It was a cold night in late December when I woke up suddenly by the fireplace in the common room. I looked down to see my necklace heating up against my skin, sparkling brightly. He was out of his bloody mind.
I pulled on my shoes and my cloak, casting an invisibility charm on myself. I had practically perfected it by now, what with all the times I'd snuck out to visit him after dark. I let the magic in my necklace guide me through the dark corridors until I was taken to the front doors of the school, which were opened just slightly. I hesitated for a moment before slipping through them, shivering in the frigid night air. I saw Draco standing on the steps, his rucksack beside him, and my heart dropped.
"Draco?" I whispered, dropping my spell. Draco turned, and I flinched. He had the same expression now as he did when he broke up with me last year. "Draco, what's going on? Why do you have your bag?" I asked, stepping forward and taking his hands in mine. Draco was silent as if he was trying to find the words to say. "Don't pull this shit, Draco. You promised you wouldn't hurt me again." I said, my lower lip trembling as I tried not to cry.
Draco's eyes widened and he pulled me against him, kissing my hair. "Absolutely not. Never again." He murmured, holding me tightly. I sighed and wiped away my tears, looking up at him. "Why do you look like you're leaving?" I asked again, looking down at his full rucksack. He was quiet for a second, refusing to let go of me. "Because I am."
My eyes widened and he pressed on before I could speak. "My parents want me to come home. They said that Hogwarts isn't safe anymore, that I belong at home with them and the other Death Eaters." I bit my lip, holding back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks. Without him here, this place was truly hell on earth. Just thinking of having to be at Hogwarts without Draco made me die a little inside. I didn't think I'd be able to survive this place without him.
"You should get out too, Isa. I don't want anything to happen to you." I shook my head firmly, blinking away the tears. "No. I can't leave the younger students at the mercy of these...monsters." I said, and Draco pulled me to his chest, kissing my hair. "Please, stay safe and be smart Isabelle. I love you so much." I leaned up and kissed him, tears rolling down my face. "I love you too. Promise that we'll find each other when this is all over?" I asked, my voice small. Draco nodded, smiling at me. "I can't live without you."
Draco looked up at the sky, and his eyes widened. "Go, Isa. Run. I love you." He kissed me quickly before pushing me back through the doors. I stayed absolutely silent as I heard people materializing outside.
"Are you ready, Draco?" I heard a female voice say, and my blood boiled - it was Bellatrix Lestrange. The woman who had murdered Sirius. A streak of rage ran through me at the sound of her voice, and the urge to do what Harry wasn't able to do coursed through my body. I stayed put though and covered my mouth so I wouldn't give myself away. When I heard Draco and his companions apparate away, I closed my eyes tightly, silent sobs leaving my body. Draco had been one of the only things that made this living hell even half bearable. Just seeing his face and knowing that he was here had given me some small comfort from day to day. Now, I only had my friends to keep me sane in the madhouse.
I got up and began to wander through the castle in a daze, the sadness overwhelming me. The rational part of my brain was screaming at me to recast my spell and get back to Gryffindor Tower, but I couldn't bring myself to care. I walked through the icy halls, tears streaming silently down my face. There was an ache in my chest that was slowly spreading to the rest of my body, pulsing through my veins and reaching from the top of my head to my fingertips. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to contain it, but it felt like I was going to burst and shatter into a thousand screaming pieces. I had finally reached my breaking point. Draco was gone, my brother and friends were who knows where, my best friend had been murdered by Death Eaters, and the rest of my friends had retreated into hiding, leaving me to fend for myself and the rest of Gryffindor. I didn't know if I could take much more of this because I was sure that anything more would kill me.
I came back to my senses when a blast of cold air hit me in the face, and I realized that I had unconsciously wandered up to the Astronomy Tower. Staring out at the clear, starry night, I fell to my knees in the balcony, and every ounce of energy I had left my body instantly. In that hopeless moment, I turned to the person I needed most at that moment - the only person who could make any of this better.
