Because of Scorpius

Fifty Six

This world had grown to hate Draco Malfoy.

~

"You have one hour," was the last thing He said, His voice sending shivers down my spine. The voice was followed by silence, everyone looking around to their classmates, confirming to see that they had just heard the same thing. I felt the fear and tension levels rise in the air.

"Well, there he is!" Pansy cried, standing with the rest of the Slytherins. She held a shaking finger up to Harry. "Someone grab him!"

Hatred runs through my veins as everyone moves in front of Harry, standing protectively in front of him. Draco next to me squeezes my hand, and we watch the scene from the far end of the wall. I fight the huge urge that erupted inside me to finish Pansy off once and for all.

"But why's he here? He's a Death Eater!" A small Gryffindor boy shrieked, pointing at Draco with a shaky hand.

"Why are you all standing there? Lift up the sleeve on his left arm! HE'S ONE OF THEM!" roared another girl from Ravenclaw.

Draco looked at them, not with hurt and betrayal, but with annoyance. And, not to my surprise, he chose ignore them. It wasn't anything he wasn't used to already. No one bothered to defend him. Chatter began to scatter through the Great Hall, and, angry, I open my mouth to speak, but Draco gives my hand another squeeze, and shakes his head solemnly.

I look at our friends in disbelief. I would've expected at least someone, anyone, to speak up for Draco. Instead, they all looked down at their shoes.

Cowards.

"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" I hear a voice say, and Filch comes running into view, holding his god-awful cat in his arms. "STUDENTS IN THE CORRIDOR!"

"They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" Mcgonagall cries, a look of exasperation on her face.

"Oh," Filch says, looking disappointed that he wouldn't be getting the opportunity to punish some kids. "Sorry ma'am."

Draco's grip on my hand suddenly tightens, and he lets out a quiet gasp. I look at him, alarmed.

"What happened?" I ask. He had pulled back his sleeve, revealing the bandages that covered his Dark Mark.

"It burns," he says quietly, then quickly pulls down his sleeve again. "It's fine."

I look at him, concerned. He avoids my gaze and looks straight ahead at the scene. Everyone began cheering suddenly, and I look up to see Filch leading the Slytherins out of the Great Hall.

Bastard. Some of them could help.

Everyone was now filing out of the Great Hall, looking frantic as they went. Draco pulled me out of the Hall, and we run outside. I look behind my shoulder, hoping to get a last glance at Lupin, but there was too many people, pushing and shoving their way past.

Draco stops me at the end of a hallway, and puts his hands on my shoulders. "Listen to me carefully," he says in a quick voice, much like he had when we were running from the Carrows a couple weeks ago.

"You need to stay by my side no matter what," he says, shaking my shoulders slightly as he talked. "Do you understand?"

"Draco, you know I can take care-"

"I know," He cuts in, looking at me with genuine fear in his eyes. "Just- please."

I nod. "You know I wasn't planning on being away from you anyways."

He wraps me into a tight hug, his hands shaking as he did. His breathing was heavy, and I felt his heart beating loudly against my chest.

"This is it, [Y/N]. What we've been waiting for," he mumbles, his voice shaking. "We just have to get past this night. And then it's over. It's over! Okay?"

I nod, too scared to speak.

"Come on," he says, taking my hand again.

We run with the crowd, everyone yelling and screaming in fear. Through the windows, I saw a white, almost sheer force field surrounding the castle as we passed. I gripped Draco's hand tightly as we ran.

It was chaos. Students ran among the corridors, shoving and pushing each other. Even ghosts were soaring through the halls, a terrified look etched on their transparent faces.

Draco held my hand tightly as he pushed through the crowd and lead me outside onto the grounds, where Mcgonagall and Mrs. Weasley were standing, watching the enchanted statues march their way onto the bridge.

We watch as the force field wraps around the entire school like a bubble, then disappears, completely transparent. I look at the huge clock that faced the outside of the castle. We had 40 minutes until He would be here.

"Draco," I blurt out, as we lean against the outside walls of the castle, watching.

"Hmm?" He says, his voice quivering with anxiety.

"I love you."

"I love you, too," he says, wrapping me into his arms once more. "Don't be scared. I will do everything to get you out of this alive. I promise you."

"Look," he mumbles, pointing to the sky, where Scorpius was, directly above us. "It'll keep us safe. Remember? It gives us miracles."

I nod, feeling sick to my stomach as I listened to the loud commotion of people in the castle. I studied Draco as he looked across the grounds, a fearful expression on his face.

And my fear was replaced by pity. I felt sorry for him.

Sorry because, no one saw him the way I did. And he lived his life constantly surrounded by hatred and anger. And despite everything, being disgraced from his own family and peers, he still managed to stay pure. For me.

Draco would live to see tomorrow with me.

And I would do anything to make sure of that.

We were going to live. Both of us. Because the both of us couldn't exist on this earth without each other. No matter what.

He shuffled his feet next to me, slowly running his hand over his left forearm that was covered by the bandage. He looked down on it with an expression I couldn't read, but I could've sworn I saw a flash of guilt in his eyes.

The price of being misunderstood in this world. Either you were a Death Eater or you were good.

My mind goes back to a couple weeks ago, when I had overheard Luna and Draco. "The world has been very unkind lately. Especially to the people who deserve it the least."

And I couldn't think of anyone who fit that description better than Draco.

This world had grown to hate Draco Malfoy. Despise him, even. And he was still here.

"Draco?" I say again.

"Hmm?"

"You're not one of them," I say, gritting my teeth and trying not to cry. "I'm sorry everyone misunderstood you."

He was silent for a while, stroking my hair as I rested my head against his chest.

"When the fightings over, we don't have to be here anymore," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "It'll be you, me, and our stars."

"Our stars."