woke first, my bushy hair fanned around me. It was impossible to mistake Ron's heavy footsteps. I chanced a look around and any trace of the pain that had knocked me on my butt was gone. Draco lay beside me on the magically expanded couch, his albino lashes rested gently only his pale cheeks. He was laying on his back with one leg hanging off of the couch and the other bent beneath him. When I shifted his leg from beneath him he snorted softly and tossed himself off the side. Ron made an ungentleman like noise in an effort to swallow his laughter. I couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise despite watching him roll off the edge. He poked his platinum head over the edge a look of confusion twisting his features.
"What am I doing here?" His antics had provided us with a momentary distraction from the issue at hand, but seeing the way he eyed me -as if it was painful for him to look at me- reminded me he was the enemy.
"You tell us," Harry stood in the doorway, cleaning his glasses on the hem of his shirt, "you came here through our fireplace two days ago. From there Remus and Tonks set to work on you immediately. Only problem was, in your condition you would barely survive the first five minutes of healing, so they had Hermione 'encourage' your heart and lungs to keep functioning through the end of the healing you began rejecting her magic, you touched and you both passed out."
Malfoy looked horrified while I continued to braid and unbraid the tendrils of hair that escaped my ponytail. When none of us said anything Harry replaced his glasses and aimed his wand at the pureblood. I watched, dazed, as Malfoy lazily fingered his wand, flipping it effortlessly between his slender fingers. He looked bored, but I could almost hear his heart slamming mercilessly into his ribs. He waltzed over to the couch taking my tanned hand in his pearly one. The action was soothing, forcing the raging of emotions to subside, but I couldn't just forget it was Malfoy that was holding my hand. I yanked it away and scooted further into the couch, yelping in surprise when he dragged me into his arms.
"The Dark Lord knows something is up. When you three intercepted a raid on Longbottom's grandmother he assumed I was helping you." He exposed his wand arm to us, rolling up his arm. He seemed shocked at the lack of markings, we all were. There was silence as know it all Malfoy looked up at me with wide eyes. Relief washed through me, drowning the rest of my emotions. I watched him mouth 'it's gone.'
"What happened afterwards?" I prompted. He shook his head to clear it.
"He exposed me to the Death Eaters as a traitor, sat on his throne, and started a trail." He spat the word trial as if the very idea of fairness was ludacris. As if reading my mind he continued, "he sat up there on his throne as if he were the Lord Al-fucking-mighty and crucioed me at every question. No matter if I told the truth or not I was tortured for hours while he played with his wand and my own parents did nothing to help. When he'd had his fill he ordered Snape to take me to the dungeons and wait. I don't remember anything after that."
"How do we know we can believe anything you just said." Harry asked, never lowering his wand, "why are you even here? Being dismissed by Voldemort doesn't mean you come to the order, snivelling and begging for protection."
"I want to get my mother out of there." He said simply,"if that means cooking with the Weasley Matriarch then so be it. I don't know why Snape sent me here and you'll have to roll my cold dead body out of the confines of these wards, so in exchange I help with your missions or whatever else you would want me to do."
"So you want two things from us while we only get one thing from you," Ron snorted, "why am I not surprised you would make such a selfish deal." Malfoy smirked.
"Now now Weasel, you rescue my mom from that hell hole and I keep your little Granger safe." Before they could be outraged on my behalf I felt my hair stand on end.
"I don't need your protection ferret," I spat the word.
"What makes you think we'd even let you near her," Harry snapped, "you're our enemy. Even being crucioed can't make you forget that. I'd sooner leave her with Nagini." All the while he raged Malfoy spun his wand
"For the simple reason that you can't keep me away from her." He extended our hands to expose a spider web thin link connecting our wrists, "When she kept me alive she shared her life with me, making my stronger qualities hers and hers mine. If you separate us she'll die."
I promise next chapter will be better. This one is just awkward. Sorry! Review to let me know if you're still into the story.