« ASTRONOMY TOWER »
The Great Hall was awfully quiet when Anastasia walked in the next day with her small fingers fixing her emerald tie. Her eyes scanned the room in search of her friends but they were nowhere to be found, leaving her with the option of seating in the Slytherin table and put up with her house-mates idiotic conversations.
"Well, well..." Blaise said smugly as soon as the girl seated in the table. "Look who decided to finally show up."
"Leave me alone, Zabini." The brunette snapped, glaring at the boy with a frown.
"What brings you here, Rosier?" He scooted closer, causing Anastasia to look at him puzzled. "Got tired of playing hero with Potter?" The laughs of the other three caused her to close her fist under the table.
"I'm not in the mood of hearing your loathsome voice." She nonchalantly spoke, taking a green apple from the medium basket in the middle of the table. "Besides, it's none of your business."
"Oi, what happened to the old Anastasia Rosier?' The boy teased, scooting even closer to the girl. "I like this new version, though."
"I don't see why should I care about that." She sassily replied, taking a bite of the green apple.
Anastasia's emerald eyes traveled over the Great Hall with preoccupation as she searched for her friends. The room was slowly getting full by other students preparing ready for dinner, but neither Harry, Hermione nor Ron were there.
Suddenly, a hand squeezing her thigh made the girl jump. She turned her face to look at Blaise, who was sending her a dirty smirk and his hand was slowly rubbing her thigh. With all the strength she could find, Anastasia shoved the boy away from her and stood up from the table.
The emerald-eyed girl bumped into a tall, strong chest as soon as she stood up, causing her to look up and find a pair of breathtaking grey eyes that were admiring her with confusion. Time seemed to stop as she took every inch of Draco's face, he gave the impression that he didn't have a minute of sleep in the entire night.
Shaking her head, she exhaled deeply and turned around to face Blaise who was looking at her with a proud smirk and raised eyebrows. His hand slowly moving to her leg before she slapped it away.
"You are disgusting." She hissed with anger.
"What is happening?" Draco questioned, his eyes traveling between the two teenagers.
"It's none of your business." Anastasia snapped, knitting her brown eyebrows together.
"I was just joking around, mate." Blaise raised his arms in defense as the smirk slowly returned to his features. "I was only playing with Rosier, just like you've been doing with Pansy."
Draco's eyes widened as the words left his friend's lips, that moment Anastasia felt like her heart fell to the ground as the thought of Pansy and Draco having sex behind her back lingered inside her already tortured mind. She shakily turned her head up and glanced at the blonde boy she once adored.
"Pansy, uh?" She smirked, swallowing the lump from her throat. "Just when I thought you couldn't sink lower."
"Rosie—" The boy tried to speak but she shoved him aside and marched out of the hall with anger flooding in her veins.
That moment, Draco couldn't help himself and furiously glanced at his friend with steady breathes, his fist was clenched and soon enough met Blaise's jaw. The students gasped at the scene and started cheering for the upcoming fight, but the blonde boy walked out of the place to follow Anastasia.
Meanwhile, the emerald-eyed girl quickly walked away from the room with a lump in her throat and anger tears threatening to leave her eyes. She promised herself not to cry over a boy like Draco Malfoy, yet there she was.
For her, it felt like every step she took was a dagger being incrusted in her heart and the Slytherin dungeons seemed more and more far away from her. It seemed physically impossible to reach the common room, but once she did, she tried to slam the door with all her strength she could but something stopped her.
"Rosie," She turned around when she heard Draco's shaky voice behind her. "Look—"
"I don't want to hear anything that comes from you." Anastasia said sternly, yanking her hand away from his touch. "I can't believe I fell for your bloody lies. I should have known." A bitter laugh came out of her lips as she shook her head.
"If you could just listen to what I have to say." He pleaded, scooting closer to the furious Slytherin. "Those weren't lies, everything I said was and is true! I love—"
"For God's sake, Draco!" She shouted, making him flinch. "Just forget it!"
"I can't just forget about us, Anastasia!" He followed her, shouting as well.
"Well, Pansy would say otherwise." The emerald-eyed girl scoffed, not turning to face Draco.
"It didn't mean anything to me." The boy instantly said, trying to fix the situation he was stuck in.
"Just like what we had, right?" Draco knew she was beyond furious, but that didn't stop him from cupping her face in his pale hands and crash his lips in hers.
Of course the sincere gesture was instantly rejected when Anastasia pushed him away from her and cleaned her pink lips with the back of her hand, the anger never leaving her eyes as well as the tears. He reached forward but she turned around and climbed to the girls' dormitories, which was out of bounds.
