Two updates in a week?! I couldn't help myself.
Hope you like it!
The castle was eerie at night, it always had been. The suspense of walking the halls in the dark had only seemed to grow as Draco got older, especially with the moving portraits that literally followed his every move. Some of them even made noises at him as he passed by, some jeered rude comments and others just watched him with disapproving eyes.
He hadn't wandered the castle on his own after hours since last term and despite the creepy feeling it gave him, there was also a good amount of adrenaline coursing through his veins. If he got caught, no doubt he'd be let off but that didn't mean he wanted to see the either of the Carrow's or even Filch for that matter. Honestly, he'd rather be found by bloody McGonagall than by any of the previous options.
He scowled as the thought crossed his mind. His brain felt like it had been opened up, rearranged and then put back together in a completely different way from before. Absolutely nothing that he'd learned growing up, the morals and codes he'd been taught, none of it made sense to him anymore. Not a single thing.
And it scared the living shit out of him.
Of course, the only person he could put the blame on was Gilbert. She was the reason behind all of it – his change in behavior, beliefs and just overall general happiness. It was all her fault. Draco could barely contain his smirk as he thought about the brunette. That was happening a lot lately too.
Turning a sharp corner, Draco paused as a figure came into view at the end of the long corridor, dark robes dimly lit by the lone candelabra suspended on the wall near his head. It only took Draco a second to recognize who it was although it was easy to tell. He would have been able to pick the miserable, slouchy demeanor of Severus Snape out of any crowd.
The Headmaster barely looked up as Draco approached, standing in front of the entrance to his office. Dumbledore's office, the one that Snape had assumed after he murdered the greatest wizard of all time in cold blood. Sometimes Draco still had a difficult time wrapping his head around that fact.
For a moment, the two men stood there in silence, neither one of them willing to speak first. Tension bloomed between them and Draco grit his teeth, knowing he would have to be the one to break first, no matter how much his pride was telling him not to.
"Are you going to let me inside or what? I need to talk to you."
Snape's eye twitched slightly. "Yes, you said so in your letter. Aren't you a bit old for note passing, Mr. Malfoy?"
He ignored the question. "Snape."
"Headmaster," the greasy man corrected.
Draco's eyes narrowed. "May I come in so we can speak? Please?"
Snape sucked in a heavy breath before nodding once. He turned to the gargoyle on the spiral staircase, mumbled a password that Draco couldn't catch and then started up the stone steps. Draco followed after him.
He'd been in Dumbledore's office before and not much of it had changed since Snape's takeover. A few subtle differences but for the most part, it was exactly the same. Except now there was a portrait of Albus Dumbledore hanging on one of the walls. Draco frowned. How the hell could Snape look at the face of a man he killed every single day?
Snape walked around the large desk and settled into the chair, looking bored. "Well? Get on with it then. I haven't got all night and some of us enjoy sleeping."
Draco scoffed. "Don't fool yourself, Snape. You sleep as well as I do, which isn't well at all."
The older man glared at him. "I suppose it's gotten better as of late. Now that you've got Anna Gilbert warming your bed every night."
Draco's fingers curled into fists at his side and he had to force himself not to shout back an insult right away. He needed Snape's help, as much as he hated to admit it.
"Look, I didn't come here to fight with you."
"You didn't?" Snape raised a thick brow. "What is it you came for then, Draco? I'm on the edge of my seat here."
Draco bit back another retort and sat down in one of the hard chairs in front of the desk. He leaned back and met Snape's gaze. "I'm going to the Burrow for the Christmas holiday."
Snape didn't move a muscle. "And?"
"And…and I was wondering if you'd cover for me in case my parents…" he trailed off, changing his mind. "In case my mother asks about me."
"What would you like me to say to her?"
"I don't know," Draco shrugged. "But she thinks I'm staying here and if she contacts you about me-"
"You want me to lie to Narcissa Malfoy?" Snape's face hadn't changed but his tone had morphed into what sounded like astonishment.
