Disclaimer: All characters are property of JKR.

Dose of Your Own

By: OurLoveIsForever

Chapter Eleven: Pry

The light of the room was bright from the lamp that sat beside the bed, so bright that I buried my head in my arms. It was four in the morning, nowhere near sunup. I could feel my energy waning with each passing moment. Somehow, Malfoy was completely safe, healed. It was only a matter of time before he awoke.

Narcissa Malfoy had been a saving grace. I had never seen anything quite like it. With startling precision and skill, she magically healed her son's wounds. The deep gashes on his back turned into nothing more than thin scars before my very eyes. I stood stock still in the doorway, unaware of just how much of a wreck I looked. My dress was ripped to my knee, covered in mud and dirt. My hair had a life of its own. Lady Malfoy had walked past me, her hand resting momentarily on my shoulder before she disappeared into the hallway, Davis following after her.

"Astoria?" Nott's voice floated over to me from where he sat on the other side of the room. "Are you feeling alright?"

I didn't respond, determined to remain quiet enough for Malfoy to keep in a restful sleeping state. He laid in the large bed at the center of the room, his face slack and peaceful. I watched him for the longest of times, unsure of exactly what I was doing. I just couldn't take my eyes off his peaceful face.

He was handsome when he didn't have a look of contempt marring his features, I concluded. Shaking my head at the thought, I turned to where Nott sat, his arms crossed over his chest. "I'm fine." I whispered.

"You know he's very much asleep, right? He can't hear you." Nott muttered, with a slight smirk.

I shrugged. My mind wandered over the two hours we spent in that bedroom. I had examined my surroundings, finding that Malfoy's room was far more mature in fashion then I had imagined. The walls were a dark olive, the windows covered in heavy silver drapes. His bed was certainly a masterpiece, the center of the room. With dark stained hardwood crafted into a four poster work of art, the thing must have been at least a century old. There were no family pictures in his room or posters, as I had imagined. The walls were bare save for one single painting that hung over a small desk. I spent a majority of my time staring at that art piece.

A two story house surrounded by rolling hills and what appeared to be vineyards. The sun was casting a golden glow on the landscape that served to relax and calm. Clearly, it was Italian in its construction. With cream stucco walls and accents of a burnt orange combined with the ceramic workings of its roof; the building must have been nearly two hundred years old. So much peace flowed out of one painting that I imagined myself sitting on the hill overlooking that landscape, the warm breeze in my hair.

Nott left around a half past five to get some breakfast from the kitchen downstairs. I was left alone.

I didn't mind too much. An unconscious Malfoy was much easier to deal with. I sighed and slouched in my chair, resting my head on the rest behind it and swinging my legs over the arm. My eyes drooped closed.

"I've never seen such a positively stubborn woman." I heard somewhere in the recesses of my mind. I jerked awake, but none too noticeably as Malfoy continued to speak. I kept my eyes closed. "I should've let that curse hit her."

"You couldn't have done that." A voice said from the other side of the bed. I recognized it as Zabini's deep baritone. "You have too much male pride." He sighed almost like Daphne did when she used to read smutty romance novels. "I would have done the same for Tracey."

"That's completely different. You two are 'in love'. I don't know why I did that." His voice sounded frustrated and I could imagine his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

There was no reply when my leg suddenly slipped off the chair, slamming into the ground and jarring me 'awake'. My eyes shot open to see the two men staring at me one with his mouth in a grim line, one grinning like fox. "Morning, sirs." I murmured, blinking a couple times dramatically. My body felt horridly stiff. Slowly, I brought my arms over my head and stretched long. My eyes shut in doing so.

When my eyes opened once more, I found that Zabini had slipped away silently, leaving me alone with Malfoy once more. He watched me like a hawk, his eyes roaming over my body. A heat flushed over my cheeks at the amount of time he spent on certain parts. "I know that I look worse for wear."

He turned his eyes to mine. "Indeed."

"How do you feel?" I asked dumbly, for the first time unsure of what to say. I felt so bare the way he was leering at me.

Malfoy rolled his eyes. "How do you think I feel, Greengrass? My back is killing me."

