harry walk away, completely alone, was like watching my childhood leave me. He was my first friend at Hogwarts, my first love and the one person who I could always turn to. He was the only person who understood this pain I was feeling, the feeling of loss that consumes your entire body, threatening to destroy you. 
                          
I was mentally and physically exhausted, my whole body aching from the bruises and hexes. I rubbed my left forearm absentmindedly, and Draco wrapped his arm around my waist, whispering "mine tingles too, you get used to it. Come on, let's go see your mum." 
                          
The tables that usually occupied the great hall had been pushed to the side, with madam Pomfrey stood on the raised platform at the very end of the hall, treating the injured with the healing potions I had made just a few hours earlier, whilst chatting about the future I was going to have with my mother and Remus. 
                          
The dead were in the centre of the hall. To a passer by it just looked like hundreds of people were sleeping peacefully, but we saw the damage happen with our own eyes, we saw our classmates killed by people twice their size and age, we saw the devastation that this night had caused. 
                          
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a group of red haired people crowing over a stretcher. I spun around to see Molly Weasley laid over a still Fred. I felt my heart drop to my stomach as I looked at George, seeing the anger and sadness in his face, and with Draco's hand firmly in mine, I headed over to pay my respects to the boy that would always lift me up when I felt like I couldn't go on anymore. 
                          
"Tori!" George enveloped me in a tearful hug as soon as I reached the family. I couldn't even bring myself to look at Fred. I wanted to remember him as the boy I used to prank people with, the boy who was always laughing, not this cold shell of a human. I watched Molly instead, with both of her hands on Draco's bloodstained cheeks as he gave her a small smile. 
                          
"She's next to Remus and Tonks" George said as we pulled away, and I looked at him confused. 
                          
"Remus and Tonks?" 
                          
"It was shortly after you headed up to the tower, a load of deatheaters came running, I think they were going to try and kill you, and they fought them off as best they could, but they were outnumbered. They went together though, which is what they both would have wanted." 
                          
I looked down at them. They looked so calm, their hands reached out towards each other. 
                          
"What about Teddy?" I said as my eyes swam with tears. 
                          
"He's fine dear, slept through it all" Molly gave me a small smile and Draco came over to me and took my hand as I spotted my mother, next to Remus. 
                          
Her hair was slightly in her face and I crouched down to brush it out of the way for her, my hands shaking. I gasped as I made contact with her skin, she was so cold. I wanted more than anything for her to move, open her eyes, do ANYTHING to show me that there was still hope left for her. But nothing happened. I furiously blinked away my tears, I wasn't going to allow myself to cry in front of her. Instead, I turned around and walked out of the hall as fast as I could and sat on the cold, dusty floor, leaning against the wall, my head in my hands as I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. 
                          
Draco was by my side in an instant. He pulled me into his chest as I grabbed at his shirt, holding onto him for dear life. 
                          
"I could have saved her. I had the wand in my hand why couldn't I save her! And Remus, all the family I have left are gone, everything's GONE!" 
                          
"Shhhhh, I know I know." All Draco could do was stroke my back as I cried into his chest. 
                          
"She told me that she was glad we found each other. I didn't get much of a chance to talk to her but she told me how proud of you she was, that you keep your father's spirit alive, now you can keep hers alive too." He placed a kiss on my forehead, and I stood up, taking in the view around me. 
                          
So many bodies. So many young lives, taken in an instant. Parents laid next to their children, their cold hands intertwined. There was a commotion coming from behind me and I turned around to see the Weasley's crouched around a stretcher. As I got closer I saw George crying, as Molly stroked the hair of the lifeless Fred. George looked up and saw me, and ran to me, swooping me into a hug, as I let the tears fall. Fred, the boy I always pranked people with, the boy who gave me the strength to carry on throughout it all. 
                          
"He brought your mum in before it happened. I didn't see it happen, I found his wand first. He's gone Tori he's gone" he sobbed even harder as I rubbed his back softly. 
                          
"Shhhhhh. I know." 
                          
"And-and now Harry, he's won Draco he's won, and I'm a fucking death eater!" 
                          
"Oh my Belle, I just wish I could take some of your pain away. You don't deserve this, you never have. It's all because of me, if I hadn't dragged you into my stupid mess-"
                          
"I would have dragged myself into it anyway" I said through sobs. "Because that's what you do for the person you love. You never give up on them."
                          
"And I'm not giving up on you Belle. Come live with me. Malfoy Manor has way too much room for just me and my parents, come and live with me and we can start our lives together, properly." 
                          
"Draco don't you see? That can never happen. He's won. I'll be either dead or in Azkaban before you can say Quidditch. He'll lock us all up. You have to go with your parents, you're safe with them, and me....well I quite literally have nothing left to lose anymore." 
                          
Draco's face fell, losing the small glimmer of hope that was present in his eyes just a few seconds ago. "I just wish we could run away again. I don't want to live in a world without you in it. I can't." 
                          
"Just know, that no matter what happens in life, I will always, always love you Draco Lucius Malfoy." 
                          
I pressed my lips to his and he placed his hands on both of my cheeks as he refrained from pulling away. After he did he leant down and whispered in my ear "mine." 
                          
Just then, we heard a commotion coming from the courtyard. The air was suddenly full of laughter and screams as a voice I knew all too well shouted 
                          
"HARRY POTTER IS DEAD!"