The rest of that day, I recluse myself to the girl's dormitory. I don't bother showing up to dinner or even going to the Room of Requirement after curfew. I'm sure Draco has been wondering where I've been — I haven't gone this long without talking to him. But he physically cannot enter the girl's dormitory or a slide will form and he will be pushed back into the Common Room.
The day after, however, I brave it out and exit the girl's dormitory. I'm sure I look disastrous — I haven't changed my clothes since yesterday nor brushed my hair.
"Where've you been?" Draco asks, standing up from the Common Room couch and walking over to me. "You look like you've seen death."
"I have — well, sort of. Can we talk somewhere, private?" I whisper, gesturing to the busy common room. Pansy specifically cannot keep her eyes off of the two of us.
"Of course," Draco says seriously, taking my hand and leading me out of the common room. "I know an extremely private place," He whispers.
The two of us walk for a few moments before he stops at a door.
"The boy's bathroom? This is the extremely private place?" I ask skeptically.
"No one ever uses this bathroom," He says, letting me go in first before locking the door behind him. "Trust me, I've been coming in here a lot."
"Draco, is that you?" A feminine voice asks that I couldn't recognize.
A ghost of a young girl in glasses, pigtails, and Hogwarts robes comes sauntering over to us. "Hello, Draco," She greets kindly. "And you — are you Amelia? I've heard quite a lot about you, all good things of course. Draco's been visiting me quite frequently this year. I know all about your task. I'm Myrtle," She tells me solemnly.
"You've told Myrtle?" I ask Draco in disbelief.
"It just — er, happened. Myrtle isn't going to tel anyone, though. We're friends," Draco assures me looking at Myrtle.
"You can trust me," Myrtle adds.
"What is it you needed to tell me?" Draco asks softly, walking over to me but not touching me.
"My f-father. He was murdered yesterday. With the Killing Curse," I start weakly. Tears that I didn't know were there began to cascade slowly down my cheeks. I'm not upset about my father's death — it's Draco that I worry about.
Draco envelopes me in a hug. "Do they know who did it?" He asks seriously, continuing to comfort me as I sob quietly in his shoulder.
"I've been keeping something from you," I say.
"What is it?" Draco asks, pulling away from me and looking me in the eye. "What have you been keeping?"
"I've been receiving anonymous letters saying to stay away from you. I thought it could be Pansy — but it's more serious than I thought. They told me I've been given a punishment for being with you and then my father gets killed?" I sob, "This isn't a coincidence."
"Could it be the Dark Lord?" Draco asks.
"It mustn't be. My father was a Death Eater. I don't think Voldemort would kill a Death Eater —"
"Amelia," Draco starts quietly. "The Dark Lord would certainly kill a Death Eater if needed."
"How do you know?" I ask, blinking my tears away. I can now see that tears have formed in Draco's eyes as well.
"Because I think he wants to kill me," He says, letting the tears flow down his face. "He told me . . . if I don't do it soon . . . he'll kill me. I can't do it," Draco says, fully sobbing now with me.
I let Draco fall into my arms and the two of us stand there for a few moments, letting all our bottled up emotions out.
Two broken teenagers against the entire world.
"Potter . . .," Draco whispers, pulling away from me and drawing out his wand. I turn around to see Harry standing in the doorway, listening in on our conversation.
Harry manages to dodge Draco's nonverbal jinx, and Draco dodges one of Harry's.
"Stop it!" I say, the tears still streaming down my face. "Stop, stop, stop!"
"Cruci—" Draco begins.
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Harry bellows.
Blood spurts from Draco's face and chest. He staggers backwards, collapsing into my arms and causing the both of us to fall to the floor.
"No —" Harry starts, plunging towards us. "No, I didn't —"
"MURDER! MURDER IN THE BATHROOM! MURDER!" Myrtle calls loudly whilst Draco shakes and bleeds in my arm.
"Draco, please . . .," I sob heavily. "Stay with me. I can't lose you too. You're all I have left."
The door swings open and Snape enters, looking livid. He pushes Harry aside roughly and kneels over the two of us. He drags his wand along Draco and mutters a quick incantation.
Draco's wounds somehow knit themselves together. The two of us were covered in blood — it looked like we had just committed mass murder.
"Grey, you're uninjured?" Snape asks me.
"Yes," I confirm with a nod, shaking.
"He needs the hospital wing. There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if he takes dittany we might be able to avoid that," Snape orders.
"You, Potter, come with me," Snape commands.
I half-carry Draco's limp body all the way to the hospital wing. His weight crushes me, but I persevere until we reach Madam Pomfrey. I don't even care that I've dragged his blood throughout the entire corridor.
"Oh dear, what's happened?" Madam Pomfrey asks urgently. "Let's get Mr. Malfoy into a hospital bed now!" She exclaims, taking an arm from me. Together, the two of us bring him over to a bed.
"He needs dittany. . .," I tell her.
Madam Pomfrey purses her lips. "I know that, Miss Grey. You can leave, I can handle this for now."
"I'm not leaving," I say defiantly, feeling a surge of protectiveness. Draco's all I have left, I have to stay with him. Besides, if we're connected through the prophecy, perhaps I can help him somehow.
"Fine," Madam Pomfrey says, not arguing with me. "I'll go fetch the dittany."
She leaves me alone with Draco, and I quickly sit down next to his bed and clutch his bloody hand.
"You'll be just fine," I whisper to him, my voice cracking. "I can't lose you . . ."
—
DRACO BBY AW
Also how have I written 81 chapters in 18 days? That's actually terrifying gn streaks