"Fuck." Draco brought his arms to his head and walked aimlessly around the common room with anger.
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Anastasia rested her hands in the railing of the tall Astronomy Tower with her emerald eyes lost in nothing but the cloudy sky before her. A cold shiver embraced her, making her hug herself to find warmth in the low lights of the stars.
Suddenly, a loud noise made her hand to instantly wrap around the hawthorn wand and turn around, only to find professor Dumbledore being carried by no one else than Harry, the friend she was looking for since she woke up.
"We need to get you to the hospital wing, sir." Anastasia hurried to the elder man's side to help him walk. "To Madam Pomfrey." Harry then added, unaware of the presence of the girl.
"Harry!" Anastasia's voice made him to look at her with surprised yet fearful eyes. "What happened?" She kneeled down in front of the man.
"We need to take him to Madam Pomfrey, Annie." The raven-haired boy repeated.
"No," Dumbledore interrupted, his voice was low and shaky. "Severus, Severus is who I need." The professor stared at her friend. "Wake him. Tell him what happened. Speak to no one else."
No more words needed to be said when Anastasia promptly stood up and jogged down the circular staircase to go find Snape, the door swung open and she tried to find the man in every place her mind thought he could be, but it was pointless. It seemed like he didn't want to be found.
As she ran, her eyes caught a glimpse of rebel, black hair walking to the Astronomy Tower. Her heart skipped a beat when the reminder of the Vanishing Cabinet appeared in her mind.
Her knuckles started to turn white as she ran back to the Astronomy Tower with alerted eyes and wand ready for fight, a group of drunk Gryffindors' seemed oblivious of the situation as they waved at her right before she opened the door for the tower.
"Harry, we have—" She said but interrupted herself at the sight of Draco pointing his wand at the weak man. Their eyes connected and the tears forming in his once happy eyes made her realize that it was the moment she was fearing to happen. "Draco, don't do it. This is not you." The girl cautiously spoke, eyeing the wand in his trembling hand.
"How would you know?" He snapped, frowning at her direction. "You left me."
"Put the wand down." She ordered, pointing at him with her own wand, unlike him, she wasn't shaking.
"You, more than anyone, know that I need to do this." Draco whispered, moving his wand from the girl to Dumbledore. "I don't have your luck to change paths and not get punished for it."
"Miss Rosier," Dumbledore turned to her, amusement in his eyes. "Let him express himself."
"Draco, I swear that if you put the wand down," Anastasia stepped closer, not lowering her wand once. "Everything is going to be just fine."
"You don't understand!" He said, rolling his sleeve up with anger. "I was the chosen one!" This time, a gasp left Anastasia's lips as she watched how desperate he was.
"Because I understand I'm telling you to stop this nonsense." The girl seemed desperate too as she scooted closer.
The discussion was interrupted by the door being open behind them, causing chills to appear in Anastasia's arms.
"You're not alone... There are others." Dumbledore spoke softly, turning to look at the blonde boy. "How?" He scooted closer, looking directly at Draco's angered eyes.
"The Vanishing Cabinet in the room of requirement." Draco said harshly, pointing at the man. "I—We've been mending it." He said, turning his head to Anastasia.
"Let me guess," Dumbledore gazed at the two teenagers. "It has a sister. A twin." He said.
"How could—" Anastasia began but was instantly interrupted.
"How could I mend it without you? I never needed you!" The blonde boy exclaimed. "Borgin and Burkes, they formed a passage." He said, turning to look at the man.
"Ingenious." He said. "I assume you got help from Miss Rosier." He turned to look at the conflicted girl.
"She was, sir." Draco bitterly said. "But I'm afraid she betrayed us." Dumbledore intense gaze turned from the emerald-eyed girl, to the boy.
"Draco. Years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices." The man scooted closer to Draco, who still didn't lower his wand. "Please let me help you."
"I don't want your help!" He shouted, startling Anastasia in the way.
"Draco," She reached for him but he yanked her hand away, just like she did with him.
"I don't want your help either, filthy blood traitor!" He turned at her, anger starting to take over his eyes. "Don't you understand? I have to do this." He said, letting the sadness take over him. "I have to kill you, or he's going to kill Anastasia."
Anastasia turned to look at him with wide eyes, she lowered her wand at the realization of his words. It felt like something in her heart broke, because a lump began to form in her throat.
Steps were heard as she locked eyes with Draco from the other side of the room. He seemed broken, so did she.
At the sight of Bellatrix entering the room, Draco turned his face to look at the weak man who was admiring the scene with surprise.
"Well," The evil woman spoke, the girl heard a hint of surprise in her voice. "Look what we have here." She smiled with mischief as she slowly walked to the platinum blonde boy. "Well done, Draco."
