kalon ~ d.m

{21} Leaving a mark

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE; LEAVING A MARK

❝did i date draco malfoy? ❞

♫: 'where's my mind?' ~billie eilish, bellyache

SHE HAD BEEN A BIT MORE QUIET, than usual. Distant and dreamy. Zoned out and reserved. Almost as if someone had found a way to rob her of her voice. She felt as though someone had taken her ability to express herself through speech as she deemed herself unable to even utter a word. Let alone a full, correct sentence. She was lost, so deep inside her own mind that she'd gone mute. She didn't communicate with words. Agreeing and disagreeing nods were the way to go. Her sister, as usual, was worried out of her mind. Leah hadn't spoken a single word, in over three weeks.

Leah Nightingale had given up on speech.

Words meant nothing. Words didn't hold any value. Words were close to lies. In fact, words were lies. In the end, what man truly sticks to their word? A courageous one, you might say. Or even a determined one. What is a type of man that doesn't stick to their word?

"Coward." She muttered.

[♚]

In the moment, she had shrugged it off. In the moment, she was simply a little too hazy to truly process it. The mark that was proof of what he had chosen to be.

No.

This couldn't have been his choice. Leah refused to believe that it was. That he had chosen to follow someone that wants to end an entire people. Sadly though, Leah had always been good at drawing conclusions too quickly. At forming an opinion before knowing the full story. This time, she didn't want to know the reason. She had seen the evidence for herself. There was no extra information needed.

"I never want to see you again." She spoke coldly, no emotion present on her face as she looked straight into his grey eyes. "-How dare you pretend, Malfoy? How dare you pretend to have feelings for me?" She scoffed at him, scowling, however, her eyes weren't dark. She wasn't mad. "I defended you!" He couldn't bring himself to meet her gaze. She knew. Maybe she had seen it. Maybe he hadn't been careful enough. "Daddy Malfoy must be so proud of you for fooling me into loving you." She took a deep breath, sighing afterwards. "Too bad I'm not actually a mudblood."

His eyes widened at her last statements and he found himself desperate."I would never hurt you, Leah. You know that."

"Oh please. You are nothing but talk, Draco Malfoy. Nothing but talk, money and a fancy last name." She scoffed at his shocked and maybe even hurt impression, shaking her head.

"Leah please. I don't want to hurt you. I really don't. I tried putting it off. I had no choice." He looked at her, in desperate need of her usual warmth and kindness.

"No. You and your kind took everything from me. You took my family from me, Draco. I despise you and everything you stand for."

"I-" He couldn't continue, just looking at her, praying to Salazar that he could find a way to fix this, his eyes glossing over.

"You? You what?"

"Stop it." He growled out through gritted teeth as he straightened his posture. "Do you want to know so desperately why I did what I did? Huh?"

"Yes! I'm sure you'll have a great reason!" She exclaimed sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Because I love you. I fucking love you, Leah Nightingale. If I hadn't accepted, I wouldn't have just risked my life, but yours too." He took a deep breath, looking straight into her eyes. ''I won't lose you.''