slither - dm

Branded.

Draco

"HELP!" Someone screamed. "I need some help down here!" I ran out of my room and down the stairs where I saw Theo holding Laurel in his arms. I rushed over to him to see what was going on.

"What happened?" My mother asked.

"That prick attacked her, knocked her unconscious. If I hadn't showed up when I did—"

"Don't worry about what would have happened, the good thing is you prevented that. Take her upstairs to her room. Opal, would you please assist Theo." My mother instructed. Opal nodded and followed Theo upstairs. She'll know what to do.

"What's going on?" A tired Harper asks when she enters the room. I shrugged my shoulders. It was none of her concern anyways. "Okay. I'm going back to bed." She said before leaving to return back to my room. I rolled my eyes at her lack of sympathy.

"Mother,"

"Not now, Draco."

"I just, is she going to be—"

"She'll be fine. Just go back to bed with Harper."

I didn't want to, but I had no choice but to. I needed to stay away.

Laurel

I woke up from a long, deep sleep, head pounding and realized I was in my room at the manor. Opal was standing alongside my bed with some water and toast. "Miss Nott, glad of you to finally awaken. I'll go alert mistress Malfoy."

I grabbed the glass of water and began to drink it. My throat was so sore, and dry. I don't remember much of anything. I just want to know how I got here.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in." I said, my voice very hoarse.

In walked Theo. "Hey, Lo." He said. I smile weakly.

"Theo, what happened? How did I get here?"

"I think you know the answer to what happened, but I brought you here. You weren't answering my letters, so I just stopped by and saw the state of things, and sort of punched Tommy hard enough to leave him sleeping on that tacky rug they had in that room and brought you home."

Theo and I have had our fair share of moments. I never truly saw him as a sibling until now. He's always been more of a distant friend who always made light of things, but I can see he's grown to care about me. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same. I hopped off the bed and ran over to hug him.

"Thank you."

"You're my sister. I'd do anything for you."

I smile at his words. Our relationship had come a long way. "But I need you to sit back down. There's something you should know."

I just have this gut wrenching feeling it has to do with Draco. Something happened. Something is different. I took a seat on the edge of my bed, while Theo positioned himself in front of me. "So, don't freak out or get mad at me. It isn't my fault, and wasn't choice."

"Theo, you're freaking me out. What's going on?"

He took a deep breath then unbuttons the cuff of his sleeve. He pulled it up, revealing his newly acquired tattoo. "Are you fucking kidding me!?" I feel my eyes water. "How could you? You know how I feel—"

"It wasn't my decision! It was the Dark Lords. Please, believe me, Lo. I mean, I figured that you wouldn't hate me over it. You've been in love with Malfoy for how long now, and have been able to look past his—"

"WHAT!" I jumped off of the bed and make my way for the door.

"Fuck, you didn't know that, did you?" Theo grabbed me and tried to hol me back, but the adrenaline in me kicked in and I pushed him away and run for Draco's room and began banging on the door once I reached it.

"Open up, Malfoy. We need to talk!"

"Go away." Harper yells.

"Fuck you. Open the damn door!"

"No."

Alright, then I will. I pulled my wand out and was about to cast a spell to blow the door open when someone grabbed my arm. "Let go Th—YOU!"

I wiggled my arm out of his grip and pulled his sleeve up and sure enough, he too had the mark on his forearm. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"Laurel, it's not what you—"

"My mother was killed by death eaters. Probably your father might I add. You're just following in his footsteps, aren't you? You disgust me."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about. It's not like that. Let me explain."

"How long have you had this?"

"Since summer."

Fucking fabulous. I don't know how I didn't see it before. The signs were right there in front of me. Not ever taking his shirt off in front of me, the vanishing spell I found in his room. Clearly, that was meant to cover his mark for anytime he was required to remove clothing. How could I be so stupid?

"And all this time you've given me so much trouble, bullying me, causing me to hate myself for keeping something minor from you, and here you were, lying to me the entire time."

"You have to understand, it's not what you think. I'm not like the rest of them, Lo. I didn't even want the damn thing. I had to."

I scoffed. "Likely story."

"When he calls, you answer. You know this. Don't be so surprised when you're next either." He warned. "Please, Lo, you have to believe me. Theo and I are both innocent in this. We were held against our own will and branded with such an awful thing. Please."

I turn to walk away, no turning back to look at him when he cried out my name.

"I just wish you would have told me sooner, then maybe things would be different."

I close my door behind me and slid down it and let the tears fall. I was hurt. He was one of them. I have done much research about the mark, it changes you. I want to believe him, to trust him, but I just can't.