"I'm sorry," Draco murmured in my ear, gently rocking me as I sobbed in his arms, clinging onto him like he was all I had left in the world. "I'm so sorry."

"He shouldn't have died," I wept, my tears flowing in a way they'd not flowed for Luna or my sisters. "He had so much reason to leave this place."

"So do you," Draco said firmly, his fingers tilting up my chin to force me to look into his piercing grey eyes. "Listen to me, Alia. You have so much to live for, too."

Our lips were so close, they were almost touching, and I was desperate to close the gap and kiss him, to get lost in his comfort and not think... never think again.

But instead, I closed my eyes, as more tears spilled out and splashed down my cheeks. My mind was overflowing with information and horrors I wished weren't there. In less than a week I had lost both my sisters, two of my closest friends, discovered I had a brother who was dead, and that Draco had a brother born out of the result of his father doing an unforgivable act on his son's ex.

To say I was exhausted was an understatement.

Draco pulled me tighter against him, fervently kissing the top of my head. The sound of his steady heartbeat comforted and reassured me as I clung to him. I never wanted to move, did not want to face another second of the hell that we were being forced to endure.

Could a person go insane from such a thing? Probably.

"Come on," Draco said authoritatively, "let's get you to bed."

He glared over my shoulder, presumably at Harry who was doubled over in belly-aching laughter with the pink guard (of whom had since acquired for them a bottle of port), smacking his hand down on the table in hysterics ("And then he said -hic- he said 'It killed meh! It killed meh!' You should have seen his face!").

Numbly, I let Draco guide me to the bunk furthest away from Harry and the guard, his hand clasping mine tightly.

I was grateful when, without a word, Draco lay down with me and scooped me back into his arms.

"I don't want to fall asleep," I whispered against his chest, knowing that the morning would bring the final game, and very likely tear me apart from the last person left in the world I cared about, bar my parents.

Although... if what Padma had said was true about my brother, then could I forgive them for keeping such a thing from me?

"Shhh, you'll need the rest," Draco hummed. "If you want to get out of here and find your parents."

But I did not want to leave this place alone. I did not want to leave without him. And besides, he had more reason to survive this game than me.

"Draco," I whispered, recalling my promise to Nico, "before I fall asleep, there's something I need to tell you... about Nico."

He frowned, but said nothing, silently waiting for me to continue as his fingers played in my hair, brushing soothingly down my back.

I took a deep, nervous breath. "The thing is, he had a reason to win that money... well, we all did. But Nico's one was more surprising."

"How so?" Draco asked slowly, giving me his full attention.

"I only found out just now, he told me when you went to fetch the towel. And he made me promise not to say anything until after he... well, you know."

A sadness flitted over Draco's face, and I could see he felt the loss of Nico too, they had, after all shared a lot of history growing up. Which only served to make this harder.

"I'm just going to come out with it," I said, realising I was stalling. "Nico, he has a child you see. A child who was snatched away from him after the birth. Nico wanted to use the money to find him."

Draco stared at me, looking thoroughly confused.

"How is that- I mean... is that even possible-?"

"It was four years ago, during Hogwarts."

"Oh. When he was a she, you mean?"

"He - he's always been a he. But, yes, back when he was known as Pansy."

I knew it sounded as though I was being pernickety at a time like this, but I felt even now- especially now, it was more important than ever to not have Nico misunderstood.

Draco visibly paled and I could see him trying to work out the maths.

"You're not the father," I said at once. But really, surely, the truth was a lot worse.

"Then... who is?"

"He was raped, Draco. During the Battle of Hogwarts. A Death Eater."

"Shit... no. Poor Pansy- I mean Nico- I mean- fuck!" He rubbed a hand tiredly across his brow. "I'm sorry, I'm struggling to get my head around this."

Oh fuck. Then I'm sure this next part won't help.

"The thing is, Draco. Nico wanted me to tell you specifically about this because..." I tailed off trying to summon the courage to tell him, reaching out to touch the back of his hand, "...because his son, Draco, Nico's son is your brother."

