“Malfoy?”
Draco could not keep his hand steady as he pointed the wand at her. Tears welled up in his gray eyes. She stood as still as a statue, horrified brown eyes fixed on his wand. Then she began to cry, too.
“Why? Why do you hate me so much? Why are you going to kill me? I’ve never done anything to you!” she cried out. The tears were flowing more freely now.
“You wanna know why?” he roared, and shoved the sleeve of his left arm up. She gasped at what she saw. “That’s why!”
She sank to the ground, sobbing into her arms. Draco tasted salt as his tears streamed down his cheeks. But tears were not going to help now.
“Malfoy, please,” she said, looking up. “Please, please don’t do this. I beg you, I’ll do anything, just don’t kill me.”
“I have no choice!” he exclaimed. “You’re on their side. I have to.”
“You’re not a murderer!”
There were yells and explosions, sobs and screams as the war on Hogwarts carried on. Hermione glanced at the window and he knew where her mind was. As he looked her, memories flashed through his mind like a movie. The first time he had seen her, looking lost and confused at Platform 9 and ¾. He had remembered thinking how unattractive she looked, with bushy hair and big front teeth. His mother had turned up her nose. “Mudblood.”
That simple word had determined how he was to treat her for the rest of his life. Because she was worthless scum. She didn’t belong in the wizarding world. He wiped his tears away. Worthless scum she might be, but she was still a human being.
“I loved you, you know.”
His eyes widened. “What?”
She was still looking at the window, looking more calm and resigned now. “I realized it at the Yule Ball. You put up this tough, bully façade but I could tell it was all a cry for help. All you ever wanted was someone who liked you for you, not just for your money or your family. And those were the only people around you. Vain, superficial and fake. That’s why you envied Harry. Because even though he had no family, at least, no family worth mentioning, his friends loved him and supported him so in a way, his friends were his family.”
How had she known?
“Shut up,” he snapped. “Just shut up.”
There were footsteps. Draco’s heartrate sped up. He didn’t think he had ever been so unhappy to see his aunt Bellatrix show up.
“Draco!” she said breathlessly, and then paused when she saw Hermione curled up against the wall.
“Well, well,” she wheezed, slowing down her gait. “Isn’t this perfect?”
She gave Hermione a sharp kick that made her groan and clutch her stomach. Then she walked up to Draco and whispered into his ear. “Do it.”
He bit his lip, feeling dizzy. Beads of sweat trickled down his face. Hermione looked up and their eyes met. She mouthed, “Please.”
“What are you waiting for? Go ahead!” screeched his aunt, dusting off her dress.
They all fell silent as they heard the sound of someone rushing up the stairs. Snape appeared in the room. He stopped and glanced around, his usual stoic self. Draco looked at him and Snape gestured toward the door. Without a second’s hesitation, Draco rushed out and raced down the stairs, and the two Death Eaters followed.
“I loved you, you know.”
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