𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬

Chapter 40

Adeline didn't realize the horrible caveat to Plan DBR. For some stupid reason, she only planned up until Dooms Day. She didn't even think of what was supposed to happen after she broke Harry's heart. Now that Harry knew she was a Death Eater, she had to actually be a Death Eater. She had to keep going with it, which she wasn't prepared for since she'd been detaching herself from the role for so long.

Now in Harry's mind, Adeline was evil, like Umbridge, like Voldemort, like the Dursleys. And Adeline had to keep up the facade if this was going to work. That meant being evil.

Gone were the days of laughter. Gone were the days of sweet notes and inside jokes. Gone were the days of smiling; she was a Malfoy now. And conforming to the Malfoy rules was exhausting, because it was truly a list of how not to be human—though there was no faster way to become truly evil.

And what was worse now, Adeline had a taste of being human. She understood smiling and fell in love with laughter. She loved hugs and kisses and touches. She loved talking about her day and listening about the same mundane things from another.

But given this raw pain, maybe she didn't want to be human. Maybe being a Malfoy was a good thing.

It might be painful to transition back into a cold-hearted, scheming demagogue... if it spared her any of this.

It was an option. And it might have been a necessary one.

To avoid everything, including Harry of course, Adeline hid in her room for as long as she could get away with until there was a heavy knock on her door.

Adeline refused to get out of bed, so she flicked her wand and the door sprung open.

Pansy and Draco stormed inside. "Enough of this. You're getting sick."

"I already was." Adeline sniffed. Her heart ached so much, it was difficult to move.

Draco frowned. "Adeline, you need to function."

"What's the point? My life is over." She squeezed Scar tight to her chest, pretending it was Harry.

She'd never get another hug from Harry again.

Pansy crossed her arms. "Not your life with Potter."

"Of course it is," Adeline snapped. "I broke the bond. There's no way I didn't with how much it hurts in my core. We're done. It's over." Though her eyes hadn't changed. But there was no way, with how much hatred that they shared, that they were still soulmates.

"Well, you still have to pull the mission off." Pansy said, and Draco opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted help.

Adeline just rolled her eyes, which were red, puffy, sore, and still mercury. Her head throbbed for a lack of sleep, because she and Harry were together in her dreams, and even her body knew that was too good to be true, so it forced her to wake up every time she slept. "Why?"

Pansy rolled her eyes. "Don't you want to protect Potter?"

"By murdering the last adult that can probably give him any means of protection?"

Draco squeezed Adeline's shoulder. "This isn't about you two at all. I know you're heartbroken, but it's bigger than this. If Potter dies, then the Dark Lord will take over everything. You need to get through this to protect him."

She opened her mouth to argue, which she really could have if she wanted to. She had a lot of pent up rage and hurt inside of her that she'd love to get out. But she didn't. Because Pansy and Draco would never understand what this felt like. "Whatever."

Then, to avoid anyone and everyone, Adeline hid in the Room of Requirement most of her time. She didn't go to classes for two and a half weeks, making her successfully hidden in there. Most of her professors talked to Snape, who gave excuses.