I feel Draco's fingers twirls the lose ends of my hair and I pretend to still be asleep, he gets up and quickly changes. "We need to talk", I turn over to look at him. He's surprised that I was up but continued to get dressed, "about?". I'm a bit annoyed that he didn't tell me about the mark he had in his arm so I decided to bring it to his attention.
"The mark..on your arm". Draco stiffened and quickly turned around and hovered over me. He went completely pale, his lips lost the rosy closer and went completely pale too. He grabbed my arms afraid that I would push and fight him, but I didn't I stayed absolutely still. "You don't understand", he hissed out. This isn't a side I've seen before so I know I have to be careful with my words but what exactly can I say that won't trigger him like now.
I started a bit longer into his eyes hoping to find some sort of comfort. "Understand?..what exactly, that you have no choice". His grip tighten and I started to get out of it but he only kept holding on tighter, to the point were his nails were digging onto my skin. "You see you don't understand", he scoffed and laughed at me.
Draco got off of me and put on his shoes. "It's a privilege, not a choice". I felt my blood run cold when those words came out of him. This definitely wasn't the boy I love, since yesterday I noticed he's completely changed. "A- a what now?!", I looked at him in disbelief. I just wanted for him to say it's all a joke.
I quickly got up and lifted up his sleeve and see the mark once again. "This looks like a privilege to you!. How exactly did you think this is right?!". I noticed how he flinched with my words but he played it off with a stupid smirk. This only gave me a hint that I still had time for him to realize this is wrong, but this boy is too stubborn at times so I'm not exactly sure how.
Draco ripped his arm out of my grip and started to walk towards the door, "Ash don't make this any harder. This is who I am, this is what I want to prove that I'm worthy". The boy turned around once again and shrugged his shoulders. "Draco you are worthy but this doesn't make you that". I tried to hang on and not let my emotions get the best, right now I need to get him back.
"Leave me alone!". I- I don't understand how is this even happening, where and when did things go wrong that I didn't realize it. He's the one who dragged me out of that darkness and now himself is in it. "B-but you tol-".
"Forget what I told you!". Draco walked out and slammed the door on his way out.
I sit back on my bed and consume the silence in my room for a moment. This boy is no longer a boy, he's trying to prove himself as a man but he's nowhere near that yet. I just couldn't seem to wrap my head around it, is he really trying to prove something or is it all just pretend.
I got in the tub and took a quick shower to get ready for training, maybe this would take my mind off of this. I just need to let him cool off, I will write to him once I get back.
—
Draco's POV ~
I look to see Ashley holding my arm, my sleeves are up and I'm not sure if she's seen the mark yet. I slowly slip my hand out and pull down my sleeves. Man how could this girl managed to look this peaceful in her sleep.
I start to twirl her soft long black hair between my fingers. I want to be with her forever but right now I just couldn't see her get hurt, she'll think I'm some sort of monster but really I had no choice. My parents are death eater and I just don't have a choice, you are just born into it. We she understand that?..we I assume since she's going through a rough time with her family.
But what if she doesn't understand, that will completely shatter me but I'm doing this for my parents. This is it, I'll just finish whatever I'm set to do and just go back to being my normal self. There's always a way out of things.
I get up and start to change quickly, I needed to be home and help my mother setup some things before tonight's meeting. I also told Blasie to come and help us out and that after we would go grab some drinks before the stupid meeting. Blasie and I always hated attending those meeting, all the men would talk about business. While Pansy on the other hand would go around flirting with every guy and we would be the ones to get her out of those awkward situations.
I start to buckle my belt when her sweet voice filled the room. "We need to talk", it's not so sweet as I thought it would come out. It was demanding with a hint of a bit of anger in it. Maybe she did see my mark or maybe she didn't, I wasn't exactly sure but I wasn't going to give myself up. "About?", I shut my eyes hopping she would say anything about the mark.