Draco kept his own expression straight, knowing that if he faltered, he'd never win this. "Yes."
"You have got some nerve, boy." Snape stood up again, walking around his desk and clasping his hands behind his back. "Where was this confidence when you were in the Astronomy Tower with Dumbledore?"
His molars ground together as Draco stopped himself from saying anything he might regret. "I've already suffered my punishments for that night. I don't need you to remind me of it."
"Yes, of course," Snape said though his voice was heavy with sarcasm. "You've endured multiple forms of torture from the Dark Lord, you know exactly what he does to people who displease him and yet, you continue to pursue a relationship that, by the Dark Lord's standards, is an abomination."
"She's a Half-Blood," Draco nearly growled. "She's as good a witch as any Pureblood. Better, even."
"Be that as it may, you know exactly what the Dark Lord will do to both of you if he finds out. Assuming he doesn't already know." Snape turned to him, eyes glaring. "You should end the relationship before it's too late."
Draco was already shaking his head. "I can't."
"Why not?"
"I just…I can't. You wouldn't understand."
Snape snorted, a sound Draco wasn't sure he'd ever heard from the man. It sounded unnatural and out of place coming from someone who never showed any sign of emotion. "You'd be surprised at what I understand."
Draco frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Snape didn't answer and instead took a deep breath as he turned to stare at the portrait of Dumbledore. The Dumbledore in the picture was looking back at Snape with a thoughtful look on his face, his hand tapping lightly on his robe-covered knee. Guilt wedged itself deep in the pit of Draco's stomach as he thought about the part he'd played in the demise of the ex-Headmaster. If only he'd made better choices in his life, maybe Dumbledore would still be alive.
"Why go to the Burrow?" Snape asked without turning to look at him. "The Weasley's despise you. You despise them. I don't see this ending well."
Draco didn't have an answer for that. At least not one that made sense. But Snape's comment about being surprised what he understood echoed in his mind and he decided to see if his claim held any water. "She wants me to try."
"Gilbert?"
"She's got this idea in her head that I can end the decades long hatred between our families. As if anyone in that house is going to want to see me after what I did last year."
"You didn't kill him, Draco."
"I know," Draco said, exasperated. He was so sick of hearing that. He may not have finished the job but he initiated the events that lead up to it. That was enough for him to feel the blame no matter how many times he was told different. "But that won't mean anything. Not to them."
Snape sighed and walked back behind his desk once again. "The Weasley's are…they're an odd people. But if there's one thing I know for certain about them it's that above all else, they're kind. Perhaps they'll surprise you."
It was Draco's turn to snort. "Or they'll hex me right back onto the train as soon as I get off of it."
"I suppose you'll find out, won't you?"
Draco looked up. "So, you'll do it? You'll cover for me?"
"I'm not going to lie to your mother, Draco. She doesn't deserve that. But I can make it so she doesn't feel the need to check in on you during the holiday."
Relief flooded his chest. One less thing for him to worry about. "Thank you."
Snape grunted. "Is that all?"
Draco nodded and he stood, heading for the door. It was late and with any luck, Gilbert hadn't woken up while he was gone. He was looking forward to crawling back into bed with her and falling asleep to the feeling of her heart beating evenly under the palm of his hand.
"She's right, you know," Snape said just as he reached the door.
Draco turned, brow raised. "What?"
"Gilbert. She's right about you being able to end the rivalry. Sometimes we have to swallow our pride in order to do the right thing, Draco. Remember that."
The final whistle cried out as the train lurched forward, signaling the start of their journey back to King's Cross Station. Anna watched out the window as Hogwarts faded away into the thick layer of morning fog and wondered if it'd still be standing by the time they returned in two weeks.
