Hey guys! This chapter is pretty short but I think you guys will enjoy it. Things are wrapping up and I want to thank all of you for your reads, votes, and comments!
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Draco's POV -
Have you ever felt like the world is falling apart around you, but in reality you're the one that's crumbling to pieces?
I remember once in my earlier years, I'd decided to take a swim in a frozen lake. After breaking my way through the ice, I became trapped beneath it. At first, I'd gasped and throttled and panicked as I realized that air was no longer available to me. After a few more seconds, the water surrounding me had become so cold and dark that I was entirely numb. Every ounce of oxygen had been swept from me, and I felt empty and burning and frozen, with nothing I could do about it. Eventually, my mother found me and pulled me out.
That's sort of how I feel when I see Jennifer's body - numb, my heart on fire. The wind knocked from my lungs. But it's one hundred times worse than being trapped beneath an icy lake. This time, there's no one to save me.
It takes me a long and horrible moment to register what's happened to her. Her body is strewn across the floor of the bathtub, floating in a mortal pool of water. She is so, so pale.
"J-Jen...?" My voice sounds toxic and unrecognizable in my own ears. I can't even manage to spit out her full name.
I fall to my knees, not in control of my own body anymore, and drag myself over to the tub. I touch her face. It's cold, and it feels like I'm touching something inanimate. Lifeless.
"Jen?" I feel my face cramping up, feel my heart sinking so quickly and rapidly but I don't want to accept what's true. "Jen, wake up - please - I don't - know -"
I feel as though I'm imploding, as though every vein and vessel inside of me is overflowing and bursting at the sight of her motionless figure in front of me as I scream myself hoarse for her to just wake up, to just move an arm or a leg or something.
"Please!" I am pleading now, my throat ragged and heart punctured. "I love you..."
And though it's the first time I've said it, I realize that it's been true for a very long time.
I've put Jennifer through a hell like none other, and it's because of who I am and what I have to do. But through the broken, shambled mess of a life that I've been holding together all year, I have truly fallen in love with this girl. And now, it's too late for me to tell her.
"I love you." I repeat, my voice barely a whisper. The words are perfectly poisonous to my soul. They soothe, yet sting my internal wounds.
I realize that Jennifer is in this situation right now because of me. If she has any chance of making it out alive, action must be taken quickly. It's up to me to undo the mess that I've created.
Trembling, I scoop her into my arms, and squeeze my way out of the dormitory. The adrenaline coursing through my veins keeps me running a steady path all the way up to the hospital wing. Time is no longer existent to me when I finally make it there. I slide Jennifer's motionless figure into a vacant hospital bed, and cry at Madame Pomfrey to come help her. When the school nurse rushes to her side, I force myself to leave.
By now, the death eaters will have figured out that I'm gone. As much as I find every fiber within me aching to stay by Jennifer, I can't. The best thing for her right now is to be as far away from me as possible. After seeing what she'd done to herself because of me, I can truly accept this. If she is to recover, she can't see me for a very long time.
With that in mind, I make my way out the doors to the castle, my fingers still trembling at my sides.
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Well guys, I know it was short but I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I will have another one up soon. Thank you so much for reading and feel free to comment or vote if you liked it! I love you all <3