I do not own Harry Potter or the Characters/Places in it. I do own Amalthea Vitani and her family
Chapter 7
A Friend like You
No one was saying anything. Amalthea was trying so hard to control her emotions. What are you supposed to think when your brother readily agrees to never see you again, just so he can figure out a case? Every situation has more than one way to solve it; he could easily find another pureblood witch that would throw herself at Draco's feet. Surely, she couldn't be the only person that would be able to help. She had officially lost everyone, besides Jovi.
"Okay. Well I have to go to Amon's kissing, but I have the rest of the day off. I need to find a small flat, so Jovi and I have some place to sleep tonight, but we could meet in Hogsmeade somewhere tonight," Amalthea whispered. She didn't quite trust her voice to go any louder than that, without letting the boys know she was about to break down.
"You can stay with me." Draco had seen enough. This poor woman, she had to watch her mother die, was about to go watch her father die, and the only living relative she had left, just willingly dropped her. There was only so much one person could handle and she looked as if the world was resting on her shoulders and any minute her knees would give out. Draco had a strong urge to go to her and wrap her up in his arms. What the fuck? I've never felt this way before. Comforting is not my forte.
"No. I can't do that I'm sorry. I'm not going to intrude on your space. Plus, if we have to act like we're together, to actually pull it off, we're going to have to pretend to meet first. It'll look very suspicious if I'm already living with you."
"No really. Please let me do this. Plus we can talk over the case this way."
Amalthea was extremely hesitant; she wasn't used to letting people help her. In all honesty, she was no better than her brother. Looking over at Jovi, she got all the affirmation she needed.
"I would appreciate that a lot."
"Well, if this is the case, I can just give Draco all of the information, and he can go over it with you" Zain stated softly.
She couldn't bring herself to look at him and sighed an okay; not sure if they heard her but not really caring.
"We should probably get going. They're doing the kissing right at sun rise." Zain turned and he was gone.
Amalthea could do nothing but stare at the spot where he just was. Stumbling over huge bricks, pieces of marble and concrete, Amalthea flew out of the ruins as fast as she could move; running over towards a huge wall covered in vines. She dropped to her knees; her hands reaching out to caress something carved into the white marble wall. Penelope Vega Vitani. Mother. I am so sorry. Hands slowly clenching into fists, she stood slowly, turning towards a free standing white column, with a potted fern sitting on top of it, and she kicked it. Ripping the vines off the wall, screaming, crying, and finally reaching her breaking point. She whipped out her wand, saying a spell to make the ground tremble collapsing the wall. Underneath it was an old Egyptian Urn, glorious enough to hold the ashes of a Pharaoh. She reached out with shaking hands, caressing the urn as if she was touching her mother herself. Hugging the urn to her body she rocked back and forth, tears streaming down her face, as she tried to gasp for breath. It feels like my chest is collapsing. Merlin it hurts. It hurts so bad. Letting out a blood curdling scream, she threw her head up to the sky.
Next thing she knew, a pair of hesitant, strong arms, wrapped in front of her chest, taking off some of the pressure she felt building. Pulling her into his body, Draco did the only thing he could do, and comforted her silently. Amalthea couldn't stop the tears. They just kept coming and coming and coming. Draco could feel her tears on his arms, his heart crying out for her, for all the pain she had been through, and he knew he couldn't do anything more to help her.
Jovi came to stand beside him and put her hand on his shoulder. She had tears in her big green eyes but a smile on her face. Draco couldn't help but think that she was extremely wise for an elf. He stretched his legs out on either side of Amalthea because his knees were killing him. She was slowly starting to calm down; her breaths were still harsh but the trembling had stopped and so had the tears.
Amalthea relaxed completely in Draco's arms. Sitting back on her calves, pressing her back into his chest, she realized she was so small compared to him; she fit perfectly.
"She would have liked you."
Draco didn't say anything knowing she just needed to talk. He knew what it was like, to just need someone one to listen. He didn't want their advice, he didn't want to hear what they had to say, what they thought would make him feel better, he just wanted someone to listen to him.
"She was so sweet. Too sweet to be a pure bloods wife. She would give anyone the shirt off her back. In fact, when we'd go to the market, she would often bring spare coins with her and give them out to homeless people as we walked."
