Play Your Part
Draco stood nervously next to the cabinet. It was time. Any moment now, Death Eaters were going to come pouring through. It was his last night at Hogwarts.
Before dinner, he'd told Theo and Blaise that it was time. They had been solemn, gave him a rare hug, and wished him luck. He hadn't seen them since, and he probably would never see them again.
The cabinet creaked open.
"Hello Draco!" his aunt squealed. "So happy to be here!"
She moved to the side after a long hug, and then more Death Eaters poured out. Pettigrew, Avery, Macnair, Yaxley, Bulstrode, Rosier, and more that were masked that he couldn't identify as fast as they came. Finally, the last person jumped out of the cabinet. Amira. He drank in the sight of her in the dim room.
"Hello," she said calmly. "Funny seeing you here."
Draco snorted and rolled his eyes.
"Are we ready?" he asked everyone. They nodded. He led them to the entrance of the door.
"Wait!" Amira said suddenly. Everyone stopped. Amira looked around quickly. "You keep going, just wait for me at the door."
Before he could ask why, she darted off between the rows of junk and hidden things. He decided to keep leading the group through the tall piles to the door. He waited there for her, growing more anxious by the second when she stayed missing.
Finally, she appeared, pocketing an unknown object. "So sorry about that."
She didn't explain any further, and she motioned for Draco to continue on.
"Alright," he said, "So, are we all ready, we all know the plan?"
The group nodded and jeered at him. They were impatient and they didn't want to listen to a sixteen year old. He knew most of them thought he would fail anyway. He was sure that he would.
He had barely slept in a week. He wasn't going to kill Dumbledore. He wasn't capable, for more reasons than one. He would either be killed trying, killed for failing, or punished severely. His only hope was that Amira would stick with him. With her, he stood a chance.
He opened the door and let the Death Eaters out. They ran down the halls, yelling and taunting.
"So much for discreteness," Draco muttered. Amira gave a short noise of agreement. "Where did you go?"
"I felt something," she said.
"Can't tell me?" he checked. She shook her head with a small smile.
"Want to lead the way?" she said. "I've never been here."
"We can probably just follow all of the noise," he said, "Stick with me?"
"Of course," she said. "Let's do this thing."
They hurried after the others. "So how screwed am I when I get back?"
"He's cooled down a lot, your letter and your offer to meet him did a lot," she said. "He's not found them. But it actually makes you more important so he can't kill you."
"Why does that not reassure me?" he wondered out loud.
"Draco, don't worry, you'll just have to get through this week, he's much more worried about Potter. And me." she said. Lights started flashing up ahead. Draco hoped the Death Eaters had found professors, and not students.
It seemed to be a mix of both. He noted the Weasley girl, Granger, and a few others fighting alongside the heads of Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.
"Where's Harry?" one of them screamed.
"He's with Dumbledore," Granger yelled, "They'll be back soon!"
Draco cursed. Dumbledore wasn't even here. He and Amira skirted unnoticed around the corner of the room.
"He's going to be that way, on the tower there," Amira murmured and pointed, "They're flying in."
"The Astronomy tower, thank you," he said. They kept running together. Amira threw up a shield for them. "I wish I could give you a better tour."
"Oh this is very exciting," she said dryly.
Draco thought about it for a moment, "Do you want to talk to him.... before I?"
"Why?" she asked.
"He is your uncle?" he explained.
"I don't have great uncles," she muttered under her breath. "If we get the chance, sure. But otherwise, do what you need to. I'll be there to help. I'm sure Severus will be too."
"Severus?" Draco slid to a halt. "I didn't tell him."
"I did."
"Amira!" he complained.
"Draco," she said, "He's going to do it for you. Just make it look like you're about to, and then he'll take over."
"He wouldn't," Draco said, "He's loyal-"
"I'll explain later, just trust me," she begged. "We have to go, they've just landed."
"That's a neat skill you've got," Draco said. “Magical echolocating.”
"It only works on the super powerful magical sources, and the two of them.... it works," she said. They didn't talk anymore as they ran. They heard the fighting following them. They scaled the stairs at a rapid pace. Draco stopped her right before they went up. He listened. He could hear the pair talking, Potter and Dumbledore.
"Go now," Amira whispered. Draco nodded and steeled himself.
He burst onto the tower. He looked around, confused. Potter was nowhere to be seen. Dumbledore stood near the balcony, looking pale and shaky. Not like the great man Draco was prepared to look at.
"Hello Draco," he said. "Amira."
Draco looked behind him but Amira wasn't there.
"It's alright my dear, come out," he said, "I can feel you, as you can surely feel me. I'd like to meet my niece."
