You were on your way back to the Hospital Wing to visit Draco until you saw Hermione exiting from where you're supposed to be. She looked stressed and troubled. You ran up to Hermione in worry. "Mione? What's wrong?"

Hermione flinched and saw you. "(Y/n)! Oh, my God, you scared me."

"Sorry." You smiled. "Is there something wrong? Were you hurt?"

"What? No."

"Then what were you doing back at the Hospital Wing."

Hermione shook her head. "No reason. Just checked for some things that Ron may have left."

You didn't buy her reason, but you decided to go along with it. You leaned your head towards the door to see Draco buttoning up his white polo. You glanced at Hermione. "You sure you're okay, Mione?"

Hermione nodded. "Swell." She glanced back at the Hospital Wing before patting your back. "Meet me back at the common room, okay?"

You stared at her in surprise as she walked away in a hurry. You were curious and confused, but you shrugged and entered the Hospital Wing. You walked towards Draco, who grabbed his black suit and turned around, pausing when he saw you. "(Y/n)."

"Hi." You greeted with a wave. "You look like you're in a rush. Did Madam Pomfrey permitted you to leave?"

"I was actually going to to find you." Draco smiled. "And I told Madam Pomfrey that I'm fine now."

Draco took your hand and left the infirmary with you. You glanced down at your hands intertwined with Draco and noticed his black coat hanging above his shoulder with his other hand. Draco looked at you. "Where's Potter?"

"He's out looking for Hagrid. He's feeling lucky." You chuckled. You looked above your shoulder to look back at the infirmary before looking back at Draco. "Why was Hermione at the Hospital Wing?"

Draco shrugged. "I don't know. She was probably looking for the rest of Weasley's things. Why'd you ask?"

"She seems bothered and stressed, that's all." You replied. "I thought you two talked."

Draco remained quiet, but his hand gently squeezed your hand, letting you feel his metallic rings on each of his fingers. He stopped walking, causing you to halt as well and spinning around to face him, his arm stretched out with his hand still holding yours. You walked closer to him. "Is there something wrong?"

"Could we meet?" He asked. "A little later?"

You tilted your head in wonder. "I could stay with you while you're fixing the cabi--"

"No, no, no. You don't need to do that, love." He stepped closer to you and gently kissed your knuckles, his lips lingering for a moment when he pulled away. "Just meet me later. I'll send an owl to you on where to meet."

You placed your hand on his cheek. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Definitely." He leaned in and gave you a quick peck in the lips. "Now, I have to go. I'll see you later, my love."

You felt butterflies in your stomach from his last sentence as he walked away and wore his black coat. You blinked twice in surprise. "Later." You whispered.

You headed back to your dormitory when you noticed that Hermione wasn't around. You wanted to spend time with Ginny or your sister, but Ginny has just broken up with Dean while Megan was out with Peter doing God knows what. You sat on your chair and ran your fingers through your owl's feathers. Frigga cooed softly, leaning to your touch while you focused on the blank paper in front of your desk.

You took your quill and thought for a moment before you started writing while Frigga flew up to your shoulder, looking down on what you were writing.

Dear ferret,

⠀⠀⠀I would like to ask for your forgiveness that I called you ferret again. Honestly, you looked adorable as a ferret. Don't be surprised that I will cast a spell on you to turn you into a ferret again.

⠀⠀⠀While I wait for your letter, I decided to write a letter to you. It's not entirely necessary, but I needed to waste my time on something. So I figured, why not write a letter about how much I love you?

⠀⠀⠀I fell for you from the moment you proved that you could change. You're still a jerk but not entirely. I know there's good inside you, and you showed me that there is. You maybe think of yourself as a coward, but I think you're braver than you believe.

⠀⠀⠀You complete me, Draco. Every single day. You light up my day, and you make me forget the problems I have with one look and smile from you. There are tons of words I want to say, but I can see your owl coming in my window, so maybe I'll say the rest soon.

Love,
(Y/n)

P.S. I can't think of an animal that would suit me. Can you think of one for me? Thanks.

You folded the letter, and Frigga was prepared to bite it so she could deliver it, but you stopped her. "No, Frigga. Don't worry. I'll deliver it to him myself."

