This chapter contains emotional trauma and mentions of character's death. Please read with caution.

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''Please come back to me.''

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Theodore Nott.

His steps down the stairs echoed throughout the whole house as he yelled for Narcissa, constantly trying to wrap his own head around all of this in the meantime.

What going to the Pucey's meant.

''Narcissa!'' He shouted again, feeling the scent of home-cooked food as it dragged through the house, ''Mrs. Malfoy, are you—''

''Theodore, dear,'' She smiled cheekily as Theo walked through the doors into the kitchen, ''Why would you be shouting about—''

''He found her.''

Narcissa's entire face fell, her otherwise warm expression chilled at what Theodore just told. Her breaths stressed as she dropped the spoon held in her hand, ''That is not funny, Theodore. If this is a joke—''

''It's not.'' Theo cut her short, placing both of his hands upon the countertop, bending over it slightly. He felt anxious, ''It's her, Draco was sure.''

''And we are certain that this is her? That we can trust my son's judgment in this?'' She quickly moved the pots filled with tomato soup off the stove, and her hands grasped around the apron hanging tightly around her waist, ''It's dangerous, Theodore. You must understand that what my son has done, all those servants...''

She swallowed her own words, folding the fabric in her hands as she placed it onto the table, ''All those people he killed, it's not something the Dark Lord will simply forgive and forget.''

''I know,'' Theodore nodded, his teeth clenched together as he thought of it. That Amelie — if they were to get her back, would have to live through the consequences of Malfoy's actions.

Even if he did those horrible things to find her and bring her back to them — there's always a price to pay.

Theodore's tone held low, ''He knows it too, Narcissa,'' He stated, his head sunk and his eyes sealed, ''But he doesn't care. He only cares for her.''

Narcissa stepped closer as a motherly hand stroked over his back, ''I know. My son has never been much for love, let me tell you that, but when you find that person, you can't seem to grow tired of, the person you only want more from—'' She smiled to herself by the thought of her son, finding someone that makes him happy.

''You never let go, and I am proud of Draco for fighting so hard to get her back, even if the methods he uses and all those killings—''

''He calls it punishment,'' Theo pitched in, sounding more sarcastic than he meant to, ''He hates being called a killer.''

''Who wouldn't hate it?'' Narcissa sought to speak, but her voice slightly cracked by the subject, ''Enough about this, tell me, where do you think she is?'' She asked.

''We figured it out from the book.'' Theodore admitted, making her nod slowly, ''We believe that Adrian kept her in his house all along, just hidden underneath protective spells.''

''That's..." Narcissa's eyes flickered, ''I think you're right. My husband, he's been visiting the part of town where Adrian's parents used to live. Apparently, his mother is nowhere to be found.''

Her face held a cloak of hurt as her mind reached her good friend Ana.

''Do you think—'' Theo hesitated, rushing a hand through his hair to ease the messy looks,'' Do you think he'd do anything to hurt his own mother?''

She frowned, ''I think there's a lot of things Adrian Pucey would do to please that wicked mind of his.'' She peered over her shoulder, making sure that everything in the kitchen was turned off before her hand gestured out in the air.

''I think so too...''Theodore muttered, walking after her with hurried steps, ''But we need to leave. Draco has been there for way too long on his own.''

''Do we know what to expect when we get there?'' She mumbled, reaching down into her pocket to haul her wand out, ''Will there be Death Eaters?''

''I doubt it,'' Theodore sighed out in relief of his own words, ''If there were any Death Eaters there before...'' He paused. His pulse quickened nervously.

''Malfoy would've taken care of them already.''

With a slight bow of Narcissa's head, she raised her wand, ''Take my hand, Theodore.'' She sought to smile, ''We don't have much time.''

The palm of Theo's hand struck hers, and before he clearly understood what was happening — she apparated them through the wind and down to the Pucey residence.

If anything, Theodore wasn't used to the magic that was practiced with an apparate. He always preferred to use more calm ways to travel, but there was no time.

The second they landed on solid ground, bodies, lifeless figures laying across the yard caught their attention, and Theodore, without a thought, understood that Malfoy was right.

Amelie was here.

He would never cause a massacre like this one if she weren't.

Narcissa's dress whirled vividly around her as both of them marched towards the entrance, their wands firmly hugged in their balled fists.

