Hermione insisted I get Madame Pomfrey to look at me. I didn't want to bother her with all the other injuries going on but eventually, even Ron grew annoying. I took them up on the offer just to shut them up and let them take me to the Great Hall. They sat me on a bench and I cringed, my entire body in constant pain.
Hermione left to see where the nurse went and Ron leaned back, keeping his head down. I watched him for a few minutes then looked around for his family. They were huddled together, just holding each other close.
"Go be with them." I said quietly.
Ron shook his head. "You need me."
"No, Ron." I squeezed his hand. "They do."
Ron looked at them but they didn't look at us. They were too much in their own world. Ron looked at me and his eyes watered instantly. I pushed on his back a little and he got up, walking over to them. His mum pulled him right into a hug and I turned away as the crying was getting to me.
I stopped short when I noticed Lupin. His hand was almost touching someone else's and I knew instantly just by the look of her top... I had seen that a few hours ago.
Tonks.
She came back.
My breath hitched and I looked around, noticing more and more people I had taken classes with laying on the floor. None of them moved. None of them breathed.
I squeezed my eyes shut and let a few tears fall.
Who wanted to know this? Who wanted to remember any of this?
Someone sat next to me and I opened my eyes to see Draco. He didn't look at me at all. He only grabbed my hand and squeezed, breaking down instantly. I pulled him into me and he held on for dear life, sobbing harshly. I hugged him tighter and ran my hand through his hair.
"I'm okay. I'm alright." I whispered.
"I'm sorry!" He cried. He pulled away and I wiped away his tears as they came. "I'm so sorry! Cora I'm sorry!"
"Shh, shh it's alright. I'm alive." I smiled weakly and he sobbed harder, taking a hold of my hand.
"You were right," He whimpered. "This... this wasn't worth it. I should have taken my chances with you."
"Who knows what would have happened if you had." I shrugged. "It could have been different. Worse."
"I could have helped." He insisted.
"Or we would both be dead." I replied. "We did what mum told us to. We survived."
"I love you, Cora. I'm so sorry."
"Shut up. Apologizing is weird for you."
Draco laughed and I smiled softly, sitting back as my eyes wandered back to Tonks. Draco followed my gaze and he leaned back as well. His arm wrapped around me and I leaned into him, laying my head on his shoulder.
"She had a son..." I whispered. "A beautiful... baby boy."
Draco pulled me closer and I squeezed my eyes shut hard.
I just wanted everything to be over. Everything needed to go away.
Hermione came back with Madame Pomfrey and I sat up as she instantly got to work. I told her what hurt and she gave me something to drink and had bandages on hand. She felt up my side and it hurt worse than I thought it would. She told me I would need a real hospital. The only thing she could do was mend my outside wounds and move on to the next person.
She popped my knee back into place and it hurt like hell. Tying it up, that was the last thing she did before she left.
It was still dark and there was no sign of anyone or anything. There was nothing left to do, but wait.
...
Usually the sun rising at Hogwarts was a happy day. It didn't matter what assignment or test we had that day, it was new and fresh. But when the sun rose after the night of horror... nothing was new or fresh. It was the same just... brighter.
I was feeling a bit better, a little more numb than before so I told Draco I was going to take a walk. He let me go, sensing that I needed to be alone. Hermione was with Katie Bell as they had mourned Lavender half the night. She was a real bitch but she was still a person. Better than Pansy, who survived.
I leaned my head back and let some of the wind push through my hair. Neville limped out beside me and I watched as he picked up the sorting hat from the crowd of rocks at our side.
"Still think it'll talk?" I asked him.
He shrugged and looked out to the distance. He limped down the steps and past the rock and I followed slowly, wondering what he was looking for. Then I noticed he wasn't looking for something.
He was looking at something.
Just across the bridge was a crowd of black moving towards us. It was slow and dragging any debris or Giant of the edge. The closer the crowd got, the more their outlines came into view. Suddenly their footsteps could be heard across the courtyard and people came out behind Neville and me.