Amalthea giggled softly, shaking her head, as a new set of tears came down.
"Why? Why couldn't I save her? She was right next to me. Right there. I could have reached out and touched her. She didn't deserveā¦." Amalthea was crying so hard she couldn't breathe and she hunched over again.
She started rocking again. The guilt, the grief, and everything in between, taking over her body.
Jovi rushed around Draco to stand directly in front of Amalthea; grabbing Thea's face in her tiny crooked hands.
"Stop it. Stop it now. You knows very well you couldn't do anything. It's not your fault Thea. He had you cuffed with magic restraint bracelets and you were being held down by a man 10 times as big as you. You needs to stop. She died so you could live and right now you're slapping her in the face."
Draco could feel Thea suck in a sharp breath.
"You're right."
Had Draco not been acutely aware of everything going on around him, he wouldn't have heard her.
"You're right, Jovi."
"Thea, it's okay to let it out and it's about time that you did. However, now we needs to go watch him finally get what he deserves, and we not let him cause any more pain in our lives."
Amalthea stared into Jovi's face; she started laughing. She laughed, and laughed, and laughed; Jovi joined her. Draco however, was staring at both the women like they were completely nuts. What the fuck just happened?
"Jovi, you would give me your last dying breath wouldn't you?"
"Lady Thea, I'd give you my body if you needed it."
Thea threw herself out of Draco's arms and into Jovi's.
"Okay. Let's do this Jovi. I can do it knowing you're going to be there holding my hand."
Amalthea stood slowly, holding Jovi close in her arms, and turned to look at Draco.
"Thank you. You don't know me and yet you let me cry all over you. I judged you so harshly the first time I met you. I'm no better than the people I chastise. Please forgive me." Amalthea held out her hand for him to take.
Draco didn't take it though, like she thought he would. Bringing his knees up, he slowly pulled his long body off the ground, and when he was all the way up, looked Amalthea in the eyes and smirked.
"I would have just ended up pulling you down. It would have been counterproductive to take your hand. But you could go with me to that lunch as a thanks" Draco stated wagging his eye brows.
Jovi laughed and when she saw Amalthea glaring at her, laughed even harder.
"Lady Thea, he's right. You are tiny compared to him and you should go on a date. You haven't been on one in a year."
Thea huffed and turned away from them both. Looking up at the sun, then back down to the urn cradled in her left arm, she chuckled to herself.
I may not have my mother here physically but she will always be here with me. She's in me and she's in Jovi.
"Lady Thea, we must be going if we want to get there in enough time."
Jovi was never afraid, like she knew what was coming next, like she had everything planned. Amalthea thanked Merlin she had a friend like Jovi.
"You guys go ahead I'll meet you there. I need to see what I can scavenge from the house."
"No! We'll wait. Hurry Thea, hurry."
Running up to the house, she quickly found a bag, putting an undetectable extendable charm on it, and she waved her wand, accio-ing what was left of her clothes and of Jovi's. I guess we're going to have to go shopping. There wasn't much left. She was able to pick a few out-fits out for her, mostly lingerie which wouldn't do her any good, and actual outfits for Jovi. Grabbing what she thought was salvageable stuffing it into the bag, and started running back to Draco and Jovi. However, she forgot that she was wearing wedges and wasn't watching where she was stepping; she tripped right over a huge piece of marble, knocking her head on the ground hard.
Ugh. Great Morgana that hurt. Rolling her neck, feeling around to make sure nothing was broken, she pushed herself up on her arms, and caught a glint out of the corner of her eye. She crawled over and saw it was a Muggle picture of her and her mother. She looked like she was about five, she had pigtails in her hair, and her and her mother were nose to nose, forehead to forehead, smiling so wide she was surprised their cheeks didn't hurt. Amalthea ran her fingers softly on the picture. Smiling, tucking the picture into her breast pocket and running back to Draco and Jovi.
When she got to their side, she grabbed the urn off the ground putting it into her bag. Turning to Draco and Jovi she grabbed one hand from each of them, took one last look at her ruined house, and closed her eyes. They were all gone in a poof, never to come back again.
