The hallways were eerily quiet as Draco Malfoy carried his unconscious fiancée into the Great Hall. Only there, was there sounds, and not pleasant ones at that.
People were gathering around bodies, mourning them, while others fought for their lives on the outskirts of the room that Madam Pomfrey had turned into a makeshift hospital.
Draco spoke to nobody, though his eyes were wary as he glanced at the fallen body of one of the Weasley twins. Guilt nibbled at the air in his lungs, his chest tight as he approached Madam Pomfrey.
"Oh, Mr. Malfoy—set her here," she instructed, her eyes sad despite her calm demeanor.
"She fainted," he explained shortly, placing her gently on a bench.
The witch nodded and bustled away to her chest pulling out a small vial and pouring it into Lucy's mouth. She stirred instantly after, rubbing her eyes warily.
Madam Pomfrey tutted at her ankle that was bent at a strange angle. "Sit still a moment dear, this is going to hurt,"
Draco held her hand as Pomfrey mumbled a healing incantation and Lucy's ankle snapped back into place with a muffled yelp. She breathed deeply, looking up at her lover.
"Madam, shouldn't his head be checked out?" she suggested, voice hoarse.
Madam Pomfrey's eyes scanned over Draco's head injury, and with a flick of her wand, his temple no longer throbbed.
"Now, off you two go," she insisted as the body of a Gryffindor girl was brought in and placed on the bench. It was a grotesque sight to see her flesh had been eaten away by a creature.
Lucy grimaced beside Draco as she got up, hand in hand with him, and her eyes fell on the fallen bodies lining the center of the room.
There, on the end, Lucy caught a glimpse of cherry red hair. A strangled sob clawed at her throat as she rushed forward, falling onto her knees as she stared in horror at her dead best friend. Arielle's body was stiff, her face still holding that look of determination that she had surely given her opponent before being cursed.
Sobs escaped Lucy's lips as tear after tear fell from her bloody, dirty cheeks.
The sight raked pain down Draco's heart as Lucy fell apart beside her. All he could do was remind her he was her, although a few tears of his own escaped as his gaze fell onto the body of Blaise, only a couple bodies down.
"Blaise too," he hoarsely told her.
Lucy looked up at him with watery brown eyes before following his line of sight and covering her mouth as more sobs racked her body.
Lucy gently closed Arielle's eyes, her hands shaking before rising to her feet. Draco followed in suit as Lucy walked slowly over to a corner and slid down the wall defeatedly.
He did the same, wrapping an arm tightly around her as they sat and mourned the loss of their friends.
Voldemort had been right, too much magical blood had been wasted in the battle, and both sides paid the ultimate price.
Draco could only hope there would be a lifetime ahead of them to grieve and think about all that had happened this night.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
Lucy had fallen asleep against Draco's shoulder. When she came to, there were the first glimpses of light breaking through into the windows of the Great Hall.
The usual swirling sky-covered ceiling above them had been destroyed and was instead replaced by the crumbled stone high above.
It was quiet.
There was a low chatter amongst survivors, and it took Lucy a moment to remember Arielle was gone. It seemed as though somehow the House Elves had survived and had cast up large pots of porridge and some beverages for people to eat.
Lucy did not have an appetite, but willingly took a glass of water from Professor McGonagall. Just as she placed the cup down, there was a commotion outside as people began leaving the Great Hall to see what was the matter.
She couldn't imagine how rough she looked. Her jeans were dirty and bloody, and a nasty cut traveled down her collarbone.
Lucy looked to Draco, his straight hair beginning to wave from the dried blood and grime on his usually flawless skin, and his dusty tattered suit. His expression was grim but he wordlessly led the way outside.
The air was foggy and thick outside, a grey cloud cover adding to the somber morning.
Lucy's eyes fell on the sight before them. A group of about sixty Death Eaters were gathered at the edge of the courtyard where the large bridge connected to the castle. Her eyes wandered through the sea of black robes to note Hagrid, the Keeper of the Grounds, holding a body in his restrained arms.
"NO!" screamed out the Weasley girl a few feet before them.
"HARRY!" screamed his friends.
Realization dawned on her as Lucy came to the conclusion.
"Harry Potter is dead!" exclaimed Voldemort with a sneering grin, raising his hands in victory. His snake twisted around the rubble at his feet.
"NO!"
There were murmurs and gasps throughout the Hogwarts crowd.
Harry's girlfriend screamed out, her father holding her back from running the Dark Lord through herself.
"Silence!" barked Voldemort. "Stupid girl. From this day forth, you put your faith, in me,"
Lucy looked worriedly to Draco, wondering how bad the repercussions would be for turning against the Death Eaters. Perhaps dying would be a better fate.
"Now is the time to declare yourself! Come forward and join us!" he declared triumphantly. "Or die,"
Lucy watched as none other than Neville Longbottom limped forward, the Sorting Hat in his hand.
