The Broken Boy [d.m]

chapter nineteen

"Quibbler, Quibbler" Luna offered around the train. "So what was Draco doing with that weird looking cabinet and who were all those people?" Harry asked to no one in particular. "Don't you see it was a ceremony, an initiation"

"Harry that's ridiculous. I know Draco he would never-" I interrupted. "Yeah Harry, you're barking. What would You-Know-Who want with a sod like Malfoy" Ron joked.

"Look, his father is a Death Eater. Don't you think it makes sense? besides, Lyra saw it with her own eyes"

"I don't know what I saw" I told him. " I need some air" Harry stood up and left the carriage.

Soon enough we had arrived at Hogwarts and Harry still hadn't returned. "Where is he?" I asked, "probably already off the carriage" Ron shrugged.

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The sorting hat started to short first years but Harry still hadn't arrived. "Will you stop eating! Your best friend is missing" Hermione hit Ron with a book. "Turn around you lunatic" I said as Harry started walking into the great hall. "He's covered in blood again, why is it he's always covered in blood" Ginny says.

"Where have you been?" I said as he took the seat opposite me. "No matter, what have I missed?" He asked.

I sighed, "just a lot of awful looks" I looked down "or maybe their just at me" I mumbled. People were taken a back by the fact I saw Harry's sister.

Dumbledore started his speech but the only thing I could pay attention to was the blonde boy sitting at the Slytherin table. I blinked but for a second, I could swear he was staring back at me. "Off to bed" Dumbledore said at the end of his ramble.

I fell slightly behind my friends as we left the great hall and I feel a shoulder bump into me. I looked up to see Draco. I opened my mouth to talk but the shook his head "eight o'clock. You know where" and he disappeared.

Eight o'clock couldn't come soon enough. I snatched Harry's invisibility cloak and went up to the Astronomy Tower. When I reached the top of the stairs he was standing there. "Draco" I whispered and he snapped around.

I took a small step towards him and muttered "I'm sorry." Tears welled up in my eyes but I couldn't let them out. He looked so fragile, so skinny, so pale. He took another step forward and pulled my into his chest.

My head was resting against his soft shirt. "You don't hate?" I asked under my breath. He pulled away and took my head in his hands, "I could never hate you Lyra" he said, wiping a loose tear away from under my eye. His voice was deeper than before.

"When you didn't write back I thought-" I cut myself off. He let out a deep breath "I was trying to protect you. I was upset when I found out you were his sister, that's why I didn't talk to you when you came back to school. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. But, when my father-" he shook his head.

"It was to dangerous for me to write. I'm putting you in enough danger now" he looked down at the floor. "Why?" I whispered as he took a step back. "Because- because of this" he pulled his left sleeve and revealed a dark skull tattoo. "Is that- " I was in shock.

He turned away from me, "I didn't want it, especially after I found out about you being Potter's sister." I took his arm and pulled so that he was facing me. A tear drifted down his face "I'm so sorry" his voice cracks.

I pull him closer to me and wrap my arms around him "It's not your fault Draco" I stand on my tip-toes and press my lips onto his cheek "I know you didn't have a choice" I mumble. He shook his head, "you don't understand."

"Then help me" I whispered into his ear. "H-he gave me a task" another tear drifts down his face and I wipe it away. "What kind of task?" I ask him. "I have to kill Dumbledore" his voice broke again. I pulled him down to the floor and pressed his head into my chest.

"It's ok. We'll get through it together, okay. Just like always" I comforted him.

"I'm sorry"

"Don't apologize to me Draco Malfoy. Don't apologize for something that you can't control" I told him. He pulled his head away from my chest and wrapped his arms around me. He kissed my forehead, then my cheek, then my chapped lips.

"I love you" I whispered, he tensed up "you don't have to say it back."