DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, and all its characters. The lyrics at the beginning are from Your Guardian Angel by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

The Sacrifice: A Dramione Oneshot

I will never let you fall
I'll stand up with you forever
I'll be there for you through it all
Even if saving you sends me to heaven.

Draco's eyes tightened, his hand gripping the edge of his seat. Sweat was going down the sides of his head, and he felt his teeth sinking down into his lower lip.

There she was, on the floor, next to the vile, senile, monstrous woman he called Auntie.

"Answer me!" his Aunt Bella cried shrilly. "Still not talking, eh? Crucio!"

Hermione's shout of pain was incomprehensible. Draco felt his fingers release the wooden edge of his chair and curl into fists. Slowly, his hand reached into the pocket of his robe, where his wand was resting as a silent witness to the torture he was being forced to see.

All around him, laughter rang mercilessly. The Death Eaters were all enjoying this, he thought. How could they enjoy something so perfectly evil?

"Draco," he heard his father hiss. "What are you doing? Go get Potter and the Weasley boy, hurry."

His senses back to where they were, Draco walked off, afraid of what he might do if he watched more. Taking three steps at a time down the dungeon's stairs, he reached the cell where their prisoners were confined.

"Nobody talk. Speak and I kill you, understand?" he said through gritted teeth. He pointed his wand at Harry. "You. Move."

Harry walked forwards, his eyes lingering on the wand Draco was pointing at him. Draco nodded at Weasley, motioning him to follow. The three of them made their procession up the stairs with Draco trailing behind, his wand still pointed at the two prisoners.

The sight that beheld them at the top of the stairs was more than repulsive.

Hermione was twitching, her cries echoing in the hall, and from where he stood, Draco could see the faint etching the torture has left on her arm. The letters formed the word "Mudblood", and Draco realized that it was not written in ink but in her own blood. Droplets of crimson stained the pale skin of her forearm, falling onto the stone floor.

He didn't have time to think. The next thing he knew, he attacked his aunt. A flash of green light emanated from his wand, startling her.

"What? Who did—You!" Bellatrix dodged the curse Draco had fired at her just in time, and at the same second flung a Killing Curse his way.

"You want to kill your own aunt, Draco? You blood traitor!"

Soon, the two were engaged in a duel. Bellatrix was firing curses like mad, shrieking and laughing as she did so, while Draco was dodging and deflecting them back at her. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lucius's hand grabbing the wand of a nearby Death Eater, preparing to break them up.

"Stop! This lad is mine, don't interfere! This will be over in two seconds!" Bellatrix shouted as green sparks came raining down from her wand.

Draco dodged it, and managed to chuckle. "Why, Auntie. Two seconds have passed, why is it not yet over then?"

This angered Bellatrix even more causing her to shoot multiple curses at him, which Draco deflected smoothly. With a final blow, he managed to cry, "Expelliarmus!" and his aunt's wand came zooming into his own hand. Bellatrix fell to the floor, her mouth agape at her defeat.

Draco walked towards Hermione, who was now standing up – her eyes filled with worry — and was flanked by Ron and Harry, and blocked the trio from view.

"You will never touch Hermione Granger again." Draco raised his wand a final time, meaning to Disapparate them all to safety.

Three things seemed to happen at the last second; if only Draco had looked at his aunt, he would have seen in time. First, Bellatrix rose up and grabbed a dagger; second, the four of them succumbed; and third, the dagger came shooting at Draco through a gape in the hole.

Draco swayed sideward, his hand clutching his stomach where the dagger had pierced him. He could smell his own blood; feel the cold dampness of the crimson that was gushing freely from his belly. He felt his knees give up, and he fell to the ground.

"Draco! Draco!" Hermione's voice cried. Draco knew she was near, and yet she sounded so distant.

Sweaty hands gripped his, and he felt his head being raised. He opened his eyes and saw Hermione's fear-stricken face looking down at him. He managed a faint smile.

"Are you all right?"

"Shut up, you prat. Look at yourself, you're wounded."

"So I've noticed." Draco wanted so much to stand up, place his hands on her face, and just hold her. He wanted to caress her, reassure her, make her feel safe. But just then, the pain in his wound became stronger, as if to say those things weren't possible anymore.

"You're an idiot, Malfoy."

He breathed hard before answering her. "Only for you, Granger."

She managed a weak smile. "Why did you fight her? You could have died."

"That's what's happening now isn't it?" The wound became more painful than ever, and he realized that this happened whenever he talked.

She stared at him for a few fleeting seconds before pleading, "Don't die, Draco. Please." Hermione's voice broke at the last word, and Draco saw a tear escape her brown eyes.

The temptation to comfort her grew stronger, and he forced a raise his hand and rest it on her cheek, wiping away the glistening tear. "Shh. Don't cry. It's all over now." He felt the pain subside, his insides were going numb.

Hermione bent lower towards him, their noses almost touching. "I love you, Draco," she whispered. More tears escaped, and Draco could almost feel them dripping onto his hair.

"I love you, Hermione." Gently, he watched as Hermione placed her lips on his, and kissed him softly.

He could feel it then, it was near. Death was coming. Maybe death wasn't so bad after all. Especially now, Hermione was right there and in that moment, they were together. The pain was completely gone now, and he felt himself drifting away… slowly, his eyelids gave up and closed, and he felt a single tear come out of it as they did so.

The last thing he heard was Hermione crying out his name, and he was gone.