I sat in a small wooden chair in the center of the large room while death eaters stood around me. I was never allowed in here before. The room was always off limits because it was only for "official business that little girls took no part in." My father didn't even look bothered as he stood a few feet away from me, a bored expression on his face.
"What's the matter with you?" I asked him quietly, but he didn't give a response. I felt my heart sinking deeper and deeper into my chest while I fought off the urge to cry.
"No point in trying to talk to him, he's barely got any thoughts in his brain anymore." Lucius sighed, shaking his head back and forth tragically. "The Dark Lord wasn't please when he found out your father was the one who allowed Draco to make such a stupid decision. Even I trusted him as a better man than that. My best friend of nearly 30 years, and he betrays me so." He spat, looking down on my father while he glided himself across the room.
I looked over at Theodore who kept his eyes out the window and his back to me. I don't think anything angered me more right now than the stupidity I felt deep down for never realizing I was being used.
"Where's my mother?" I asked Lucius, trying to get answers out of him. He glanced over at me carelessly before he gave some sort of weak response.
"Well, after what happened to your father she decided that she didn't want to stick around and meet the same fate. She took off, told me I could have you if she could live." He shrugged, picking his wand up off of the desk. "She's quite foolish, that Taylor. Runners don't get to live for long, but they do get a head start. Where is her loyalty to the Dark Side?" He chuckled, twirling his wand between his fingers to keep himself occupied.
I scuffed my feet across the floor and tried my hardest to keep myself from letting out a loud and hard sob. I was biting my lip so harshly between my teeth, I was waiting for it to draw blood.
"I don't want to do this." I told him quietly, praying that he had the slightest bit of sympathy in his heart.
If he has one at all.
"You married Narcissa when you were young. How is Draco wanting to marry me one day any different?" I asked him with narrowed eyes. He gave me a daring look, surprised by how bold I was.
"I didn't have what Draco did and I never will. His mind is different. So powerful stand dangerous. My relationship with my wife was nothing more than an arranged marriage for money and a pure blooded child. You truly think my wife and I love each other?" He laughed at me. I let out a deep breath and sunk further into my chair. I'll never win with him.
I looked at the clock that resided above the fireplace. My eyes widened slightly and my chest started to tighten as I realized a crucial piece of information.
2 hours.
I've been home for over 2 hours and I never sent a letter back to Draco telling him that everything was fine and that I had arrived. He'd come looking for me, no doubt about it. He stated numerous times through the morning how nervous he was about me using a port key by myself, and he probably thinks I'm lost out in London.
"So, where do you plan on taking me?" I asked him, swinging my feet across the floor under my chair. He kept his back to me, looking at something on the desk.
"For now, the cellar." He said calmly. My breathing was shallow now, fear still running through me as I realized he would keep me as a prisoner until he was satisfied and would then drag me far away from his son.
"Then, Draco will receive his... treatments, and you and I will head off across the country after I know his punishments worked on him." He told me carelessly. "I'll find somewhere for you. You're practically an orphan now— with a deadbeat mum and a dad who probably hardly even recognizes you, but I'm sure I have an old estate you can stay at until I've decided you learned to stay away from my son, and then you'll be free." He shrugged, turning around to face me. I felt my tears trickling down my cheeks and a soft whimper left my lips.
"Awe, Emmy." He whispered, walking towards me slowly. "Don't cry. You'll thank me for this one day. When you don't have to sit around and watch Draco kill hundreds upon hundreds of men, you'll realize how much happier you are without him." Lucius said softly, his index finger collecting one of the tears off of my cheek. I pouted at him and felt my face puckering up due to my tears.
"I just want Draco." I cried quietly, my gaze moving down to the floor. "If I make him do his tasks and I don't care what he does, can I please just stay with him?" I asked Lucius softly. "You know how much I love him, please don't rip us apart." I shook my head, but he only laughed.
Of course that would be his response. Fucking dick.
"Lucius," I perked up as I heard Cissy's voice echo through the empty corridors outside the door. "Taylor told me what you're up to!"
Maybe my mum didn't leave. Maybe she'd be waiting for me at Malfoy Manor.