Theodore was preparing to walk in on chaos — on spells being thrown to left and right and no one to meddle with them. Not that he cared, he truly didn't — all he cared for was to get Amelie and Draco out safely.

''I'll go upstairs, and you can take the dining hall and the kitchen,'' Narcissa shoved the door open, whispering in case there was still Death Eaters standing, '' I will join you as soon as I can.''

Theodore nodded briskly before he stepped inside the mansion.

He could hear as Narcissa took steps down the hall before the sound of her heels faded, and he walked, at a measured pace, not to draw any attention to himself.

His eyes flickered through the dim surroundings. His feet stumbled over dead bodies as he went. Some of the fallen Death Eaters had different wounds than the others, and to Theo — it looked to him as if Draco had lost it in here.

''Draco—'' He whispered, ''Amelie, are you here?''

Theo stepped past the kitchen, muttering '' Lumos,'' underneath his breath, and his wand lit up in a cold, icing shade. He could see everything much clearer now as he peered around, looking for any sign of life.

''Malfoy,'' He yelled in a whisper, ''Are you here?'' Not a movement scored the kitchen's deserted facade, and he kept on moving further into the house.

Theodore felt a shiver down his spine as closer to the dining hall he came. He was, in reality — scared to death because he was clueless. He didn't know what happened.

It wasn't a fight going on. If there were, he'd hear it. Almost everyone in this house was dead. Malfoy had slaughtered all of them.

He could see on the very different ways they'd lost their lives that it was no other than Draco who'd done it.

Theodore had been with Malfoy countless times, hunting Death Eaters down — he wanted to participate, to help the blond in his search for Amelie, and as he was, he'd witnessed just how merciless Draco could be.

Theodore gasped, flinching by his own reflection in a mirror, covering the corridor wall — as if he wasn't terrified enough already.

His eyes flickered, and his insides twisted. There was a sense as if something heartbreaking had taken place, and he could feel it.

Theodore moved faster, his breaths stressed, and just as he entered the dining room.

His heart dropped.

He couldn't breathe anymore.

With tears in his eyes, Theo watched as his best friend laid with a knife in her chest next to Draco. Blood pooled around them both, so much that it drenched the clothes on their bodies.

His eyes instantly snapped further down the room, and he saw Adrian. His eyes numb and open. Theodore didn't know if he was dead.

He couldn't think clearly.

He hadn't seen his best friend for months, and now, her skin paled, and her chest stilled. Amelie looked dead to him, so did Draco.

Tears began to form in his eyes, and his chest felt so heavy, but he couldn't waste any time. He needed to do something.

Theodore stumbled up to Adrian, and without really checking if the boy resting lifeless was actually dead — he booted the two wands lying next to him, far away, before he strode back to Amelie and Draco's bodies.

He kneeled in between them, placing his wand on the floor so that he could use both of his hands. He pushed a finger of each hand against their necks, right where their pulse was supposed to be.

''I'm here now, Amelie.'' Theodore mumbled, his thumb stroked over her ashen cheek, ''We both are here now.'' He wasn't sure if she could hear him. He didn't fully know the damage the knife had caused her yet.

Theo's head snapped towards Draco as his entire body followed the movement. As the healer he once intended to be, Theodore began to make invisible circles over Malfoy's wounded body.

Theodore needed to start with him. Malfoy owned the strongest heartbeat, and his chance of making it with enough help was greatly.

He whispered inaudible things underneath his breaths to follow the gesture made by his hands, bright loops of azure light sparked around Theodore's wand, and his voice shifted louder.

It heard as if he was humming.

The boy repeated the exact words, over and over, for nearly half a minute until he saw, in the corner of his eyes, that Malfoy's fingers twitched, and his wounds slowly started to drag together before they faded into his pale skin.

'' There you go, Draco,'' Theodore whispered in between the healing words, ''Stay with me, Draco. Stay with Amelie and me.''

Theo could see as Draco's eyelids flickered, and the instant he did — he turned around, forcefully to face Amelie instead.

Teddy's lips pressed into her forehead, ''I'm here, love, and I will fix this... I will fix you. I promise.'' He muttered, holding his wand over the knife in her chest. A jolt of coral light slipped her wound as Theo's eyes squeezed shut.

His hands gradually held over the blade. He tried to feel it — the blade, to sense where it struck and how damaged she was by it.

