When The Sword Falls - (A Drarry Fanfic)

Mistakes

"That isn't a bad thing, Draco," Lupin interrupted quietly, staring at me. "We all change when it comes to love. You're not a fool for wanting the best for Harry. But you might be making a very grave mistake in not telling him." Lupin smiled, a little tiredly. "Draco, you don't know this, and I can't possibly make you believe anything, but Harry's loved you ever since you met in Diagon Alley in your first year. You didn't make a good impression then, but he's loved you nevertheless. I've never seen that boy love anyone else as much as he loves you, Draco. I've only seen it two other times - in Severus and myself, and in Harry's parents - Lily and James." He stood up, and I could see that helping me make the potion had taken a lot out of him. He walked over to me, trembling a little, and Snape helped him along, guiding him by the elbow. Lupin smiled at me, stroking my face tenderly.

"Harry doesn't have much, and all he could ever give to anyone is his love. He doesn't have his parents anymore, Merlin bless them, and all he truly has in the world are his friends, and now you. And as far as I'm concerned, you've played a huge role in changing him, Draco. Imagine the pain - the hurt - he'll feel if -" and here Lupin surreptitiously touched the wood of the chair next to him - "-if the potion doesn't work out, and you die because of it. Imagine how he'd feel when he finds out that the person he only ever loved died in trying to protect him, again. It'd be Harry reliving Lily and James' deaths all over again."

I hadn't been able to speak.

"Think, Draco."

And Lupin had left, with Snape helping him.

The thought of dying brought uneasiness, yes, but not downright fear. I was even more fearful of what possibly might happen to Harry if I didn't take the potion.

Yes, technically I wasn't a vampire. I couldn't kill someone from drinking their blood. But I knew what I did to the people I've fed from. What I was actually doing was sapping their strength and life force, bit by bit, leaving a small space of emptiness - of nothingness - behind. I was turning them into zombies - lifeless, emotionless. I was absorbing their memories, their happiness, a fate even worse than death.

It was what Damon had done to me, but he hadn't been able to finish me off, for some unknown reason. But day by day, I felt my hunger increase, becoming more of a need than a want. The urges were becoming even more violent, and I found myself unable to contain the thirst for lengthy periods of time.

Which was why I was afraid for Harry - I was afraid that one day I'd snap, and that Harry would be too emotionally attached to me to flee. Knowing his desire to help and protect the people he loved, I was certain that he would offer himself to me, if need be.

And I wasn't sure if I could stop myself from taking his life force away completely.

I knelt before the toilet bowl, gripping the white porcelain until my knuckles turned white. I ripped the cork off the vial with my teeth, and before I could think twice about anything, I chugged the contents down in one swallow.

I wasn't so sure what happened after that - all I could remember was the feeling of fire in my throat, burning everything in its wake as it slid down, like molten lava. The last solid thing I remembered was a sudden pain in the back of my head as my skull connected with the toilet floor, and I vaguely remembered lying on the hard ground before everything went black.

I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't remember who I was, or what I was doing.

Everything seemed to fade, and my breathing - which were coming in ragged gasps - slowly calmed, before stopping altogether.

My heart stopped beating.

I ceased to exist.

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