At the End of a Hall, At the End of a Dream

There was a knock on the window, or maybe it was the door. Draco couldn't tell anymore. That is how much his head hurt. It seemed it would never stop hurting. Not tonight anyway.

He passed out as he did every night and it was wonderful. He was flying through the air and he could hear her, she was calling his name.

He came to, and he was on the floor. He was lying in something wet. He suspected it was blood. In any case it was sticky.

His father was there. He could feel his presence. He did not want to feel anymore. Feelings had hurt him.

He must have passed out again. He could see her face this time. Her hair was curled; it was the night of the Yule ball. She looked like an angel, and he hoped she was the angel of death. Oh how he wanted to die.

The room was cold. He could not remember where he was. He tried to think and it came back to him. His father had come to get him, it had been a Sunday. Draco had refused to leave. He could only remember the blow to his head. Then he had passed out.

He had wondered what day it was now. How many days had he lain there out cold? Two? Four? Perhaps it was only an hour. He wanted to know.

Was he still at Hogwarts? He certainly hoped so. At least maybe there was a chance of her finding him.

She had laughed when he told her about his bruises. Then she had cried. She had never meant to ask him about them. She had always known what they were, she had always known who they came from, and she had never known how much it had hurt him.

He had sat up for a long time that night staring into space. He was thinking about her, she had always been so careful with him. She had always cared. She had cried herself to sleep that night. He never knew that, he should never know that.

He sat up. As hard as he tried he could not see out of his left eye. Lucius was right handed. He heard something. Footsteps. They were behind him.

She was running her heels clicking on the ground faster and faster. He was at the end of the hall. She could see him.

She was holding him in her arms. The bleeding had stopped. They were together now and he was safe. He could not harm Draco. She kissed him on the forehead and then, all too soon it was over.

The dream was over, and she was alone in her bed. She looked out the window. It was a starry night yet the moon looked so lonely. She felt cold and alone. She drew the blankets closer and she stared into space.

He sat up and then passed out once again. He was flying, he was swimming. He was somewhere, somewhere down at the end, of a cold and lonely hall, in a puddle of shed blood.