I decided to post an extra chapter since I may not have the opportunity to do so next week. Spring Break has finally arrived! :D
Chapter Ten: December 1997: Need
Draco traced her writing with his finger.
The elf had given him the letter hours ago but he still hadn't left the house's library or let go of the message.
He needed to see her. Desperately.
A few letters passed back and forth weren't enough.
He needed to hear her voice, see her smile, taste her lips.
He needed to feel her in his arms and know that she really was alright.
Sure, Draco already knew she was, otherwise she wouldn't be sending him letters… but he needed to know.
He'd seen what The Dark Lord did to those who went against him.
The Dark Lord took everything from them. Not just their lives.
He broke them. Broke their minds with his curses and broke their hearts with his promises. When there wasn't anything left of them but a whimpering mess with empty eyes… only then would he take their lives.
Draco clenched his eyes shut and gritted his teeth until he heard his jaw crack.
He couldn't get rid of the image of Vincent Byrd. The Dark Lord's latest victim.
Byrd had helped hide muggle-borns from the Snatchers and when he was caught, they'd brought him here. Just like the rest of them. They were all brought here hearts beating, and left broken and breathless.
It all happened here. In Draco's childhood home. Currently known as the Death Eater's headquarters and the Dark Lord's residence of choice.
Draco scowled. What an honor.
These days, when Draco walked through the hallways, he didn't think of it as his home. He didn't remember the laughs or the smiles, as rare as they were. He wasn't proud of the portraits of his Pureblood ancestors lining the walls. He didn't walk with his head held high, knowing the entire world was his for the taking.
No. What Draco remembered were the unholy screams echoing through the halls. He remembered the desperate, hopeless look in the eyes of the victims and the crazed, satisfied look in the eyes of their tormentors. He was no longer proud to belong to such a bloodthirsty group. Now he walked with his head hung low, doing what he was told with little argument yet still praying someone would come and put a stop to it all.
He wished he had the power, the will, to do what was right.
Countless times he'd straightened his spine, ready to fight, only to glance at the fearful look in his mother's eyes.
If he fought he knew she'd fight beside him. No matter what happened, his mother would always stand beside him. Even if they both knew it was suicide. She'd still raise her wand to protect him.
And she'd die. Inevitably. He may not have cast the curse, but he knew he'd be the reason she fell.
He couldn't do that.
Lucius wouldn't protect his mother. So, Draco had no choice but to bite his lip and clench his fists until teeth and nails drew blood.
He couldn't put his mother in danger like that.
Just like he knew he couldn't put Leli in danger either.
Because, before he died, the Dark Lord would break his mind and find her.
Then he really would be broken. The only two people he cared about put in danger because of him.
He couldn't do that.
Yet…
He couldn't just stand back anymore.
He couldn't just do what he was told.
He couldn't stomach hearing those screams again.
What was he suppose to do?
Draco opened his eyes and stared at the note still in his hand.
He grabbed a piece of paper from the desk and scribbled his note.
"Gila!" He called the messenger elf, who appeared a moment later.
"This is urgent." He gave her the note and she nodded, disappearing again.
Draco got up, ready to go. He was loosing his mind and he knew that he needed Leli's help to get his sanity back. No one else could help him. He wasn't even sure anyone else would care to try.
Leli nodded in apparent understanding, holding back an eye roll, as the goblin continued to complain.
She opened her mouth to say something when she saw Gila on the other side of the room, but the goblin simply steamrolled over her, his complaints growing louder and more ridiculous.
"We'll try to sort out your sleeping arrangements, Mr. Mockret. Now, if you'll excuse me, one of my messengers has arrived and it looks to be urgent." She told him, speaking over him.
He frowned in disapproval but she simply inclined her head and hurried towards Gila.
She prayed nothing was wrong with Draco as she gestured the elf towards a quiet part of the overcrowded sitting room in Phoenix View.
She had come to personally check in on the refugees and had instantly been assaulted with wave after wave of complaints.
During her discussion she'd been tempted to tell the goblin, the hundredth complainer, that if he didn't like it here he could go back to where he came from. But she'd managed to bite her tongue, knowing that they were all frightened here and that they simply wanted someone to care about what they said. If only for a moment.
"What's wrong?" Leli asked Gila immediately.
