𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐎𝐮𝐭 {𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲}

| 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐒 | 𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘨𝘦

In the infinitesimal moments of respite when I had Angel just to myself, perhaps just before bed, or at the first crack of dawn, I would love her more than I thought I would be capable of. It was just the two of us in the Astronomy Tower, where she told me about the constellations.

If I could have told the sun to slow its spilling golden rays, or instructed the moon to take its time, or commanded the earth to stop spinning just so I could have more time alone with her, I would have; but I had no such power. I left such celestial miracles to Angel.

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🤍

a n g e l

I knelt in the soil, spreading the mulch evenly between the lavender bushes. I was just yanking out two stray weeds when Draco called me from the living room. I pulled off my gloves and flicked the soil off my apron and knees.

The blood rushed to my head suddenly, and I had the urge to be sick. Sparks flickered across my vision and I steadied myself, squeezing my eyes shut for a few seconds. The missed hours of sleep was seriously getting to me.

As I moved towards the house, I caught sight of silhouettes moving behind the glass doors. I wondered if it was Codrus, but no, there were at least four people inside with Draco. I tugged the tinted glass doors, only to see Harry, Hermione, Ron, Hannah, and Susan standing awkwardly around the couch.

We haven't met in some time - Hannah was busy with the Leaky Cauldron. Susan was occupied with writing her new book on extinct magical creatures and taking care of her two wolf-dogs, Perseus and Basilius. They're so big you could practically ride them, she'd say. Without stopping to wonder why they were even here, I dove to hug them.

"Angel. Malfoy." Harry still greeted Draco by his last name. "Uh- we've come with some news."

I blinked in surprise. It was only then did I notice their expressions were hard and grave.

"You might want to sit down," Hermione warned. I did, but Draco remained standing, arms folded.

"I'll tell them," said Hermione before Harry could open his mouth. "I know this is going to be horrifying to hear, and we're going to be dragging up some painful memories, but we thought it's best you two knew."

"Well, get on with it, Granger," Draco said irritably.

She took a deep breath. "A bunch of Death Eaters have escaped Azkaban. Among them were... Barnabas Abigor and his father."

There was only stunned silence as I tried to process what Hermione was telling me. Barnabas Abigor, the boy who had tried to kill Draco, who had only been caught just a few months before last Christmas, now free again.

"What?" Draco sputtered. "And where are they now?"

"That's the thing. We... we don't really know," said Harry.

"You two are Aurors, are you not?" Draco was incensed, gesturing to Ron and Harry. "A bunch of prisoners have escaped Azkaban and you're telling me you don't know where they are?"

"There's something else," Hermione said, taking my hand in hers. "They had help. From outside. It was Lucius Malfoy." She paused to let this sink in.

"What?" I breathed. Draco dropped his arms in shock. "My father? And when- when did this happen?"

"We got the news just thirty minutes ago," Ron shuffled uncomfortably. "We came to warn you at once."

I immediately picked up on that. "Warn us? You think they would come for... for Draco?"

Harry's lips pursed regretfully. "We can't be sure. Either way, we're sending an official from the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol. His name is Rutherford and he will be stationed nearby your house at all times. I want you to report anything you find suspicious, even if it may seem ordinary at first."

"And why are you two here?" Draco jerked his head at Hannah and Susan.

"Moral support, you troll," Hannah snapped.

"In case you felt like you needed some company," added Susan gently.

Anxiety began to bubble in my chest. Almost everything in our home belonged to my parents. Each piece was a key to memories I kept safely locked up in my mind, links to my past life with them, when they had been alive. The thought of Death Eaters breaking in, destroying everything, taking Draco; it made me feel sick.

Then something else came up in my throat, and it wasn't anxiety.

I excused myself and raced to the bathroom. With a giant heave, I hurled what felt like all my internal organs. Warm fingers brushed against my cheek as someone held my hair back. From the way the stray chocolate strands fell over my shoulders, I could tell it was Susan. I felt silly, like a teenager who didn't yet know how much alcohol was too much.

"Give her space," she said to someone as she stroked my back. My stomach gurgled, and I threw up again, my knuckles turning white from gripping the sides of the toilet bowl so hard.

The sounds of footsteps and voices mingled as everyone else clamoured to see what was happening. Hannah threatened to hex them if they did not leave the bathroom this very instant. They faded away, and the bathroom door clicked shut.

"Drink," Hannah instructed, handing me a glass of water. I sipped gratefully as Susan dabbed the sweat from my hairline. "Feeling better?" she asked. I shook my head. "I feel bloody awful, like slugs in my stomach."

"Angel, have you been feeling sick a lot?" Susan asked suddenly.

"Yeah. Draco's cooking skills aren't the best," I tried to laugh, but her frown remained. "Sick and tired? Going to the bathroom more frequently?" she pressed.

"I suppose?" I answered hesitantly.

"What're you driving at, Suze?" asked Hannah. Susan was studying me carefully, her honeyed irises flicking back and forth across my face. She lay a palm on my stomach for a few moments.

"Angel, I think you're pregnant."