Draco heard quiet footsteps and Amira appeared beside him. She had her mask on. She looked as dark and evil as they came.
"Look at you," Dumbledore said in wonder. "If I had any doubt, it's gone now. You look just like -"
"I don't care," she said coldly.
"Of course not," he said, "I never expected you."
Amira didn't speak. Draco raised his wand. Dumbledore ignored him, and it infuriated him a bit.
"You are very powerful," he said to Amira, "He has turned you against me."
"He didn't need to," she said calmly, voice steady.
"He is using you to get at me," Dumbledore said.
"He is using me for more than that," she disagreed.
"Yes, what has he promised you in return? Money? Power?" Dumbledore asked.
"He hasn't promised me anything," Amira said, "He is not my Master. I belong to no one."
"No?" Dumbledore said, hope lighting is eyes, "That is a surprise."
Amira walked forward.
"It will not help you now," she said simply, quieter now, but loud enough for Draco to just barely hear.
"That's alright," he said, "It is my time to go. But it will help others."
"How do you know that?" she asked.
"It is the fire in your eyes, and warmth in your heart," he said, "You have power, and you are good. But my dear, you are unstable."
"I am aware," she said.
"It is what killed my sister," Dumbledore warned, "It is in you even more."
"I am being careful," she said.
"I hope so," he said, "But I'm afraid one can never quite predict what will happen to girls like you."
"What can I do?" she asked.
"Your father knows just as much as I, go to him," he said. There were sounds from the steps. "You have given me the greatest gift. Knowing that my family will not die with my mistakes. Now, go back, play your part. Let us end this chapter."
Amira stepped back next to Draco who raised his wand again.
Bellatrix burst onto the balcony with the other Death Eaters and squealed.
"You've got him! Do it Draco!"
Amira murmured to him, "Not yet. Buy time."
"I am going to kill you now," he said confidently. "And there's nothing you can do about it."
"Are you Draco? You're only sixteen, don't do this," Dumbledore pleaded with him. Draco had no idea if it was real or not. "You still have time to make the right choice."
"This is the right choice!" he yelled.
The Death Eaters cheered and taunted him.
Draco was sweating. He couldn't do it. Where was Severus?
"Very well," Dumbledore said.
"Do it! Do it now!" Bella screamed.
"Now," Amira whispered.
Draco opened his mouth and began to say the curse that he knew wouldn't work. Suddenly he was pushed to the side by a tall man in a black robe.
"Severus," Dumbledore said, "Please."
Draco watched, stunned, as his godfather shot that green curse that killed the most famous headmaster of their time. He fell backwards in slow motion. The Death Eaters roared but Draco felt like he was underwater. Severus ordered them all to leave, as the job was done. Draco stood there, numb.
Amira tugged his arm. "We have to go."
He nodded and turned to see that her face was pale too. Just before they left she stopped and looked back.
"Potter, I'll be in touch," she said quietly. Then she took Draco's hand and they left. Draco didn't know how she knew he was there. She could feel it, he supposed.
They followed the other Death Eaters downstairs, down through the halls, and past fallen bodies of students.
Bella destroyed everything she passed gleefully. The Great Hall, portraits, windows. Severus led them out of the big doors and down the front lawn. Draco and Amira wound up in the middle of the pack. Then, they heard yelling behind them.
"Keep going," Severus ordered.
A great fire started in Hagrid's hut. Bella squealed.
"Amira, come join," she said, "Come on!"
Amira let go of Draco's hand and joined his aunt. She held out her hand and cast a great wall of fire over the hut. Draco's heart panged. He didn't want her doing that. He didn't want her hurting and destroying people's lives like Bella. He watched her pull something from her pocket and toss it into her stream of fire. A crown. He swore that it hissed as it turned to ash.
He turned around and realized that Potter had followed them out and was screaming and trying to curse Severus. Bella ran over to taunt him as well. Draco took Amira's arm to stop her. Her eyes were clear, and hard, and she stopped as soon as he touched her.
"We have to go now," he whispered.
"Wait for Severus," she said. "He has to go first."
The two of them watched as Severus threw Potter back. Finally, he turned and commanded Bella. They walked swiftly to the gates. Draco's heart was pounding. This was it. Dumbledore was dead. He was done. His parents were safe, his friends were safe. He was going back to the snake pit, but hopefully he would be alright. And he wouldn't have to leave Amira again if all went well.
They apparated at the gates, Amira side-alonged him. It was the smoothest apparition he'd ever experienced. They landed at the Manor. It was dark as it was night, but the Manor felt more intimidating and evil than it ever had before.
"You'll be okay," Amira said under her breath, "He might hurt you a little bit, but I'll make sure you're okay."