Hagrid. He was alive. Alive and carrying something. No... someone.
My heart sank in my chest. If Harry did it right... he should have been alive. There was a good chance he should have survived that.
Hermione's perfume was still kind of there but it didn't stop the tear from welling up in my eyes.
"Please... Hermione..." I breathed.
"I don't know." She said softly.
"No... he was... he was supposed..." I forced air into my lungs and wiped my tears away as Voldemort brought the crowd of Deatheaters right back to our front gates, the snake at his side.
"Harry Potter... is dead!"
I gasped and my hand instinctively went to my mouth as an involuntary sob rocked through me. Hermione wrapped her arm around me and I almost collapsed.
"Harry Potter, is dead. From this day forth, you put your faith, in me." Voldemort announced. He smiled cruelly and turned back to his followers. "Harry Potter is dead!"
They laughed manically and I broke. I dropped my hand and stepped forward. "You cruel, cruel man!"
Voldemort turned back and laughed harder. Hermione had let me go and nobody was coming after me. My eyes were on him.
"Miss Malfoy. How nice to meet you, please." Voldemort held out his hand. "Do you finally see why your family chose me?"
"No..." I scoffed. "And I never will. Harry was just a boy when he first destroyed you and you can bet that now, the men and women who you threaten will eat, sleep and breathe your demise."
"Such a foul mouth. Crucio."
The pain ripped through me and I was done holding back screams. I fell to my knees and screamed louder as my injured one sent a shock of pain down my leg.
"Now is the time to declare yourself." Voldemort said, his arms outstretched. Hermione pulled me to my feet, holding me up as the curse slowly ebbed away. "Come forward and join us. Or die."
Nobody moved.
"Draco." Dad seethed. "Draco."
I looked back and Draco didn't move.
"Draco." Mum. I turned back and watched as she nodded. "Come."
That was enough. Draco moved down and walked over, looking at me briefly. I understood. In his position, I would have gone too.
"Ah, well done Draco... well done." Voldemort hugged him awkwardly before letting him go to our mother.
"Cora." Dad growled.
I shook my head.
"Awe, are you sure Cora?" Voldemort begged.
"Come on sweety. Family fighting side by side." Bellatrix cackled.
"I am with my family." I snapped back.
Voldemort stepped back, obviously not enjoying being turned down. But there was no way I was leaving this family for whatever the hell the rest of them were.
Neville limped forward and I almost passed out as he went quite far. Nobody on our side said a word, but every Deatheater perked up just a little, suddenly hopeful.
"Well, I have to admit, I hoped for better." Voldemort commented. His following laughed but no one on our side made a single noise. "And who might you be young man?"
"Neville Longbottom."
More laughter.
"Well, neville, I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks." Voldemort said.
"I'd like to say something." He said quickly.
Voldemort growled lowly and hesitated. "Well Neville, I'm sure we'd all be fascinated to hear what you have to say."
"It doesn't matter that Harry's gone." Neville said abruptly.
"Stand down Neville." Seamus called.
"People die everyday!" He rubuttled, glancing at us. "Friends... family. Yeah... we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us. In here." He touched his heart. "And so is Fred... and Remus... Tonks. All of them. They didn't die in vain." He turned back to Voldemort. "But you will! 'Cause you're wrong. Harry's heart did beat for us. For all of us! It's not over!"
He pulled the sword from the hat and Harry fell from Hagrid's arms.
Hermione held me back as I went to step forward but Harry was suddenly up and casting a spell at the snake. It deflected and Voldemort went after him.
Deatheaters started disapperating but many stayed back and started fighting. Hermione pulled me back and handed me my wand as we tripped over all the rocks. Ron grabbed Hermione and Harry dodged everyone as he ran towards us where one of the Order members deflected more and more spells from us.
"I'll lure him into the castle. We have to get the snake." Harry said.
"You'll need this." Hermione handed him a fang and Harry took it gratefully.
