Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 76 - The Death of Albus Dumbledore

"No..." I managed to mutter.

Darkness swallowed my godfather's dead corpse as the Dark Mark appeared in the sky, making the clouds emerald green and black.

The Death Eaters left the Astronomy Tower leaving me on my own. Only one stayed behind. Draco was standing motionless without even being able to move. I made a step to him, with an expressionless face. When he realised I was there, he firstly looked at me and after starting crying, he begged.

"Anne, I'm so sorry! You can't imagine how sorry I am! I couldn't do any different. The Dark Lord was going to kill us!" he shouted.

"I don't want to know anything. I know everything I need to. You're becoming one of them. And nothing stops a Death Eater. It's a miracle you didn't try to kill me, too. Draco, we knew we were enemies. But this is far more than that. You were ready to kill the only remaining member of my family. There is a reason why I still wanted you after you told me you were a Death Eater! And it's because I knew you were different! Because I thought that one Mark couldn't change you! But I was wrong! It did change you. It turned you into a monster! You look like Voldemort to me."

"Anne, please, don't do this. I can't live without you. The reason why I bore half of this year was that I had you. Otherwise, I don't even know what I would have done. And the reason why I still wake up in the morning is that I have your light," he said and came up to me, touching my hand. "I'm telling you, I didn't want to do this I just preferred hurting you than killing you. The Dark Lord threatened me. He said he would kill you!" he said with a begging look. "Anne, you promised that you'd never leave me. That you'd always love me. Never, remember?"

"And you have done a great job leaving me no choice but to let go of that promise. Now, do me a favor and disappear from my life! I hate you! I don't want to see you ever again!" I walked away.

*     *     *

His body was lying on the front garden of the castle, right under the Tower from which it fell. Everyone was already standing around, either crying silently, or watching. I got closer. I kneed next to him and watched every single motionless inch of him. I was already crying, of course. But as soon as I touched his stiff, cold hand, the word crying couldn't describe the sight.

The only thing that someone would see was a girl who was screaming so loud that she doubted her lungs could bare it. But in reality, it was a lot worse.

Ever since I got to Hogwarts I've been losing the ones I love. I lost my parents on the first day and when I learned that they were only my adoptive parents, I realized I had lost my true mother, too. Ever since, the only thing I had for a family was Albus. But no, my trust had betrayed me once more. Snape had taken the last living member of my family. Now I was practically more alone than ever.

Whatever had happened between us, however mad I was at Albus for hiding the truth from me, he was still my godfather. I immediately felt stupid for ever questioning him, stupid to have lost all this time arguing.

I hope no one else in the world feels the same. I hope that the pain that I felt that day would just disappear from the world so that no one, not even my enemy, would feel it. No one can really understand how it is to lose everything in life. Now I just didn't have anyone to count to. No one I could really trust. No one I could call family.

The raised, illuminated wands of the whole school, that were clearing the sky from the clouds, couldn't bring the light back for me. For me, the sun, from sorrow, wouldn't rise.

*     *     *

The Astronomy Tower must have been such a beautiful place to die. Calm. Relaxing. Peaceful. And that was the only place I could have been the next morning. The only place where I could stop crying.