Everlasting 2 (Draco Malfoy x Reader)

Approaching Death

The sword was deep in your pocket, back into the shape of a pen. You scarcely cared for much now; victory was far too close to worry about miniature matters as would appear on your journey back to the castle. You kept your wand firmly in your hand, still alert, ready to blast any individual who dared to look at you the wrong way. 

But there is only so much a girl can do. Only so much a girl can do, whose head continues to spin, who has to quickly grip the wall beside her to keep herself up.

"I must be exhausted," you whispered to yourself, continuing the battle through the hallway, holding onto the walls as you passed. The Astronomy Tower was yet a long way away, but the halls were appearing longer and longer, to the extent of you having to rub your eyes and squint them, ensuring you weren't imagining things. The hall really did seem to be getting longer! Almost never-ending! 

Gently sliding your back down the wall, you hit the floor. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. In for seven, out for eleven. In for seven, out for eleven. Were you going crazy? Surely not. The sweat trickling down your forehead said otherwise. Somewhere deep inside in that intelligent brain of yours, you knew what was happening. Somewhere in that part of you that acknowledged the harsh truth, you were aware of what was happening. But that kind of truth was not one you wished to admit. The aching on your shoulder continued to grow, but, with the most determination one had ever seen, you gripped the wall, aiding your stand, as your feet held the ground beneath you. You were on your own two feet - as long as you could still do that, you were still capable. 

You had to get to the Astronomy Tower sooner or later. Better sooner than later. And so, your journey began. It was not easy, that's for sure. With your trembling legs, a cold warmth spreading through your body, an electric pain attacking your muscles. You proceeded up the stairs, up all those very stairs through the grand castle, climbing upwards as though your life depended on it. You'd gotten this far; you would not give in now. 

The pain began to drift away. 

Slowly, the aching from your shoulder disappeared completely. 

No - you felt nothing anymore. 

Your shoulder was completely numb, disconnected from your own brain. 

Good Merlin - the numbness was spreading!

You could not do it. Your legs had given in under you. The feeling of your own body dissipated, leaving you to be nothing but a rag-doll, no longer in control of your own body. With as much force as you could exert, you grabbed the wall, aiding your fall and preventing it from being too harsh. 

"No good," you whispered, panting, grabbing your chest, wishing to feel your own skin, but not feeling your own skin, as your own existence faded away between your fingers; you could not feel yourself, you could not feel, you were not yourself. 

You did not have much of a choice - you had to resort to magic to keep going. You could not be finished off just yet, there were still things to do. People to see. People ... people to see. Draco ... to see. You had to see him - you had to make sure he was okay. You wanted to feel his heartbeat, hear his breath, see his eyes, but how could you do all those things if you could not feel your own existence? How could you touch the love of your life if your fingers were rid of their ability to feel? 

Inhaling, you lifted the wand towards your chest, gently pressing it in. With focus, with eyes closed, you steadied your breath as you focused on the desired, non-verbal magic that you wished to exert through the wand. 

You'd gotten this far, you would not give in now. There were people rooting for you - who believed in you. Your mother, your father, Sirius, Jack, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Blaise, and, oh, Draco.