She was sitting in a compartment with Draco, Blaise and Theo. Ginny was supposed to be joining them after she helped Luna locate her lucky quill but who knew how long that would actually take. Anna stretched out on the seat, leaning her back against the wall of the train and draping her legs across Draco's thighs. He barely batted an eyelash, settling a hand on her knee and squeezing gently, as if trying to reassure her.
She'd be lying if she said her stomach wasn't bound into a million knots. The fact that they were actually going through with this plan still seemed completely ludicrous to her. But Ginny was convinced it would work and Anna had learned early on in life to trust her cousin's instincts, even if they seemed to be leading her in the wrong direction.
Blaise was coming with them. With the death of his mother, the poor boy was left alone in the world. He'd spent the past week emptying out their house, which now belonged to the government. He was only allowed to keep a handful of things. It was devastating. The funeral had been simple, open to only a few people who knew her and Blaise. He'd returned two nights ago and even though he seemed to be okay, it was obvious he wasn't.
Anna had tried to talk to him but he'd politely declined her efforts. It wasn't surprising. Even though she considered him a friend, it didn't mean that he was ready to open up to her about things like that. She couldn't blame him. She knew exactly how he felt, she was just lucky enough to have family that had gladly offered to take care of her without a shadow of a doubt. Blaise had nobody.
Two Slytherins in house full of Weasley's. What could go wrong?
He didn't show it, but she knew that Draco was nervous. His body was tense, his fingers gripping her knee tight enough to prove his wariness. He wanted to believe everything was going to be alright but she knew he couldn't fully wrap his mind around it.
Honestly, she couldn't either.
"Don't be surprised if I come back with the Mark on my arm," Theo grumbled in the other seat. He was sitting forward, leaning his elbows on his knees. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, revealing his bare forearms and Anna pictured the Dark Mark in her head. Her hand automatically went to Draco's left arm, fingers gently tracing the mark through his sleeve. A muscle in Draco's throat pulsed but he didn't look at her.
"Why do you say that?" Blaise asked, looking over at his friend.
"My dad wanted me to take it this summer," Theo spat. "The bastard wants to offer me up to You-Know-Who on a silver platter. It's his only goal in life."
Anna swallowed. "Has your father always been that way?"
Theo nodded. "I don't remember a time when he wasn't an abusive dick. Ask Draco, he used to come over for playdates all the time that usually ended with me getting my ass kicked by my dad. Right, Drake?"
Anna looked over at Draco, who nodded guiltily in agreement. "Remember when we found his old Quidditch broom?"
Theo grinned. "Our very first flying lesson, before we were old enough to even think about going to Hogwarts. You always got higher off the ground than me."
"No shit. I got stuck on the roof of your house, remember?"
The stockier boy chuckled. "My dad was pissed. He got you down and then made you go straight home. I couldn't sit properly for weeks after he was through with me."
Anna flinched. She didn't like hearing about Theo's abuse, especially since he spoke about it as if it didn't matter. Thinking about his father laying a hand on Theo, even now as an almost fully-grown teenager, made her blood boil.
She was so tired of adults thinking they could just do whatever they wanted without any sort of consequences.
"You shouldn't be forced to do anything you don't want to do, Theo," she said, voice tense.
All three sets of eyes looked over at her and they all stared at her for a long moment before bursting out into laughter. She watched them, eyes wide and mouth frowning as she wondered what they could possibly think was so funny.
Theo was the first to speak. "Hate to break it to you, Gilbert, but that's not how it works in our world."
"Your world?" she asked.
"You know what I mean." Theo waved a hand in her direction as he leaned back against the seat. "As much as I know you hate to talk about the injustices between Half-Blood's and Pureblood's, the fact of the matter is that there was a lot more pressure put on Draco and I than you could possibly imagine. And when we didn't live up to our father's legacies, it didn't end well for us."
Anna looked over at Draco who just shrugged. She knew that Draco's father was unpleasant but she also knew that he'd never actually opened up to her about him before or the abuse he inflicts on both him and his mother.