"Hi, Mum," I whispered, staring at the sparkling sky. "I...I don't know if you can hear me, or if you're even there. But, thinking that you're listening to me right now makes me feel a little better. Mum, I..." I trailed off, feeling my chest become tight again as I tried to explain everything that was happening. "I don't know what to do, Mum." I cried, drawing my knees up to my chest and burying my face in my arms. What use was it talking to empty air? What was I expecting to hear, an answer?
"It's alright, darling."
I looked up, my eyes widening at the sound of a quiet, female voice. I looked around, confused when I saw that I was as alone as ever. "Who's there?" I said, searching the shadows of the room for some kind of movement. There was none, however, but the voice still responded. "I'm here, but I'm not here. I've always been with you, my love, every step of the way." The voice said, and my mouth fell open.
"M-Mum?" I whispered, and I felt a comforting, warm energy settle next to me. "Hello, Isabelle," Mum said in my ear and my eyes filled with tears. "Talk to me, darling. Tell me what's your mind." She murmured and I took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to begin.
"Everything is...it's too much, Mum. I can't do this. Hogwarts is going down in flames and they're taking every single one of us with them. And the man I love is gone." I said, my voice breaking as the tears began to flow again. There was a gentle sigh next to me and I felt warm circles being rubbed into my back.
"I know you're sad that Draco left, darling. But believe me, he is far safer away from here. And if I had the power to take you from this place, I would do so in a heartbeat, and the same goes for your brother." Mum said quietly and I buried my face in my hands, my chest aching with longing. Longing to see Draco again, to see my brother, to feel my Mum's arms around me and see her smiling face.
"We never wanted this for you. All the sacrifices we made and the lives we lost were to ensure that our children would never have to live in fear the way that we did. This wasn't how things were supposed to go." Mum said in a slightly defeated voice. "But watching the way you and your brother have acted so bravely, so much like the witches and wizards who came before you, I've never been more proud of you, my love." I sniffed at her words, wishing I could see her say them - wishing she was alive and well.
"Keep the faith, Isabelle. Draco will come back to you, your brother will return, and you will live to see the end of this war. And I will be with you every minute, my sweet girl. I love you, Isabelle Alice." Mum murmured, and I felt the sensation of lips pressing against my head before the warmth vanished and the damp, biting night air swirled around me.
I covered my mouth, staring up at the stars as tears filled my eyes once more. "I love you so much, Mum," I whispered, watching the twinkling sky above me and imagining her bright, warm smile.
"How touching."
I didn't even turn at the sound of the voice. I simply closed my eyes and sighed deeply, leaning my head on my knees. I had nothing left in me - no more fire, no more fight. "You're out of bed after hours, Potter. That'll be another detention in the dungeon." Snape said in a cold and slightly smug voice. I stood up but didn't turn around, still looking up at the stars. "Nothing to say? No bratty response, Potter?" Snape said mockingly and I felt the tears begin to drip down my face. "You win," I whispered. "I beg your pardon?" Snape questioned and I turned around, staring at him.
"You win, Snape. I'm done. Do whatever you want to me - torture me, question me, kill me, I don't care. I've lost everything." When Snape didn't move and simply stared at me, I walked past him slowly and made my way down the tower stairs, choking back my tears on the way back to Gryffindor Tower.
I could hear the clock tower chiming midnight, and it hit me. Today was Christmas Day. The realization that this had all happened on Christmas brought me to my knees in the corridor. This was it - my breaking point. I didn't know if I could keep going. My friends and my relationship had been my mooring lines to sanity. When my friends were killed and the rest went into hiding, Draco was my rock, my safe place, my soft place to land. And now, he was gone. I was alone in hell.
(A/n: Sorry it was such a short one, y'all! But trust me, the next two chapters are big, long ones - the final battle is here. Thank you so much for reading, my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and if you did, make sure you subscribe to me/add this story to your reading list/library to get notified every time I update - Sunday, Wednesday, and Saturday! Love y'all!! - H xx)