When Esme woke up, her head was throbbing.
She could still feel the painful compression of her skull, but it had subsided somehow. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut, and if she tried to reopen them, it would only hurt more. She could sense there were bright lights overtop of her head. Her fingers were still at her sides, and she panicked, wondering if the past few months were only a dream and that she was still in the cell. But then a hand laid upon hers, sending warmth throughout her body.
It was fire against ice. The person caressed her skin, and she wanted to open her eyes and see who it was. Her headache had started to subside as the person continued their gentle actions. She was giving into the comfort of whoever was taking care of her. Just then, the loud bang of a door startled her, and her eyes sprang open.
Esme's vision had cleared, now focusing on the woman walking towards her. She turned her head to the side blinking rapidly, focusing on the image of a man retreating from her side- Now making their way over to the end of the bed.
The woman sat on the edge of the bed, gently touching her hair. Esme groaned, rubbing her eyes only to see the person who was with her was Claire. She stared up at the ceiling of her room, eyes drawing patterns along the lines. Then she shifted her attention to the person at the end of her bed.
Mr.Malfoy sat with his head down in only a black t-shirt and pants. It was unusual to see him dress in casual clothes, even after seeing him wear sweatpants.
She was unable to decipher his emotions. She could see the growing tiredness around his eyes, dark bags visible. If she were to guess, it looked like he hadn't slept for days, which was odd since the last time she had seen him, he looked healthy. How long had she blacked out for?
"Honey can you try to open your mouth?"
Claire's soothing voice rang in her ears from beside her. Esme pried open her jaw, trying to open it the best she could.
Claire slipped the liquid down her throat, and she swallowed, waiting for the results to kick in. She counted in her head up to ten seconds before the effects began to take place. It was the same icy feeling from before, only this time she didn't shiver.
The liquid swept through her insides, diverging into different parts of her body. It was cold, but it felt good. It was fighting against the warmth of the top layer of her skin, balancing out both. When the icy texture inside of her reached her fingertips and the tips of her toes, she shuddered. Her body started slipping away, eyes closing into the unending darkness.
Esme didn't have the chance to look back down at Mr.Malfoy before her mind turned off, going black. The bright lights left her vision even with eyes closed as the coolness remained inside of her. Allowed her body to rest. The throbbing of her head disappeared. It was like she couldn't feel anything. She was numb.
It was what she deserved, after all. She was meant to be left alone, having no one to care. That was her life.
No one would ever care for you.
She started slipping away from her own thoughts. They separated on different paths. It felt as if it was just her, a single soul. Her mind was connected to the rest of her body. All was quiet, and she fell into the everlasting darkness physically and now mentally.
The lights were no longer straining her eyes when she woke up the second time. She thought the room was empty. There was an absence of sound, no rustling of the trees or wind from outside. She shifted, turning to the other side, noticing Mr.Malfoy sitting at the table fast asleep. His one leg was crossed over the other, his arms the same. She smirked at how his clothing hadn't changed from the last time she saw him, his hair fell over his eyes, and his chest rose steadily as he remained deep asleep.
She shifted quietly, pushing up and sitting up straight- His eyes snapped open immediately, looking over at her. The air in the room was thick, full of unwelcomed silence. She parted her lips to speak, but he walked over to the bed, shushing her.
"You were unconscious for a week.". Mr.Malfoy said, refusing to meet her eyes. His voice was husky, and he rubbed his eyes, blinking quickly from exhaustion.
Her hues grew wide, watching him in confusion. She wondered if he had stayed the whole week, but the instant she saw the redness that filled his eyes and the dark circles from lack of sleep, she knew he didn't leave her room. Her chest swelled, but she pushed it back down, terror flooding through her body.
" Mr.Malfoy you should go to sleep. "
He shook his head, reaching over to the desk beside him to put his glasses back on. He looked exhausted. "I'm fine. How are you feeling?"