Suddenly, she was very grateful that Draco had friends who had been there for him, who knew what it was like to try and fail to live up to their father's standards. Theo and Blaise had been supportive of Draco a lot longer than she had.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly, glancing at Draco and then at Theo. "To both of you. Neither of you deserved to be treated like that."
Theo waved his hand again, as if he were batting away a tiny insect that wouldn't stop buzzing around his face. "It's not your fault. It's life, we just have to deal with it."
It sounded so anticlimactic and depressing. Anna didn't like it at all. As if reading her thoughts, Draco squeezed her knee again and this time it did make her feel a bit better.
The compartment door opened then and Ginny entered, followed by a disgruntled Luna who looked as upset as Anna had ever seen her before.
"You okay, Luna?" Anna asked and Ginny met her gaze, giving her a "don't even ask" kind of look.
"Not really," Luna sighed before sitting down next to Theo on the seat across from Anna and Draco. "My lucky quill is gone. Vanished. I blame the Blibbering Humdingers."'
Theo's face twisted in confusion. "Blibbering what?"
Luna looked over at him in delight. "You've never heard of them? Cheeky little things they are. Would you like to see what I think they look like?"
"You mean…" Theo looked up at the rest of them as Luna dug her notebook from her bag. "You've never actually seen one before?"
"Oh, of course not. They're far too quick for the human eye to see." She scooted closer to Theo on the seat and opened up the notebook. And to Anna's surprise, the boy actually leaned in closer to look at her drawings and listen to her explanations. She looked up at Ginny who just shrugged and sat down beside Draco on their seat.
"So, Weasley, who can we expect to be picking us up once we get to London?" Blaise asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Ginny didn't miss a beat. "Fred and George. We're going to their flat above the joke shop and taking a Portkey to the Burrow from there."
"Portkey?" Draco asked, his nose wrinkling in disgust. Anna could only agree. Traveling by Portkey was unsettling and that was putting it mildly.
"It's the safest way to travel undetected right now," Ginny explained, glancing at Draco. "We don't want You-Know-Who knowing that you're not actually at Hogwarts and we need to be at the Burrow when Mum and Dad see you, that way it'll be too late for them to say no."
"I doubt that's going to stop them," Draco said, rolling his eyes.
"It won't. But they'll be more likely to agree if they have no idea about it."
Anna squeezed Draco's arm, getting his attention. "Stop worrying so much."
The blond raised a brow. "Speak for yourself, Gilbert. You think I can't tell how nervous you are right now?"
He had her there. She rolled her eyes at him and settled back against the wall once more. It was going to be a long ride back to London
They spent the remainder of the train ride conversing amongst themselves. Anna managed to fall asleep for a little while but Draco kept waking her up on purpose in order to point out how well Ginny and Blaise were getting on.
"She's going to dump Potter for Zabini," Draco whispered to her. Ginny and Blaise were leaning towards each other, in a heated conversation about Quidditch teams or something like that. They were speaking so fast that Anna could barely keep up with them.
Anna glared at Draco. "Ginny would never."
He shrugged. "We'll see, Gilbert. Can you blame her? Blaise is ten times the man Potter will ever –"
Anna elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to grunt quietly in pain. But that didn't stop the smirk from spreading on his lips. She glared at him, forcing herself not to smile back. As much as she didn't want to admit it right then, she loved when Draco was playful. It rarely happened but when it did, she made sure to enjoy every precious second of it.
After that, Anna paid more attention to her cousin and Blaise's interactions and while she couldn't help thinking it was odd that were getting along so well, she was also aware that both of them were good people and that they both probably had some common interests.
And how could she be skeptical of an unlikely friendship when she was wrapped up in the middle of one of the most unlikely romances in history? She was glad her friends were finally starting to get along. Maybe there was hope for Draco and her family yet.
