Cold

Chapter Eighteen

(Harry Potter)

"Lucius!" I felt my voice hiss as I stormed through a wooden door.

The blonde man looked up from a strange-looking hologram of a woman-Narcissa I believed-moving around her room, picking out clothes. Lucius looked beyond irritated. His fists were squeezed tight and his eyes were blazing.

"She is having an affair with our fellow traitor," he said, strangely calm.

"Good. It gives you a reason to do what you need to do."

"What?"

"Draco needs a warning. You know what to do," my voice growled as I turned away.

"Yes, sire. Yes, I do," Lucius chuckled evilly as the door shut behind me.

My eyes flew open, and I felt my heart beating against my ribs at a rapid rate. I sat up on the Weasley's couch and stared around the room. Hermione looked up from the large book she was reading and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "You're not one to fall asleep like that and--really, are you alright?"

My hand trailed to my forehead which was dotted with cold sweat. My breath still hadn't eased. Hermione put her book down and quickly approached me, sitting beside me on the couch.

"Harry?"

I closed my eyes, trying to calm my heart.

"I had another dream," I whispered, feeling my throat sting with each word. "V-voldemort is... planning on killing... someone."

"What?!"

"Y-you heard me," I choked.

"Harry--"

"Hermione!" I interrupted.

"Harry... your eyes are red..." Hermione's voice trembled.

I stared at her, praying she was joking, but her face showed no sign of it. A small line of red rolled off my nose. I was bleeding again.

"Harry... what should I do...?" Hermione asked.

"It... it's just the dream... I'm sure it was... the dream..." I breathed.

Suddenly, I found myself face to face with the floor. Hermione screamed and everything went black.

(Ginny Weasley)

I balanced on a log, chatting with Draco. I wasn't really sure what I was talking about anymore. We talked so much we probably had said everything we ever knew. Some nights when I snuck into his room, we just sat in silence and stared at each other, smiling at how happy we had become. I suddenly realized that I really WAS happier. I felt desolate and strange when Draco wasn't around. I came to the comprehension that the two of us... couldn't live without each other...

I couldn't believe it had taken me that long to realize it. I turned and stared at him, bathed in the sunset's golden glow. A feeling suddenly swept over me with that realization. What if we had to live without each other? What if I lost him?! It was completely logical with all that had happened. My hand crept to my heart and squeezed my shirt as my eyes became blurred with tears. He looked up and his eyes widened.

"You're crying," he stated, as if I hadn't known.

I quickly brushed them away, "A-allergies, I guess..."

"Something's bothering you," he said quickly, helping me off the log and sitting me by a nearby tree. "What is it? What's wrong?"

I stared into his eyes, seeing blatant concern burning in those stormy orbs. It was like looking in the face of your parents when you're upset about something. You just can't hide it-in fact, it breaks loose like a storm. Tears began rolling down my cheeks and I covered my mouth, trying to stop the sobs from choking me.

"What?" Draco asked, looked even more worried than before.

"I'm just so... scared..."

"Why?" he asked, placing a comforting hand on my face. "You know I'll protect you from those bastards!"

"I'm not afraid OF them, I'm afraid of what they can DO, Draco!" I sniffled.

He looked confused, but never moved his hand.

"Wh-what if they... kill you?!" I sobbed.

"They won't kill me--"

"They CAN, Draco! They might even be planning to! I--I don't know what I'd do without you! I--I'd go crazy! I hate not being around you!" I wailed.

"You think I haven't thought the same thing?!" Draco suddenly snapped, but not harshly.

A silence fell between us for a moment, just the two of us staring at each other in shock. I knew we were very much alike, but our thoughts couldn't have been that connected, could they? Draco's thumb brushed away tears on the right side of my face. I sniffed, feeling the tears disperse from my eyes. Draco smiled at me.

"Good," he said. "No more crying. Because..."

He took me in his arms, wrapping them around my neck and resting his head on my shoulder. I could feel his breath on my neck.

"Nothing will ever come between us. I won't die and I won't let you die. No matter what happens," his voice dropped to a soft whisper, "We've always got each other."

I heard his voice crack, but nothing else came of it. His strength of will had faltered, but only for a moment. I pushed him back slightly. His hands went to my face to brush away the rest of my tears. I placed my hand on top of one of his, anticipating what was going to happen. Softly, Draco placed his lips against mine.

It was like a bolt of lightning had slammed through my entire being. My body was washed over with this numb, then tingling feeling, like it had fallen asleep and woken up too quickly. No longer were we the best of friends. I doubted we were ever best friends-but lovers that didn't understand our hearts. Yes, that's what we were. Now, we were together, and, I told myself, we would be, forever, no matter what Ron would say, no matter what my family would say, no matter what Lucius did.

Best of all, the thing farthest from my mind was Harry Potter.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, sitting up on my knees to deepen the kiss. One of my hands wrapped in his golden locks. His hands managed to move to my waist and pull me against him. He laced his tongue against my lips before I let him enter my mouth, exploring every crevasse. I almost laughed.