You opened your window, and Draco's owl landed on your arm. You took the letter and opened it.

Meet me by the Room of Requirements. Any entrance will do. I'll be there.

D.M.

You pressed your lips together in curiosity. "I wonder what he's up to." You folded the piece of paper and waited for a bit while setting Draco's owl free to find its owner. When the time came to meet him, you left Frigga with some treats and left your dorm room.

You looked around and checked every possible entrance to the Room of Requirements. Students were quite busy with their own business, so the hallways and corridors were empty. Just as you were about to leave to look at the other possible entrance, you stopped when you spotted Draco walking towards you. "Sorry, I was a bit late. I had to finish something."

"No worries." You smiled as you took the letter you made a while ago and gave it to Draco. "Here."

"A letter?" He asked. "Whatever for?"

You shrugged. "You can open it later." Draco glanced down at the neatly made envelope before placing it in his pockets. He looked around to see if there were any people around. When he made sure no one was around, Draco sighed. You frowned. "You seem stressed, Draco? Are you sure you're okay?"

Draco pulled out one of his rings and took out a chain, slipping the ring into it to make it a necklace. He lifted it to show you. "I want you to keep this."

"Why--"

"Here, let me help you." He walked around to face your back and helped you put on the necklace. As the ring hit your chest and Draco started locking the chain, you heard him sigh again. "Keep this as a piece of me. So wherever you go, I'll be there with you. Always."

"Draco..."

Draco hugged you from behind, burying his face on the crook of your neck. You wrapped your arms around his and leaned back against his shoulder. "You're scaring me." You told him. "There's something bugging you. I can feel it."

"You don't need to worry about me."

You turned around and cupped his face. "Of course, I would be worried. I don't want to see the man I love in pain and stress. You have me, Draco. We'll get through this together."

Draco closed his eyes before leaning in, kissing you deeply. You kissed him back as your arms snaked around his neck to pull him closer. You noticed how he was hesitant to pull away. As if he wanted the moment to last forever. You pulled away and pecked his jaw before hugging him.

He hugged you back, never wanting to let you go. You closed your eyes as you inhaled his intoxicating smell, his strong and expensive cologne tingling your senses. You were so lost in the moment that you did not realize Draco was pulling his wand out and pointing it at the side of your head.

Your eyes opened when he muttered a spell that you were unfamiliar with. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Draco? What are you--" You stopped as you stared into nothingness and your arms limped and dropped from your embrace.

Draco sobbed quietly as he placed his wand down and hugged you tightly, even if you weren't hugging him back anymore. Draco leaned his mouth near your ear. "I'll never forget you, (Y/n). I'll always love you. I'm sorry."

Draco forced himself to pull away from the hug and walked away without looking behind to check on you. He knew that he would be tempted to reverse the spell that he just gave to you if he looked back.

You were left in an empty hallway, staring as if you were in a trance. Suddenly, you flinched when a hand grabbed your shoulder. You turned around to see Hermione with a worried look. "(Y/n), are you okay?"

You blinked at her. "Oh, um... yeah..." You looked around in confusion before facing your best friend again. "You told me to meet you at the common room earlier, right? Was I late?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, no, no. You're fine. Come on." Hermione grabbed your hand while you looked back, staring in the direction where Draco went, before looking away to focus on your way to the Gryffindor Common Room.

°•○●○•°

"Good evening, Draco." Draco stepped out from the shadows, pointing his wand at Albus Dumbledore when he greeted him. "What brings you here on this fine spring evening?"

Dumbledore has just arrived at the Astronomy Tower with Harry a few minutes ago and instructed Harry to look for Severus Snape. While on his way out, Harry stopped when he saw Draco walking up the stairs where Dumbledore was so now he was hiding below them.

"Who else is here?" Draco asked, glancing around the area. "I heard you talking."

"I often talk aloud to myself," Dumbledore admitted. "I find it extraordinarily useful. Have you been whispering to yourself, Draco?"

Draco froze, breathing heavily. "Draco, you are no assassin." Dumbledore stated.

"How do you know what I am?" Draco asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "I've done things that would shock you."

"Oh, like cursing Katie Bell and hoping that in return she would bear a cursed necklace to me?"

