Join Me In Death

Series: Join Me In Death

Chapter: IV - Let Death Bless Me With You

Snape had a very uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach that refused to go away no matter how many relaxing exercises he employed. Finally, he left his office to find Dumbledore.

“Albus…”

“Something is amiss.” The Headmaster immediately answered when Snape stepped into his office. He too had been feeling uneasy within the past few hours.

“I fear…”

“Go. Now.” The Headmaster’s voice brooked no argument and Severus Snape immediately turned heel and ran out the door. “I’m so sorry, Severus…” he whispered.

Draco hovered at ground-level, looking around him with the eyes of a first-year – amazed and wowed by the enormity of the field and summoned by the inviting blue sky. He would answer the summons this time, for a last time. He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small test tube that was charmed to be both leak-proof and unbreakable. Carefully, he uncorked the tube and glanced once more into the sky.

I’m coming, Harry…

Won\'t you die tonight for love?

Students watched with amazement at the speed at which Professor Snape moved between classrooms and hallways.

“Have you seen Mr. Malfoy?” He barked at a Slytherin seventh year.

“N… No… I haven’t seen him since breakfast.”

Severus stomped off and then stopped in mid-stride as he realized that he could track the blond boy’s whereabouts without going on a wild goose chase. He shook out his wand and Accioed something under his breath and a map appeared in his hand. He opened it and after a moment, he made it disappear. In a swirl of black robes, he headed out the front doors.

Please…

Baby join me in death…

Draco tipped his head back and poured a few drops of the potion into his mouth. He waited a few moments then pulled out the other item he had grabbed on his way out of his room. It was rectangular-shaped and looked like a wider version of a handle of a wand. He flicked his wrist sharply and sharp steel flashed out, glinting in the afternoon sun. Tears slipped down his face as he rested the cold metal against his wrist and his vision became blurred as he pressed down and twisted. He repeated this to his other wrist and the switchblade fell to the grass with only a soft thump as he took off for the sky.

“Draco!”

Tears blinded his vision, but somehow, he could see everything in stark clarity. Like how brightly the sun shone and how blue the sky was and how Hogwarts was becoming smaller and smaller in the distance. He was getting sleepy now and his grip on his broom was weakening. But he could see a familiar shape in the distance up ahead and so he willed himself to keep his eyes open and forced himself to fly higher still.

He was almost unconscious and totally blind by the time he reached that light, but he knew he had reached his destination because suddenly, he felt like he was… home. “So brilliant… So fucking…. Brilliant.” He whispered.

Finally, he could stop flying.

Baby join me in death…

“DRACO!!!”

Severus Snape’s voice cried out in anguish as he stopped short in the middle of the Quidditch field and watched in horror as his student tumbled out of the sky in an endless fluttering opaque sea of green and black. He could only choke back a sob as he raised his wand to perform a levitation spell to prevent the boy from crashing to the ground. When Draco had been levitated to ground-level, Severus picked him up in his arms and fell to his knees on the ground.

Students who had followed the instructor outside now were immediately ushered back indoors by a sobbing McGonagall. When everyone was back indoors, she charmed the door to stay closed until Severus saw fit to open it.

Professor Snape carefully rested the limp body on the ground and undid the uniform so he could search for any signs of life. He felt his stomach churn when he saw the still-bleeding vertical gashes along the insides of his wrists and rummaged in his coat pocket for a spare healing potion and gave the blond boy a draught. He cursed when nothing happened and then his eyes caught sight of a gleam of crimson against silver and a test tube lying nearby half-hidden in the grass. Without looking at the contents, he knew what was had been in it and he bowed his head and pulled the boy against his chest.

There was no hope for Draco now. He had meant to take his own life all along and he had lost him. Just like he had lost Harry. Two boys he would have gladly called his sons if he had been able to… gone. And now they were both gone and he couldn’t do a bloody thing about it. His body trembled, slightly at first, then grew to a violent uncontrollable shaking. The solitary scream he uttered echoed through the field and the school itself.