"Well I must say, I hoped for better," chortled Voldemort as the boy trudged forward.
"And who might you be, young man?"
"Neville Longbottom,"
"Well Neville, I'm sure we can find a place for you in our ranks,"
"I'd like to say something," he interrupted bravely. "It doesn't matter that Harry is dead. People die every day!"
Lucy's eyes suddenly fell on Narcissa and Lucius on the edge of the crowd, and from the look on her face, Draco's mother had spotted them as well. It was relief that painted her features.
"Friends, family. They're still with us, in here," He managed to say, pointing to his heart. "They didn't die in vain, but you will!"
At that moment, Neville pulled an ornate silver sword from the Sorting Hat. The same one Bellatrix had been hysterical over at the Manor.
"This isn't over!" shouted Neville, readying his stance against Voldemort.
However, at that moment, all hell broke loose as Harry Potter fell from Hagrid's arms, alive.
"Confringo!" he gasped, sending a curse at the great snake before running off.
Gasps and shouts erupted, and many Death Eaters began to Disapparate, causing Bellatrix to shriek angrily.
There, standing amidst the Death Eaters, was Theodore. His face paled as they began Apparating, and Lucy watched as he ducked away into a nearby corridor.
"C'mon," urged Draco, pulling her back inside as curses began flying once more.
Lucy watched in shock as Neville Longbottom's body flew right past her.
With a flick of her wand, she broke his fall as he finally hit the ground.
Lucy found herself in the Great Hall, sending curses towards any Death Eaters that got too close for comfort.
Meanwhile, her thoughts began racing as she realized Neville was after something. She crouched down beside him, as he slowly came to consciousness.
"What do you need?"
"We have to kill the snake, and then he can die," Neville managed, getting to his feet slowly.
Lucy nodded, backing away and grasping Draco's hand. However, the two quickly were forced to defend themselves as pandemonium erupted in the Hall.
While the Death Eaters were outnumbered, they were powerful. Lucy found herself fleeing down a corridor only to find it had been collapsed further down.
It was a dead end, and none other than Greyback was stalking towards her. Fear laced through every fiber of her being as he licked his bloodied lips.
"I've waited far too long to feast on you," he growled, sucking each of his nails clean.
Lucy was paralyzed with fear, watching him approach before snapping her eyes shut. Just as he was about to lunge through, there was a thud and she looked to see Greyback on the floor.
Theodore stood breathlessly in front of her.
"Lucy—I'm so sorry—for everything,"
She merely blinked, stepping around the body of the werewolf.
"Lucy!" came out the strangled yell of Draco as he rounded the corner and took in the scene before him. Immediately, Draco moved to defend his fiancée.
"The fuck do you think you're doing, Nott?" he snapped coldly.
"Apologizing," Theo managed.
"Great timing," hissed Draco, tugging Lucy close to him.
"I'm done fighting for Voldemort," he breathed.
"A little too late for that. Everyone else is dead," Lucy informed him bitterly.
"Blaise? Arielle?" gasped Theo.
She nodded, eyes threatening to spill over with tears.
"We have to kill the snake," she managed to say before pushing past Theo and jogging back to the main corridor.
As she did, her eyes widened at the sight of Neville slicing open the gigantic snake. It withered away into blackness.
Meanwhile, Potter and Voldemort tumbled into the courtyard. As they did, their spells clashed.
Lucy watched breathlessly as Potter's curse easily overcame Voldemort's weak one before it backfired into him.
An expression of horror crossed his abnormal, snake-like face before he began to disintegrate like ash.
Lord Voldemort was dead.
"Draco," croaked out Narcissa. "Lucy,"
The two looked to see the woman, looking worse for weather, holding out a hand. Lucius stood wordlessly beside her.
"Let's go," she murmured to them before the four began retreating.
Lucius and Narcissa fell into step, Lucy and Draco behind them.
They hurried down a path leading towards the long, misty bridge leading away from the castle.
Hand in hand, Lucy and Draco walked away, feeling slightly better over the fact that they had chosen the right side, and watched Voldemort meet his rightful end.
Their hearts would ache for a long while, but war would be over, and the chance to love freely was suddenly possible.
As they reached the edge of the bridge and had retreated from battle, Lucy nearly fell to her knees in relief. For the first time in her life, she was truly free.
All would be well.
✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧
author's note:
a little draco POV for the last chapter! it's crazy to finally finish this book and i apologize if its rushed and crappy and not my best work, but it's done. i started it like a really long while ago and im happy to finally mark it completed no matter how cringe it might be. thank you to anyone who has read it, it means the world!!! i really wanted to showcase that its not too late to pick the right path and fight for your freedom to be yourself and love who you love. i want to be as badass as lucy fr. but really thank you all!