"Nott," Lucius called for Theo who turned around swiftly. "Come watch her. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid. I have a feeling this is all about to go to shit." He groaned, adjusting his sleeves and pacing towards the door.
Theo stood over me, his brown eyes looking into mine. They used to make me feel like I was falling in love every time I looked into them, and I could hardly even recognize the boy that stood before me.
"I really loved you at one point, you know?" I sniffled as I looked at him. "I don't understand how you could do this to me. How you could use me-" I let out a soft sob and looked away from him.
"Some of us are better actors than others," he whispered, bringing his face dangerously close to mine, "and some people don't care, just like Lucius has tried to tell you." Theo said flatly.
"He offered me a pretty penny, and I figured I'd go for it. He never wanted you two together. He wanted me to rip you apart from the start, until Draco did it himself." Theo chuckled. "Then I was just supposed to keep you away from him." He shrugged.
I leaned as far back into my chair as I could to try and get away, but Theo just kept coming closer until his lips lingered against my ear.
"You were so easy, too. Practically crawling into my lap after you and Malfoy split. And then you sucked my cock and-" he let out a low moan-like noise while I cringed. "It was too easy. Then I had to go away, and I was hoping I had you on a leash enough to wait around for me-"
"If you were supposed to be with me then why the fuck did you dump me in the first place?" I spat at him, shoving him away with a new found confidence. "You fucked up your own plans!" I confronted him. If he had never dumped me, I believe that maybe deep down I wouldn't have gone back to Draco.
Or I'm just a bloody idiot and I would've cheated on Theo while he was away.
"I don't like being deemed a cheater," he said innocently while he covered his chest. "Truly, I liked what we had. But if I wanted to fuck every whore in the countryside while I was gone, I couldn't have word getting back to you, could I?" He knitted his brows as he asked the question. My stomach dropped instantly and I stood up from my chair.
"You stupid son of a bitch," I shoved him as harshly as I could, but he was quick to grab my wrists in his hands.
"Well, I sure hope you wouldn't talk about my mum like that. Bit of a shitty thing to do, wouldn't you say?" He whispered, pulling my wrists against his chest aggressively.
I could hear more yelling out in the hallway, I figured Lucius and Narcissa were already going at it just like Theo and I were. The other death eaters that stood around the room didn't even seem to care about mine and Theodore's bickering.
Until something crashed out in the corridor, making me jump against Theo while I turned to look at the door.
"Still a scaredy-cat, aren't you, sweetheart?" Theo's breath hit my neck while I tried to pull away from him. "You see how daddy looks? Good as gone?" He asked me lowly. My gaze turned towards my father who stood a few feet away from us, his eyes locked on the door of the study. "That's how you'll look soon enough. You'll feel nothing when he's done with you." He whispered. I felt a chill run down my spine.
"Lucius can try all he wants, but he will never be able to hurt me," I seethed at Theodore, still trying to free myself. He let out a single laugh of amusement, making me grow more irritated.
"Not Lucius, sweetheart. The Dark Lord." He chuckled, making me freeze in place. "Lucius plans on turning you over as soon as Draco is back to normal. The 'going to one of his estates' thing? Big ole lie can make you comply to what he wants. When Draco starts getting his tasks done, Lucius is letting Voldemort take you for whatever he wants as a thank you. A servant, a punching bag, a death eater... Who knows, maybe he'll make you be his whore like I did." He shrugged, trying to act so high and mighty. That was my last straw.
"Get off of me!" I shouted, kneeing him in between his legs and stepping back when he doubled over in pain.
"Emmy?!" A voice shouted from outside in the corridor. Banging against the large oak door made me run towards it as quickly as I could.
Draco.
The other death eaters in the room ran after me, tackling me to the floor and pinning me down from leaving. It wasn't long before black smoke burst through the window of my family's study, shattering the glass everywhere, and a black silk robe landed in front of my face that was pushed to the floor.
The door flung open, but no one made a sound. No one moved. All you could hear were my cries and labored breathing as someone pushed my head down against the cold tile and had their knee pressed against my back.
"Let her go." Draco's low voice echoed into the room.
"And if I don't?" Voldemort's chilling voice made my ears hurt like nails on a chalkboard.
"You know me. You know I will do anything for you. Just let her walk out of here." He bargained, taking a step towards us.
