Malfoy's Moon

the manor and the garden

"I've told Mother already," Draco rasps out, breaking the crisp silence. "She knows we have to go into hiding."

At this, Narcissa turns around, making her away across the hallway. 

"Wait - " Astra chokes out, "she - you've agreed?"

There's a pause as Narcissa looks over her shoulder. "I'll be sending a letter to my husband."

The words gracelessly tumble out of her mouth before she has a chance to rethink them. "Your husband - Lucius Malfoy is in Azkaban." She instantly looks away as the words come out, unable to look into her eyes.

Even Draco closes his eyes tightly with a frown, curling his fist against her palm. 

"As I'm very well aware of, Hawkings," Narcissa speaks, her voice tight. 

"You can't tell anyone - no one can know about where we're going," Astra says, fighting against Draco's hold to get up. 

"And no one will know, besides my husband."

"The Azkaban guards - "

"- can not read," Narcissa interrupts. "I'm sure it will be quite safe." She turns back around, disappearing into a room off to the side. 

"She doesn't want to go," Draco mutters once she's gone.

"I don't understand. That's the safest option we have right now. Even she knows that. She cares about your safety, I'm sure."

He falls quiet and for a second, she becomes aware of something that passes his features. Something like anger. 

"What is it?" She says, suddenly apprehensive. 

He speaks quickly, as though he's been meaning to get the words out. "I just - you're so unbelievably foolish - so stupid - "

She blinks, her eyebrows drawing in. "Draco?"

"Do you know how stupid you are right now? To go into hiding with a Death Eater? A Death Eater who betrayed the rest of them. Do you know what you're even getting into? Being with me?" 

She lifts herself up, shifting her weight to her elbows resting on the cold, wooden floor. "What - do you want me to back out now? Is that what you want? This is the safest for you - "

"It's not about my safety!" The words shred the air as his shout slashes through and another droplet of his wet hair streams down the side of his face. "I'd one million times prefer being a Death Eater to this. I'd go back to having to kill another man than be here with you - "

"Do you even know what you're saying?" She cuts through, breathless with disbelief.

"I'd rather it be that than having to go into hiding while the Death Eaters are out there, searching for you - "

"They're searching for you too - " She can hardly make sense of his words.

"Do you think I care about that? I've been in this danger for a long time, I've known I'd be a Death Eater for months, but you - this is about you - "

"If I had cared about any of that, I would have backed out a long time ago. I would have never gotten into any of this," she says, desperate to make him understand. 

"You should've just killed me while you had the chance."

"I - what?" She says, her breath stopping short. It's almost as though she's Apparated again, and she can feel her lungs compressing. "Draco. You don't mean that."

"I do. I do mean it." He's staring down at his palms, not looking at her. "If the Death Eaters find us, they will kill you. You and your entire family."