''I see...'' He murmured still with his eyes closed, and he nearly flinched by the gasp from the entrance of the room.

''Oh dear God, Theodore, what can I—'' Narcissa choked on her own words, terrified to what she'd walked in on, ''Tell me how I can help.''

'' Pucey,'' Theo kept his focus on Amelie's cut, his vocals sternly, ''Check if he's alive and help Draco wake up. His wounds are healing.''

Narcissa gasped again, almost tripping back at the sight of the knife carved into Amelie's chest, ''Did she—'' Narcissa swallowed the sickening feeling she held within. It was a heartbreaking sight, ''Do we know if she did that to herself?''

''I know she did,'' Theodore squinted, watching as the coral light had shifted into a rosy color, ''I know she did this to herself. She did this to save everyone else. It was her bloody plan all along.'' Theo's note shredded angrier.

''She always planned for this. I just didn't tell anyone because she was happy with Draco, and I thought that perhaps she wouldn't do it anymore, but at the same time, I always knew that the day she was ready... She'd do this. She'd kill herself and take Adrian with her.''

Narcissa hunched next to Adrian, leveling the boy as her fingers pushed against his pulse. Her head shook as she sighed stilly, ''He's gone.''

''Good,'' Theodore said, his eyes flying open as a flame of greenish shades swirled around them, ''There we go, come on, Amelie.''

He strived to heal her from within, to mend the injuries caused by the blade as it ripped through her insides.

His hands stayed over the knife before his fingers closed around the handle, ''This may hurt, even if you don't hear me. You might feel it,'' Theo tried to warn her as Narcissa walked up behind him, falling to her knees next to her son.

''One, two...three—'' Theodore ripped the knife out of her body, and a deep inhale scored her lungs because of it. He was rapid to get back to the blood welling out of the tear in her chest.

'' Draco...'' Narcissa's fingers trailed over her son's hair, combing through it, ''Draco, it's safe to wake up now.''

No response from the blond, even if his skin regained its color and his wound healed.

'' Is he going to wake up soon?'' His mother looked more than worried, ''He seems so at peace, sleeping like this.''

''Give him a minute,'' Theodore shot a glare over his shoulder to check that Draco's chest heaved and that he got the air he needed, ''He'll be just fine.''

'' Amelie, love...'' Theodore bent closer to her ear, ''We're here now, Amelie. Draco is fine. He's okay, Amelie.''

Somewhere in all the chaos, they were seated in, Theo understood that he couldn't help her to his best capabilities here, in a dark room with nothing but his wand.

He could do so much more for her with the herbs he'd left behind in the manor, and he didn't want — when Draco clocked consciousness again, to have to see her like this.

Still, he didn't know if he could move her.

His wand twitched in his hand, and his eyes fell shut again. He mumbled unclear words, attempting to figure out if it was safe to take her away, but he could feel something — something strange he'd failed to notice.

''What are you hiding from me?'' Theodore muttered, his hands nearly danced over her numb body, working hard to locate what he'd missed, ''What are you hiding for me, Amelie. You don't have to hide from me, let me—''

''Her stomach—''

Theodore's eyes snapped open, and he flung around without delay. Tears shredded, ''Malfoy?''

''Her—'' Draco coughed weakly from the floor, ''Her stomach, she has a cut. She was bleeding a lot earlier.'' Malfoy was stuttering as his hand stretched out, towards Amelie and his fingers grasped at the blood-soaked material of her shirt.

''He hurt her before I got here, and I—'' Another cough scored his throat as he strived to sit up, to crawl closer to her.

''Draco, you shouldn't—'' His mother sought to speak, but her son merely ignored her words, '' Draco, please. You just woke up.''

''Amelie,'' Draco struggled closer to her, his entire body shook out of what he'd just been through, ''I'm right here, Amelie. I'm here.'' His mouth pushed against the top of her head as Theodore shyly smiled to himself.

His eyes fixated on the wound on her belly, and to him, there was only one thing they could do.

''I have an idea, but I don't think you are going to like it—'' He rose but was quickly hewed off.

''Anything.'' Draco didn't take his eyes off her. Seriousness mantled his cold features, ''I'll agree to anything, Theodore. I just need her back.''

Malfoy's voice crackled in desperation, and hurt ripped through him. It hurt so much to see her eyes sealed and her breaths stilled.

