You're Safe With Me ( Draco Malfoy )

Chapter Thirty-Eight

By the time that Harry and Draco returned from digging Dobby's grave, the sun was setting over the beach, reflecting off of the soft waves as they lapped up the shore. Thankfully, the wind had died down considerably, leaving simply a warm breeze which carried the salty sea air through the open windows.

Alice had been sat with Bill pretty much the entire time the grave was being dug, the two of them catching up over numerous cups of tea, all of which had been served in chipped mugs. The mugs were pretty, though, since Fleur had picked them out, Bill being the one who kept chipping them accidentally.

Alice had been sat with Hermione beforehand, but when Ron had joined them, she felt as though that was her cue to leave. She figured that the two of them might want to be alone, so she left them to it.

After a while, Draco and Harry returned, both handing their shovels back to Bill and murmuring 'thank you's. Ron, Hermione and Alice made their way out of the front door, waiting for Harry to collect Dobby's body before they made their way to the grave.

Draco reached for Alice's hand, she squeezed his gently, giving him the best smile she could manage. He gave a small one back, though it didn't really reach his eyes. On the bright side, he wasn't crying anymore, having worn himself out from it.

No more than a minute later, Harry emerged from the house, holding Dobby in his arms. Dobby's body had been wrapped in a blanket, which Alice was thankful for. With Harry in the lead, they began to make their way to where the boys had dug the grave.

It was close to the house, only up a nearby sandy hill. Draco didn't let go of Alice's hand for even a second, holding it tighter and tighter as they made their way up the hill. From the top, Alice looked around to see the vast sea and long beaches, it was stunning. She was happy that Dobby was to be buried in such a beautiful place, although not knowing him very well, she thought that he deserved to be somewhere as pleasant as this.

Harry kneeled next to the hole that he and Draco had dug and gently lowered Dobby in to it, covering it with sand once Dobby was inside. Instead of standing, Harry stayed sat next to the grave, pulling his knees up to his chest with a pained expression on his face.

Draco wrapped his arm around Alice, holding her closely to him. His darkest thoughts were loud in his head, as if they were intruding upon everything that he was doing. If he couldn't save Dobby, how will he be able to keep Alice safe?

After a while of the four of them standing around Dobby's grave, Harry stood, brushing the sand off of his trousers. Without talking to anyone, he made his way back towards the house. Ron and Hermione followed soon after, but Draco stayed firmly in place. His hair was being blown on to his forehead by the seaside winds as he bit his lip gently, his thoughts consuming him.

"Are you ready to go back inside?" Alice asked gently, looking up to Draco, who she could easily see was in deep thought.

"What if I lose you?" He asked abruptly, turning to look at her with fear in his eyes. Alice, slightly taken aback by the question, was unsure of how to answer.

"Draco..." She whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders and turning him to face her. "Why would you lose me?"

"Well, I couldn't look after Dobby, could I?" He muttered, sounding furious with himself. Alice lifted a hand to his face, her fingertips brushing over the missing part of his ear. "And even Dumbledore, it's my fault he died, too."

"That isn't your fault." Alice replied, looking in to Draco's eyes. He opened his mouth, ready to disagree, but she wouldn't let him. "Draco, this is a war. You'll drive yourself mad if you blame yourself for every fallen soldier."