"Better"
He nodded his head several times before glancing up at her. His grey hues were still full of worry, and she felt horrible. The silence between them was growing awkward, and she tried to speak, but it hurt. Her lips were dry, and her jaw would become increasingly sore as she spoke. Esme jolted as the icy texture hit the middle of her back.
"What-a"
It was to help lower your body temperature," he replied. He made no point in moving any closer to her, keeping a fair distance between the two. His eyes scanned over his body for any signs of discomfort before his features relaxed slightly. She could still notice the tense look in the corners of his eyes. Her mind was moving at a sluggish pace due to the aftereffect of the potion. He was watching her intently as if she was going to collapse and blackout again.
"Esme who injured you before?" His voice was cautious, and she knew he was planning what to say before she answered. Draco carefully assessed the change in her features as she processed his question, now having to come up with a quick lie.
"It doesn't matter. I fell."
Her voice wavered, and he raised an eyebrow "I'm unconvinced."
She didn't say anything, and he cleared his throat, starting again, "Whoever did attempt to hurt you, did serious damage to your body, even after I healed you. Therefore I would like to know who did this to you Esme."
The skin on her cheeks went frozen as she visibly gulped, which retained his attention as his eyes focused on the slowness of her swallow. She looked around the room, rubbing a hand to her temples as she fell back down onto the bed. Mr.Malfoy didn't move, and she wished he would leave the room or speak again.
As much as she had grown accustomed to the quiet, and silence it was different with him. With Mr.Malfoy, it was always about trying to get one-step-ahead, trying to understand his motives through the way he would stare at her or the way his eyes would move along her body, growing in hardness or softening as she spoke.
It was the way his face was sculpted, almost as if it could be displayed in a museum, except the artist had decided to leave out the important parts. Locking it away and keeping it from himself. And maybe that's why she secretly enjoyed spending time with him more than anyone else. Esme loved a puzzle, and if she could get all the pieces of him to connect, then she would have solved it.
Solved the puzzle of him.
Her thoughts wandered to why he had stayed with her the entire week, instead of going to do his job as a healer. He could have ordered Nolly or someone else to stay, except he didn't.
"Did you stay here the entire week?"
He scoffed, "I told you I would take care of you did I not?"
Esme's head tilted away, facing the view of the gardens. Her heart swelled slightly, and her eyes danced with a glimmer of happiness. She was not used to having someone stay, everyone in her life left, and that's where her trust issues had bloomed. It was hard to rely on another person no matter who they were because she knew they would grow tired of her one day.
As much as she tried to resist the smile on her face, she couldn't. Only this one time, she told herself.
But she had already told herself that a previous time. She relished the feeling of someone staying and taking care of her, and for that reason, she allowed a smile to break across her plump lips.
A smile he couldn't see. It belonged to her.
"Let's play chess."
She turned on her other side, sitting up on the bed. There was simply no saying no. Mr.Malfoy's voice was order as if he was demanding her rather than giving her a choice. She held no obligations while walking over to the table and sitting down in her usual seat.
"I want you to beat me this time."
"I'll try," she whispered.
Her eyes glossed over the board as he started. He rarely spoke as she moved her pieces, only letting out the smallest of groans in disappointment as he continued to win. Her mind was spiralling around, confused about how he was beating her once again. She was losing her focus, and he could tell. This time he didn't smirk or hold any sign of triumph in his eyes.
"Esme focus on the pieces you still have."
His tone was harsh, a hidden softness piled beneath the walls he had created for himself. Esme sighed, focusing her attention on the board. Her eyes moved across it, analyzing the placement of his pieces. She started to calculate the precise movements needed to save her own and take down his king. If only she could move his bishop, it would work.
Esme tilted her head back up, gazing at him. His eyebrow rose, and he stared back in anticipation.
Distract him.
She blinked innocently and felt her eyes dance in amusement as he started to become lured into her trap. His grey hues softened tremendously as he bit down his lip. It was as if he was reliving the memory of her. She watched his tongue roll in his mouth, screaming out the one word that explained it all.