''I just need her to come back to me,'' His jaws gritted. He did everything not to show any weakness, ''Make it happen, Nott, bring her back to me.''

Draco was hurting, tremendously but he'd never reveal it. He'd never let on that his skin sored in bruises and that it stung in his chest.

Never when it came to her.

His lower lips quivered as he watched Theodore perform minor spells on Amelie, ''Come back to me,'' Malfoy whispered into her hair, pushing himself up on his knees to be able to look at her properly.

'' Please come back to me.''

He was fighting so hard not to cry, and Teddy's heart shattered into pieces because of it.

''I think I can help her...'' Theodore grumbled, his eyes sealed, ''I think I know what to do, but you are not going to like it, Malfoy.''

'' What?'' Draco whispered into her head, holding her lifeless body close to his own, ''What are you planning?''

''I think I can put her in a coma—''

''In a what?'' Draco snapped, and for the first time since he woke up, his eyes flickered from hers and drilled through Teddy's, ''Are you out of your mind? If you do that, there's a chance of her never waking up. I can't risk that.'' His hands tensed around Amelie.

Malfoy truly couldn't risk it again.

She was barely alive now — they didn't know if she'd make it back to the manor in one piece.

''Fuck—'' Theodore yelled out, and all the flickering colors that stormed in and out of her chest burnt out, ''Damn it, damn it, damn it.''

The room leveled in darkness again.

Draco's face fell. His features shifted in torture, ''What did you do, Nott? What's—''

''Shut up!'' Theodore growled, leaning his ear against her stomach as he tried to listen to her body. How it spoke to her, how he could take care of her from what she'd given him, but nothing.

Her body was quiet.

''Don't you dare—'' Theodore rose onto his knees and his hands placed on top of each other over the cage of her chest. He started to add pressure, pushing up and down, ''Don't you dare do this to me, Amelie.''

''What the fuck did you do?'' Draco shouted, his jaws clenched, his breaths ragged, ''She was fine—''

''She wasn't fine, Malfoy!'' Theodore breathed, trying to balance her heartbeat again, ''I was trying to tell you! Her heart stopped, Draco—''

Malfoy's sight caught his for just a second. Both of them looked at the other in pure fright.

''Her heart stopped,'' Theodore sought to swallow his tears, ''I need you to help me, Malfoy. I need you to pinch her nose shut, and I then I need you to—''

Theodore couldn't speak properly. Not a complete sentence was formable.

''I need you to push your lips against hers and blow when I tell you too, can you do that?'' He still tried to remain calm. Theo didn't want to scare Draco more than he had to.

'' Yeah, yeah—'' Malfoy took place next to her head, the palm of his hand rested on her jawline, ''I love you.'' Draco whispered against her lips, '' I love you, so come back to me. I don't know how to do this without you.''

He was begging her unconscious self as Theodore trembled. Sweat flooded down Teddy's forehead as he worked to keep her heart beating, '' Alright, on three, Malfoy.''

Draco nodded. The tips of his fingers gripped her nose.

'' One, two, three—''

Theodore let go of her quickly as Draco pressed his open mouth against hers, angling her head back so that the air he was about to blow down her throat would reach her lungs.

Her skin paled even more. Her lips shaded in purple color.

''No, Amelie—'' Draco heaved after numerous tries to force life into her, ''You don't get to leave me again.''

They performed it again.

And again.

And again.

Theodore's shoulders sunk, his head tipped forward, and he could hear the silent cries of Narcissa behind him.

''Draco,'' Theodore wanted his attention, but nothing could tear the blond from Amelie, ''Draco, she's—''

''Don't you say it!'' Malfoy shouted, placing his lips onto Amelie's again, '' Don't you dare say it, Theodore. She's not gone until we've done everything we can.''

'' Malfoy—''

''No!'' Draco was shaking, his clothes still stained in his own blood, ''I'm not giving up on her.'' His eyes flickered to Amelie's closed ones, ''I'm not leaving you, and you're not leaving me. Do you hear that?''

Another blow of air.

''Come back to me,'' He kept on going, until his own lungs hurt, '' Please, Amelie.''

He was exhausted.

It was quiet.

The room was as silent as she was.

Amelie's heart didn't beat anymore. Her otherwise rosy skin had now drained of all its color. Even if the wound in her chest was partly healed, and no blood flooded — she was gone.