Draco's eyes widened as Dumbledore continued. "Like replacing a bottle of mead with one laced with poison. Forgive me, Draco. I cannot help feel these actions are so weak that your... heart can't really have been in them."

"He trusts me." Draco exclaimed. "I was chosen." He lifted up his sleeve on his left arm, showing the Dark Mark tattooed on his skin.

Harry widened his eyes when he finally saw the mark he suspected to be inked on Draco's arm for almost a year.

"Then I shall make it easy for you." Dumbledore pulled out his wand.

Draco acted quickly and pointed his wand at Dumbledore to disarm him. "Expelliarmus!"

Dumbledore's wand flew out of his grasp as Harry saw Draco trembling with tears forming in his eyes, so he lifted up his wand, pointing it at Draco.

"Very good. Very good." Dumbledore praised. Suddenly, Harry and Dumbledore heard a noise. "You're not alone. There are others. How?" Dumbledore questioned.

"The Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement." Draco answered. "I've been mending it."

"Let me guess. It has a sister. A twin."

"In Borgin and Burkes. They form a passage."

"Ingenious." Dumbledore sighed. "Draco, years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices. Please let me help you." Dumbledore pleaded.

"I don't want your help," Draco exclaimed. His tears finally streamed down on his pale cheeks. "Don't you understand? I have to do this. I have to kill you. Or he's gonna kill me. He's going to kill (Y/n)."

"(Y/n)..." Dumbledore nodded in understanding. "I heard about the two of you."

"And it's none of your damn business."

"Draco..."

Harry noticed Draco's hesitance and his arm lowering down. Harry lowered his arm as well, thinking Draco would consider Dumbledore's offer of help until Harry saw more people walking up the stairs causing the boy to hide. Draco glanced at them and quickly lifted back his wand.

Bellatrix gasped. "Oh, look what we have here." She walked towards Draco and leaned on his ear from behind. "Well done, Draco."

Draco looked at his aunt above his shoulder while Bellatrix gave a kiss behind the boy's ear and slowly walked away from his nephew.

"Good evening, Bellatrix." Dumbledore greeted. "I think introductions are in over, don't you?"

"Love to, Albus, but I'm afraid we're all on a bit of a tight schedule," Bellatrix said. She quickly turned to face Draco. "Do it."

Harry raised his wand up.

"He doesn't have the stomach." A Death Eater scoffed. "Just like his father. Let me finish him in my own way."

Harry noticed someone had entered the tower as well. He quickly turned around to see Snape pointing his wand at him. Harry slowly pointed his wand at Snape. However, Snape lifted his index finger and placed it on his lips, gesturing that he should be quiet.

"No! The Dark Lord was clear, the boy has to do it," Bellatrix exclaimed. "This is your moment, Draco. Do it! Go on, Draco. Now!" She yelled.

Harry looked up at Draco once again, who was trembling and hesitating. "No." Draco widened his eyes and quickly lowered his wand, turning to see Snape, who came out from behind.

Dumbledore glanced down at Harry before facing Snape. "Severus. Please..."

Snape pulled out his wand with no hesitation. "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry's eyes widened in horror as he witnessed Dumbledore falling from behind, out of the tower. Draco's eyes were wide as well after seeing the Headmaster of Hogwarts was killed by Severus Snape. A Death Eater instantly dragged him out of the tower to escape.

Bellatrix raised her wand up and conjured the Dark Mark on the sky, and Harry saw the Death Eaters walking down the stairs to escape. Draco stopped for a moment and noticed Harry's presence. He turned his head to the side, meeting the Gryffindor boy's eyes.

Draco clenched his jaw. "Take care of her." He whispered before walking down the stairs to follow the Death Eaters.

Draco continued to follow the Death Eaters until he stopped when he watched his aunt destroying the Great Hall's windows, plates, and everything. The glass windows shattered, causing the air to burst and the candles to lit down.

Harry immediately followed the Death Eaters and stopped when he saw the Death Eaters stopped in front of Hagrid's house. Bellatrix yelled a spell that lit Hagrid's hut on fire. Draco jumped in surprise as he stepped back and his eyes widened in horror.

"Snape! He trusted you!" Harry yelled, walking towards Snape, pulling out his wand.

