Everything seemed to move in slow motion.

The sounds; the sights; even the beating of my heart which had become a loud, steady thud pressing against my ear drums.

Thud-thud. Thud-thud.

Pain ripped through me as the jet of green light which had been soaring through the air hit Neville squarely in the chest.

I felt everything give way beneath me and I fell to the ground in an almost simultaneous motion as the boy before me.

Except, where I had landed on my knees, he slumped forward, hitting the ground with a deathly loud thud that matched my heartbeat.

Dead. Gone. Nevermore.

*****

Panic was racing through Draco's entire body as chaos ensued around them.

Typically, it had appeared that Potter had deemed himself too good for death and had jumped up the second Longbottom's body hit the ground causing everyone to start charging from all corners.

Blaire was clearly in complete shock and he needed to get her out of there, to get them somewhere safe. But she didn't seem to see him; didn't see anything but the lifeless body of her friend, slumped on the ground next to the sword he'd retrieved from the hat.

The sword. Gryffindor's sword.

It may have been Draco's imagination, but the way it glinted in the morning sunlight... it was almost like it was calling out to him.

Kill the snake.

He spun round on the spot, looking for the source of the voice, refusing to believe he'd just heard that in his head. But then the voice spoke again.

Kill the snake.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head. The exhaustion had clearly gotten to him, but now was not the time to start going mad; he needed to get himself and Blaire out of harms way.

"Come on," he demanded, grabbing her hand as he began to pull her towards the castle, Colin's wand poised ready in his hand.

"Nev," she whispered, panic flitting over her features, "we can't leave Nev."

"We'll come back for him, I promise," Draco assured her patiently; understanding that the shock wasn't causing her to think rationally. "But right now, we need to get somewhere safe, okay?"

She nodded, and he noticed that her eyes weren't quite there anymore, as though she hadn't even registered that the battle had recommenced.

Everyone seemed to be racing back into the castle and so, feeling that safety was very much in numbers, Draco allowed them to be swallowed into the crowd, gripping onto Blaire's hand as tight as he could, determined not to let her go.

"Look! They're duelling!"

Pausing at the castle doors, the crowd all seemed to swivel on the spot, looking anxiously at the sight of Voldemort and Harry Potter battling it out next to Longbottom's fallen body; just the two of them.

Draco took the opportunity to pull Blaire into his arms, holding her tightly to him as he silently prayed that Potter would somehow do it.

"Ron, we need to do something!"

Draco looked up sharply at the fretful voice of Hermione Granger. Her and Weasley were stood just behind them, both looking incredibly green and not as though they had much faith in their best friend's abilities.

"But how?" Weasley hissed back. "The sword was our only hope and now it's gone."

Draco blinked back down by Longbottom's body. Weasley was right, although the Sorting Hat was still sprawled unceremoniously on the ground next to him; there was no sign of the sword.

"What does that mean?" Draco demanded fiercely, causing them both to cast him startled looks. "The sword and the snake? It has significance to his downfall doesn't it?"

"How did you kn-?" Weasley began before Granger quickly silenced him by smacking his arm.

"Shush, Ronald! We shouldn't-"

"For fuck's sake, I'm on your side." Draco gritted through his teeth. Couldn't they fucking see he'd literally had no choice? That if he did, he'd choose to live a happy free life with the girl he loved more than anything?

"Neville was our friend!" Blaire suddenly spoke, seeming to come to from her shock as she fiercely straightened up. "And not once did he look at or treat Drac as the enemy; and so neither should you."

Granger seemed hesitant, but then gave a heavy resigned sigh. "Harry's not going to be able to win this fight if Nagini remains alive."

So Draco hadn't been going mad when he heard the sword speak to him. And yet once again he had chosen to be a coward and had run away instead of being the hero the world so needed right now.

There was only one thing left to do. He needed to finish Longbottom's job.

"Drac?" Blaire asked as he dropped his arms from around her and sucked in a deep, determined breath. "What are you doing?"

"To do what I should have done in the first place," he muttered, clenching his fists by his sides as he tried to summon up the courage he didn't think he even had.

Knowing he couldn't do this without it, Draco suddenly scooped Blaire to him, pressing his lips firmly against hers; the action causing both his heart and the world around them to simply still for an intense, yet beautiful moment.

"I love you," he said hoarsely; breaking away as he stared deep into her startled and confused eyes, baring his soul to her.

He quickly let go and turned instantly on the spot before she could say the words back; frightened that hearing them might cause him to change his mind.

But onwards he pushed, his eyes fixed upon the Sorting Hat, somehow knowing that he would find the sword inside, just as Longbottom had.

He could see Voldemort and Potter still duelling out of the corner of his eye; the latter looking extremely wearied whilst the former laughed mirthlessly as they continued to fight.

His heart was in his throat the whole time, thudding wildly in protest as he drew nearer and nearer to the hat. Draco had never been more afraid in his entire life, knowing that he was very likely walking right into his death.

But he had to do this. He had to do it for Blaire; his best friend and his lover. His soulmate.

And then he was there; his long trembling fingers reaching out towards the scruffy old hat that looked like nothing but was suddenly everything.

It was at that point when Draco felt something wrench him violently backwards; his fingers clasping at nothing but thin air. And when he looked up, it was into the angry pale eyes of his father.

"What in Merlin's name do you think you're playing at, boy?!" Lucius snarled, instantly dragging him away by the scruff of the neck. "When I say 'come' you COME!"

"Let go of me!" Draco panicked, trying to twist his way out of his father's hold but failing miserably, only succeeding to trip and stumble as his feet struggled to keep up. "There's something I must do!"

"The only thing you need to do is learn your place in life!" Lucius snapped as Draco found himself being pulled towards the sea of black cloaks.

No! Draco thought helplessly as he attempted to reach inside his pocket for Colin's wand but ended up dropping it instead and watched in dismay as it snapped in two under his stumbling feet.

And just as he thought his life couldn't get any worse; Voldemort killed Harry Potter.

Again.

Draco had been too late. Voldemort had won the war.

He stared back up at the castle in horror as, upon Voldemort's orders, the Death Eaters lowered their masks over their faces.

"Kill them all." Voldemort sneered, smugly stroking the snake which was now draped over his shoulders. "Teach them to dare fight against me."

And one by one, every single Death Eater bar Draco and his mother, raised their wands; pointing towards the castle where the survivors were desperately scrambling to get inside as Voldemort began the countdown.

"Five... four..."

A sickening rip tore through his heart as he spotted Blaire at the great oaken doors, helping people through.

"three... two... one."

Draco would never forget the sound. In some ways it had been worse than the sight.

For there wasn't really much to see; just a mass of bright, blinding light as the castle disappeared under a giant cloud of smoke.

No, it was the deafening explosion which pressed horrifically against his ears and vibrated against his soul. It would be the sound that he would never forget; the sound that would forever torment his mind and haunt his nightmares.

The sound of his everything gone.

******