Her body was too weak, her heart too fragile after she'd taken three months of Adrian's abuse. She had no fight left in her.

''Don't do this to me,'' Draco cried out numbly as his forehead fell against her chest. He was finally letting go of his stoned facade, ''You said—''

It hurt.

It hurt too much to speak again.

Theodore couldn't look at them anymore. His eyes were drenched in tears as his head shook, and he glanced away.

Watching Draco lose the one person who still made him human ached too much. To see the life slip away from his best friend as she laid helplessly on the cold ground could kill him.

''Here,'' Draco's hand grabbed hers, and he held it against his chest, ''Your heart beats with mine, don't you feel it, Amelie?''

She didn't.

She wasn't there anymore.

Amelie left them for a place much safer than this one.

Her body was frail in Draco's arms as he tried to shake her, to yank the life back into her, but to no use. She wasn't coming back.

'' Mate,'' Theodore placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. Both of them crying, ''Let her go.''

''I can't—'' Draco gasped, ''I can't give up on her.''

''You didn't.'' Teddy's fingers squeezed around his flesh, ''You, if anyone, never gave up on her, but she deserves to go in peace, Draco.''

Malfoy's eyes flickered over her body.

Her little nose, her perfect lips, her cheeks, her jaws, her neck — God, how he loved to kiss her neck. To bury his head into her locks and the world around him faded, inhaling that calming scent of hers.

''I love her,'' The blond sobbed out, ''I have never loved anyone but her—'' Draco couldn't hold it back anymore. His hands grasped at her body, and his tears stained her skin.

''I love you, Amelie. I love you.'' He couldn't inhale anymore. His throat hurt too much, ''I will always love you.''

''Let her go, Malfoy.''

''I can't—''

''We have to. She's gone.''

Theodore, with the help of Narcissa, managed to drag Draco off Amelie's cold body. His mother hugged him as he cried into her shoulder, and Teddy stood, numb next to them.

His eyes were still glued to her body. Theo couldn't help it. It was as if he searched for a sign. Something, as much as a splatter of color on her skin, half a breath, anything he could work with.

Moments passed, the minutes felt like hours.

Theo was about to give up, to actually let her go and get the rest she truly deserved. If anyone earned to rest in peace, it was her.

Amelie was cursed, beyond reason, and she deserved some rest.

His beautiful best friend. Amelie was always so quick to call Teddy her savior, her reason, her everything — but she was his too, if not more. He'd lost his mother at a young age. His father stopped caring as he mourned his late wife and Teddy — he was all alone, but not with her.

Amelie was his favorite feeling. Amelie was his home. If a home could ever be another person — it was her.

She knew him, understood him in ways everyone else had failed to do. She was a Ravenclaw, and he was a Slytherin. Still — she was everything to him.

They were never destined to become friends, to learn to get along and love each other, but they did. Theodore and Amelie helped each other, and now — now he was meant to master without her.

Amelie was free, after living like an angel through hell. She was finally unbounded, unchained.

Theo's lungs tightened, and his pulse pounded as he sought to look away from her, not to dive into that endless hole of sadness it brought. She wouldn't have wanted that for him, to stare at her dead body — but he couldn't help it.

It felt to him as if he peered away, if he stopped looking — that he would give up on her, and that was something he could never do.

Amelie's hair spilled messily around her, and her head tilted away from him. Perhaps that was for the better, so he wasn't able to see her angelic face. His sight dragged down her chest, and just as it did,

'' No—'' He hushed his own breathing. His eyes widened, ''It's not possible, is it?

''Malfoy,'' Theo gulped, taking a stride closer to Amelie, leveling Narcissa and her son, ''Look at that, Malfoy. Look at that and tell me that it's not real, that I am imagining things.''

Draco's head snapped up from his mother's arms, and he stared at the brunet. Tears still glinted in the grey eyes, ''What?''

''Do you see that?'' He asked, self hesitant to if he just made it up to feel better or if his mind was in denial, ''Can you see what I'm seeing?''

Draco's sight flicked, and his mouth slightly fell, ''How is that possible, Nott?'' He bent loose from his mother's hold, staring directly at Amelie, ''But I see it.''

It was Amelie, and they watched as her chest filled with air, "She's alive."

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Dramelie is endgame and I truly mean that. Thank you for being here and it will all be worth it. I love you.<3