"I feel like it can't be that simple..." Voldemort said softly. "Your tasks aren't done-"
"They are." Draco said flatly. "I finished before I came here. He's gone." Draco said confidently.
I felt my breathing hitch while I stared at the bottom of Voldemort's robes. I remembered what Blaise had told me that night we were running around the castle like fools. About Draco killing Dumbledore. I could hear Draco stepping towards us behind my head, and all I wanted was to be with him again.
"I will never cross you, my Lord. You know that." Draco said in a chilling voice. "Let her go, and you can have me. You already have me. You can do whatever you want to feel better. Just let her go." He said strictly.
Voldemort thought for a moment before the man's knee lifted from my back and I inhaled a large and clear breath.
"She's your problem, Draco. She is what holds you back. Your work slacks ever since you made that silly vow." The Dark Lord seethed.
"And I will wipe out every single man in here in less than 30 seconds unless you let her leave unharmed." Draco said darkly. "You know what I can do. You built me. You can't risk losing your numbers while I slaughter every man standing behind you." He chuckled, knowing he was right.
I was dragged off of the floor and held in front of the Dark Lord by my shoulders. I could feel the fear that was printed across my face while I trembled in someone's grasp.
Voldemort reached one of his claw-like fingers up and brushed back a stray piece of my caramel hair. He gave me a soft smile as he looked at me, making me quiver even more.
"Your father said I could keep her." He said flatly. I started to cry as his gross smile grew larger.
"That's not a part of my deal." Draco spat, inching his way closer. "You feel that along your spine, mate?" Draco's voice was so close to me now, it was like I could almost touch him.
"Yes." The man holding me choked out.
"What's that feel like? Hmm?" Draco whispered, his voice making my veins feel like ice was running through me.
"A knife." He said flatly.
"If you're lucky, you'd survive it slicing from your neck to the bottom of your back. The only damage you'd probably be left with is paralysis." Draco said casually.
"Enough!" The dark lord yelled, making everyone grow silent. I let out a whimper as the man's hands on my shoulders tightly with the atmosphere.
"Hand her over to me. I'll take care of her, and get her away from me. You get me for all of your wants and wishes. Deal?" Draco spat at him from behind me.
"And Dumbledore is dead? You killed him?" He asked questionably. Draco held up the elder wand, showing everyone in the room the truth.
"It's only yours once you disarm me. Don't ever test my loyalty or judge my honesty again." Draco spat at him. For a moment, it almost looked like even Voldemort feared Draco. Like he knew he was more powerful, as strange as it sounded.
More violent is more like it.
"Expelliarmus!" The wand flew into Voldemort's possession. He stared at it with wonder in his eyes, like nothing else mattered now.
"I give you way more than my father does. Take my deals instead." Draco said lowly. "Because I'm the one you don't want to upset. Let me take Emelia." He whispered.
Voldemort waved us off, still obsessing over the wand in his hands. The man that stood between Draco and I released me before Draco took me into his arms. He shoved me towards the hallway while he still had the chance to get us out of here.
"Emelia, do not look when we get out here, I mean it." He told me harshly, but I knew his tone was because he was worked up and angry.
"Look at what?" I tried asking him.
I could see a body on the floor and I quickly shut my eyes before Draco scooped me up bridal style.
"Draco, who is that?" I asked him through raging breaths, trying to stay calm while I wrapped my arms around his neck and kept my eyes pinched shut.
"My father." He said in an aggressive tone. "I told you before and I'll say it again, I will do anything to protect you and I won't apologize for it." He said in a softer voice. "He was going to do horrible things with you... and I couldn't let him."
"Is he..."
"Yeah." He breathed out, cutting off my question.
I felt so nauseous as I realized I had seen a dead body just moments prior. "I'm gonna be sick," I cried, clinging onto Draco tighter while he rushed me down the stairs in his arms.
"Mother," Draco sighed. "Take her to our manor. Don't let her go back to school. I'll figure out a way to get all of her things brought back home; a lot of students will be leaving now anyway. Just keep her there, put up protections spells, I don't care what you do, but get her out of here." He stammered out. Narcissa took a few strides towards us, but she halted when I started to panic.
