CURSED [D.M]

-(38) like he has never known

DRACO sits in bed, leaning against the pillow positioned upright against the wall, his eyes fixed on Zilliah. She has her head tossed back and her eyes shut as she sits nearby in a chair, her fingers slowly dancing on her lap.

There was an unbearable amount of pain in every last inch of his body as he woke. It was soothed to some extent by Madam Pomfrey's potions. The rest was the effect of his own occlumency walls as he was finally able to pull his mind back together.

"Are you angry with me?", he can't help but ask. She hasn't spoken one word to him since he woke.

She shakes her head and brings her head back up, opening her eyes, letting him take in the hazel that was glistening as the last of the sun's rays reflected off of them.

He can't quite decide which shade he likes more. The hazel or caramel hue of her eyes under the sun's rays. Or the coffee or chocolate color under the moonlight. Maybe both. Probably both.

"Then why are you so quiet?"

"Just.. thinking", she replies, her eyes fixed on his chest, on the wounds exposed by the unbuttoned shirt he was wearing. He can't determine what the look in her eyes conveyed.

"I can take it all off, if you want", he shoots her a sly smile, letting his eyes wander over her figure, appearing smaller than usual, like she was afraid to take more space in the room.

She responds by a wry smile. He doubts if she has even heard him properly.

"Zilliah, talk to me", his voice turns pleading, his arms extending out to her. "Come here."

Her eyes flick upto meet his and for a moment, he can see her hesitate. But then she gets up and walks upto the bed, taking the space he had made for her in it. She lies with her face buried in the crook of his neck, her hot breaths on his skin giving him life. Their arms wrap around each other and he knows she is taking heedful care to not hurt him with too much pressure.

He breathes in the jasmine oil of her hair, like he always does. It might just be his favorite scent in the whole wide world. "What happened?"

Her voice is small- so small- almost like that of a baby trying to mutter out a word it had recently heard. "I was scared."

He didn't have to ask for the reason. He knew. "But I'm alright now."

There's a moment of silence. "Are you really?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean in life. Are you alright in life?"

"Zi-"

"Why did you try to use the killing curse on Harry?"

She has been informed of that, then. He should've known.

"What is happening with you, Draco?"

"I-" He wishes he could explain. He wishes he could open up. But he won't let himself do that. Not until she inevitably understands everything after tonight.

"Zilliah", there's a loud and ringing voice at the entrance of the hospital wing. A moment later Snape stands in front of them.

Zilliah takes in his distraught features and stands up quickly. "What is it?"

"It's.." There's hesitance in Snape's voice. "It's your mother."

"Fianna? What-"

"No, your mother", he interjects, looking at her with the most softened eyes Draco has ever seen him hold. "She-" There, the hesitance again. "You should come with me."

Zilliah stands, her features shocked, not a nerve in her moving. And all Draco feels is pure confusion.

Snape's eyes dart over to him. "You should accompany her. Your presence might be.. necessary."