Slytherin Royalty (Draco Malfoy)

xxi) Forgiveness

We hit the sand and Harry quickly gets up and goes to where Ron is holding Hermione. I get up slowly with Draco, who hasn't let go of my hand yet. I look at him as a small smile appears on our faces. We are free. Both of us are free from Voldemort.

"Harry Potter." A very quiet mutter is heard. "Fiona Potter." I look around and my eyes find Dobby. All the happiness I felt just a few moments ago is lost.

Harry approaches Dobby first and holds him in his arms. I get up and approach Dobby too, sitting down opposite Harry. There is a bright red stain on Dobby's chest and Bellatrix's knife lies a few feet away.

"Hold on, Dobby." I whisper as Draco comes and kneels down beside me too. Dobby raises a hand and Draco and I both grab it.

"Hermione?" Harry turns his head to look at where she is. "You have something? In your bag? Hermione?" I already know it's hopeless. The knife is poisonous and there is no cure to this poison.

"Such a beautiful a place... to be with friends... Dobby is happy... to be with friends." Dobby turns his eyes towards Draco. "Thank you, Draco." Draco nods his head once and I drape an arm around his shoulder. "Harry Potter. Fiona Potter." Dobby's chest rises and falls one last time.

I bite my lower lip to stop myself from crying as I look down at the small frame of the elf. Luna comes over and kneels down beside Harry. "We should close his eyes. Don't you think?" She asks. Harry nods a bit while Draco reaches over and does it. "There. Now he could be sleeping."

There is a few minutes of silence before Harry speaks. "I want to bury him. Properly. Without magic." Harry looks at me once before glancing at Draco. He is the one who was closest to Dobby. Dobby was the one who got Draco through all those years when Lucius would torture him and I wasn't there with him. If anyone has right to decide how Dobby will be buried, it's Draco.

Draco picked the small hill nearby and he, Harry and I dug a grave for Dobby. Afterwards the three of them are inside while Draco and I take a walk along the beach.

"I am surprised they didn't ask us questions." Draco says breaking the silence.

I shrug. "We haven't met them yet. So..."

Draco sighs and we both stop walking, turning to face one another. "I am sorry for leaving you. I know you don't want to hear it but it's the truth. I didn't think about the consequences and I wasn't thinking of you. I shouldn't have left you there alone with Him."

I sigh and place a hand on Draco's arn. "Listen to me. I don't blame you for leaving. I was actually happy that you did. And now we are both out here. That is all that matters. You understand?"

Draco nods though I can tell it's half-hearted. He will never forgive himself for leaving me there. "Can you promise me something?" I ask. Draco nods without hesitating. "Promise me that you will never leave me again."

"I promise." Draco says. "I promise." He forces his eyes close and I place a hand cupping his face. He leans into the touch and I lean over and kiss him which he happily returns.

"We need to go inside now." I mutter once we pull away. Draco sighs sadly but nods.

We enter the house to find everyone seated around the table im the sitting room. When Bill sees us enter, he jumps up and takes out his wand. "Give me a reason." He states simply.