We sat in silence. The only sound that I heard was my own heartbeat in my ears. I could not explain why I felt so bloody nervous. It made no sense. Eager to push the feeling down, I stood, walking over to that painting above the desk. I wondered just where Nott, Zabini and Davis had run off to. If I had my guess, they had sacrificed me to the dragon, as per Slytherin usual. They were mostly likely downstairs having a grand old time, drinking tea and sharing tales. Examining the brush strokes on the canvas with the tips of my fingers, I discovered that the piece was an original.

"Painted by Lady Zabini's fifth husband, that. It's the Malfoy summer villa in the Italian countryside." His tone was matter-of-fact.

I nodded. "It's very beautiful."

"It is."

I turned my head slightly. "Is there a vineyard?"

"Of course, we have wine from it in the cellars." He shrugged his shoulders, pulling himself into a sitting position. The covers then slipped off his bare chest. I turned back to the frame, my cheeks heating up tremendously once more. What in bloody hell was wrong with me? "Do I offend you?" He asked. I could hear the smirk in his voice.

"You offend me every time your mouth opens." I said, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling more than a little pissy when his lips flashed in my mind.

"Do I now?" He responded. I could hear the creak of the bed springs as he stood. "Why ever would I do a thing like that?"

"Why, indeed?"

"You know for someone with such a strict upbringing, you hate listening to anyone." I really was curious as to what he meant and in the heat of my curiosity, I spun around.

Draco Malfoy stood just ten feet from me, leaning against a post of his bed. He had his arms crossed over his chest. I took a sharp intake of air, which may have been a mistake, for he noticed it and smirked. My eyes danced over his entire body without even my permission. I couldn't stop myself. His long black pajama pants, which Nott had magically transfigured his black slacks into, hug horribly low on his hips. He was pale, white as snow, contrasting greatly with the black of his lower body. As he leaned, I could see the shadow of his fairly well toned stomach muscles. Unconsciously, I allowed my eyes to move up to where his arms crossed and then on to his face. He continued to grin.

"Are you checking me out, Greengrass?"

I shook my head. "Just making sure that you're not bleeding anymore."

"Worst excuse I've ever heard." He muttered. "Now, do you understand why Nott tried to persuade you to stay at his home?"

I narrowed my eyes. "How do you know that they were after me today? The two of you were there as well. Wouldn't it make sense for them to come after you?"

"Clever, indeed, but did you ever stop to think, even for a moment, that perhaps you don't know all of the details concerning the current situation we find ourselves in?" He paused, pushing himself off the post. Slowly, he prowled toward me, his eyes like burning embers. I stepped back, bumping into the chair of the desk. "The simple fact that we—I saved you last night, proving to them—" He stopped suddenly, his eyes glazing over a bit. The next second, he was falling to the ground.

I rushed forward, catching him under the arms. He was far too heavy for me to keep him aloft. "Malfoy?" I asked worriedly, gently as I could lowering him to the fluffy carpet of the floor. His vision swam in an out. i could read it by the narrowing of his eyes. My hand reached for his forehead when his hand came from nowhere to grip it. I kept my eyes on his. My stomach combusted into butterflies. His hand felt warm, fevered. I could tell he was quickly losing consciousness, but was fighting it off.

"Greengrass, you had better listen to me." He muttered, finally his eyes closing. "You will not leave this house."

"Nott!" I shouted, trying to pry his hand off my fingers. Malfoy's hand wouldn't budge. "Theo!"

My call rang throughout the Manor. Within mere seconds, Lady Malfoy and Nott were at my side. The Lady looked a bit frazzled, her silvery hair all askew. She levitated her son from the floor. I moved with him as my hand was still in his grasp.

"He won't let go." I muttered, trying to pry with my other hand. I saw her cock a single eyebrow before pointing her wand at his hand. Relieved to be free again, I stepped awayrubbing my wrist absentmindedly. Nott stood on the other side of the room, waiting.

"I don't know what happened." I whispered, nearing him.

Narcissa Malfoy came up behind me, her wand stashed away once more. "He's very fatigued. Exhausted, I think. He shouldn't have stood up. It could have made him a bit out of it." She turned to me, her eyes boring into my own. "I have a room prepared. I think it best you get some sleep, Miss Greengrass. Don't worry. My son will be here when you awake." She didn't wait for my response before she glided out of the room.

