my inheritance (g.w x o.c)

chapter sixty: when fates collide

"A few months," I shrugged. "George's parents are pretty high up in the ranks you know."

"How the hell did he not catch you sooner?"

"He taught me all of his best tricks. He just didn't know I had tricks of my own."

"Damn you, Slytherin Princess."

I rolled my eyes. "Not you too."

"It's growing on me," he shrugged. Narcissa stood up.

I looked over at her. "You lied."

"He told me Draco was inside. And that he was alive. I had to get back-" I rested my hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you." She breathed out a sigh of relief. "I'm so sorry about Bellatrix."

She nodded. "She cared about you. In her own way, she thought of you as a daughter."

"It used to be that way," I agreed. "Somewhere along the way I think she lost sight of the love she had for me."

"Oh, Larissa, no she didn't. She loved you."

"She loved you," I corrected. "I was the closest she could get to Voldemort without actually having him." I shrugged slightly. "It's okay though. Cause you were always there."

"And I still am." I gave her a sad smile before she pulled me in for a hug. For a moment, we were silent. Then I took a deep breath and stepped back. I balled up my fists as I looked up at Lucius. We both waited for the other to speak.

"I'm sorry."

"For?" I pressed.

He looked down. "You're kids," he muttered. "And I forgot that."

I dug my nails into the palm of my hands. He's Draco's dad. Draco deserves to have his dad. "You put your son through hell, and if you were half the man you think you are, you wouldn't have let him be brought into this." I glanced at Draco. He barely lifted his eyebrows. I sighed, looking back at Lucius. "But he still loves you." Lucius met my gaze. "And if he wants to forgive you, then I'll forgive you too." He went to say something, but I quickly interrupted. "Not because you deserve it. But because he deserves a father who isn't rotting in Azkaban for the rest of his life."

"You'll talk to the council?"

"I will."

"Thank you."

"Like I said, it's for Draco. Not you."

I went back to the Weasleys. George stood up as I got close.

"You okay?"

"Don't worry about me," I shook my head. "How are all of you?" I glanced around the table, furrowing my brow when I didn't see Ginny. "Hey, where's-"

"I'm not sure how to feel about you being on our team," a voice behind me spoke up. I turned around to see Ginny. "It's even weirder to see you with my brother."

"If I think about it for too long, I get Quidditch flashbacks so I just let it be," I joked. She raised an eyebrow before nodding.

"You know, when you aren't trying to kill me, you're not half bad, Prince."

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that by the way. I don't want to make excuses for any of that, so I just want to say I'm sorry."

She shrugged. "You'll probably have a nice bruise on your back so we can just call it even for now."

I rubbed my lower back where it was sore. "I'm impressed."

"It's about time."

I smiled softly before holding my hand out. "Truce?"

She nodded, shaking my hand. "Truce."

She walked over to her parents. I looked around the Great Hall. A place where I'd made so many memories. Now it was crumbling. Then I spotted Harry who was standing outside by himself. "I've got someone I need to talk to."

"I'll get you all to myself one of these days."

"The moment we get out of here I'm yours forever," I promised. I wrapped my arms around his neck. "Will you let me apologize yet?"

"No, because you had nothing to do with it." I sighed, leaning back. "Now go, I'm going to check on my mom."

I nodded before heading outside. Everyone I passed stared. People moved out of my way. Whispers ensued. It would never end. I leaned against the railing by Harry. He turned the elder wand in his hand as he looked out at the Forbidden Forest.

"They still stare," Harry muttered. I scoffed with a nod.

"For some reason I thought that would stop," I sighed. "I suppose we just gave them more to talk about with all of this." He nodded, looking down at the wand. We were quiet for a second.

"Thank you for trying to stop him," Harry finally spoke.

"I was just..." I took a deep breath. "I was really tired of the way he treated everyone." I balled up my fists. "He killed Snape." I shoved a stray piece of concrete off the ledge. "He bloody killed him. For what? More power? It was never enough for him."

"And it was never going to be."

I nodded. "I just, I was hoping that somewhere in his heart he could remember how it used to be. But I think it was all just in my head."

"I'm sorry," he sighed. I looked over at him to see him already looking at me. "For everyone you lost today. It feels weird to say sorry for some of them, but if there's one thing we have in common, it's loss."

"I kind of hate that it all had to end here."

"Me too. This was more of a home to me than the Dursleys' ever was."

"We really were on the same path, huh, Potter?"

"It's weird."

"Really weird," I agreed. We both laughed softly. "But it's over. We made it. We're both free." He nodded, looking back at the wand in his hands. "What are you going to do now that you own the most powerful wand in history?"

"I don't know." He twisted it in his hands before snapping it in two.

"What the..."

"Now no one can use it." He handed me a piece. I stared down at it. The turmoil he put so many people through for this wand. The agony Draco had to go through. I took each end in my hands before snapping it again. I scoffed, nodding.

"That gives an odd sense of catharsis."

He threw his piece over the ledge. I followed suit. For a moment, we just stared into the Forest. "Should we head back in?"

"Do you think the whispers have stopped by now?"

"You're the Heir of Slytherin and I'm the Chosen One. They're never going to stop."

"I hate that you're right," I sighed, standing up straight. "Let's face the music, Potter."