When the train finally rolled to a stop at King's Cross, the nerves had officially taken their toll on Anna. She could feel her gut churning with every step they took off the train. Was this really going to work? If it didn't, she was going to strangle Ginny in her sleep.
"Anyone know where Lovegood went?" Theo asked as they inched their way through the train cars. Getting off always took ages and Anna could barely manage it without feeling like she was going to vomit from claustrophobia. Although it might have also been her nerves at this point.
"Didn't she go to the loo a while ago?" Ginny asked.
"Yeah but she never came back," said Theo, a genuine look of concern on his face.
Anna brushed him off. "She probably got caught up talking to someone."
"Or maybe she thought she saw one of those Humdinger things," Draco suggested, obviously taking the piss. Anna swatted his arm.
"I'm sure she's fine, Theo," the brunette assured him.
Theo nodded and led the way until they were finally able to get off the train. The crowd was large but slowly dispersing as families reunited and headed for home. A pang of sadness washed through Anna as she thought about her parents and when they used to pick her up for holidays. Her father would always bring her favorite biscuits and her mother would wrap her in the tightest hug, as if she'd been gone for years.
Godric, she missed them. Maybe it was because the anniversary of their death was coming up or maybe she was just being emotional but she'd been thinking about them constantly. She was glad she wouldn't be spending that day alone and she was especially glad Draco would be there with her. Just being around him made everything seem better, even if it wasn't.
Hopefully her family would see that too.
"There's my mum," said Theo, interrupting her thoughts. He was looking down the platform towards a frail looking woman who was waving subtly towards them. Theo turned back to his companions with a sigh. "Be good, lads. See you in two weeks."
"Stay safe, mate," Blaise said with a nod.
"Yeah. And don't rat us out," Draco added with a small smile.
Theo grinned. "Oh, it's the first thing on my list," he teased before heading off towards his mother, who looked equally happy and sad to see her son.
"Poor Theo," Anna said quietly, more to herself than anything.
"He'll be alright," Draco assured her, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.
Blaise nodded in agreement. "His dad's a bastard but Theo can hold his own. He knows how to take care of himself."
Funnily enough, that didn't make Anna feel any better. "What if his father forces him to take the mark?"
Draco looked over at her. "Then he'll be in the same exact boat that I am."
Anna rolled her lips together and leaned in to pressed them against his shoulder. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly and she knew he was just as happy to be with her as she was to be with him. Despite what was about to happen, all that mattered was that they were together.
"Alright," Ginny sighed, staring down the platform in the opposite way Theo had gone. "There's the twins. You lot ready?"
Anna nodded and let go of Draco's hand which he immediately stuffed into his trouser pocket as they made their way towards her older cousins. Fred and George were grinning from ear to ear as they talked amongst themselves. She admired them so much, their bond, their creativity and their constant need to make people happy. She was so proud of what they'd accomplished with the joke shop.
But those grins faded into frowns as the foursome got closer. Their eyes went from the girls to the boys who followed after them and Anna sucked in a breath as she braced for the worst.
"You lads look a little lost," said George, looking between Draco and Blaise.
"They harassing you, Gin?" Fred asked.
His sister shook her head. "Nope. They're coming home with us for the holiday."
"What?" they both demanded, looking at one another before turning their outraged gazes back to her. Fred spoke on his own first. "Does Mum know?"
"No," said Ginny.
"Dad?"
"No."
"You must be joking, Ginny," said George before looking at Anna. "She's joking, right?"
Anna shook her head. "No, she's not. Draco and Blaise are spending Christmas at the Burrow with us."
"You can't be serious," said Fred, looking at Draco. "He's one of them. He's the reason Dumble-"
"Watch yourself, Weasley," Draco warned through clenched teeth.
"Or what, Malfoy?" Fred taunted, taking a step forward. "You'll summon your band of Death Eaters here to kill me too?"
Draco's nostrils flared and Anna immediately stepped between her cousin and her boyfriend. "That's enough, Fred. I mean it."
