I crumpled the letter in my hands and slammed my fists against the wall, it vibrated violently beneath my hand. I paced around my room, muttering incoherently under my breath. The fury pulsated through me making my vision blurry, I wanted to annihilate Oliver Wood with every fiber of my being. I wanted scream at Melody for marrying him. My heart ached painfully as I thought about the irrevocable decision she had made. How could she do this to me? How could she marry someone else? Her letter was written so beautifully yet it still felt so heartless, so cruel. I didn't want to believe the words. I couldn't believe she had returned her promise ring to me, I never wanted that. I had loved her more than anyone else in the world, she was the only person I truly loved. Now I was being faced with having to continue my life without her. What would be the point of living at all?

I groaned as I slammed my fists into the wall again. I yelped loudly and stared at my torn knuckles, blood had already started to seep through the skin. I slid down against the wall and held my knees to my chest as I tried to force the treacherous tears away. Was I honestly expecting a different outcome? Had I really believed that Melody and I could have a future together after everything I had done? After everything I was continuing to do? The only reason I had the opportunity to fall in love with her at all was because of the wretched assignment Voldemort had tasked to me: to persuade Melody to willingly join the Death Eaters rather than by force. My stomach instantly felt nauseous when I realized I had to actually be grateful towards Voldemort for blessing me with her, I loved her more than I could ever have imagined and it was because of my damn assignment. I shuddered at the consequences I would soon have to face if I wasn't able to procure Melody for Voldemort. His desire for Melody's telepathy had only grown stronger since he had overtaken the Ministry and Hogwarts. I knew he was becoming more impatient with waiting for her.

I desperately wished I could strip the surname Malfoy from myself and take Melody back and run away together, maybe then we could have a chance at happiness. My lips quivered as more accursed tears welled in my eyes, the idea was laughable and most of all impossible. Melody had disappeared and hastily married Oliver Wood, she moved on without a second thought. As much as I wanted to hate her for this, I couldn't force myself to even be angry with her, she deserved happiness and she had done what she could to secure it. My life had become nothing less than chaotic since the beginning of summer. Melody did not deserve to be burdened with this too. She didn't deserve to have her life threatened because of me. My stomach turned as I contemplated the reality that her life was already threatened because Voldemort would find her eventually, with or without my involvement. He always acquired what he wanted, by any means necessary. I should have felt alleviated to know that Melody was safe with Oliver and out of harm's way, for now. But the pain of having to lose her was too much to endure, and there wasn't anything I could do now, she was someone else's wife.

I forced the agonizing thoughts from my mind as I heard a hesitant knock on my bedroom door. I jumped up from the floor and wiped the tears from my eyes as my mother let herself in. Her face was stoic as she closed the door behind her. She approached me and I took a step back from her, she flinched. I sighed as I slumped against my bed. My mother sat beside me and hesitantly touched my hand that was still holding tightly to Melody's crumpled letter.

"Is everything alright Draco?" She asked quietly.

"No."

My mother took a deep breath and fidgeted with her slacks. "What's wrong sweetheart?"

I stood up from my bed and gaped at my mother, I couldn't believe she would ask me such a ridiculous question. "You mean other than being imprisoned in my own home? Or having to witness him torturing people at all hours? Or murdering professors right in front of me? And worst of all, requiring me to surrender the love of my life to him? I couldn't possibly imagine what is wrong with me Mother." I sneered through clenched teeth.

"The love of your life?" She whispered.

"Really Mother? Is that all you heard?"

"You really love that Everard girl? The telepath?"

"Of course I do Mother. And she's gone off and married someone else. And every single day he keeps demanding her here and if I don't deliver soon, I don't know what will happen to me. But bringing her here would be like asking me to live without breathing, it's impossible. I can't do that to her."

My words bubbled from my mouth so quickly, I couldn't believe I was admitting so much to my mother. I had never opened up like this to her, or to anyone, other than Melody. Now I felt desperate, I couldn't stand suppressing everything anymore. My mother stared at me in disbelief, she must have been shocked to hear I was in love at all, let alone with someone I was meant to relinquish to Voldemort. She stood up from my bed and touched my shoulder gently, I didn't shy away from her this time.

"I am so sorry sweetheart. I know nothing I say will console you but I am so sorry you have been put in this position. Is she safe?"

"I guess, as safe as anyone is."

My mother hesitated before responding again. "That must make you happy then? Or rather, give you peace of mind? That even if you have to be apart right now, she's safe."

"And just how long will she be safe Mother? Another month? Maybe a week or two? They will find her. But why did she have to marry him?" I asked defeatedly.

"I don't know dear, I am so sorry. In tense, unpredictable situations like this, people do all sorts of unexpected things."

My shoulders slumped forward and my mother gently patted my back, though I knew there was nothing she could do to console me, I humored her anyways. I couldn't envision a life without Melody and now I didn't have another choice. My life might as well be over now, I had nothing to live for anymore. I had known since the beginning of last term that Melody would come to despise me because the Death Eaters would find her eventually and she would finally learn of my part in her acquisition. But I never thought she would leave me for someone else, not Oliver Wood. I could tolerate Melody's hated after how I had betrayed her, I knew I deserved it, but I couldn't stand her marriage to another man. It hurt more than I ever thought, more than any physical pain I would ever experience. My heart felt completely empty knowing there was no possibility of ever calling Melody mine again.

My mother kissed the side of my head and left my room without another word, I hadn't realized she had still been standing there at all. I collapsed to the floor again, tears flowed freely from my eyes, I couldn't hold them back anymore. I gazed through my tears at the promise ring I had given Melody last Christmas. My heart ached painfully knowing I would never be able to fulfill my promise to her now. I wasn't sure if I ever could. I wanted to believe I could have. I desperately wanted to believe I could have given her a lifetime of happiness, that was all I wanted. Melody had made me surprise myself in countless ways. I never thought I could be optimistic about my future considering my family's longstanding affiliation with Voldemort. I thought I was destined for a desolate life, one that would be devoted to serving alongside the Death Eaters. I never dreamed of having anything else, until I had Melody. She made me understand that if I were brave enough I could be happy, I could be happy with her, and without the Death Eaters. I was heartbroken to know I wouldn't be able to have her for the rest of my life. That even if I left Voldemort behind me, I would never have a genuinely happy life, not without Melody. I wanted her so desperately, I needed her.

I sighed and wiped my useless tears away, they wouldn't bring her back to me. And as my mother said, at least she was safe for the time being. At least I could walk down my stairs knowing I wouldn't see her being interrogated, or worse. At least I knew she wouldn't be tortured mercilessly for her ability. If marrying Oliver meant she would be safe for just a little while longer, than I supposed I had to gratefully accept that.

My head snapped up when I comprehended my own words. Maybe Melody's safety had been the true motive for her hasty marriage to Oliver. Maybe it wasn't because she didn't love me anymore, maybe she thought that having Wood as her last name would make her harder to track. I already knew she hadn't returned to Hogwarts, her truancy would make her even harder to find. They would have to search very hard to find her now. She must have known all along that Voldemort would someday pursue her ability after how he had murdered her parents because of her mother's ability. Melody was the only telepath inexistence, she must have known that as Voldemort became stronger, the more he would want her. That had been the intent of my assignment from the beginning, to persuade her to willingly join his side. She couldn't have loved Oliver Wood more than me, our bond was too powerful. My heart began to accelerate as I pondered the possibilities, I wished my assumptions could be true. Maybe there was still some hope for me after all...