Villain's Love || Draco x OC

(26)

(Draco's POV)

When Mara left, I returned to the field. There were a few moments where I had to fight, before we all fell back into the school, and the death eaters retreated. I don't know where she is, but right now I am more concerned about who is actually alive. I look through to corridors, scanning each face of the people who are injured. One of the faces I recognise; it's one of the Weasley twins. I don't know which one, but it's upsetting. His family surrounds his body, weeping over his corpse. The other one, Ron, isn't there. Does he even know? I doubt it.

I look to my left, and see Zabini with the other Slytherins. I walk over to him hastily, patting his back. I'm happy he's alive. I didn't want him to be dead. His choice to join us gave me a good impression.

"You're alive," Blaise says. He grips my hand in a small handshake.

"I am," I say. "Easy fight?"

He grinned slightly. "Yep. Easy. Those death eaters stood no chance against me."

I smile wearily. The other two girls, Parkinson and Greengrass, approach us. Blaise wraps his arm around Greengrass, kissing the side of her head. She sighs, leaning against his shoulder. My stomach twists. I want that to be Mara and I. I want to be holding my love like that. But I don't know where she is. Hell, is she even alive?

Don't think that, Draco, I think to myself. She's alive. She has to be! She can't die. She promised not to, and she'd do her best to return. I trust her completely.

"Where's Mara?" Parkinson asks me.

I purse my lips, deciding to explain it to them. "The dark lord requested for her presence. My... Father passed the message along to her."

Their eyes widen. Parkinson exchanges a look of concern with Greengrass. "Wait, really? Was that... A good decision?"

They're thinking the same thing as I am. They're wondering the same questions. The same possibilities.

"She went over so she could have a chance to kill the snake," I reply confidently. I sound fake, at least to myself. But I've been able to do it my whole life, so with one more sentence I won't break a sweat.

"Oh," Blaise shrugs. He doesn't sound that surprised. "Pretty smart, I guess. Would it have taken this long, though?"

I nudge his arm. "Shut up. She'll be back, I know it."

Blaise winces slightly at my rough gesture, but he nods. "Fine, fine, yes, she will be back."

I spot Potter, Weasley and Granger nearing one of the twin's corpse. Hermione already looks like she cried, with puffy red eyes and a small pout curbing her lips downwards. The moment she sees me, she rushes over. I look away, before clearing my throat.

"Is something wrong?" I ask. Is she here for comfort? I mean,if she was, then that would be weird. She can ask Weasley for comfort.

"I... don't know how to say this, b-but..." She cups her mouth, starting to cry again.

"Mara's dead."

"Wait, what?" I stammer. No. No, no, no, no. She can't be dead. Why would she be dead? If she was dead, then... Then...

"You're lying," I stammer, shaking my head. My voice is unsteady, my hands are trembling, a flood is threatening to leave my eyes. "She promised--  she wasn't supposed to die!"

"Draco, we tried," she said, looking as if she wanted to hug me. I wouldn't have minded, but I want Mara to hug me. To tell me this is all a joke. It has to be, please Lord, I'm begging you. "We tried to save her. But she was bleeding too much, and she was already on the verge of death, and she just wanted us to tell you."

My face is scrunching up. I'm going to sob. Sob so much I might as well drown in my own tears. I sniffle, taking a step back. "If you'll excuse me," I say, turning on my heel before she can stop me.

I go anywhere. My feet are moving, my eyes are leaking, my thoughts are blank.

Mara's dead.

Mara's dead.

Mara's dead.

She died because you allowed her to leave. You foolishly believed that she would return. You believed her lies. No one can fight against a man who can't die.

It's your fault.

It's your fault.

It's your fault.

I slide down against a wall, my elbows on my knees, my head in my hands, my face tipped downwards.

Now what the fuck do I do? Who the fuck am I supposed to go to? Mara is the whole reason I'm fucking here.

What's my purpose now?

<><><>

I numbly return to the wounded. I can't continue to blame myself, but I do. Blaming fucking Voldemort won't do anything. At least I can hurt myself for it.

I see Hermione with the other two boys. I decide to ask where her body is, so I can say a final goodbye. It's probably at the shrieking shack, but who knows? Maybe it moved.

"I'm gonna go there," I hear Potter say. The other two look distressed at his choice.

"What? Are you mad?" Weasley asks, looking and sounding bewildered.

"It's meant to be," Potter responds, looking over at me. "I have to go."

Mara wasn't meant to die. And look at what happened to her, I think to myself.

"Rubbish! Why are you--" Hermione interrupts the redhead by squeezing his arm.

"What do you know, Harry? What made you change your mind?" She asks.

I don't really feel like I have a place here in this conversation, but I'm here. And they're not telling me to leave either.

"There's a reason I can hear horcruxes, Hermione," he says. She shakes her head.

Wait, he can hear them? Is that a new development or did I never pay much attention to him to notice it? Probably the former. I never really did care about him.

"We've both known for a while," he stares at her. "Haven't we?"

Miserably, she states, "I'll go with you--"

"Kill the snake," he interrupts. "Then it'll be just Voldemort. Then kill him." And his figure fades off into the distance.

I look at Hermione, who's crying again.

"So, uh..." I start awkwardly. "Where's he going?"

"The forest," Weasley responds. "To sacrifice himself."

Oh.

"Oh," I say out loud. I look away, before muttering, "I'm sorry for your loss."

He looks surprised by my show of concern. He shrugs. "It's okay. I'm... Sorry about Mara."

Her name tears my heart a little more. "It's fine," I say. "Speaking of her, where did she die?"

"The shrieking shack," Hermione says. I walk away immediately, in the direction of that damn shack.

Just one final goodbye. Maybe her soul will be able to hear it. Maybe her ghost will hear it. Just... One closure, and I'll try my best to move on.

When I reach the shack, her body's gone.