Through the Dark (Draco Malfoy x OC)

Chapter One Hundred and Twelve

I woke up being spooned by Draco in the sheets. Our clothes still removed and he was peacefully asleep. His chest rose and fell against my back, but our breaths remained in unison. Despite the lack of clothing on a cold winter's morning, the warm blood of our bodies kept me comfortable. I hummed happily, nestling my head back into the crook of his neck and enjoying the close proximity.

A small kiss to the back of my shoulder told me he was awake. I stirred and glimpsed behind me, his silver eyes half-lidded and blonde locks knotted.

"Good morning," I smiled.

"Mmm," he hummed and closed his eyes, cuddling me tighter. "Morning," he mumbled against my skin.

"Guess what day it is," I smiled.

He chuckled. "Merry Christmas, beautiful."

"Merry Christmas," I said as I swivelled over and kissed him.

He moved his arms to hug me wholey now and I rested my head against his chest. We enjoyed the silence for a while, enjoying the hushed comfort of each other.

"Your cuddles are the only antidote I have to this world," he quietly spoke with sadness.

"What do you mean?" My voice stayed little to mirror his.

"You're all I have, Mel."

"Don't be silly, what about your parents?" I looked up to see a bleakness I'd never seen on his face before.

"My father is barely there anymore. He's tortured the soul out of him," Draco said. His words weren't so far from reality by the looks of Lucius and the capabilities of Tom.

"He's still there, Draco. He's been through a lot."

"I've never seen him like that, so weak and useless." His voice took on a spiteful tone. "And my mother, she's a strong and proud woman. I can't stand seeing her so..."

"I know," I said and placed a warm hand on his chest.

"How did you do it?" He suddenly asked. "When you left Ezra and Lydia... how did you survive without them?"

"Snape took me," I said. "He left me in the care of the Order of the Phoenix."

"So he was a mole even then?"

"Yes," I said. No one knew Snape's true allegiance. The Order believed him to be a mole to the Death Eaters while the Death Eaters believed he was a mole to the Order. But I had seen him in action work for both and I believed his loyalty to my father came with a limit, but his loyalty to the Order didn't.

"How did you just... move on from Ezra and Lydia though?"

"It helped that I felt betrayed," I said. "And it helped that I was with Sirius most of the time. In a way we were both as messed up as each other. It comforted us in a sick way. But I didn't just wake up and get over it in a week. In fact, I still miss them. Sometimes I hear what Ezra would say or what Lydia would try to teach me."

"Do you still feel betrayed now that you have joined their side?"

It had crossed my mind before. Could I really blame them for what they did? It made me wonder as well. Did they have a choice in joining the Death Eaters in the first place?

"I do," I admitted. "They lied to me. They should have been honest from the start, maybe I wouldn't be so fucked up now."

"I prefer this Melody," Draco said and hugged me closer. "If you were raised to be devoted to him from birth, you wouldn't be you. You would be malicious and cruel, like me. Lydia did the right thing."