Neville ran forward screaming, the sword held high. Voldemort sent him flying and we all ducked as he was sent back into the Great Hall. He apparated away with the snake and we were left to defend ourselves in the new attack.
"I'll be back." I said, ducking quickly.
"Where are you going?" Hermione exclaimed.
I nodded towards mum, walking away with Draco and my dad torn between the two situations. "Gonna pay daddy dearest a little visit."
Hermione nodded and I apparated. The crack was loud and echoed off the hills.
"Cora." Mum called behind me.
"Quiet." I snapped, not taking my eyes off the man in front of me. "This isn't about you."
"Cora don't do this." Mum called.
The thought of taking air away from him was so overwhelming that when I squeezed my hand, it became a reality. My father fell to his knees, his hands on his neck as he wheezed for air.
"You... foul Git. You torture me... for years. Make me believe I'm not worthy of your love. Well guess what, I never needed it." I seethed, pulling more air from him.
"Cora!" Mum warned.
I stepped closer and bent down. "I won't remember you in a few minutes... but you'll remember me. Forever. I'll make sure of it. You'll remember everything you did wrong and you can rot in Azkhaban for the rest of your miserable life." I scoffed. "Look at that, I finally sound like the daughter you thought you could raise."
I pulled out the necklace I used to wear. The small key he gave me what felt like a century ago, and slipped it into his pocket before stepping away.
"Cora! You're better than this!" Draco told me.
"I know." I let him go and stepped away even further as dad sucked in breath after breath.
I turned to mum and Draco, taking them in one last time. I wanted to memorize their faces the best I could, while I could.
"Run. And keep running until you can't. Explain what you did behind the scenes. Harry just may vouch for you." I told them.
"What are you gonna do?" Draco asked.
I shrugged. "Live the life I always wanted I guess."
Mum let go of Draco and took my face in her hands. She kissed my forehead softly and hugged me tightly. I hugged back, drinking in everything about her. The way she always smelled of Vanilla and how her hair was always softer than it looked. How her hugs made the entire world melt away and how I hadn't received one in years.
Draco came over and wrapped his arms around both of us. He kissed my head and I leaned into him gently, ignoring the dirt and soot on him. I let go of mum and wrapped my arms around Draco so tight I thought he might stop breathing. But he just squeezed me tightly back instead.
"Be good." I said.
"You too." He pulled away. "Watch that mouth of yours."
"Oh you know me." I smirked. "Never."
He laughed and mum took his hand, backing away from me. Draco's eyes changed suddenly and he gave me a very quick wink. I frowned and watched him closer but he didn't do it again. Eventually they turned and left. Dad stumbled by me and stopped, looking at me. He caressed my cheek softly and my chest ached.
"I'm so sorry, my darling." He whimpered.
"Your apologies don't mean anything to me anymore." I held up my hand to show him I would squeeze the life out of him again and he pulled his hand back as though I burned him.
Who knows, maybe I did.
He turned and ran to catch up with mum and Draco.
I pulled out the small bag with my potions in it and pulled out the glistening red one. Something bumped against another vial and I stuck my hand into the bag again and latched onto what felt like cards. I pulled them out and a shaky breath came out as I read them.
Faith Longley. That was my new I.D. Draco knew what I was going to do... and he helped me do it.
I took the cards and put them in my back pocket before throwing the bag over the side of the bridge.
I looked up as explosions rocked the school and Harry and a giant grey ball of smoke came flying from the school. It separated once it neared the ground and I watched as the pair rolled along the ground to grab their wands. Red and green streams suddenly attacked each other and I watched as Harry pushed. They suddenly stopped and there was a moment of silence before they started again.
The red overtook the green quickly and I smiled as the sparks that flew stopped suddenly. The man who lost turned to ash and I knew right away, Harry Potter had won.
I took a deep breath and laughed to myself. It was over. It was really over.
I apparated to the first hospital I could think of and took the potion right away. The effects were instant.
Everything hurt.
I didn't even reach the floor before it all turned black.