The Broken Blonde

Chapter Seventy-Six

I woke up to the faint sound of a fire crackling, the sun rising above the sanctuary of trees shining some light through the dense leaves, though the sun was a warm shade of orange the air was still cold nipping at my nose and leaving it red. I rubbed my eyes waking myself up but felt something slip off my shoulders, I shuffled forward slightly to see Dracos black blazer that was once wrapped around my shoulders laying limply on the ground. I retrieved it throwing it back over my shoulders getting the familiar whiff of his cologne giving me tingles all over, I hudled into it trying to warm myself up before I faced the forest.

As I lifted my arms down to the ground to hoist myself up I almost immediately fell back down not realising how weak I was. Even though everywhere hurt like a bitch I still forced myself to my feet clasping the tree for support as I pulled myself up, I told myself that I was just being dramatic, I'm sure whatever it was that was aching wasn't as bad as I made it out to be. I took a deep breath getting a huge whiff of smoke coming from behind a small formation of trees, although it was overwhelming it was the first time I felt at peace. With the cold air and birds humming in the trees I was finally calm but rest assured it wouldnt be for much longer so I took as much in as I could.

I winded my way through the trees that grew so tall, racing for their share in suns rays carefully tailing down the small hill that followed. I could now not only hear the sound of the fire cackling but also the faint sound of waterflow splashing hazily amongst the rocks, I eventually reached a small opening that revealed what I expected to be a small narrow river parting the trees from greeting eachother. The smell of smoke grew more prominent, I scanned the small area that laid dirctly next to the water my eyes being drawn to the puff of smoke wafting through a small circle of rocks.

I strolled along the stream approching the fire finding Draco, his back facing me sitting on a wide log placed directly in front of the camp fire, he sat silently poking at the fire with a stick as if to prompt the flames to grow larger. His hair was messy and damp as if he just got out of the river, he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbow his dark mark more prominent in the light constrasting with his pale skin. I stood for a moment just looking at him hunched over the flames, he looked at peace and I contimplated whether to disturb him or not.

"Where are we?" I said groggily forgetting how much it hurt to speak, it looked as if I startled him as his head shot up at me standing over him from behind. He glanced back at the fire poking the logs more harshly then he did before, I made my way around the fire taking a seat on the log next to him my eyes immediately getting lost in the flames.

"A forest I used to come to with my mother, it was the first thing that came to mind" His voice came across as quite monotone slightly calmer than I expected but then again who was I to presume how he was feeling, I glanced down at his shirt that was tucked out of his pants confused to why there was a large rip trailing up the side missing a chunk of the material.

"Your shirt? Get caught on a tree or something" I asked scanning the trees to find part of his shirt that had latched on to a tree branch or thorn bush as I turned my head, I felt Draco's cold hand brush against my neck. I jolted at the shooting pain that spread like a wildfire through my body shoving away his hand in retaliation, I honestly for a second thought he caused it but suddenly realised the pain was coming from my neck. I looked up at him confused my hand clasping my throat, yet what I felt wasn't skin, it was a piece of cloth plastered on my neck.

"Fuckin hell Ceradwin, I was just going to check how it was looking" He flung his hands back raising them next to his head his palms facing me, his eyes widened, and eyebrows arched wondering why I reacted on such a way. I was taken back now even more unnerved by what he just told me since I hadn't a clue what on earth he was talking about.

"How what was looking?" As I nervously fumbled around to find the fraying end of the cloth, I put pressure on what I now presumed to be a wound of some sort, only thing was I didn't remember at all where it came from, now come to think of it I couldnt really recall much of what happened last night in a whole.

"Woah woah, what are you doing? Don't take it off its the only thing that stopped the bleeding?" He grabbed my hand taking it away from my neck and placing it down on my lap, my hands began to shake as I grew more panicked the more concerned he got. His other hand gently lifted my head tilting it up, so he was able to get a better look at it, I gulped my palms sweaty as he slowly slid off his blazer from my shoulders.

"Bleeding? Draco what are you talking about?" He didn't listen instead he steadily peeled back what I now know to be the piece of material that he ripped from his shirt it revealed a gruesome gash that pierced through the side of my neck, a layer of dried-up blood clogged the entrance creating a small barrier between the wound and the cold air that arose from the river.

"Holy shit, my neck! What happened to my neck?" I stood up tossing the blazer back at him flinching every time I even got close to the cut, my eyes watered and breathing got heavier the more it was open to the cold breeze. I backed away into a tree my mind wandering to places in my mind I've never been before desperate to remember how I could have possibly forgotten how I ended up with a wound so ghastly.

"Bellatrix, do you not remember? She almost killed you Y/n, had a fucking dagger to your throat for gods sake" He then stood up in disbelief that I was completely clueless to the whole thing, his eyebrows furrowed even more alarmed than before not knowing if I was just being foolish, but as he approached me he could tell I wasn't joking.

I held my hand tight to my neck and shut my eyes focusing on my breathing as I felt another panic attack looming, my whole body trembled but I put on a poker face trying to act as if it didn't bother me as much which was incredibly difficult when he was standing right in front of me. My eyes fluttered open in attempt to prevent them from tearing up and I looked down at the floor taking a few breaths before I glanced back up at him gathering myself as I made my way around him.

"Let me look at it" He sighed grabbing my wrist as I pushed past him, I tried to shrug him off not wanting him to fuss over me again, but he insisted, his tone demanding and hoarse. I stood for a moment looking away from him hesitant to turn around knowing I'd probably jolt before he even managed to tend to it, but I surrendered, it was never a choice with Draco anyway so I would rather have prevented an argument than anything else.

He led me over to the log and sat me down as he crouched in front of me, he tilted my head up and examined the wound intently, he then gently moved his hand to my neck softly trailing the gash, I squirmed throwing my head back but looked back down at Draco who seemed to be hiding his irritation. "Hold me down Draco or we'll be here forever, I'm just being a baby" I huffed just wanting to get it over with, he seemed to like that idea immediately coming closer his look a lot more familiar.

"Don't move" He said his voice stern, I couldn't even if I tried, one hand had tight hold of my neck keeping my head in place while the other inspected the wound. I tensed up as his finger pressed again my throat, 'son of a bitch' I muttered under my breath trying to hold back the pain that built up inside of me. A slight smirk grew on Dracos face at my reaction his grip loosing around my neck, I rolled my eyes and pulled away.

"It looks infected, we're going to have to find a wand or someone who'll tend to it quickly" I sighed putting my head in my hands brushing my hair back, I stood up gesturing for us to leave making my way to the trail that led us back up towards the forest.

"We're not going just yet; they'll be looking for us and besides, I haven't cleaned it" I flung myself around coming to a sudden halt, I looked back at him eyes wide, who glanced down at the river gesturing for me to get in.

"Oh no, I am not getting in there" I scoffed refusing to even look at it knowing it'd make me shiver at the thought.

"You think you have a choice?" He mocked, he got to his feet and cornered me back onto a tree smirking menacingly as I tried to scramble away from him but just as I tried to make a run for it he grabbed my waist holding tight.