"The mark..on your arm". Fuck! she knows and now I think it's best if I push her away. I hovered over her and pined her down on the bed, she squirmed underneath me trying to get out. "You won't understand", I looked into her dark brown eyes hoping I could give her the hint that I'm not a good guy anymore. It broke my heart to see her trying to figure out, her eyes held on to sadness.
"Understand what....that you have no choice". I felt my stomach twist but I couldn't show her that it was true. I gripped on even tighter too tight that my nails were digging onto her skin, "You see, yoh don't understand". I look at her eyes and then her lips, I try to find the courage to just end things here with her but I just can't.
I quickly get off of her and finish putting my shoes, "it's a privilege, not a choice". My head is now pounding, scared that this would end terribly wrong.
"A-a what now?!", she was in disbelief. She quickly gets up and pulls my sleeves back up and starts nagging how this isn't a privilege, she was trying to talk me out of it.
I wasn't going to allow her to ruin this for me, "Ash don't make this any harder. This is who I am, this is what I want to prove myself worthy". She now looked hurt but she doesn't know that I need her to stay away from me. I'm only going to cause her troubles and pain.
This didn't stop her, this is one of the things I like about her. Ashley never stopped fighting for anyone until she knew they would be fine, but her stubbornness isn't what I need at the moment. She kept trying to talk me out of it and I just walked out the door and slammed it.
I pull my hair in frustration and take a deep breath to bring my anger down. I start walking down the stairs but I'm stopped my Max.
"Leaving so soon?", his voice boomed from above the balcony. " Or is she just too much to handle". Max looks amused with my comment.
"Well if you can't handle her, than I'll gladly take your place", he smirked down at me. Anger washed up over me again and I couldn't hide it, but maybe this is another way of getting her off my back.
I didn't like the idea of seeing her with another man but she would get over it soon. I would finish this off and win her back again. "Go for it, let's see how long you'll last", I said in a way of challenging him and he accepted.
End of Draco's POV —
A couple hours later ~
"Wow look who finally decided to show up", Owen pointed to the door and there stood Max. I was a bit surprised that he finally showed up too.
"Oh shove off will ya". Max flipped him off and took a seat next to me.
It seems like he wanted to say something to me but in came Theodore. "Well it's nice to see your ALL finally here". I looked down and smile knowing it was meant towards Max.
Max shifted in his seat and leaned into my ear, "wipe that smile off your face". I look up at him and roll my eyes and he chuckles.
Theodore takes a seat and hands each of us a folder filled with papers and pictures, "inside are the invitations and stuff you'll need for a ball". I look up at Owen and give him a strange look and then I look over at Theodore, "why a ball?".
Theodore stands up annoyed that I wasn't catching up yet. "Well Max here has people informing him about your fathers move, apparently he'll be there and so will you". My stomach dropped I wasn't ready to see my father just yet. "When?".
"The last day of summer". Max budged in and I looked up at Theodore giving him a hint that first days of school is the next day.
"We don't know how it will play out then, so just get the idea that going back to school isn't an option at the moment". I grab the folder and skimmed through it, there inside is the invitation, my receipt to pick up my dress and the guest list. There was a paper of the guest who are very important allies to my father. I also noticed that Owen, Max and my names weren't on the list. "We aren't invited", Theodore laughed at my comment but I didn't find it funny. At this point I was getting irritated by him laughing at me. "Your going in with different names that's why, so remember them".
I open the envelope and see the name of the invitation, I was going in as Penelope Blythe. I grabbed the invitation out of Max to see what name he was given, he got Marcus Russo. "Ohh nice name you got Mr.Russo", I said mockingly. I extend my hand out so Owen could give me his invitation and see what name was given to him, he got James Truman. I handed him back his invitation, "who exactly are these people anyways?".
