Joined (A Drarry Fic Not Written By Me)

Part 2: Chapter 21 (Final)

Okay FINALLY we're gonna end this mess of a story that people like for some reason. And then I'm probably going to start a new one and pressure myself to write regularly which probably isn't going to happen but whatever. Anyway, enjoy the final chapter, for real this time, of Joined!

"Draco."
"Draco, calm down."
"Draco, put the wand down."
"Draco, don't be afraid."
Draco stared at his parents, his eyes wide and darting frightfully from one to the other, his wand raised.
"She won't hurt you," Narcissa whispered.
"Oh yes I will!" Bellatrix snapped. "He wants to try and protect his precious Potter! He's a disgrace to your name, Cissy, and to a number of other things too!"
"You won't hurt my son, Bella," Narcissa said, quietly but firmly.
"Your son is a filthy traitor," Bellatrix spat. "He is a traitor in blood, in family, and worst of all, a traitor to the Dark Lord!"
Draco seized his chance. "STUPEFY!"
It was a close call, but Bellatrix still had sharp reflexes and jumped out of the way of the stream of glowing light that nearly hit her. Draco stood, petrified that he had failed, waiting for what his aunt would do to him.
"Hand over Potter," she snarled, glaring at him, "and no one will need to get hurt."
"No," Draco said simply.
"This is your last chance, Draco," Lucius cut in. "Choose wisely. Choose wisely which side you really want to be on."
"Draco, just let her have him!" Narcissa screamed, looking, to Harry's surprise, on the verge of tears.
Draco took a shaky breath. "No," he repeated. After a few seconds, Narcissa went over and gently tried to take Draco's arm and separate him from Harry, but she succeeded for only a few milliseconds before being shocked by the cries of pain that came from both boys and letting go, leaving Draco to snatch Harry's hand up again.
"The curse... You weren't lying...?" Lucius said quietly.
"No, the curse is real, but even if it wasn't, I still wouldn't let go," Draco said firmly.
They all stared at him for a moment before Bellatrix spoke. "Perhaps this will change your mind. Crucio!"
Draco screamed and fell to the ground, dragging Harry with him. Narcissa screamed too, running over to him.
Draco heard a mess of noise around him but he didn't care, he wanted to die, he didn't care what happened next—
"Get out of the way, Narcissa!"
"DON'T YOU HURT HIM!"
Draco felt someone shaking him, trying to revive him.
"Draco? Get up, are you alright?" Harry's voice.
Draco blinked his eyes open, his vision blurry, and nodded shakily. He felt Harry yank him upwards and his vision slowly came back into focus. He hadn't even noticed that Bellatrix and Narcissa were dueling right in front of them. Lucius wasn't helping either of them, he was eyeing Harry and Draco as though to make sure they didn't try anything. No one was shouting anything, Narcissa and Bellatrix were simply flicking their wands and jets of light shot out of them at the other.
"Expelliarmus!" Draco exclaimed, pointing his wand at his father; but it was a stupid move, since Lucius was already watching them and ready to react. "I'm not so sure you deserve your wand anymore," he said slyly, his eyes gleaming.
But just as Lucius raised his wand, a cry came from Bellatrix's direction. Lucius's head turned, and Harry's wand flew successfully into Draco's hand, and he passed it to Harry. "Thanks," he muttered, but Draco was looking at Bellatrix, who was still in the form of Professor Anglia. She was shaking violently, and her face began reforming. Thick, dark hair sprouted from her head and replaced the soft, brown waves; the bright eyes were replaced with heavy-lidded ones; her skin turned unnaturally pale.
"STUPEFY!" Harry shouted at Bellatrix, who was too distracted to avoid to spell, and was knocked back on her feet. Harry pulled Draco with him and they broke into a run out of the manor, narrowly dodging a spell sent by Lucius. Even when they were outside they didn't stop running, they didn't stop running until they were several yards away from the building, and they finally collapsed, gasping for air, against a hedge in some other yard. Draco was holding Harry's hand so tightly it was turning white.
"How do we get... To anywhere, now?" Draco said, a terrified look in his eyes.
"Er... Good question," Harry said. "Maybe we should just walk until we think of something..." He began to stand and walk forward, but Draco tried to jerk him down again so harshly that they lost their grip on each other. Harry fell forward onto the street, throwing his arms out to break his fall, as a wave of panic surged through both he and Draco at the expectation of excruciating pain— they heard a loud bang, and Harry felt Draco pull him back against the hedge as a violently purple bus appeared in front of them. "The Knight Bus!" Harry exclaimed. "We can go to the Leaky Cauldron and stay there until we can contact someone, we can write to the Weasleys, they'll help us... I can get more money from my vault at Gringotts, but for now I think I have some change in my pocket for the bus ride..."
"Harry," Draco interrupted. "Didn't you notice something?"
"Notice what?"
Draco looked at him and shakily let go of his hand. Harry tensed, once again expecting excruciating pain, but it didn't come. Draco didn't seem to be feeling it either. They stared at each other in shock, each trying to figure out what had happened to abolish their curse.
"Welcome to The Knight Bus," they heard. "Emergency transport for the stranded witch or wizard. My name is Stan Shunpike, and I will be your conduc—"
"We know, we know," Harry said rather impatiently, shoving his change into Stan's hand as he and Draco boarded the bus. "We need to go to The Leaky Cauldron in London again."
"'Arry Potter!" Stan said excitedly. "I remember you! Ern, Ern, remember 'Arry? Remember 'ow 'e rode with us a few years ago and said 'is name was Neville?"
Draco gave Harry a confused look.
"Don't ask," Harry said. "Anyway, what happened? Why can we suddenly be apart again and not feel anything?"
"I don't know," Draco said, his eyes staring into space because he was thinking so hard. "It must've been something that happened at the manor, since earlier when Mum grabbed my arm it still hurt us..."
"Two people that need each other in the future..." Harry murmered.
"What?" Draco said, looking up.
"Remember what Madam Pomfrey said, the first day the bond showed up?" Harry said. "She said the magic happens between two people that will need each other in the future. Maybe this is what we needed each other for."
Draco bit his lip softly, thinking it over. "She must not have told us that the bond breaks after  the needs have been fulfilled," he said.
"Exactly," Harry said. "So... I guess we don't need to hold hands anymore." There was an air of near-disappointment in his voice.
"I guess not," Draco said, the same disappointment present in his tone.
They both looked down at their hands, which had finally been separated.
After a few moments, Harry slid his hand around Draco's and smiled at him. "Well, at least now if we separate by accident, it won't hurt," he grinned.
Draco grinned too. "I love you, Potter."
"Love you too, Malfoy."