Living Death

- chapter three

"It is with regret I must inform you of a student's passing. Miss Y/N Y/L/N was involved in an incident. No further details will be disclosed out of respect for her and her family" Snape's voice echoed through the great hall, and all was silent, a few glances exchanged from student to student and a general look of dread on people's faces.

The last time anything like this had happened was with Cedric Diggory, and even the mention of him would almost bring people to tears. Sure, a Slytherin isn't as loved and respected as the 'good' house students but everyone looked at each other in disbelief. Hogwarts wasn't exactly a huge school so most students knew you or at least of you. A few whispers broke the silence after Snape's announcement and gradually the hall began to fill with voices again.

"Y/N? Oh the girl who'd always be with Malfoy?"

"I wonder what happened to her?"

"How do you think Malfoy is holding out?"

Most faces glanced towards the Slytherin table, not just because it was your house but to see how your friends, especially the infamous Draco Malfoy, were handling the situation.

He sat, staring sadly at the wood of the great hall table, seemingly unaware of the attention on him. He couldn't think of anything but you. Flashes of happier times, mixed with your frightened expression when he raised his wand to kill you, filled his head. He was lost. Why was this his new found reality? A reality without you was impossible to comprehend for someone who had never once been without you by his side.

He hadn't looked Professor Snape in the eyes since that night. In fact, they'd probably only crossed paths once or twice since then. He couldn't remove the image his mind had conjured of you dying, and knew he couldn't face Professor Snape as he was the one who had actually killed you. Draco the star student not turning up to potions was beginning to become a talking point for the class, second only to your unexpected death.

--

As per usual, the trio, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter himself, weren't going to let this matter go, that was a given, but even Draco, who jumped at any given opportunity to fight with them, didn't have the energy to amuse their meddling or even glance their way whenever they crossed paths.

"Incident? And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said, anger overwhelmingly her upset, bringing up the announcement for the a millionth time that day.

She'd never been that close to you but you had stuck up for her a few times when Malfoy had taken his 'mudblood' teasing too far. And you did spot her crying on the staircase at the Yule Ball that time, offering to take her back to her dormitory. She felt that everyone deserved at least some sort of explanation for your death.

"Give it a rest" Ron complained "You've been obsessing over it for days now!" He shook his head and prodded a piece of blank parchment with his wand, as though his homework would do itself and magically appear on the page before him.

Hermione sent him a firm glare before turning her attention to Harry who was for once, actually doing the homework. Well, they were in the library after all. "Harry. This is Cedric all over again. I just know it."

This time it was Harry's turn to do the glaring. Hermione knew Cedric's death was a touchy subject but at least she knew it was getting through to him. Harry closed his book and let out a short sigh "Look, Hermione, I honestly don't know what could've happened to Y/N. You know what she was like, it's not exactly impossible that she was in a reckless situation, she was best friends with Malfoy for starters"

Hermione adamantly shook her head and leaned over the table a little more "Yes, but have you seen Draco's face? He looks ill"

"Maybe she had an incurable illness and he's caught it then" Ron joked and Harry and him exchanged brief looks and snickered before they both returned to a more solemn looking expression when shot with another of Hermione's glares.

"This is serious. What if something terrible happened?" She shut her book and let out a short huff, her hair bouncing as she got up, slinging her bag over her shoulder and clutching some of her books to her chest as she turned to Harry and Ron. "I'm not letting this go", and with that she was gone, determined to get to the bottom of things.

Ron and Harry exchanged glances, the second Hermione took her leave, the studying usually ceased too. They both decided to retire early to their dormitory despite the fact it wasn't even late. Since your death, Hogwarts had turned quieter, and even the usual loud and happy individuals were quieter than ever with most students spending their free time in their dormitory rooms.

Harry had to admit he was at least a little curious as to how you had died, but he knew how invasive everyone was towards him about Cedric's. He knew you from class and of course your friendship with Malfoy, but you were the one to always calm any situation, or convince Malfoy to drop an argument. And even more surprisingly, only last year you had joined Dumbledore's Army and as far as Harry was aware, you never once let slip to Draco, despite him belonging to the Inquisitorial Squad.

You neither particularly liked or hated each other but he knew there was more to you than met the eye.

Harry had kept a close watch on the Marauder's Map since Dumbledore's passing. Especially on Snape, observing him walking in circles sometimes in Dumbledore's office. He hated knowing Snape was walking around it like he owned the place.

He spent many an evening hunched over it, in bed, absently eating something as though waiting for something to happen. Usually nothing did, maybe he'd spot some students he never thought he'd see together clearly hooking up in a broom cupboard, or Filch running after Mrs Norris, but nothing seemingly unordinary.

Nightfall had crept in now, and the Gryffindor dormitories were silent apart from the low hum of Harry's glowing wand as he cast the Lumos charm.

He was about to turn in for the night when he noticed another set of footprints in Dumbledore's office near to Snape's, and adjusted his glasses on his nose, sitting up further in his bed as he held his lit wand closer to double check he wasn't seeing things. For once something out of the ordinary. You.