"No! What if they do something to you?! Why can't you come with me?!" I argued, pulling away from his neck and staring into his sterling eyes that were so close to mine. He shook his head softly before he kissed my lips.
"Emmy, I love you so much." He choked out. "I love you so much that I have to do this for you." He sighed, closing his eyes to avoid looking into my broken ones.
I started to cry harder now, my fingers clawing at the back of his neck to hold on to him even tighter. Not my Drake. He can't leave me.
"No, don't go. Don't leave me." I cried, placing my hands on his cheeks. "You're all I have left, please don't leave me." I choked and I stammered, and I begged as much as I physically could.
Love is so demanding. Always taking and hardly ever giving. Whoever created the emotion was a bloody fool. Heartbreak wins every damn time.
"I'm not leaving you. I will never leave you." He told me, opening his eyes again and placing my feet down on the floor. "But I don't know when I'll see you again. I am not going to sit here, and feed you lies. You don't deserve that." He shook his head. I could see his eyes starting to gloss over, but he was much better at hiding away his emotions than I was.
I was gasping for air, trying to find any reason to not let the gaping hole in my chest that was forming win and swallow me whole. But there were no reasons. Not anymore, at least. I was losing all of my reasons. I wanted the hole to engulf me so the suffering would stop.
"So I need you to just be really really brave, and list your five things so your fears go away, and try your hardest not to worry or be scared." He whispered. "Can you do that for me, sunshine? Can you try to be brave for me?" He asked me, but it felt near impossible.
"If I was meant to be brave, I'd be a fucking gryffindor!" I argued, my cheeks going numb and my head feeling dizzy from the loud cries I was releasing. I held onto his biceps so tightly, they flexed under my fingers to adjust to my tight grip.
"You're too cunning and ambitious to be a gryffindor, Emmy Jane." He chuckled, trying to make me feel better. "But promise me you'll try?" I nodded my head while I let out a sob.
"I'll send Blaise to you when I can. I'm not sure I'll be able to sneak away for quite some time. He's gonna keep us apart, and I'm going to have to follow through with that." He sighed, using his thumbs to wipe away the rapid tears that fell from my eyes.
"Drake, please don't leave me. He's going to change you! You won't be the same!" I sobbed harder, grabbing a hold of his sweatshirt in my hands and pulling on him.
To feel something.
To feel anything.
"Please don't leave me." I cried, laying my forehead on his chest and wishing he would go with me. We could run. We could go so far away from here if he'd let me take him.
"Baby, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not going to let them do that to me." He whispered, shaking his head. His arms snaked themselves around my neck and he held me up straight.
My legs were like jello under me, ready to give out at any second. This was the hardest thing I ever had to do. Willingly— or unwillingly —giving him up.
"I love you so much. So so so much." He mumbled into the hair on top of my head. "I always come back. I'll come back, Emmy." He whispered. "Look at me."
I lifted my head off of his chest and looked into his eyes. Like stars in the dark night sky, they twinkled and were so bright. I always loved astronomy. I released his sweatshirt and grabbed his cheeks instead, forcing his lips on to mine like it was the last time I'd ever get to.
He chuckled lightly to try and make the situation better before he pulled away from me. "If my mother weren't standing right there I'd-"
"Draco Lucius," she barked, making him chuckle a little more.
"I love you." I cried, making his warm half smile spread a little wider while his hand cupped my cheek.
"I know, pretty girl. I love you, too." He whispered. "Mother, go home. I'll see you guys soon." He sighed, finally releasing me and taking a step back.
And that's when it happened.
I had completely lost it. My heart broke into two. He took half, and left me half empty like a glass of water.
My loud sobs filled the air while I started to shake, and Narcissa placed a hand on my shoulder before we swirled through the air and landed in their own foyer.
"It's okay, Emmy." She cooed. "I'm right here, my love. It's okay." Her soft whispers filled the air as well as my gut wrenching screams and sobs.
I had never cried so hard. I had never felt so broken. This was real heartbreak. Cedric dying in front of me wasn't. Theo leaving me wasn't. Draco cheating on me wasn't. This was.
I sunk towards the floor and all I wanted more than anything was to feel him again.
Hear him again.
Breathe the same air as him.
Be with him.
Him.