HARRY'S POV
I couldn't even process what I was looking at with her in my arms. I didn't care about the war. I didn't care about all of the blood on my shirt.
All I could think about was how it was my fault for not making it fast enough. My fault for not keeping her by my side.
My tears weren't enough to express everything I felt at that moment. Anger, sympathy, sadness, pain..
Regret.
"Harry.." Y/N spoke up, making me look her in the eyes, "Please don't let me die.." She whispered, triggering something in my heart.
"Stop, Y/N, don't say that." I cried into her shirt, "I won't let you die. I can't. I can't." I shook my head repeatedly.
"Hermione, do something!" Ron begged as Hermione stood with her eyes flooded with guilt.
"There's nothing I can do.." She sobbed, "I'm so sorry, Harry. I knew where she went- I should've told you- I should've.. It's all my fault."
"It's not your fault.." Y/N spoke to Hermione, her voice barely noticeable.
"There has to be something we can do we can't just let her die." Ron panicked, pacing back and forth as if he had to come up with a plan to save her.
She can't go. She can't leave.
She mumbled something I couldn't hear so I leaned forward for her to repeat herself, "I love you too."
That's all it took for me to fall to pieces, knowing what I told her earlier and how she ignored me for the sake of her own mental health.
Through everything she's heard, even though they were lies, she's still in love with me in return.
I don't want to be here without her.
Maybe I'm not meant to.
Ron tapped on my shoulder to stop my crying and actually face the truth. The truth that those were her last few seconds with me.
And that she was gone.
Forever.
I shook my head in denial, pressing my hand against her heart the feel some sort of beat.
But there was nothing for me to feel. There was nothing left to keep her going.
But Y/N's died before, right?
She'll be back.
"Harry.." Hermione grabbed my shoulder, "She.. she's-"
"No." I pulled Y/N closer.
"She's gone, mate." Ron confirmed with a quiet tone.
I couldn't leave her alone. On the cold grounds of this fucked up school. The school that took her away from me.
I didn't know what to do, where to take her. Should I continue fighting for everyone else if I have no chance to defeat Voldemort? He's one of the reasons she's gone. But she was the only one that could end him, right?
I took her ring out of my pocket, the one she chose not to take from me earlier. I glanced over it a few times before sliding it onto her finger.
That's when I realized..
I can't live the rest of my life with her. I can't marry the person I wish to marry. There's no one else I'd wish to have as my wife, the mother of my children.
"I miss you already." I wiped my tears with the back of my hand.
I slowly let her go, lying her head down in pure sorrow with the help of knowing I had to take my anger out on the one responsible. Away from her body.
I stood up, trying to hold in all of the emotions I felt at once. Hermione and Ron were avoiding looking at her from where they stood.
"I can't-" Hermione covered her watery eyes, "I can't.." She walked away with Ron following.
I took the chance to find Malfoy. And when I do..
I'm gonna kill him.
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DRACO'S POV
I can't believe what I've done.
I killed the person I love, the person I care for more than I care for myself.
What a selfish mistake.
But, it had to be done. If I weren't to kill her, i'd have to end my own life just so I wasn't completely head over heels for her.
Maybe I made the wrong decision.
She deserves to live more than I do.
I was too caught up in the moment to think. To realize that now I have to live without her makes everything so much worse.
"I hope you're not wishing for sympathy." Someone spoke to me, causing me to turn in their direction.
"I didn't want to do it-"
"But, you did." He revealed himself to me, my own weapon in his hands, pointed directly towards me.
"Do it." I cried, "I have nothing to live for- KILL ME!" I begged, shouting loud enough for the world to hear.
"I will." Potter responded, his face almost covered in her blood.
"Why are you so hesitant?" I asked him, "Is it because you know that you won't be able to live with that guilt?-"
"Shut up-"
"Is it because you know what comes next? How your friends will look at you?-"
"You killed her!" He reminded me, "If you loved her so much, why would you kill her?!" He sobbed, his arms becoming a bit shaky.
"You don't understand-"
"You're right. I don't." He stepped forward, "And you won't live long enough to explain.."
