"Lucius?!"

I mean, I knew Draco's father was bad news, but not this... a monster.

I looked at Nico, my heart wrenching when he made no attempt to correct me. I felt my stomach turn to liquid as unwanted images sprang to mind. His ex-boyfriend's father?!

What must have gone through Nico's mind when he was violated in the worst possible way? And not only that, but in a body he was already having an identity crisis with?

"Does-" I swallowed, suddenly finding it difficult to speak for the ache in my throat, "-does Draco know?"

Nico shook his head. "I don't think so. My parents were especially careful to hide it from the world, so I doubt even his bastard of a father knows."

I glanced furtively back, watching as Draco moved across the dormitory towards us.

"What do you want me to do with this information?" I asked quickly, turning back to Nico whose eyes were rapidly fading.

"Nothing... yet." He paused to cough, his face screwing up in pain as he did so. "I'm telling you now because when the time comes, you'll need to tell Draco. But not until after I've gone- please. I could not bear to see that look in his eyes... of pity... despair, maybe even resentment."

"It wasn't your fault," I rushed out, clasping his hand tightly in mine as tears stung behind my eyes. "Nico- you were raped!"

"Doesn't make a difference, I'll still see it in his eyes." He tried to focus his own eyes, the light in them dying as they furtively flickered around my face. "It's in yours too, I can see it. But at least... at least your eyes aren't like my son's."

Oh god. The utter horror of what Nico had gone through was dawning on me: the unfairness of his life and everything he had suffered.

With Draco now within earshot, all I could do was squeeze Nico's hand tighter, trying desperately to convey how sorry I was through a look. Tears swimming in his eyes, Nico gave a small nod, clasping my hand back with the little strength he had left.

"Everything okay?" Draco asked warily behind me as he finally approached the bed.

"No, not really," Nico drawled, rolling his eyes, "on account of the ruddy great big fucking hole in my side."

Draco passed the damp towel to me and I quickly pressed it against Nico's forehead. His eyes instantly fluttered upwards as he pressed his head back against the pillow and sighed blissfully.

"You really do make a lovely nurse," Nico hummed, his lips flickering up at the corners as he attempted to meet my gaze, "a beautiful one at that."

Raucous laughter rose up from the table where Harry was still drinking with the pink guard: the former wiping away tears from his face as he chuckled uncontrollably about something.

I felt a spark of anger and had to look away. Draco crouched down beside me and reached out to clasp my free hand in his, his other arm wrapping supportively around my back. Our eyes met, and I felt utterly moved at the genuine emotion in his expression.

"You kids make a cute couple," Nico coughed, his voice weak, "do me a favour and make sure you both get out of this place and look after one another, okay? Merlin only knows something good has to come out of this entire macabre affair."

A faint smile pulled at Draco's lips as he clasped my hand a fraction tighter, his thumb gently sweeping across my knuckles. However, there was a sadness in his eyes that prevented his smile from reaching them. And I knew how he felt, because I felt it too. How could there ever be a happy ending after all of this?

And Draco didn't even know the half of it, yet.

As Nico drew in a shallow breath, I could hear an ominous rattle in his chest. It was clear he didn't have long, and I felt the panic returning, making me dizzy beyond sense.

Because how could we just sit there and let it happen?

"Please, Draco," I whispered quietly, urgently, "the guards, they seem to listen to you. Can we not at least try to ask for help, even if the chances are next to nothing?"

Draco hesitated, glancing back down at Nico, whose eyes were growing heavier with every second, no longer being able to focus on anything.

"Alright," he said after a beat, slowly removing his hand from mine. "Potter's new bestie might be persuaded now he's had some drink in him."

He leaned over to clutch the back of my head and pressed his lips ardently against my temple. I closed my eyes at the blissfulness of this gesture, my heart fluttering wildly.

