Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 35 - Choice

"Anne? Your father wants to talk to you."

Draco got into the bathroom. He sat next to me and held my hand but my hate didn't even allow me to draw it back. It seemed like I had stayed for ages but I don't think I actually spent more than half an hour in there.

"Voldemort is not my father." My eyes turned red again as the mascara that Narcissa had applied faded even more than it already had. As much as I had wanted to shut Draco away I wanted to deny this stupid notion more.

"Anne, listen to me. I was there in the meeting, I've heard how this man tends to act and I'm sure he is willing to kill you, if you don't go down there. You don't know what kind of man he is, you can take my word for it," I looked at him and some silent tears went down my face.

"I can't take your word for anything anymore."

"Baby, I-"

"Don't you dare call me that again," I said in the calmest voice I could find in me. "Get out," I ordered.

"I know you're hurt but, please, come downstairs with me. I don't want him to hurt you. If something happens to you I..." he stopped. Something inside me was braking, hearing him, but something else was also telling me I couldn't trust him anymore.

"You will feel guilty?" I made an ironically sad face. I narrowed my eyes, something I couldn't keep for long when I saw Draco lost and disoriented. "You pretentious tosser."

Draco focused on some random spot on the floor. No matter how much I wanted to deeply and truly hate him, I couldn't find it in my heart to gamble with his safety just because my ego didn't want me to meet with Voldemort. Unlike Draco, I still had some humanity left in me.

I got up quickly and refused to take his hand to ease my moves. As soon as I stood, the blood was drained from my head and neck and made me dizzy. With my vision blurred I made my way away from Draco.

We went down the stairs. My face was pale and white under the makeup which had faded after an hour of crying and made me look even more ill than I already was. Draco had passed his hand over my shoulders and held me tightly. He seemed very nervous and always looked at me worried. I needed a minute to understand what he was thinking; he was afraid of me fainting again. It was the sort of worry that kept me back from slapping him right across the face.

"Let go of me. I don't need your help," I lied.

"You don't know how much help you need," he said. He opened the door always trying not to leave me on my own for a split second, acting like I wasn't mad at him. Draco and I stepped forward but stopped in the middle of our way. Voldemort was sitting on an armchair. Lucius and Narcissa were sitting on one of the big leather sofas, stiffer and even more scared than they were in the meeting.

I had the time to study Voldemort's face more carefully and tried to think of a universe where a woman such as Sophialine McGregory was his wife. He was bold, with veins showing around his forehead. He was as pale as a ghost - as close we would get to a resemblance. The irisis of his eyes were red, the pupils were dilated, the white in the corners was not white at all, but rather resembled the red in the middle. He had slits for a nose - the features of a snake.

"My daughter. I'm truly glad that you're fine," said Voldemort with an evil little smile on his hideous face. I felt my head dizzy but Draco held me and pulled me even closer. I did want to draw myself away but I didn't. Less because I knew that I wouldn't be able to stand by myself but more because I didn't want anyone to know I had had a fight with Draco. The less they knew, the better.

"Please, sit," he showed the sofa with a calm motion of his hand, and Draco and I couldn't do else but do as he said. "I am aware the news were quite shocking - in the good sense I want to hope, am I right?" I thought about all the things he could easily do and was shamefully afraid. I nodded but tried not to look at him. "I do feel bad for all these years we've lost, all this time that can never be replaced. I hoped we would have some time to talk about it but Draco told me you now know all there is to know about your family and your past. Now that you've joined us, we will have all the time we need to reminisce."