"I expected as much," he agreed. He walked through the grounds with the rowdy group. They were running, cheering, and cursing.
They entered the doors and sobered up a little bit. Severus stood at the front of the group, in front of the Dark Lord who was sitting on his throne in the dining room.
"Is he dead?" the Dark Lord hissed.
"Yes my lord," Severus answered. The group cheered.
"Good," the Dark Lord hissed, "Where is Draco?"
The group stepped aside to reveal he and Amira. Amira walked forward and stood next to the Dark Lord before facing the crowd. Draco assumed that this was her normal place because no one batted an eye. Draco walked forward and stood next to Severus with his head held high. Then, he went down on one knee and bowed his head. He put his mental shields up and prepared for the performance of a lifetime.
"My lord," he said, "I am so sorry for the betrayal of my parents. I do not approve of their actions, and had I known about them, I would have come to you and warned you."
"Look at me!" the Dark Lord hissed. Draco looked up, and his mind was plundered instantly. The Dark Lord ripped through his initial fake defenses and dove through the memories, fake and real, that Draco had curated, proving him innocent of knowing of his parents escape. It hurt, but he held strong. "You are being truthful."
"Yes my lord," Draco said, bowing his head again when the Dark Lord finally withdrew.
"You did not kill Dumbledore," the Dark Lord hissed. "Crucio!"
Draco had never felt pain like it. He writhed on the floor but did not scream.
"My lord, if I may," Severus spoke after a few minutes. The spell ended. Draco shakily made his way back to his knee. He would not lay there on the floor in front of the Death Eaters. "I took the chance from him. He was going to do it."
"And why did you disobey my direct order? Trying to steal glory? That is very unlike you Severus," the Dark Lord hissed suspiciously.
"No my lord," Severus said, "I needed to do it. I had to enact my revenge. You know what it was for."
The Dark Lord eyed him for a long time. "Indeed."
Then he looked at Draco, and he braced himself for another curse.
"Stand up!" he barked.
Draco made his way to his feet quickly and unsteadily.
"You are not yet forgiven for the transgressions of your parents, or your failure tonight," the Dark Lord said, "But I am a merciful lord. You will need to earn your way back into my favor."
"I understand, my lord," Draco said immediately.
"One more step out of line and it will be your last," the Dark Lord threatened, "Get out of my sight."
Draco left immediately without looking back. He was incredibly lucky to have escaped relatively unscathed. He was still shaking, yes. But it could have been much, much worse. He could be dead. Or a prisoner in the dungeons.
He went to his room. He didn't have to wait long before his door opened quietly. Amira was there.
"Are you alright Draco?" she asked, going to him quickly.
"Yes, I'm okay," he said. She checked him over quickly with her eyes. Then she placed her hand on his shoulder and he felt a warm, soothing feeling pass over him. His shaking stopped, as did any pain. "Wow. Thank you."
"You're welcome," she said. He pulled her down to sit on him so that he could hold her close. He buried his face in her hair.
"I've missed you," he whispered. She held him back tightly.
"Me too," she said. "We can be together now."
"Yes," he said. "Can you tell me now?"
"Yes, I can," she said, "But not here, we'll have to wait until we can go out somewhere."
"Alright," he said. He leaned back to take in her face. She was as beautiful as she'd ever been. He felt disbelief at the fact that he still had her, and that they'd made it this far. They had so much farther to go.
He pulled her into a kiss then.
Her lips were warm against his. It felt like coming home. He pulled her waist with his hands gently so that she was pressed against him. She tilted her head back for air and he moved his mouth to cover her neck and sucked. She let out a little noise and rocked against him.
Draco couldn’t take the heat and flipped them so that he cradled her beneath him. He took her mouth again and dominated it with his tongue. She pulled on his hair desperately and arched her back up to him.
He tried to convey his love to her through his actions as best as he could. Every kiss, every caress, it was to show his love. He didn’t dare hope that she felt that way, and he didn’t want to rush her by saying it.
He remembered her writing it in the journal months ago when she was exhausted, and he wasn’t sure if she even remembered it.
As if she read his mind, she pulled back and gazed into his eyes, their lips only millimeters apart.
“I love you.”
Her words knocked the air out of him. Tears came to his eyes.
“I love you too.”
Her eyes mirrored his own as her tears sprung and leaked out the corners of her eyes, making her long eyelashes glisten in the dim light of the bedroom.
“I’ve loved you so long, my dear,” he said, and kissed her again. This kiss was less heated and more gentle. Amira was clutching to him like he was going to dissolve away from her, and Draco held her firmly to him. He never wanted to let her go.
If he had it his way, he would never have to again.