Gila handed the piece of parchment over to Leli. "Master Malfoy insisted that it was urgent and… he seemed to mean it."
Leli frowned at the worried expression on the little elf's face.
She opened the folded note and her forehead furrowed at the single line.
She knew it was Draco's writing thanks to his overly exaggerated "D" even though he hadn't signed the note.
He wanted her to meet him at the same place where he'd seen her in Diagon Alley. Today. At this moment, preferably.
Leli bit her lip. She couldn't just drop everything to see him.
Leli studied the note.
The obvious desperate scrawl made her realize she had no choice.
He needed her and she wasn't going to keep him waiting.
Leli gave Gila a few instructions, grabbed her black cloak and apparated to Diagon Alley.
He needed to talk to her and he didn't want anyone listening in. Hopefully, the darkness of the alley would hide them from any observers as well.
Leli arrived a few minutes after him and Draco couldn't help himself. He grabbed her and smashed his lips against hers, kissing her wildly.
Leli kissed him back with the same amount of intensity and before Draco knew it he had her pressed against the brick wall of the dark alley while one of his hands tangled in her wavy black hair and the other began unbuttoning her Slytherin green blouse.
She had somehow already pushed away his cloak and coat and was currently running her hands underneath his black shirt, scraping his chest with her nails. He couldn't help but ground his hips into hers in response.
Draco trailed his kissed across her jaw until he reach her ear. He bit down slightly on the spot behind her ear that always garnered a moan from her lips. He pushed her bra down and began massaging her breast while he continued kissing and biting his way down her neck.
Her hands reached the button on his pants at the same time his mouth reached her breast.
He let his mouth worship her breasts and his hands worked on her slacks.
Leli helped her pants slither their way off of her while her hands unbuttoned, unzipped, and pushed Draco's down his hips.
Leli grabbed his painfully hard shaft, earning a groan from Draco and he quickly brought his lips down on hers again.
He pulled away from the kiss, breathless, and leaned his forehead against hers. Draco stared into Leli's beautifully darkened blue-green eyes.
She gave him a saucy smile and began stroking him slowly. She was rubbing the head slightly on every downward stroke, making him go even crazier.
He gritted his teeth and lifted her leg over his hip. His fingers sought her heat, finding her wet and ready for him. He couldn't wait any longer so he moved aside Leli's skilled hands and guided himself inside of her.
They both groaned at the contact.
Leli placed her hands on his shoulders and Draco lifted her by her hips, allowing her to wrap her other leg around his waist as he held her up against the wall.
Draco kissed her again as he began to move inside of her. Pulling out slowly only to thrust back in fiercely.
Merlin, but he'd missed this. Missed her.
Missed the way she moaned his name every time he slid back inside of her and the way she tightened around him when he slid out, seemingly unwilling to let him go. He'd missed the way her nails dug into his shoulders and the sight of her head thrown back in pure ecstasy.
This is what he needed.
Draco gave her a hard kiss before quickening the thrusting of his hips, enjoying the way she shuddered and gasped. For him. Just for him.
He loved this.
He loved having her taste on his tongue, her scent in his nose, her moans in his ears, her soft body pressed against him.
Draco felt her tighten around him and heard her breathing quicken.
"I love you." Draco told her, groaning at the sight of her coming undone in his arms.
Leli shattered with a shout bordering a scream and he followed her gladly, biting down on her shoulder to keep from shouting.
Draco kissed her shoulder softly, his breathing still labored as he leaned against her, the wall supporting both of them.
Leli wrapped her arms around him and held him close. Her head was back against the wall, her skin flushed and her eyes closed as she tried to catch her breath.
Draco pulled back and simply stared at her with a satisfied smile on his lips.
He never could help but enjoy the sight of her after they made love.
He took great pride in knowing he was the reason for her exhausted state.
Draco saw her open one dazzling eye slightly and she gave his a small grin. "I love you, too."
Draco's eyes widened in surprise for a moment. Then he gave her a full out grin before kissing her again.
Leli laughed against his lips and kissed him back.
He'd never actually thought he'd hear her say it. But he had.
Draco couldn't stop smiling. Really smiling, he realized suddenly, for the first time in what felt like forever.
He had everything he needed at this very moment.
He had her.