Possessive.
Returning to her original plan, she focused on another one of his chess pieces hoping it would distract him and move the wrong one for her to take down his king. She waited as his fingers swept across his side of the board. Stopping at the knight, she had been studying as a trap. He lifted it, pausing for a brief second, then dropped it, his hand drifting back to the bishop.
"Checkmate."
She gasped and drew her attention back to her side of the board, oblivious to her open king in the line of his bishop. He clicked his tongue, making a noticeable sound, and he smirked at her in pride.
"Darling, distractions never work. You need to use this." He tapped the side of his head, pointing to his brain.
Her heart thumped at the name he had called her, but she pushed it down, where the rest of her emotions for him were well-rested. "I'm trying."
"You played better than last time. I'll give you that."
She giggled as he gave her a crooked smile. Mr. Malfoy's eyes were closing and opening from his exhaustion. He was being kind, and this was her time. If not now, she didn't know when she would obtain the chance again. His kindness was something she couldn't afford to take for granted. Not in a moment as lethal as this.
"Will you teach me?"
His smile faded, and for a split second, her fear had risen. If he said no, it would complicate and slow down her process of getting close to him.
"I suppose you leave me with no choice."
His own eyes danced in amusement as he stood up from the chair. Esme hated the way he always left after a chess game. Not that it mattered, but this time she would have to do something different and meaningful. He was giving her something, allowing her to take it as her own.
More time with him. He was willing, and she needed to play her part correctly.
Without thinking, she pushed up out of her chair, moving towards him. His guarded eyes followed her movements as she stopped before him. Leaning up, she raised her left hand, brushing out the strands of hair away from his face.
The softness of her touch against Draco's cold skin sent shivers down his spine, allowing his eyes to draw shut. Her hand slipped gradually towards his jaw, cupping it soothingly in her palm. Her small thumb moved towards the centre of his cheek, and she caressed it tenderly. This time he allowed her. He didn't push away, and when his eyes opened, they looked into hers as if nothing else in the world mattered.
She could see him battling whether to stay or move. His eyes had turned silver again, brewing a messy stormy as she continued her actions. His jaw was tight, holding in place as his eyes narrowed down to hers.
"You have a mind healer coming to check you tomorrow."
She hummed, this time taking a step away from him. They continued to stare at each other, locked in a trance.
All of a sudden, Mr. Malfoy's face twisted in pain as he clenched his left arm. His other reached out to grasp his forearm but stopped as Esme's eyes fell down to his clothed arm. He breathed in, nostrils flaring. She was certain that if he didn't rest soon, he was going to faint, and somehow that worried her more than anything else. He took a step back, disgust filling his features.
This time it wasn't for her. But for himself. For her, Mr.Malfoy's eyes held sympathy- A hidden apology planted in the corners, one that she might have missed from the very beginning.
"I have work. I'll come by later."
He apparated away, and she fell back on her bed, bewildered by his peculiar actions. She was assertive he was hiding something from her. Not that it was any of her business. She had nothing to do with him in the past, and whatever he placed himself into now shouldn't matter to her.
She was losing focus and control as he threw the smallest bits of kindness at her. It was stupid. He had decided to be nice once, and all of a sudden, she was caressing his skin, hoping he would sleep and be well-rested. When did his health become a important factor? She never planned on worrying for him. It was a feeling that was simply just there. No matter how many times she would force her emotions to the ends of her brain, the worrying kept rising, pushing its way to the front. She hated it.
She hated how he was able to distract her and make her weak. He played the right pieces and altered her motives swiftly.
Now she needed to make him weak.
It would all work out in time.
She repeatedly told herself that he didn't matter. That he would never matter to her. He was a cold-hearted man, and from the moment she arrived at the manor, it was the only conclusion she could make.
He was kind to her because he was a healer.
It was his job.
She didn't matter to him.
After all, her kindness was unmatched
She was only using him.