(OOC: Argh! Just moved house, guys, hence very limited internet access. May not get it at my flat for another week. But I'll try to pop in here through internet cafes or whatever whenever I'm able.)Draco had almost gotten used to his wounded hand now. It was likely to be a permanent thing, and though in the past he'd been vain enough about his appearance to consider every blemish an unmitigated disaster, these days he had more important things on his mind. Like the feeling he was going to die. That one was a lot harder to shake off than the occassional spasm of pain in his right hand
( ... )
Harry watched as the attackers on either side surged forward, feeling a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach as the first fighter was shot down by the defenders. "Let's go," he muttered, unable to watch any longer. He and Draco had planned to enter by stealth in the hope that Voldemort would be too distracted by the full-scale attack to notice Harry's presence until it was too late.
Draco slowly crept up the hill, Harry at his side, employing the woods as cover as much as possible. By now Jonathan and Smith would have reached the house, provided they weren't already dead, and hopefully the deception would last long enough for the real deal to get inside unnoticed. Partly Draco regretted not being out there in the throng, throwing hexes every which way. Another part of him knew that the closer he got to Voldemort the closer he was likely to be to Snape - and that's where he really wanted to be.
It was a terribly noisy battle, the hiss and crackle of spells counterpointing the shouts and screaming of their casters. But even over all this tumult the voice was unmistakeable. Pansy... Immediately Draco spun 'round, crouched down and pointed his wand in the direction he was sure he'd heard her calling from. But all he could see was darkness.
As Pansy continued in her attempts to escape and remain unnoticed she kept and eye on the two boys. Immediately she knew she had been spotted. She heard a rustle and a wisp as someone turned around and she blinked a couple of times before she could realize who the figure was. She ran further into the darkness for cover. If Potter was on his side she would be surely dead
( ... )
Harry squinted through the mayhem. "She's blocking the way," he growled at Draco. He could hear Jonathan yelling on the other side of the house in his, Harry's, voice. "We don't have time..."
Draco's wand hand was shaking. There was no doubt about it now, that was his Pansy up there, in the robes of a Death Eater. Merlin's shade, that it should have to come to this...
"I'll take care of her," he whispered to Harry, his knuckles growing pale as he clutched his wand as tightly as he could manage. The prince of Slytherin blinked away a tear. He took a deep breath, and rose to his feet.
"I'm not asking to be saved. Let's end this, Pansy."
Memories were coming back to her, of younger years, of the Yule Ball; of the summer days spend at her grandmother's house...Pansy shook her head from side to side. That was over, it was the past this was the present and it was either her or Draco.
She swallowed and pushed hair away from her face. "That is what it seems to be is it not? Why running off with Potter." She was trying to speak out of spite. She was trying to get spells to shoot at him but only sparks flew out of her wand as she pointed it to Draco.
"Is either you or me Draco, he'll kill me and my family if I do not." She said, maybe to try to convince herself as she swished her wand but only a weak spell shot out into the sky.
Draco waved her hex away with an ease that surprised even himself. Pansy was better than this, he knew that for a fact. She was one of the most ingenious witches of their year. Then why...
She didn't want to hurt him. And he didn't want to hurt her either, but the only way to Voldemort, the only way to end this all, was through her.
"Stupefy," he said, a terrible lack of conviction in his voice.
The spell hit her right in the chest, yet it only took a couple of seconds for it to be done. Standing up from the ground Pansy walked to Draco her wand still ready.
"Why did you do this?" She whispered, as she neared him. Only a few feet away she stepped back and shook her head. She touched her face and was reminded of her wounds. This was enough o bring her wand back up and point it at his chest.
"Ava-" The words choked in her mouth. She couldn't do it, she couldn't kill someone. She wasn't a killer, she wasn't even a warrior and she really didn't know what she was doing here.
Harry stepped forward, having only time to register the first syllable coming out of Parkinson's mouth. "Acibio!"
It was the same spell he'd used on Draco during the duel, a whole year before, and it was just as effected. The girl slammed back into the wall with a sickening thud, and fell to the ground.
"Come on," he said to Draco, tightening his grip on his wand.
Draco faced Pansy, his wand pointed at her breast, shaking, like her unable to utter a hex, unable to do anything else but stare at the other. He had loved her... He loved her still...
And then she went flying backwards in an arc that could almost be described as graceful. As she fell the dark robes of the Death Eaters draped themselves around her, as if they were a blanket. Or a shroud.
For a brief moment Draco just stood there and stared.
"NO!"
