slither - dm

Seeing Red.

TW - Blood

Laurel

"So, you don't really like Potter?" Pansy inquired. The pair of us were sitting in the common room alone during our free period. I shook my head.

"Nope."

"And you're only with him because the Dark Lord requested it?" She asked to confirm. I gave her an affirmative nod and took another sip of my tea.

"Yep." I sighed.

It wasn't the ideal conversation to have. I thought I would have broken down and told Draco instantly, but didn't. Fuck, I even thought Narcissa would have told him. She was the only one other than my family who knew.

Narcissa came to me moments after that conversation happened, and begged for me to oblige. I had told her that I would do everything within my power to protect her son, but not just for her, but for myself. I didn't want to live in a world without him. I couldn't.

Now, it just hurts.

If he only knew.

"So, then why don't you just tell Draco this? Then maybe he'll get rid of that slag Astoria."

I sighed and cracked a weak smile. It's not that I didn't want to tell him everything, and hope it would change everything, but I want him to be happy. He's made it very clear to not only me, but everyone who's witnessed the two of them making out in whatever open space they can find.

All I want for him is to be happy, and if she is the reason for the sudden sparkle in his smile, then so be it. Maybe it was always her. Even from the beginning. He just needed to get over me to realize that I wasn't the one for him.

"It hurts, believe me," I took a deep breath. "but I don't want to be the reason for his downfall. He seems like he's finally where he needs to be mentally, and I don't want to come between them. I'll keep my promise to keep him safe. So, if I need to be with Harry to make that happen, then I will do so." I weakly smiled.

She reached forward and rested her hand on top of mine. "Your happiness is just as important as Draco's, Lo. Don't forget that."

It was, but I couldn't be happy knowing he's dead when I could have prevented it. I'm not selfish.

⁕

"Hey," Theo said when he approached me outside of the corridor. "Got a sec?"

It was the middle of May, and I cannot remember the last time I spoke to him. Or Draco for that matter. Theo was with Draco every second of every day it seems, and I don't see either of them. It stung.

"You're talking to me?" I scoffed. "That's unheard of."

"Shut up, Lo." He ordered. He looked angered, but calm at the same time. Maybe the pain this mark is inflicting on him is letting up, and he's relaxing more. "I need to talk to you about something serious."

Now he has my attention.

He grabbed my arm and yanked me into an empty corridor. He released his grip and turned away from me and looked out the window. He released a sigh and relaxed his shoulders. "First, I want to apologize for not speaking to you. I've been rather busy doing something that involves you know what." He said. His eyes flickered down to his left forearm. "But I've been working for him, and it's taken a lot more of my time and sanity than I would have liked to lend."

I caught a slight glimpse of a tear eager to escape his eyes and immediately felt remorse for him.

I've spent all of this time angry with him for not speaking to him, resenting him because he couldn't take a second to say "Hi." to me in the halls, or because he hasn't been showing up to some of his classes. I should have been there from the start, constantly checking in on him.