"Well Marcus and Penelope are a wealth couple,they have speakeasies all over Europe. But they never show up to the parties they are invited due to the fact they are always attending business first. Nobody has ever seen them so they won't suspect a thing". I internally groan at the fact I have to pretend to be a couple with Max. "As for Owen, he's a cousin of Marcus and also helps out run the business". Well I think as long I have these two close to me everything will be fine.
"We only have this chance Ash, we don't know when we will get another one". I nodded my head and put all the papers back inside the folder.
Theodore than started telling us about the rest of the important people who are going and what we should know if they come up to talk to us. It's a bunch of information we needed to remember, but we couldn't get any of this wrong.
The meeting finally end and the boys and I head over to my manor to grab lunch. Along the way Max keeps mocking me about having to be his fake wife, how he couldn't stand it. "Trust me i hate it just as much as you do Max". Owen and him laughed at my comment. "Ohh honey any girl would be die to be in your place that night". I look at him and roll my eyes and laugh it off, "ohh your so full of yourself".
"Well I bet I can be a better than your ex Draco". I stop walking and turn around to look at Max. He looked amused that he got a reaction out of me.
"I heard you two argue this morning". I flip him off and storm into the kitchen.
I grab a sandwich from the plate left on the table and take a seat. The boys come in and join me, we eat in silence. None of us dared to say anything, I assume we were all thinking about the ball. Minuets later Owen excuses himself from the dinner table leaving only Max and I behind. "Soo.. how are yo-".
"Shut up! Can't a girl have some quiet time". I snap at him and he raises his hands up in defense. I lowly growl and get up to grab some lemonade.
I stood by the window looking out at the garden and only then it hit me, how could've Max gotten this information. I know Asher told me to be careful with him and Owen thought the same thing as well, so I couldn't keep my guard down. What could his plan really be if this is all false.
I jumped when someone placed a hand too dangerous low on my back. "Woah relax it's just me, I didn't mean to startle you", he smirked looking out towards the window.
I take his hand off of me and walk away but he grabs my arm stopping me in my tracks. "Let's go for a walk", he broke into a wide smile. I found this very strange but I had nothing else to do so I accepted.
We walked down to the beach in silence and I tried to avoid this weird thing between by looking at every small detail in my sight. We sat at the bench and once again..silence.
Max pulled out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, "want one?". I opened the box and pulled out a cig and put it between my lips and The entire time I could feel his eyes on me. Max grabbed the lighter and and pressed the flame against the cig to light it up, "thanks".
"Care if I join you two?", Owen took a seat in front of us and opened the box of cig and light it up. The three of us sat in silence and just enjoyed the view and the warmth the sun was giving us.
It was already sun down and now it's only Owen and I sitting out her. Max left his pack of cigs and lighter for us to finish, which there was only half of the pack left. "Do you trust him?", Owen said before lightning up another cigarette.
"No, but we have to". I closed my eyes and take in all the noise around me. The seagulls flying around so freely that I almost envy them, they go wherever without a care in the world. The wave crashing on the rocks and roaring.
"What if things go wrong? Or he does something to you?". Owen cocked an eyebrow.
"Then you make sure to report it Theodore". I know he is a bit on edge and so am I but one of us needs I keep it together.
"He has the mark huh?". I was taken by surprise with his comment but there's no denying it, at least not with Owen when he's been nothing but good to me.
"Yeah". I look at him and then look away into the sunset, I took one last draw from my cigarette before putting it out. Owen and I stayed a little longer talking about all the things that happened this year and hopefully when starting the school year it would be different..a good kind of different.
Hours passed by and now I was walking into my room, I pull out a quill from the shelf and start writing to Draco. I needed to see him or to at least hear me out. Just hopefully he will take my request and come to see me, I wish I could go see him but I don't think stepping foot in that house is the beet thing . Especially if he's having constant visits by Voldemort and other death eaters.
In the meantime all I can do is wait for him. I start reading the letters that I've been receiving from Pansy, Asher and a couple other friends. Pansy wanted to hangout for awhile now so I hoped she would come by tomorrow to spend the day together.