And I knew in that moment that I wanted more, that I wanted exactly what Nico was suggesting of us. But even if we both survived, would what we have inside this place be feasible out in the real world? Would we be strong enough to carry the other as we got through this shared trauma?

I thought we could. We both came in with nothing, so we literally had nothing left to lose other than each other.

I watched as Draco got to his feet and approached the pink guard, silently praying that his charm and persuasiveness would work on these monsters.

"I need you to help us," he demanded in his most authoritative voice. "My friend, she- he, needs urgent medical attention."

"Can't you see we're still eating?" Harry snapped, clearly annoyed at being interrupted mid-trifle.

"Well, I'm sorry," Draco sneered, turning to glare at his former nemesis. "I'll ask my friend to consider dying at a less inconvenient time instead, shall I?"

"People die in here all the time." Harry drawled, waving his glass around so that Prosecco sloshed everywhere. "It's kind of what we signed up for."

Draco turned a furious pink as he slammed his hands down angrily on the table and pushed his face threateningly into Harry's. "Look, you fucking selfish prick-"

"Now, now," the pink guard interrupted, holding up a hand, "Player 218 is not wrong. It's not my job to interfere with the contestants unless they break the rules. If I help one, but not the rest of them, then that could be considered unfair, and I'll most definitely get shot for it."

Draco straightened up, smoothing out the creases of his suit as he turned back towards the guard. "I get that, but my friend- he's in a lot of pain and-"

"Ah, I see, say no more!" The guard exclaimed in a knowing voice as he removed his gun from his pocket. "You want me to put him out of his misery."

"No! Jesus fuck! What is wrong with you people?!"

Exasperated, Draco drove a hand through his hair, rapidly losing his cool.

"Hey- relax." The guard said, replacing the gun in his pocket before reaching for his glass. "I'm just doing my job."

"And that includes going on a bender with the Chosen One, does it?" Draco snarled, his lip curling up in disdain as he spat out Harry's former title.

"Hey," Harry said, his face a rosey red as he readjusted his glasses on the end of his nose. "The man's entitled to his break, isn't he? It's basic employment rights."

"Then fucking get Citizens Advice involved," Draco hissed. "I'm sure they'd be really interested to discover the pile of bodies out the back chilling with the Prosecco."

"Uh-" the guard said, lifting up a single finger, "actually, we incinerate them. Less clutter that way."

Whilst this conversation was going on, I failed to notice the guards entering the dormitory with a coffin shaped box. It was only when Nico's hand was dragged forcibly away from mine did I realise what was happening.

Three pink guards were attempting to lift Nico's limp body off the bed and put him in the box.

No. NO, NO, NO!

"Stop it!" I gasped, clawing at their arms to try and pull their hands off him. "Leave him alone!"

Without warning, I was engulfed in a world of pain and flashing lights as a hard punch landed in the side of my head.

I barely noticed as my side smacked painfully against the cold, hard ground, the voice in my head still screaming out Nico's name.

"You fucking dare touch her again!" Draco's voice bellowed somewhere off to the side. He sounded furious.

I heard the heavy footfalls of feet as hands reached down to grapple at my arms which were clutching at my pounding head.

"Forget about me!" I gasped, trying desperately to stave off the nausea. "Just don't let them take him!"

"Jeez, just let them do their job," Harry slurred from the table. "He can't exactly be left in here to rot, can he? Rigor mortis can be a right bitch when it sets in."

Draco left my side to try and fight the guards, the scuffle of fists and shouts being the only thing I could hear. Trying to blink away the pain, I slowly lifted my head, but to my despair, Draco was lying sprawled on the floor, groaning, and the guards that had entered with the box were once again leaving with it.

And Nico was nowhere to be seen.

"NICO!" I screamed, horror making my blood turn to ice.

But, of course, he didn't answer. And, as the door slammed behind the guards with the box, the ringing silence they had left in their wake was broken only by a cold, emotionless voice, slicing through my heart.

"Player 067, eliminated."

*****