His Greatest Emotion [Druna, Harry Potter]

Chapter Thirty Three

I want to start by apologising for the incredibly late upload, but since I've started uni I've been nothing but busy. But Christmas is here, so I will have more time on my hands :) Here goes the penultimate chapter. Enjoy!

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 Draco Malfoy ran up the narrow steps of the Astronomy Tower, one hand resting lightly on the banister, the other holding his wand. Both hands were trembling slightly. The sound of his shoes bounced off the walls and reverberated in the confined space, he tripped occasionally but quickly steadied himself knowing the people behind him were not looking to deal with a weakling.

Oh, how they terried Draco utterly.

He could hear the sound of their footsteps, their labored breathing. A thud and a feral, muted growl came from behind him, and he knew that Greyback must have tripped or was getting impatient. Most likely the latter.

Draco gritted his teeth to steady himself - not that it did any good. What wouldn't he give for the whole lot of them to fall backwards down those stairs, to fade out of his life and take with them his terrifying, insurmountable task and the prickling in his left forearm.

Suddenly the door at the top of the tower became visible and Draco stopped. He had reached the top of the steps. He began taking deeps gasps of air ignoring the savages behind him. But sooner than later he began to feel their gazes scorching the back of his head.

"What are you waiting for, Draco?" whispered Bellatrix who was directly behind him. "We all know you can do it. There's no need to be afraid." Of course she would say that. She was trying to lull Draco into a false sense of security, putting on her Auntie Bella act, when he knew she was just using him to gain favor with her precious Dark Lord.

Draco bit his lip, considering running away. But as soon as that thought came into his head, he was already trying to rid it. There was no way out. He ignored the chilling voices behind him and tried to regain the guts he never had to do this. His wand was vibrating in his hand, shaking, quaking, and he knew that everything within him was doing the same.

The tower was dark and silent. But Draco didn't want to waste any more time. He pointed his wand ahead of him. But it was either this or death, and this was the only way out he could see. He didn't care that it was the easy way out. He didn't care that there really was another way out; he didn't want to bother. He was too tired to run anymore. He was too tired to be afraid anymore.

Draco took a deep breath, placed his hand on the knob and then rapidly burst through the door.

As he did so, he raised his wand, pointed blindly, and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he shut his eyes, expecting a rapid and terrible retribution, but nothing happened. He remained stock still, standing where he was with his eyes squeezed shut.

"Good evening, Draco."

Draco's eyes snapped open. Albus Dumbledore stood before him, gazing at him with love in his terrifically antique eyes. He instantly hated it, hated the way it flushed through him. He had to kill! He had to bring death to one to keep death from another. Himself.

Draco was always looking out for himslef in the end.

"Draco, Draco, you are not a killer." Dumbledore continued to talk to him wearing his kind smile, his stupid smile with which he thought he could solve anything

Blood seemed to boil in his brain, and he felt a hard beat on his temple as he answered, in a rush of madness and panic: "How do you know?"

Draco Malfoy was about to finish off the greatest wizard of all time. The task had to be fulfilled, he must not fail. Things were expected of him.