The sound of screaming echoes through the house. My head snaps up and I go completely still.

Another round of screaming is heard and I start fast-walking towards the room in which Bellatrix is interrogating Granger.

"Draco?" my mother asks, raising a slender black eyebrow at me.

I glance at her and keep walking. She shrinks back from the ferocious look on my face and then seeming to snap out of it she calls after me, an urgency in her tone as I slam open the doors.

Bellatrix is crouched over Hermione, wand pointed toward her. I see the tears running down Hermione's face, the word 'mudblood' scratched in her arm, and then my wand's out.

"Avada Kedavra!" I scream, my face contorted with rage.

Bellatrix falls back onto the ground, the curse hitting her full in the chest. She goes still and her glassy eyes stare up at the ceiling, unseeing.

I stare at her in disbelief, bile rising up in my throat at what I'd just done. Hermione lets out a whimper and my attention is drawn to her.

I crouch beside her, "I'm sorry," I whisper, reaching up to brush the tears off her cheeks. I'm not sure which I was apologizing for. Killing Bellatrix in front of her or her torture.

"Why?" she croaks, her wide brown eyes coming up to meet mine, "Why'd you save me?"

I study her face for a moment.

"Because you're the only thing in my life worth saving."

She looks up at me and then I'm kissing her, moving to hover over her. She wraps her arms around my neck.

That's how Weasley, Potter, and the elf find us a moment later.