Fred moved his gaze to her, eyes still filled with confusion. He looked between Anna and Ginny again, clearly seeking answered. "What the hell is going on, you two?"
It was clear that the twins still didn't understand any of this. They were just staring at them, eyes wide and mouths slack. It might have been amusing if Anna was thinking of anything other than the fact that she wanted their approval of Draco. Though she was fairly certain she may never get it.
Ginny was the first to give up on letting them figure it out themselves. Finally, she threw her hands up in exasperation. "Look, if you must know, Anna and Draco are together and she didn't want him to have to go home for the holiday because You-Know-Who would likely kill him or torture him until he wished he was dead. And Blaise is here because he's got nowhere else to go and didn't want to be left at school by himself for two weeks. No offense Blaise."
"None taken," the boy said without missing a beat.
The twins were still staring in shock, neither one of them knowing what to say so Anna took advantage of their silence once more.
"Let's go to the shop and we'll fill you in on everything there, alright? But please, can we get out of this bloody train station?"
She wasn't sure how or why, but the twins agreed. Draco caught her eyes as they started the trek to the Leaky Cauldron and the look he gave her was enough to set off the churning in her stomach again.
"So, let me get this straight," said George, gesturing between Anna and Draco for the third time. "You two are…you're together?"
"Yes," Anna answered confidently.
"And he doesn't have you under some sort of charm or love potion?"
"No, he doesn't. And he never has."
Draco clenched his teeth and resisted the urge to rush at the Weasley twins. They'd been in the flat above the joke shop for nearly half an hour and the girls had been explaining everything for the majority of that time. How hard was it for them to grasp the fact that Anna was his, that there were no ifs, ands or buts about it?
Yes, he was technically a Death Eater. Yes, he'd let Bellatrix and the others into the school on the night of Dumbledore's death. Had he wanted any of that? No, not at all. It had taken a long time for him to realize that what happened wasn't his fault. At least, not all of it.
He should have known it would be difficult for others to accept it as well.
But bloody hell, the Weasley's were beginning to do his head in. He wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to sit there and endure their endless questioning about his and Gilbert's relationship. As far as he was concerned, it wasn't anyone else's damn business.
"Malfoy."
He looked up at the sound of his name. It was Fred who had spoken. He was leaning against the sofa, long arms crossed over his chest as his red hair fell slightly in front of his eyes.
"Yeah?"
Fred glared but it didn't hold as much of the malice as it had before. "This had better not be a joke. I swear, if it is, I'll kill you right here and now."
Draco took a deep breath, calming himself. "It's not a joke, Weasley. Everything coming out of your cousin's mouth is the truth."
Anna smiled at him before turning back to the twins. "Please. I need both of your help to convince Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur to let them stay. It's not going to be easy but in the end I really believe they'll do the right thing."
George looked skeptical. "I don't know. Mum's more into just caring about the safety of the family and not anyone else."
"If that were true, she'd have to give up Harry's location in order to get the Death Eaters to leave the family alone."
"Harry is family. Always has been," said George, looking up at Draco and Blaise. "They're not."
Draco's jaw locked. This already wasn't going well and they weren't even in the heart of the lion's den yet. Maybe this idea was doomed from the start.
"I need some air," he murmured to Blaise before heading towards the door.
"Draco?" Anna asked but he ignored her, slamming the door shut behind him and sitting down on the cold, metal stairs that went up the side of the building leading to the flat. There was another set of stairs inside the joke shop, which was the way they'd come in but he didn't feel like sitting inside the stuffy stairwell. He needed room to breathe out frustrations.
How could Gilbert possibly think that this idea of hers would work? It didn't matter how much she tried to shine him up or defend him, the fact remained that he was still a Malfoy and she was still a Weasley. Her family was never going to accept that, he was sure of it.
