Draco felt sick as they walked into the Great Hall.

There were so many dead people lain before them.

He clutched Ronnie's hand tightly in his, pulling her close, reassuring himself of her living, breathing form.

He'd nearly lost her too many times tonight, and he couldn't bear it if she had been one of them on the ground.

He hated himself for what had happened in the Room of Requirement. He had panicked. He had been an idiot. He was afraid of what Goyle would have done if he hadn't followed him; knowing that Goyle was more than capable of killing without a second's thought.

And he had been certain that Ronnie was going to be okay; she had Potter and Granger.

But it didn't mean he didn't love her. Because he did. He loved her so much and it killed him to witness her go through this.

A group of redheads were huddled around a body in the centre of the room and he felt Ronnie tremble as her eyes fell upon them.

"Go to them," he murmured in her ear, squeezing her hand in his. "I'll be here if you need me."

His heart fluttered as she suddenly threw her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder.

"I need you now," she whispered, her fearful breath tickling the bare skin on his neck.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her into him as much as he could. He was desperate to take away her pain.

"You've got me," he said, clutching a hand to the back of her head, vehemently pressing his lips against her brow. "Baby, I'm here."

He felt her shudder heavily against him before she stepped back, morosely looking up at him. His heart twisted at the pain in her eyes.

Without saying anything, she turned and walked towards her grieving family who greeted her at once with tearful hugs.

As Draco watched them all weep and comfort each other over Fred's dead body, it suddenly occurred to him why he had always felt such animosity towards the Weasley's.

It was not, as he had constantly told himself, because of their treacherous blood. No - he realised now that all this time it had been jealousy. Jealous of the love and affection they had for one another; so many siblings to look out for each other.

What Draco would have given to belong to a family like that.

And it was at that moment, as he watched Ronnie and her father cling to one another in a state of utter devastation, that he realised he would never - could never - take her away from that.

He loved her too much to make her choose between him and them.

*****

"Harry Potter is dead."

Each word was like someone thumping a fist hard in my gut. My friend, my best friend was gone. Just like Fred.

The hall erupted into screams and cries.

It was over.

I whipped my head around, frantically looking for Draco. I saw, just in time, a black suited figure disappear into the wailing crowd, heading towards the Entrance Hall.

No, I thought, terror gripping at my heart. I'd lost so much; I couldn't lose him too. Don't go, please.

Without thinking, I left my family's side to go after him.

"DRACO!" I cried, pushing through the crowd, my heart thudding horrifically in fear.

"DRACO!"

The white-blond haired Slytherin paused as I fell into the Entrance Hall. Slowly, he turned round.

And I knew, from the look on his face, that I had lost him too.

"I'm sorry, Ronnie," he said heavily, pain and regret flashing in his eyes. "I've got to go."

But he didn't move, and I strode across the hall to him, closing the space between us.

"Please, don't." I sobbed, halting in front of him. "I love you."

It was the night of Dumbledore's death all over again.

"I'm a Death Eater, Ronnie," he murmured sadly. "I haven't got a choice."

"We can runaway," I pleaded, knowing I was clutching at straws - I could see he had already made his mind up. "We can still be together."

But he shook his head sadly, lifting an arm and placing a hand gently to my cheek, wiping my tears away with his thumb.

"It would be no life for you. Your family need you... and you need them."

"I need you!" I cried, the tears falling profusely now. I felt desperate. I'd lost Harry and I couldn't lose him too. I just couldn't.

And all of a sudden I was in his arms as he fiercely pulled me to him; his lips crashed down on mine and I felt my whole body shudder as an uncontrollable sob escaped me.

"I love you," he rasped, breathlessly breaking the kiss as he pressed his forehead against mine.

And then, before I could respond, he let me go, turning his back on me as he walked away.

I stood crying, bodies jostling past as everyone else started to move out of the Great Hall and make their way through the oak doors where Draco had just disappeared.

"Ronnie?"

A hand grabbed mine. Hermione.

"What are we going to do?" I wept, never having felt so empty and broken before.

She wrapped an arm around me and I sobbed onto her shoulder.

"Come on," she said, ushering me towards the doors. "We need to face this together."

And there he was; my hopelessly annoying, yet fiercely loyal friend - lying dead at his enemy's feet.

"Draco!"

Everyone's head swivelled towards the voice.

Lucius Malfoy was calling his son. I couldn't look. A part of me still hoped that he wouldn't go to them.

But then there he was; crossing through no man's land, allowing that fucking piece of scum to hug him.

Draco had made his choice. And it wasn't me.

It never was.

*****

Harry hadn't fucking died after all.

And he blasted the noseless twat into the afterlife.

What a fucking show off.

I should have been glad, but I was not.

Draco and his parents had scarpered.

"Don't worry, Ronnie," Harry said, cockily blowing the tip of his wand. "My first job as Head Auror will be to find the Malfoy's and put each of their cowardly behinds into Azkaban."

I just shrugged my shoulders. I didn't care.

Because Draco Malfoy was already dead to me.

*****