[✓] 𝘗𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘐𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 ,𝘋.𝘔𝘹𝘍𝘦𝘮𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳,

126| Lifeless

''You're early.'' I chuckled, turning back to where I was hidden by the wall. The sound of tiny feet then turned into human feet against the floor. 

Draco sat down next to me, letting out a deep breath. ''I missed you.'' 

''But you seen me last night.'' I looked up at the blonde beside me, who was gazing into the wall across from us. ''Wasn't that long.'' I bumped my shoulder with his, getting his attention. 

''I didn't mean last night. Though, I did miss you last night, too.'' 

I tilted my head at his interpretation. 

''That night, at Hogwarts.'' Right away, I knew what he was talking about. ''I'm sorry that all happened. All of it. I wanted to tell you, I really did. But I couldn't. If I did, he-'' Draco cut himself off momentarily, recollecting his thoughts. ''-he was going to kill you. Kill you to get me to do his work.''

''Draco...''

''I wouldn't be able to live with that.'' Draco cut in. He wrapped his fingers with mine, holding tightly. ''Every night after that, I had a nightmare. One that played night after night. It was always you and him, with me standing off to the side. He'd tell me that he was disappointed and that I didn't do anything right. Then, he'd turn to you. You would be begging, tears falling from your eyes. And once he spoke the words, you had been gone. I couldn't do anything to save you. All I could do was watch you die.''

I didn't know what to say about that. The best I could do to comfort him was lean into him, my head against his shoulder. 

''I'm here, Draco. And I'm never leaving.'' 

Draco smiled, tilting his head to place itself on top of mine. 

''It made me wonder if that's how you felt.'' He then murmured. I looked up at him the best I could, humming in a question. ''When Potter used the spell against me. The last thing I remembered from that was you crying over my body.'' 

''Draco, that was one of the worst days of my life.'' I shook my head. ''Actually, I still hold a grudge against Harry for doing that.''

The blonde chuckled, moving his hand from mine to wrap his arm around my shoulder. 

''Maybe I can return the favor.'' 

''By trying to kill Harry?'' I asked, turning to him with a raised brow. Draco shrugged with a hint of a smile. ''I'm pretty sure that's what You-Know-Who is currently trying to do.'' 

''Why can't I do it for him?'' Draco's fingers brushed against my neck, leaving chills down my spine. ''I've already been to school with him, I'm sure I could find him again and kill him easily.''

''All right, all right.'' I beckoned with my hands. ''Let's tone this down, now. How about we stop talking about killing Harry, huh?'' 

''Fine by me.'' I felt his thumb rub against the side of my neck, making me look down at it. His fingers wrapped around the chains that hung around my neck. Both of them being necklaces I had received. ''You're wearing it.''

Draco smiled at the sight of the familiar necklace he had gifted me. 

''Yeah.'' I smiled with a nod. ''Why wouldn't I be?'' 

Draco shrugged from my question, continuing to stare down at the necklace that hung around my neck. ''After what had happened and I was back here. Some part of me thought that you moved on. Forgot about me and never looked back.'' 

''Now why would you think that?'' I took Draco's hand, the necklace falling back down against my chest. 

With a saddened sigh, Draco looked down at our inertwined hands.