Nott gave a nod, taking hold of my shoulders and leading me out of the room. With a wave of his wand, the curtains drew and the lamps flickered off. The only light that remained was a single candle sitting upon the desk. The door closed behind us with a gentle 'click'.

We walked in silence toward the west wing of the great house, passing portrait upon portrait on our way to the guest quarters. He said nothing for the longest time until finally it seemed he could not hold himself back any longer.

"You should have listened to me!"

I continued to walk while he stopped. "I acknowledge that."

"Astoria, why didn't—"

"I'm far too proud, that's why." I cried as I spun to face him. "They tortured me when I was younger. They were the bane of my existence and truthfully, I fear them more than anything else in the world! I'm older now, wiser. I was too proud to allow them to affect my new life, Theo! I've worked hard for what I have. I will not allow it to be taken away from me! I won't hide in a corner, not from them!"

"Dying will take it away from you. All of it. Damn your pride, Astoria! Do you know how much of a wreck I've been?"

I shook my head, tears coming into my eyes. "Nott, I—"

"You're pretty much the only family I have. You-" He paused, as if contemplating something. "You're like a sister to me."

I had never heard more emotional words come from his mouth before. He kept his eyes trained on me, his head shaking. I didn't know what to do as was common with both Malfoy and Nott, but both seemed to be in completely opposite ways. When Malfoy was around, I was always either at a loss for words or overflowing with them. When Nott made his honest thoughts known, I was always shocked into silence.

"I don't know how it happened, really. All of a sudden, you became a figure in my life. When Draco told me what he had learned…" I raised my brows. "His—my only thought was to warn you, to find you, and keep you safe."

"Theo—"

He held up a long finger. "Let me finish," the patience in his voice made it sound as if I were a child. I felt so like a child. "Now, I know it seems that Draco hates you, but I can attest to otherwise, but I will keep my nose out of that." He stepped forward. He smirked a bit leaning in toward my ear. "Remember your fifth year, when we first actually met?"

I did. It was one of the most vivid memories I possessed.

"I would happily do it again." He spun on heel then and began to walk the opposite way down that long corridor. I stood frozen in front of the guest room. "Oh and Astoria, don't give him too hard of a time. He's an injured man." And Nott disappeared.

Trying to make sense of anything would have been a waste of my time. I tried desperately to sort out the emotions I felt, but it always seemed I was going 'round in circles. For the first time since the Carrows' reign at Hogwarts, I felt real fear. I couldn't determine just what had truly caused them to come after me. Perhaps it really was because of the 'relationship' between me and those they wanted to kill. To me, that didn't make much sense either. I didn't see them as the type to waste their time with a little whelp such as I.

To that extent, I couldn't think of any other reasons.

Although that was a major problem for obvious reasons, I couldn't take my mind off of the strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. What Nott had said was certainly the same way I felt about him. He was like a brother.

"I would happily do it again."

I eased my head into my hands. It hurt to think of those horrible times, but my mind flew back to those cold walls and pitiless stares. Everything felt like it had when those events happened. The events that, so it seemed, bound Nott to me.

The evening had begun as any other. I took my meal in the Great Hall. I sat with no one; the 'friends' that I had at the Slytherin table, my fellow usurpers, were too cunning to sit together. An overwhelmingly ominous air hung over our heads. It was a week after my encounter with Amycus Carrow in the dungeons below the school and again, it was my turn to put plans into action. Dumbledore's Army continued to graffiti the walls, doors, and ceiling; anywhere they could get. They were in detention five at a time. The screams that came from those rooms would haunt my darkest dreams.

I had been 'assigned' a duty this evening. I was to cast an invisible sticking charm to the bottom of the teacher's shoes while they sat the head table. While I was not very proficient at most spells, I could most certain cast a mean sticking charm. With as smooth of a movement as I could, I pronounced the spell under my breath.

