Do you know

Do you know

You're all I know

You're all I know

When everything comes crashing down

You're all I know

You're all I know

...

I clung to him.

I was terrified to let him go. Terrified to lift my face from his shirt and witness my dad screaming over my brother's dead body.

My Ced.

My beautiful, wonderful, amazing brother.

Gone.

The pain was frightening. My fingers dug into Draco's back as he held me tightly to him. The feel of his arms wrapping protectively around me granting me some thread of sanity.

People were talking, shouting, screaming but all I could hear was the rushing, crashing, horror in my head.

And then suddenly a voice. A stern female voice.

"Let her go, boy. We need to get her to the hospital wing."

No. I didn't want to leave. I needed to stay here in Draco's arms next to Cedric. Doing anything else would make this too real.

"I'm not leaving her side." Draco growled, his arms tightening around me.

My eyes remained squeezed shut as I pressed myself into him as much as I could.

"She's in shock. She needs treatment."

I could feel my whole body shake. I was terrified. There were too many people. I just wanted it to be me, Draco and Cedric. Why was everyone here? We needed to tell Cedric to get up. Let's stop this silly this game, now, Ced.

"She needs me!"

I did. I needed Draco. I needed Cedric, too.

"Ced," I breathed. "Cedric...Cedric...Cedric..."

I couldn't stop saying his name. Not shouting. Not yelling. Just saying. I concentrated hard on the way my tongue moved, the way it pressed against my teeth before hitting the roof my mouth to replace soft tones with harsh notes.

A beautiful name. A beautiful boy. All gone.

I felt Draco move. Panic tore at my throat as his arms slackened. He was getting up.

No. I couldn't allow him to move. I'd have to then see. And I didn't want to see.

I clawed desperately at him. My fingers frantically grappling at his shirt, his arms, his back. Don't go. Don't leave. Let me hide in you. Please.

Some sort of sound left my lips. But not words. There was only one word I could bring myself to say. Cedric.

"Shhhh, come on, Aurora, come with me. I'm here, I'm with you."

I realised I was crying. Not crying - wailing; a small keening animal-like noise. Just the sound. No tears. Not yet. They will come later.

Strong arms pulled me to my feet. The whole world tilted violently and I thought I was going to be sick.

"Breathe. Breathe with me."

He was steadying me, arms wrapped solidly around my waist, forehead pressed against mine.

He breathed. I breathed. I concentrated on every breath, following his. In and out. In and out.

It's amazing that you could forget how to breathe.

...

"Where's Amos?"

"He's been sedated. They sent him to St. Mungo's."

"The poor girl needs her father."

"The boy seems to care about her. He refuses to leave her side. She refuses to let go."

"And... the body?"

"Taken to the mortuary. It's a tragic, awful thing, Molly. That poor family. First the mother..."

Draco heard the distinct noise of someone blowing their nose into a tissue.

"Harry's saying it was You-Know-Who. You don't think that's true, do you, Poppy? Except... Harry wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Albus believes him. And if it's good enough for Dumbledore, then it's good enough for me. We need to start facing facts, Molly: You-Know-Who is back, and so are his followers."

"Shhh! The Malfoy boy! Harry says his father-"

But Draco had already guessed as much. He squeezed his eyes shut as he pulled Aurora's body tighter against his, pressing her back firmly against his chest as they lay curled up in the hospital bed.

She still hadn't said anything. Shock, Madam Pomfrey called it. He had no idea if she had fallen asleep or was just lying there, numb to the world.

Did she hear what Madam Pomfrey and Weasel's mother were just talking about? About his father. About the fact that he quite possibly, more than likely, had a hand in the death of her brother.

Draco had never been more ashamed of being a Malfoy in his life. How could he go back home this summer and face his father, knowing that he was a part of the evil that has destroyed Aurora's life?

But then he didn't want to think about what came next. Of leaving Aurora's side.

He kissed her hair and inhaled her scent.

"I love you," he breathed, barely a whisper.

He knew she wouldn't hear, but he needed to say it.

He should have said it before, but he was too much of a coward.

He was only fifteen, but he loved her.

He loved her with all his heart.

...

I'm ready for the fall

Ready for the leaves

Ready for the colours to burn to gold and crumble away