My words were met with a stunned silence that seemed to go on for an eternity.

Draco's jaw fell open, his face incomprehensible. "My brother? But I don't have any siblings, my mother only had me. And my father, he-"

He froze, his complexion turning a deathly pale as realisation hit him what it was I was telling him.

Shaking his head, lost for words, he sat up, driving his hands through his hair, his eyes wild and angry.

I could feel the fury literally vibrate in the air around him. And I suddenly understood why Nico wanted to wait till he was dead to pass on this news.

Tentatively, I reached out a hand and briefly touched his shoulder. "Draco, I-"

But he hurriedly shrugged me off and jumped off the bed, acting as though my touch had burnt him.

"I need to go- I need-" he pushed his hand back though his hair. "...fuck."

Without further explanation, he strode across the dormitory, past an extremely drunk Harry whom he left hanging as the former Gryffindor tried to high five the former Slytherin, and did not stop until he reached the door to the bathroom which he dramatically threw open, letting it slam heavily shut behind him.

After a moment's hesitation, I followed. And, when I skidded into the bathroom, it was to discover Draco angrily ninja kicking open the door of each bathroom stall, profanities spitting from his lips.

"Mother- fucking- cunt!"

"Draco-"

"THAT BASTARD DOES NOT DESERVE A DICK!"

The door he had just punched with the base of his foot fell off its hinges, clattering loudly to the floor.

Beneath the harsh bathroom lighting, I could see his face was wet with angry tears.

"I want to kill him, I want to watch him suffer at my hands and kill him for every person he has hurt and betrayed. For my mother-"

As he broke down, sobbing into his hands, it was my turn to comfort him. I swiftly moved further into the room, holding his wracking body in my arms as he cried against me, clinging to me like a drowning man would cling onto a life boat.

"Maybe something good can come of this," I whispered, "maybe you can get out of here and find him-"

"Never! Wherever my brother is, he is better off as far away from our father as possible. He is toxic... evil-"

"-and nothing like you: someone who deserves a loving family, too."

Draco lifted his head, his eyes searching mine as he cupped his hands on either side of my neck, his thumbs tenderly brushing along my jawline. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course I will," I whispered, my heart fluttering madly as, for one ignorant minute, I could let myself believe in some kind of happy future.

But it quickly dampened when I realised we still had one final game left to play. A game which was looking less likely every second we spent in this place that there could be more than one winner.

"We cannot forfeit now," Draco said, reading my thoughts. "All those people who have died for it... But I promise you, that whatever happens, I'll make sure you walk away from this."

"Why would you do that for me? We barely know one another."

"I know you enough to know that I'd walk through fire for you, Alia. I fucking adore you."

I closed my eyes, letting his words wrap around me like a blanket on a cold winter's day.

Soft lips brushed over mine and I found myself sighing longingly, wanting more, wanting him.

"I know you feel it too," he murmured hoarsely, his breath tickling my lips. "I know that your body sings to be near me just like mine does for you."

Fuck, he wasn't wrong. My breathing became so fast and shallow, it hitched in my throat. My heart was racing so furiously, it felt as though it was going to burst out of my chest. My blood pumped so loudly, I could hear it roaring in my ears.

Never, in the history of my life had my body reacted in such a way to another. We were like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle slotting perfectly together, a picture finally making perfect sense.

But at the same time, it was terrifying. With a future so fragile, there was every possibility that this connection was going to be ripped away, leaving me with a loss so painful that the tiny shred of sanity I was hanging onto would finally snap and break.

"I do," I whispered shakily, opening my eyes to look into his, the passion in his gaze causing my heart to skip a beat, "I adore you, too."

A smile twitched at his lips, which he attempted to hide by pressing them ardently against mine. He let his hands fall from my face to wrap his arms around me, pulling me hard up against him, hugging me to him with such intensity.

That night, we held each other tight, trying to take away each others pain, and desperate to hold onto that once in a lifetime feeling.

The feeling of being adored.

******