Snape glanced at the other Death Eaters and Draco. "Go on!"

"Incarcerous!" Harry yelled, but Snape blocked the spell. "Fight back! You coward, fight back!"

Snape froze and widened his eyes while Bellatrix shot a spell on Harry, causing him to fall back. Snape turned to Bellatrix. "No! He belongs to the Dark Lord."

Bellatrix looked at Snape and sighed for a moment before leaving. Snape was about to leave, but Harry quickly stood up and pointed his wand at him. "Sectumsempra!"

Snape blocked it again and quickly shot a spell on Harry, causing him to fall back once again and groan in pain. "You dare use my own spells against me, Potter?"

Harry at Snape, who approached him, towering over him. "Yes, I'm the Half-Blood Prince." He stated before kicking the boy's wand away and leaving.

After the Death Eaters left, Harry returned back to the castle to find you, Hermione, and Ron in a crowd. You turned around to see Harry. You saw Harry making his way out of the crowd. "Harry..." You whispered.

Harry stepped out of the crowd to see Dumbledore lying on the ground, lifeless.

The boy crouched down and placed his hand on Dumbledore's chest. Ginny stepped forward and crouched down beside Harry. Harry leaned and sobbed on her shoulder, causing Ginny to embrace him.

Megan stood beside you and sighed heavily. "I can't believe this happened..." She whispered. She held your hand and closed her eyes. On the corner of your eye, Professor McGonagall raised her wand, a small light forming on the tip of her wand in respect.

The other professors followed along, and soon, the other students started doing the same thing, including you and Megan. You looked up to see the Dark Mark fading away from the lights that all of you had formed. Your fingers caressed the ring that was in your necklace and held it firmly.

°•○●○•°

You stared at the view from the Astronomy Tower with your friends. Hermione and Harry leaned on the railings while you and Ron were sitting together just a few feet away from the two.

You glanced down at the ring that Draco had given you in curiosity. Ron slightly nudged you. "You okay?"

You looked at him and nodded. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" You looked back down at the Slytherin ring. "I wonder who this was from."

"Which one?"

"This ring." You showed Ron the ring. "Do you think my Dad did? However, I don't remember him giving me a Slytherin ring."

"Do you think he would have done it?" Hermione asked. She glanced at you before leaning towards Harry to whisper. "Draco?"

Harry shook his head and took a deep breath. "No. No, he was lowering his wand."

Harry glanced at you and sighed. "In the end, it was Snape. It was always Snape." He lowered his head, feeling disappointed. "I did nothing."

Harry gave a necklace to Hermione. "It's fake." He stated. "Open it."

Hermione opened the locket on the necklace and found a letter. She opens the letter, and she reads what was in it.

"R.A.B?" You asked, after hearing Hermione reading the letter out loud.

Harry shrugged. "Don't know. But whoever they are, they have the real Horcrux. Which means it was all a waste. All of it."

Hermione and Harry turned around to look at you and Ron. Ron gave the two a reassuring smile which they returned and turned around again to talk. "Ron's okay with you, you know. You and Ginny." Hermione told Harry. "But if I were you, when he's around, I'd keep snogging to a minimum." She chuckled.

"I'm not coming back, Hermione," Harry replied, causing you to freeze and frown at him. You heard him well enough to stand up and walk towards him. Harry saw you approaching him. "I've got to finish whatever Dumbledore started. And I don't know where that'll leave me, but I'll let you and Ron know where I am... when I can."

You crossed your arms and shook your head. "I've always admired your courage, Harry." Harry smiled back. "But sometimes, you can be really thick."

Harry's smile disappeared and gave you a confused look. You sighed. "You don't really think you're going to be able to find all those Horcruxes by yourself, do you?"

Harry lowered his head down while Hermione looked at him. "You need us, Harry."

Harry sighed and looked up, to see the view. You, Hermione, and Ron did too. "I never realized how beautiful this place was." Harry calmly stated with a smile.

"It is beautiful." You added as you grinned and looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath. Ron walked towards you three and stood beside you. He placed his hand on top of yours as he looked at the view, too, with a smile.

-•-°-•-°-☆

Seventh year coming soon...

01.13.22 edit #1: a lot has been changed and edited in the sixth year chapters.