Thanks JK for your characters, except for Eska who is mine.
All around the room, the eyes of the Lady turned to us. "So you've come back, come to join us? Thought about what we said? Who's this?"
"This is my Dad, and yes I've thought about what you said, I may consider it." I said, hoping I sounded braver than I felt.
The hissed at each other and a little smile flew around the room. "Good girl, you know then that one of us contains Voldemort's horcrux?"
I gulped, "yes, and I want you to destroy it, what is the price?" I was afraid, but determined.
They grinned, maliciously and I shivered, "your essence replaces his, your life in exchange for his."
"NO!" My Dad had been quiet up until this point, "not her."
"What would you offer us instead?" They laughed, "yourself? Why would we want you instead?"
"Because I'm a more powerful wizard, and that's what you want isn't it? The magic?" He pushed past me to stand in front of me, shielding me from them.
"Dad no! You can help the others fight, let me do this, I'm not scared," I lied, desperately pulling on his sleeve. I'd rather die than have to watch him do so, I guess I was too selfish to realise he probably felt the same.
He ignored me, "you have us trapped in here, destroy the horcrux so I can watch and then take what you want from me, you must let my daughter go though."
"Deal," they cackled. As we watched one of the portraits floated off the wall into the middle of the room and elongated until we could see the whole of the Lady and her blue dress, out of it shot a silvery cloud. The other portraits began chanting and the cloud caught fire and burnt up, as the last bit disappeared a brilliant white light shot out and filled the room then faded. "It is gone," they said. My Dad nodded. "Now, the price," they hissed.
The Lady in the portrait that was in the middle of the room stretched her hands, out of the portrait and grabbed my Dad, he began to jerk around, and out of his mouth streamed a golden cloud, "NO!" I screamed and reached to grab for him, I was thrown back by something invisible and landed on the floor. My Dad twitched one final time and dropped to the floor. I sobbed and flung myself on him, feeling for a pulse, there was none. I screamed and cried, I could think of nothing, I held tightly onto him, refusing to let go. I couldn't see anything, tears were streaming from my eyes and I kept blindly holding onto him, sobbing and shaking, willing him to be ok, to wake up, even though I knew it wasn't going to happen. I didn't know how long I'd been there but suddenly I was picked up by the same invisible force as had flung me before and tossed out of the room. "NO!" I screamed again, jumping up to get back to my Dad but the door slammed shut, and in it's place was bare wall.
I cried out and slumped against the wall. I could vaguely hear shouts and explosions from below me, I supposed Harry and the Order of the Phoenix had arrived, I felt numb though, I just didn't care, at least we'd destroyed the horcrux, he had a fighting chance. I sat there for a while, in shock still, when I heard footsteps. I turned my head, Draco was next to me. "Esk," he said, his face white, out of breath. "Voldemort's dead, the ministry are taking over, I have to run."
"Oh, please don't go." I begged, I didn't want to lose him too, "my Dad's gone, there's no one left," I cried.
"My dad's dead too" he snapped, "you don't hear me whining though." He must have seen the shock on my face because he suddenly looked stricken, "oh Esk I'm sorry, but it's been an awful few hours."
"Thought you were back to being the old Malfoy I used to know," I sniffed, wiping away my tears.
He grimaced for a minute, "with some people I am but I didn't mean to be with you, I'm sorry."
"Is Harry ok? I meant to go see but…"
"Saint Potter?" He spat, "don't know, was too busy trying to get away from the chaos he's created."
"I'm sorry Draco," I said softly, "is your mother ok?"
"Yeah, she escaped… ran away when the fighting started, I made her go."
"So are you really leaving now?" I felt the tears welling up again.
He knelt down and hugged me, "I have to Esk but I'll come see you soon, I promise." He kissed me on the forehead and ran off down the corridor. I dimly watched him go then struggled to my feet. I was going down the stairs when I was met by Professor McGonagol, "Eska! We were looking for you, come child, you're safe now."
"My Dad," I said, tears welling up again, "he's dead, the pictures took him."
She looked at me with uncomprehending eyes, then decided she didn't need to understand. She hugged me tightly, "it's ok Eska, we'll look after you know, come to St Mungo's, you need treating for the shock." I followed her, not really feeling anything, just desperately wanting my Dad. Then I saw something that jerked me back into reality. In the entrance hall of St Mungo's, Harry was being carried on a stretcher, he was unconscious and covered in blood.
"Harry!" I pulled away from McGonagol to get to him.
"Eska, there's nothing you can do, come sit down." She pushed me towards a chair as a nurse came over to look at me. They took Harry off down a corridor.
"Is he ok? What happened? Didn't he win?" I asked desperately.
"Yes he won, but he's badly hurt, they'll do all they can, you can go see him soon but sit still for a while and let them treat him."
I sat back, and suddenly darkness surrounded me, I thought about my Dad, Harry and Draco and I fainted. They put me to bed and I slept for hours, when I woke up Mrs Weasley was next to me, "We'll look after you now dear," she said, stroking my hair. "Don't you worry." I smiled up at her and whispered "thanks," then I felt the darkness come back and I slept again.