Last year, I would have been kicking him in the head by now-well, last year I would have never been at his house out in his garden anyway, now that I thought of it. My lungs were screaming, but heart just wouldn't let it go. I could die right then and there and be happy, as long as I knew I would die with him. Nothing else mattered at that one moment, and at that one moment, we were one.

A crack of thunder brought us apart. We were both breathing hard. Draco was smiling like a fool. He reminded me of Ron when a veela looked at him, or something like that. Strange, I thought, I didn't remember any of those clouds before. As I examined them in my bliss, a horrid feeling poured over me, one that couldn't be ignored, even in my happiness. I felt the color drain from my face as I stood.

"What is it?" Draco drawled, sounding stupid.

"I have a really, really bad feeling," I whispered.

(Narcissa Malfoy)

I sifted through my closet, looking for something simple, but perhaps a bit sensual for my date. I felt bubbly and giddy, and I wasn't just faking it anymore. I wanted to jump for joy, but something stopped me.

"He never got the letter..." I whispered. "He definitely would have mentioned it had he gotten it. I might have to ask about that at dinner tonight." (A/N: Reminding you of chapter six!)

My hands left the dress I was holding as I felt another presence in the room. I didn't turn around but reached in my pocket and grasped my wand which was studded with jewels.

"Silent apparation-very clever," I said, clutching my wand now.

"You know I've always been clever," the low tenor wafted across the room.

"Not that clever," I replied darkly.

"Neither are you," Lucius said. "After all, you're the one who went snogging with the Potions master, thinking I wouldn't know."

"My love life is none of your business any longer, Lucius," I growled, "And neither was yours to mine, apparently."

Lucius snarled.

"You thought I didn't know about your sleeping around with your fellow women Death Eaters?" I glowered at him over my shoulder. "You're a sick hypocrite, you know that?"

Lucius smirked, "Well, you're in one of your moods. On your cycle again, I suppose?"

"What, you think it's impossible for me just to be pissed at you?" I hissed.

Lucius raised his eyebrows, looking amused, "Well, this is new. When did you start standing up for yourself."

"Draco isn't here," I muttered. "You have nothing to threaten me with, and I'm sick of running away from you!"

"Draco is my son as well as yours-"

"YOU DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL SON!" I screamed, ripping my wand from my pocket and aiming it shakily at his form.

"Ah, so you're going to fight me now, eh?"

"No," I said softly. "I'll give you an ultimatum. Only one of us is leaving this house alive."

"You'd go to Azkaban," Lucius said, amused as before. "Could you handle that?"

"For killing a Death Eater? I doubt it, and even if I did, I would go satisfied."

"Would you die satisfied?" Lucius barked.

"I've got everything I want, Lucius. When you're dead, my life will finally be free of your ridicule."

"Well then, I suppose we'll just fight, but won't you keep lover boy waiting?"

"At least he'd worry about me," I said. "I don't even remember why I married you."

"You were under the Imperius Curse, of course. Why else would you marry me?"

"Wh-what?" shock befell me. "What did you say?"

"I needed an heir," Lucius explained, pulling his wand out, "But you've raised him to be a wimp-"

"Draco's stronger than you'll ever be! How else would he survive the hell you put him through?"

I turned completely to him, wand straight in front of me.

"So you think you can kill me? Ha!"

"If I don't, at least I'll be happy I tried."

"Fair enough," Lucius said, sending a spell at me.

I turned quickly and raced down the hallway. I had to lead him on and trap him. I wasn't fast enough to fight face to face.

"Scared, Narcissa?!" Lucius laughed.

"Hardly!" I yelled back, racing up another flight of stairs.

I had had the house renovated-hopefully that would be an advantage.

Please, Draco, Ginny... stay gone just a little longer... If I see you two, there's no way I can do this...

I quickly shut and locked myself in Ginny's room, grabbing a piece of parchment and scribbling down a letter to Draco, just in case. I shoved it in my pocket and opened a window, hopping onto shingles of the castle. I bit my lip-I was deathly afraid of heights, but I wouldn't let that affect me.

I stumbled over the rooftop, looking for an open window. I had managed to circle around to the rose ladder and climbed down, feeling my heart slow down a bit, finally. From there, I moved to the large picture window in the ballroom and threw it open, wand still out. I halted, staring ahead of me. I heard movement outside the ballroom doors...

"Please don't be Draco," I prayed.

The doors suddenly flew open, revealing Lucius, his eyes flaming.

"Thought you could trick me, eh? Well, I happen to know how to SCRY, my dear."

"No--" I muttered, though it did explain how he had known about Severus and myself.

He raised his wand to me again, glaring at me, "Any last words?"

"That's a bit cliché, isn't it?" I taunted.

"I suppose it is, but no matter. You won't live to tell about it."

My wand was leaving impressions on my hand now, I held it so tight. There was no running now. It was time to finish this, one way or the other. My free hand crept to my pocket and clutched the letter that I had written to my dearest son.

"It ends now," Lucius said.

"Yes," I whispered.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" we yelled in unison.