The resulting fiasco was attributed in public as the dealings of Seamus Finnegan, an Irish Gryffindor half-blood. I had no problem with the blame being placed on him. It saved me the trouble after all. At the time, I felt no remorse for his subsequent punishment as long as I got away.

I was wrong.

As I walked back to the dorms, a sly grin on my face at my accomplishments, I was jerked into a deserted potions room. I knew at that moment, I had been caught. With as much bravery as I could muster, which Slytherins were not known for bravery, I lifted my eyes to meet the freezing stare of the Carrow brother.

"You just don't learn, do you?"

Knowing that I would be punished regardless of my reaction, I crossed my arms over my chest. "Apparently not." His face contorted in rage as he raised his wand. I braced, closing my eyes.

Nothing.

My eyes jerked open to the sound of a chilling scream. I fell to my knees beside the writhing form. There was no explanation beside the fact that whoever this was had jumped in front of the curse. "Stop it!" I screamed, my hands trying to keep the boy from hitting his head on a nearby desk. As if on cue, Carrow stopped, lifting the spell.

"Nott?" My eyes widened at the name. It couldn't possibly be him.

Nott huffed in pain, still clutching his side as he sat up. Carrow looked slightly panicked, placing his wand back in his robes. Muttering something that sounded dangerously close to 'bloody fool', he disappeared into the hallway, his cloak billowing behind him. Nott shook a bit before forcing himself to stand. With a half disinterested glance; he muttered something I never forgot: "Here's a tip: don't get caught." With seemingly nothing more to say, he moved into the hallway without a backward glance.

As I opened my eyes in the guest room of Malfoy Manor, it all seemed very comical. The plain fact that Nott had muttered such juvenile words made me smile at the empty abyss of the room surrounding me.

"Lady?" A voice called from outside the door. "Tippy has clothes for the young miss."

I jumped up. "Enter."

A small house elf entered carrying some parcels of clothing in her outstretched hands. I leant down to take them. She shook her head quickly, placing the fabric on the dark blue of the duvet. "Tippy's mistress bided you coming down to the biggest room."

The next second, the elf was gone.

I slipped the fine material of my bridesmaid dress over my shoulders, pulling it off in one quick movement. It was such a horrid monstrosity that I hurriedly banished it with a flick of my wand. I briefly wished I could have set it on fire. Picking the black slacks up from the bed, I noted that they were not my size. Shrugging at the situation, I pulled them over my legs and sighed. As soon as I released them, they sagged low on my hips. Seeing that it was unavoidable, I pulled the shirt over my head. It was a dark blue sweater, obviously belonging to the Malfoy matriarch for it was also a little too big. I waved my wand to cause the items to shrink to a smaller size. Sometimes, I truly did love working at a dress shop.

I felt drained, physically and mentally, as I descended the stairs of Malfoy Manor. I could hear the discussion taking place within the confines of the parlor. Narcissa Malfoy lifted her head as I entered the room. Her eyes were momentarily hostile before they became soft. "Come in, Miss Greengrass."

"Good morning." I muttered, taking the open seat beside Tracey Davis.

"Morning." Both women murmured in return.

I couldn't quite place it, but something was certainly off. "Where are the blokes?"

Nott and Zabini entered slowly looking as if they had been through a rigorous battle. They were sweating and panting. A parcel was under Nott's arm. He placed it on my lap, giving me a solemn look. I didn't bother to open the package, looking to one of them to explain. Zabini took the task. Theo just glared at the opposite wall, his face murderous.

"Tatting sent this just a moment ago. In the letter he said that the place was a mess." He seemed to see that I didn't comprehend. "Your flat."

I shrugged a bit, digesting the information with a bit of a cold air. I had to remain calm. I had to handle this as well as I could. "I was searching for a new flat anyway. They saved me from having to separate the junk." Smirking, I decided that a cynical approach always suited me best. Nott came to sit beside me, his eyes looking worried. The murderous intent gone for the moment. "They'll get theirs." I whispered thickly. I choked back the emotion in my voice. I had wanted nothing more than to look after myself, to watch myself. The Carrows had ruined the life I had found for myself. They had taken away everything that I had worked hard to achieve. "They'll get theirs and I want to be there when it happens." Throwing my head back, I laughed like a mad woman.