Anastasia felt a pair of arms holding her tightly and forcing her to stop moving, her eyes met with Fenrir Greyback's, who looked at her with a proud smirk in his hairy, ugly features.
"Not so fast, blood traitor." He whispered in her ear, causing her hand to shake uncontrollably.
"Good evening, Bellatrix." Dumbledore said nonchalantly.
The emerald-eyed girl shakily exhaled as she felt a wand being pointed at her neck, she tried to reach for her own wand in the back of her jeans but it seemed pointless as the Death Eater took it from the place and played with it.
"Do it!" Bellatrix sneered, looking at Draco with desperation.
"Draco, don't." Anastasia whispered, gaining Bellatrix's attention.
"Well, well, well." She circled her with a devil smile. "The blood traitor is among us." The other three laughed.
Dumbledore watched the scene in silence, with Bellatrix blabbering with her fellow Death Eaters and Draco shakily pointing at him with fear in his eyes, he turned to see Anastasia once more before backing away from them.
"Just do it, Draco. This is your moment." The ugly woman sneered. "Go on, Draco. Now!" She yelled, making Anastasia flinch.
"No." Snape's emotionless voice echoed the room, causing Draco to turn around to face the man. He stood there, scanning the packed room of dark people, but his eyes stopped in the professor.
"Severus..." Dumbledore spoke. "Please." He said, calmer this time.
"Avada Kedavra!" Snape yelled, pointing at the once joyful and wise man.
"No!" Anastasia shouted, trying to free herself from the werewolf tight hold. "No!" She yelled again, fighting against the evil man.
Draco stood paralyzed in his feet, horror evident in his eyes before he was pulled away. He heard Anastasia's painful screams and Bellatrix sending the Dark Mark into the air to let everyone know the task was accomplished. The boy tried to ignore it but it broke his heart knowing how she would end if she didn't stop fighting.
As she was dragged by the werewolf, Anastasia looked at the evil woman destroying the hall where she liked to hang out with her friends. Hate began to take over her as she tried to kick them away from her to run away and call for Harry, but it seemed impossible as they tightened their hold on her.
"Get away from me!" She yelled as she was being pulled through the gate of Hogwarts and the Forbidden Forest, her voice echoing in the darkness of the night. "No!"
She turned to see Draco, who couldn't bring himself to look at her and glanced away as soon as their eyes met from across the group of people. It hurt him seeing her like that, but he knew it would be better if she was with them because she would be safe.
"Draco, please." The girl whispered, letting the tears fall to her cheeks.
Her head snapped to Bellatrix singing and dancing around Hagrid's hunt, it was dark and empty but it made her heart sank when she called for him with mischief in her high-pitched voice.
"Anastasia!" She turned around at the sound of Harry's voice far from them. Snape glanced at her and then turned to face the boy. "Snape! He trusted you!" The boy yelled at the sight of Snape.
"Harry!" The brunette yelled back, desperately trying to free herself from the man's hold.
At the sound of this, Draco stopped in his tracks and turned around to face the raven-haired boy as well. Wand ready to fight and curse him for what he did to him in the boys' lavatories. Anastasia's screams stopped him from speaking, seeing her fight to get back to her friend made him walk to her with determination in his eyes.
"I'll take care of her." He growled at the man, who looked at him for a short time before throwing Anastasia to the dirty floor in front of him and walking away.
"Throw me a spell." Draco whispered, causing the girl to look at him.
"Draco—" She began.
"Just do it!" He whispered back and she shakily pointed her wand at him.
"Stupefy!" She yelled and the blonde boy was sent backwards as Snape quickly walked to him and dragged him away from the scene.
In a matter of seconds, Anastasia found herself running to her friend laying in the dirty floor, exhaling and inhaling deeply as he angrily reached for his wand.
"Sectumsempra!" He yelled at the man but the spell was thrown backwards and Harry fell to the floor again.
"How dare you to use my own spells against to me, Potter?" Snape cautiously walked to them as Anastasia quickly searched for her wand in the grass. "Yes, I am the Half-Blood Prince." At this, Anastasia looked at the man with wide eyes as he walked away with his usual emotionless expression plastered in his features.
"I—I'm going to cure you, Harry." The girl sobbed, kneeling next to him. "Vulnera Sanentur." She shakily whispered, her wand pointing at the boy.
In silence and with the flames of the burning hunt warming them, Anastasia watched the boy hesitantly sitting straight and look at his surroundings with a mix of sadness and anger.
Then, he pulled her in a tight, meaningful hug as they both cried in each other's shoulders.