(Severus Snape)

I stood there for an hour, waiting for my beloved to appear, but she was a no-show. Certainly she hadn't blown me off. She wasn't that kind of person. Worried, I returned to my office to contact her. Something caught my eye on my desk. Among the scattered parchment, something seemed to be missing. Yes, I remembered it, it was a letter laced in gold and tied in a green ribbon. I hadn't read it yet, being that I had been busy at the time I had gotten it.

"Where could it have gone?" I muttered.

(Draco Malfoy)

I had begun to realize that bad feeling Ginny had had was mutual. It fell over me on our race back to the house. My feet skidded to a halt as a large green skull with a snake wrapped around it exploded atop Malfoy Manor, in an ugly mist. I actually felt the weight of my face drop down to my neck. I took off at a fast run, Ginny barely keeping up with me. My heart began slamming against my ribs as I threw the door open. The 'pop' of an apparation was heard for a brief moment.

"Something's happened," I whispered, "Something bad. It's too quiet..."

Ginny just looked at me, so pale that each freckle stood out on her face in a bright orange. Her eyes were glistening in fear.

"MOTHER!" I screamed. "MOTHER, WHERE ARE YOU?! MOTHER?!"

"NARCISSA!" Ginny yelped. "NARCISSA, PLEASE ANSWER!"

I bolted up the stairs, throwing open every door, shrieking for my mother. From there, I nearly jumped the stairs and began checking the kitchen and other rooms. I stopped, silent. Ginny skidded behind me, breathing hard. The door to the ballroom was creaked a little. I moved slowly across the final few steps and creaked the door open. There, in the final breath of the evening sun, shining through an open window, was my mother, sprawled out on the floor, hair surrounding her.

"M-mum..." I whispered. "G-Ginny, get help."

"Right," she said softly, moving away.

I finished the few steps to my mother, then dropped to my knees, pulling her up slightly by the waist.

"M-mum... wake up, mum... P-please..."

She made no movement.

"Mother... please!" I begged, feeling my blood running cold.

Nothing.

"MOTHER! WAKE UP, DAMMIT!" I cried, shaking her.

I went numb, right then and there, placing her in a comfortable position on the floor, running my hand over her cheek. It was cold. I stood slowly and stumbled across the floor-I didn't realize how much I was shaking. I shut the doors behind me and leaned against them, not willing to look back at her lifeless form. I couldn't. Ginny ran up to me.

"I Flooed the Aurors and Sna--" she stopped. "Draco?"

"She's... dead," I felt the words leave my throat in a raucous whisper, but I couldn't make them out in my mind.

Ginny stared at me as if expecting me to start laughing. I didn't-my breath was gone.

"Oh... my God..." was all she could say.

"Excuse me," I said quickly, rushing to the library-the library that only my father used.

"Damn you... DAMN YOU!" I yelled, knocking books off the shelf, one by one.

From there, I rushed over to his desk, ripping papers in half and throwing them throughout the room. I knocked over chairs and pushed the desk over, but no matter what I did, the rage just wouldn't leave me. I threw lamps at the wall, knocked down portraits, anything to end this rage.

"Draco, stop!" Ginny pleaded, rushing into the room and grabbing my arm. "DRACO!"

I stared at her, "I... can't..."

(Severus Snape)

It took me no time to get to Malfoy Manor. Fear struck me the moment Ginny Flooed me. Worry had plagued her pale, pale face, and she said something about Narcissa. I wasn't positive as to what-she was almost hysterical with fear. I saw Aurors trodding around the castle.

"What the hell happened here?!" I asked quickly to Mad Eye Moody, which was a bad sign for he didn't come unless it was very important.

"A Death Eater attacked here," he said. "That's all I'm allowed to reveal to you at the moment, Severus."

Sounds from the library caught my attention. I quickly moved to the door, feeling my heart pound. I prayed that everyone was safe, but when I opened the door, I was positive they weren't."

(Ginny Weasley)

I looked up to see Snape standing in the doorway, staring at the room in disarray. Draco went limp, staring at him as if he wasn't there.

"He killed her," he said softly.

Draco took off in a run and threw himself at Snape, burying his face in his shirt. Snape shook off the shock. The two of us exchanged glances for a moment before the sobs began. Draco... was crying. I mouthed his name, feeling tears well up in my eyes.

Can't anything go right?!

"HE KILLED HER!" Draco screamed, soaking Snape's shirt. "THE FUCKING BASTARD KILLED HER!"

Snape's eyes were glistening as he put his hands on Draco's back, lowering him to his knees. Draco's cries were unending, and so hard that he would shudder with each sob. I noticed Snape's hands were squeezed into fists now, so much so that I could see blood running from his palms. I doubted he felt that physical pain, when he, just like I, was in such mental anguish. I collapsed to the floor, choking on sobs. It wasn't fair. It wasn't FAIR! Why did Lucius have to ruin EVERYTHING?!

I slammed my fists against the floor, "DAMMIT!"

And at that moment, Draco's true heart had been revealed. Why did Lucius have to destroy my happiness-but worse-why did he have to destroy any chance Draco had at glee?! I fell completely to the paper-ridden floor, burying my face in my arms, sobbing. I truly knew...

Narcissa Malfoy... was dead.