*****************************************
2 weeks later:
I was sat next to Harry's bed, staring at him, willing him to get better and wake up, when someone put their hand on my shoulder. It was Draco, "what are you doing here? You'll get caught!" I was so glad to see him but worried at the same time. He'd been missing for over two weeks, I jumped up and hugged him. "They've arrested your mother, and Snape. I thought you'd be on your way to the Bahamas by now!"
"Well, it was tempting but I'm going to turn myself in, if I keep running they'll give me more years in jail when they actually get me. This way I'll get a fair hearing, I've not done much, I shouldn't get more than seven or eight years."
"Eight years!" I cried in horror, "oh, I'll miss you so much, you'll forget me."
"I won't I swear, Esk I promise you this now, I love you and when I get out, if you've waited I'll come find you and be with you again. I want you, so much, if you still want me then as well we'll be together."
"I do," I said quietly, "but we've not been together that long, maybe we feel it now but in a few years… who knows? It wasn't so long ago I used to hate you, but I guess I started to like you when you started being nice… What if prison changes you again?"
"Well, we'll see then won't we? But Esk, you've changed me, just over a few days, I've stopped being so angry at everything for a start, that's got to be a good sign hasn't it? It doesn't feel like a temporary thing. If you find someone else though, go for it, there's no point you wasting your time waiting for me when we may meet up and find we don't like each other any more."
I gave him a sad smile, "I hope we will though, right now I want that."
He kissed me on the forehead and said "me too." We heard footsteps and he twisted his head, behind him two aurors were approaching, the hospital must have tipped them off. "Remember," he said, blowing me a kiss as he walked off with them.
I ran down the corridor and watched them put handcuffs on him and disapparate. I felt weak, so I walked slowly back to Harry's bedside and sank into the chair, crying. The nurse came up to me and handed me a cup of tea without saying anything. I sipped it gratefully, feeling shocked and sad. Outside, I could hear fireworks, people were still celebrating Voldemort's downfall. I thought sadly of Draco, could I wait that long? I clutched Harry's hand. "Please wake up Harry, I need my best friend back." He made no response, I shut my eyes and bowed my head onto the bed, tears streaming from my eyes, desperately wishing for everything to be alright.
The wind is bitingly cold as I lay down the roses on Harry's grave. He died three days after Draco was arrested and taken to Azkaban, the healers said he never had a chance, his injuries were too many and too damaging for him to recover. Ever since then today has been a memorial to him, he changed our world, no one is afraid anymore, Voldemort is dead, the deatheaters are dead or in jail, everything is peaceful. Me, Ron and Hermione all meet up, every year, not wanting to join the main services, preferring to mourn in private. I've come here on my own though this year to lay flowers because they had to get back to their baby daughter.
It's now seven years later, I'm a teacher at Hogwarts, I never met anyone new. I tried to move on after Draco was arrested, after all, I'd only been with him for a few days but I just couldn't, I liked him more than I could say, I think I loved him, I wished I'd told him that. He was released from Azkaban a few weeks ago but I'd not heard from him.
I arranged the deep red roses in a little vase on Harry's beautiful black marble tomb and stood over them for a minute, silently thinking about him, about how unfair it was that he'd been so young and about how brave he was to give his life for all of us. I walked slowly back to the cemetery, lost in my thoughts, about Harry, about my Dad.... Just outside I sat down on an iron bench, wrapping my coat about me against the cold. I wasn't crying, I'd gone past that a long time ago, I was just thinking back to the old days at Hogwarts, when the four of us had no real worries, when I'd been able to go home every holiday to my Dad… Every time I thought about him I got a lump in my throat, I felt so lost and on my own sometimes.
Someone came and sat next to me but I didn't really notice them, I was so far away. "Hey." I turned around and saw Draco sat next to me, he looked exactly the same, but much older, more mature, he gave me a little smile.
My heart lurched at the sight of him, I still wanted him so much but I doubted if he wanted me still, he'd have forgotten me and our promise. "Hi, I'm sorry, I was miles away."
"It's ok, I didn't mean to interrupt you, I just wanted to see you." He twisted to look right at me, I looked into his eyes and saw some of the sadness I was feeling, his wouldn't be for Harry though, I guessed he must have had a tough time in jail.
"What have you been doing these last few weeks?" I asked, returning the smile, forcing myself to think more cheerful thoughts.
"I was ill, Azkaban does that to you, I've been at home recovering. I came to see you as soon as I could, sorry it couldn't be faster." My heart leapt, maybe…
"No, I didn't mean it like that, I was just worried." I didn't want him to think I was assuming anything.
He put one hand on my cheek and brought his face close to mine "I didn't forget and I haven't changed what I want," he breathed.
"Neither have I," I smiled up at him, then turned and buried my head in his shoulder as he pulled me into a hug.
"I'll look after you now," he whispered and I smiled into his chest, a wonderful feeling of happiness spreading over me, as I felt that, at last, things were going to ok.
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