Then he ran to her, dropped to the ground beside her, cradled her head in his lap, like she'd done to him so many times before. But her eyes were closed. She did not appear to be breathing. Draco brushed her hair away from her face. She seemed cold to the touch. Draco howled in anguish.
And then he looked up at Harry. His eyes blazed with a cold blue fire.
Pansy had never thought of how exactly it felt to die. It was weird really, it was as if her limbs had just decided to stop working and air wasn't going through her system and all of the sudden she felt a gentle touch in her face and her eyes opened briefly. She swallowed and with difficulty breathed.
"Who was it?" She said briefly as she looked at Potter and then rolled her eyes. "I would have much rather died by your wand." She said quietly as she flinched and then rubbed her face slightly against Draco.
"Professor Snape is out there...he will not like the fact that I..." Another pause as she breathed slowly. "What bloody spell was used anyways? I thought you people did not shoot to kill?"
Her eyes closed briefly and she bit her lip. "Do fly orange sparks that is how the other Slytherins will find me."
Draco raised his wand. He felt the words of the Killing Curse coming easily to his lips. Die, Harry Potter...
But then Pansy stirred, and all else was forgotten. He heard her murmur something, pressed himself close to her lips, his tears rolling freely down his cheeks, ignored. She was alive... And she would stay that way...
"Shhh," he whispered soothingly, "I'm going to take care of you."
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Harry watched as the attackers on either side surged forward, feeling a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach as the first fighter was shot down by the defenders. "Let's go," he muttered, unable to watch any longer. He and Draco had planned to enter by stealth in the hope that Voldemort would be too distracted by the full-scale attack to notice Harry's presence until it was too late.
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It was a terribly noisy battle, the hiss and crackle of spells counterpointing the shouts and screaming of their casters. But even over all this tumult the voice was unmistakeable. Pansy... Immediately Draco spun 'round, crouched down and pointed his wand in the direction he was sure he'd heard her calling from. But all he could see was darkness.
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"I'll take care of her," he whispered to Harry, his knuckles growing pale as he clutched his wand as tightly as he could manage. The prince of Slytherin blinked away a tear. He took a deep breath, and rose to his feet.
"I'm not asking to be saved. Let's end this, Pansy."
Reply
She swallowed and pushed hair away from her face. "That is what it seems to be is it not? Why running off with Potter." She was trying to speak out of spite. She was trying to get spells to shoot at him but only sparks flew out of her wand as she pointed it to Draco.
"Is either you or me Draco, he'll kill me and my family if I do not." She said, maybe to try to convince herself as she swished her wand but only a weak spell shot out into the sky.
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She didn't want to hurt him. And he didn't want to hurt her either, but the only way to Voldemort, the only way to end this all, was through her.
"Stupefy," he said, a terrible lack of conviction in his voice.
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"Why did you do this?" She whispered, as she neared him. Only a few feet away she stepped back and shook her head. She touched her face and was reminded of her wounds. This was enough o bring her wand back up and point it at his chest.
"Ava-" The words choked in her mouth. She couldn't do it, she couldn't kill someone. She wasn't a killer, she wasn't even a warrior and she really didn't know what she was doing here.
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It was the same spell he'd used on Draco during the duel, a whole year before, and it was just as effected. The girl slammed back into the wall with a sickening thud, and fell to the ground.
"Come on," he said to Draco, tightening his grip on his wand.
Reply
And then she went flying backwards in an arc that could almost be described as graceful. As she fell the dark robes of the Death Eaters draped themselves around her, as if they were a blanket. Or a shroud.
For a brief moment Draco just stood there and stared.
"NO!"
Then he ran to her, dropped to the ground beside her, cradled her head in his lap, like she'd done to him so many times before. But her eyes were closed. She did not appear to be breathing. Draco brushed her hair away from her face. She seemed cold to the touch. Draco howled in anguish.
And then he looked up at Harry. His eyes blazed with a cold blue fire.
"You..."
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"Who was it?" She said briefly as she looked at Potter and then rolled her eyes. "I would have much rather died by your wand." She said quietly as she flinched and then rubbed her face slightly against Draco.
"Professor Snape is out there...he will not like the fact that I..." Another pause as she breathed slowly. "What bloody spell was used anyways? I thought you people did not shoot to kill?"
Her eyes closed briefly and she bit her lip. "Do fly orange sparks that is how the other Slytherins will find me."
Reply
But then Pansy stirred, and all else was forgotten. He heard her murmur something, pressed himself close to her lips, his tears rolling freely down his cheeks, ignored. She was alive... And she would stay that way...
"Shhh," he whispered soothingly, "I'm going to take care of you."
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"Draco, we don't have time for this," he warned.
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