BREATHE -draco malfoy

forty four.

Ana was sleeping peacefully, feeling comfortable and safe for the first time in far too long. Her rest was dreamless, free of the nightmares that usually tortured her subconscious. Draco had stroked her hair until she fell asleep, and when she awoke, his hand was still petting her face lovingly. She smiled up at him, just barely opening her eyes. But Draco was no longer looking down at her. Rather, his eyes were trained on the blown out wall of the Great Hall where the bridge was visible in the daylight. Draco was not the first to notice the swarm of black, streaking in front of his vision. There were several others who had gotten up as well, rushing out of the concrete piles of rubble to inspect the scene outside. Draco could feel his heart pounding and he immediately looked down at Ana, who's eyes were trained on him sleepily.

"Wake up, Ana," Draco whispered nervously. "Something's happened." He turned his attention back to the outside, watching as a crowd started to form, gathering on the destroyed steps. Ana got up immediately, frantically rising to her feet and Draco followed suit, taking her hand firmly as they ran over to the others, silently approaching behind the other students and staff.

Draco immediately wished that they had stayed inside. The flock of black was hundreds of Death Eaters, standing in a crowd in the midst of the destroyed entrance. When Ana and Draco got outside, they were to the side and behind many other people, but easily visible from within the group. Draco's eyes widened as he saw the Dark Lord, in front of them all.

In one swift motion, acting on pure instinct based on the sight before him, Draco stepped in front of Ana, shielding her from view as best as he could.

"Stay behind me," Draco whispered, his voice horror struck. Ana stared at Draco's black-clad back, not completely able to see what was happening. But she had seen him: Voldemort's snake-like eyes, his tattered black robes, his translucent skin that seemed to glow a sickly green. Ana felt the fear lace her heart, horrified at being in front of the very creature she had been running from for almost a year. She gripped the back of Draco's blazer, her breathing stopping altogether. Draco had a protective hand behind him, reaching around her arm to hold her in place. Ana looked from side to side frantically, on high alert. She was met with the blue eyes of Luna Lovegood, who inched a little closer to her protectively, and Pansy Parkinson, who was staring at her in barely contained outrage.

When Ana drew her attention back to the Death Eaters, black clad soldiers smiling at them all in triumph, Voldemort was beginning to speak. His voice was loud and elated, deafening and pleased. But his words made every single heart sink to the floor, a flurry of tears coming from everyone, and a few screams.

"Harry Potter...is dead!"

Ana finally saw it. Hagrid, looking beaten and agonized with three ropes tangled around his neck, was holding a Harry-sized body, pressed up against his giant chest. Harry's arms dangled, his whole body limp. Ana let out a choking sound and felt the tears start to come, tears of anger and sorrow, and she felt Draco stiffen even more in front of her. Draco's shoulders were square, his chin help high. He didn't know what this would mean for him, Harry being dead and the war being won by the Dark Side, but he stood firm in front of the girl he loved, ignoring the way his lip was trembling.

The air went silent, a thick, unadulterated sense of loss showing clearly on everyone's faces. Voldemort stared at them all, every member of the army that had just, only hours ago, fought against him. He surveyed the the beaten posture of the throng of students, family, friends, and allies that were stationed, unmoving, upon Hogwarts' noble steps.

"No!" someone screamed out in front of the crowd, and Ana felt hot, angry tears squeeze out of her eyes as she stared at her fallen best friend from across the open space, her face contorting in anger and hatred and knee-buckling pain. She didn't know how to react, how to think. Her shock was the only thing, other than Draco, that kept her from falling to the floor in agony.