Damage - Draco Malfoy Fanfic

T H I R T Y-E I G H T

"We have read every damn book we have found about the cabinet and spent all of our time trying to mend it. What are we missing?" She complained, rubbing her hands over her face. "We haven't got long left, and soon The Dark Lord will get impatient and angry." She scoffed. "What am I saying, he already is! And if this isn't fixed soon, what's to say what happens to us? What should we do, Draco?"

Athea turned around and saw him sat down, hunched with his head in his hands. She tried again. "Draco?" No reply.

She heard a quiet sob.

Her features softened in an instant, watching how his body shook slightly and more sobs escaped his mouth. She walked over to him slowly, sitting down quietly next to him and careful not to startle him while in such a vulnerable state. Her hand rose and gently rested on his arm, and the contact immediately caused him to go over the tipping point. 

Draco let her hold him as he cried. His head sank into her shoulder as she placed a hand on the back of his head, the other on his thigh. His walls had completely collapsed, and he let it all out, unashamed of what he looked like. Some would see this as weakness - but this was reality.

"I've never killed anything before." He cried and held her tight. Trusting her with him being this exposed. This real.

"I know." She whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek. "Me neither."

Athea knew he needed this right now. Draco needed a release, a way to let out all the stress, pain and fear he had been imprisoning inside of him. He needed to accept that he was scared. 

Athea lifted his head to look at her, placing a warm and gentle hand to rest against his wet cheek. Beads of tears fell in between her fingers as her thumb slowly brushed against his skin, vanishing the symbols of pain from his face. He mirrored her actions, cupping the side of her face - his hand taking up much more than hers did - and wiped away her own tears. 

She leaned forward, her eyes fixated on his lips as she whispered, "I know you're frightened, Draco. And that's okay."

And she kissed him. Slowly. Gently. Softly. He nodded against her, his hand traveling behind her head and into her hair while their lips moved at an easy pace.

This was a comforting and warm kiss. They both needed each other's support right now, maybe Draco more than her. He was rarely this unguarded. Draco was extremely skilful at hiding his true emotions from the outside world, until now. Athea knew he needed her. Just like how she needed him. They relied on each other - and Athea was once terrified of that happening again. But, somehow with Draco...relying on someone didn't scare her anymore.

And Draco. He knew that this was it. This was it for him. Her. He couldn't see himself going through this with anyone else but Athea. He was beyond thankful for her, especially in this moment.

"It's never felt real, this whole task. Although I knew the seriousness of it, it never felt real. Katie Bell was a struggle, the Weasley a punch in the face - but this..." Draco stared at the cabinet where the dead creature rested. "Death is like an awakening. An awakening to this war."

*****

"Ouch!"

"Oh, stop being a baby."

"You're pulling my hair out my scalp!"

"I am not! You're so dramatic."

"Why did I agree to this?"

"Because it's going to look badass when it's done." Mila smirked as she continued to French braid Athea's hair into two plaits down her head. "I have many skills and doing perfect French braids is one of them." She winked at Athea in the mirror in front of them.