He wished he was better at saying no to her. But all it took was a bat of those damn lashes, one look from those vibrant green eyes of hers, and the blackness surrounding his soul melted away. Damn her for being his greatest weakness, for knowing exactly how to tangle him in her web without even fucking trying.
As if on cue, the door opened and someone stepped out onto the landing. He didn't have to look up to know it was Gilbert. Her familiar scent engulfed him as she sat down on the top stair, just one above where his was sitting.
Her hand settled on his shoulder. "Draco?"
He took a deep breath, wishing he could ignore her. "This isn't going to work, Gilbert."
"You don't know that. Fred and George, they're just being protective. They'll see, we can convince them-"
"They've already made up their minds!" he nearly shouted, shrugging off her hand so that he could stand up and face her from above. "I'm a Death Eater. I'm a murderer. I'm no good for you. And guess what Gilbert? They're fucking right."
She shook her head. "Draco, don't."
"Don't what? Tell the truth? State the facts? One of us has to, Gilbert and it's clearly not going to be you."
She looked away from him but not before he caught a glimpse of the tears beginning to form in her eyes. She knew it as well as he did, he had to.
Why couldn't this shit be easier? Of course, the one girl he had to go falling in love with was half-Weasley. He was foolish to think that any part of their relationship was going to be simple.
"So, you just want to give up?" she asked, her voice shaky but he could hear the underlying anger. Draco knew her well enough to know it was only a matter of time before it bubbled over. "You don't even want to try?"
"That's not what I'm saying."
She threw her hands up, training those green eyes on him. Oh yeah, she was definitely pissed and getting worse by the second. "Then by all means, explain it to me Draco. Because I'm not willing to throw this all away based of the opinions of others and if you are then…maybe you're not who I thought you were."
He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. Of course, he wasn't willing to throw it all away. He already decided long ago that losing Anna wasn't an option.
"I'm just saying that maybe breaking the news about us to your family right now isn't the best idea."
She stood up then and since she was on a step higher than he was, she was at his eye-level. And there they stood, nose to nose. Equals. How had it taken him so long to realize that?
"You're scared," she said, voice barely a whisper.
"No, Gilbert. I'm fucking terrified."
All his life, Draco had been seeking approval. First from his father and then from the Dark Lord. Neither one of those people were the kind of role models he should have looked up to. And then Gilbert came into his life and all he wanted was her acceptance. And now that he had it, he never wanted to lose it. She loved him for him and there was nothing else that mattered. He worked every single day to keep her because the thought of losing the one thing that actually made any sense to him in the world, made him absolutely crazy.
And now the thought of her family, these people whose opinion Anna valued so much, disapproving of him was utterly horrifying. What if their opinions about Draco changed hers? What if she realized how fucking irresponsible she was by being with him that she left without a second glance?
He wouldn't survive that.
Anna must have realized what was really going on because her eyes softened and she moved closer to him. "Draco, how many times do I have to tell you that I love you for you to understand?"
He shook his head, feeling his throat closing up. He looked away from her because for the first time in a long time, he felt like he was going to cry. And he wasn't about to let her fucking see that.
"Draco," she said again, his name like velvet on her lips. Cold fingers brushed his jaw but he didn't look at her. Couldn't. "I love you."
He cleared his throat. "Yeah well, you might be the only one."
She opened her mouth to say something but the sound of the door opening stopped her. Ginny appeared in the doorway, a look of panic on her face.
"Sorry," she said, looking between them both as she realized they'd been having a pretty serious conversation. "I didn't mean to interrupt."
Anna's fingers fell away from his face and she stepped back, putting only a few inches of space between them that may as well have been miles.
"What's wrong, Gin?"
"Change of plans," Ginny said, as she looked from her cousin to Draco and then back again. Draco recognized the look on her face, he felt it often. Guilt.
"Spit it out then," he demanded, unable to hold back his irritation. Could this day get any fucking worse?
The redhead wrinkled her nose. "Mum and Dad are on their way here. Now."