HERMIONE'S POV
"How do we go on, Ron?" I questioned my friend, my eyes red and puffy due to all the tears I lost.
"I.. don't know.." He refrained from crying to stay strong.
"What would she do?" I turned to him right after he pulled me in for a hug, halting the crying I was doing for so long.
"The right thing." Ron answered with a sniffle.
I pulled away to look at him, "No, she wouldn't." I smiled.
"No.. she wouldn't." He agreed with a soft chuckle, "But she'd do whatever she had to to save everyone around her."
I let go of him to reach for the map in my pocket, knowing that she'd want us to keep everyone safe like he said.
I found Harry's name right next to Malfoy's, wondering what they could be doing since their names were so motionless.
"We need to find Harry and continue our search for Horcruxes." I told Ron, receiving a nod.
HARRY'S POV
"Why are you taking so long?" Malfoy raised his tone to a belt, "There's only one left- use it on me!" He pleaded with wide eyes.
"Stop talking." I informed quietly.
"Hurry up!" He encouraged with a passion, "Give it here, you idiot! I deserve to die- Give it here, now! I'll do it myself."
I knew I couldn't possibly do it. At first I only did it to receive information from him but the more I thought about it..
He ended her life.
"Don't make me come and take it from you-"
"GET BACK!" I pulled the trigger, my eyes slamming shut in discomfort.
Wait..
I pulled the trigger.
I opened my eyes to reveal what I had done and couldn't tell if I felt relief or fear. The more I wished for a different outcome, the less I wanted for him to die because of me.
"You.." Draco sighed, standing directly in front of me about seven feet away, "Idiot."
It was only then when I realized that I had only shot him in the arm. 'Shit.'
I dropped the gun, knowing it was no use anymore since that was our last bullet. As soon as it hit the floor, the moment was invaded by Ron and Hermione.
"Harry, we have to continue our search for.." Ron ran up to the scene, stopping at the sight of Draco.
It took a while for Hermione to process, "Did you?-"
"I did." I answered calmly.
She turned to Ron for a second before looking back at Draco who was holding his arm in discomfort. He rolled his eyes at us and left the area, not caring enough to hear our conversation.
"Well.." Ron moved on, "It's time we continue searching for Horcruxes." He suggested.
"Are you serious?" I tilted my head at him.
"What?-"
"Y/N just died, Ron." I reminded with the most frustrated tone, "The love of my life- your best friend just died and you want to presume a search for Horcruxes?"
"Well, yeah.. We have to save everyone-"
"Fuck that." I shoved past them to relocate Y/N.
I could tell by the sound of nothing that they weren't following. I kept walking, wondering if I was the only one that cared.
"You're being selfish." Hermione called out to me, probably hoping I'd stop to respond but, I didn't.
After a couple steps I could tell they wanted more from me, following close behind.
"Where are you going?" Hermione interrupted my thoughts.
"To find Y/N." I replied firmly.
"SHE'S DEAD, HARRY!" Ron shouted, causing me to stop walking, "She's gone!" He continued, a tear leaving his eye, "We can't let her sacrifice go to waste-"
"IT WASN'T A SACRIFICE!" I spun around to face him, "SHE WAS KILLED! MURDERED!"
"Guys-"
"You would've known if you were there but, you weren't!" I yelled over Hermione.
"WE CAN'T BRING HER BACK!" Ron belted with anger and irritation.
I was prepared to say something in return but, I couldn't. His words washed over me like I hadn't already known what he said before he said it.
"She's not.. coming back." Ron made clear with a silent cry.
That was the last thing I needed to hear. All I wanted to hear was her voice. Her laughs.. her-
"Oh look, I'm back!" I heard from around the corner, "Wait.. no- no, I'm not."
"Y/N?" All three of us lit up in unison.
We made our way back to where we left her, hoping somehow she wasn't actually gone.
"And.. who are you?" Her voice went on right as we returned to where she took her last breaths.
"It's me, Y/N." A male voice answered.
Turning the corner, we revealed to ourselves a man, kneeling near the ghost of Y/N with a stone in his hand.
He made eye contact with us before his last word, standing up with sad eyes. He stuck his hand out for me to shake, "Lucian Riddle."
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