Chapter Fourteen
Unexpected Ally

I stared blankly at Draco as I tried to comprehend what he had just told me. My heart began to pick up in my chest as a sliver of hope started to course through me. "What do you mean 'you know'?" I asked, trying to mask my emotions in case I was somehow wrong in his meaning.

He looked at me with a pained expression. It made my heart hurt to see a look on his face that wasn't typical for him.

"I know about-." he began to say before he was cut off. My throat clenched as I realized that my suspicions were correct. Not only did he know, but he was cursed as well.

"You know...and you can't say anything," I said for him with a tone of understanding. My hand went to my throat as I choked back a wave of new tears. There was finally someone who knew exactly what was happening to me...and, once more, there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

"How?" I asked softly, turning away from him in case I wasn't able to control my emotions and completely break down again.

"Do you remember the day you ran out of Professor Snape's classroom and almost ran into someone? That someone was me," he said just as softly. "When I saw you yesterday evening, I could feel that something wasn't right. I came back after I knew you were gone and I confronted him. He told me everything."

I closed my eyes before speaking. "And then-." My throat closed again on me, but not because of the swelling of emotions I was feeling, but because of the curse. When Cassius had told me I wouldn't be able to say anything about what happens in that classroom, I also wasn't able to talk about the curse.

"Yes. I'm unable to speak or write about it at all, even to myself," Draco said placidly.

"I wouldn't bother wasting your time trying anymore. I've spent the last 4 weeks trying and the only thing it does is leave me that much more frustrated and powerless. I've never been one to be outspoken, but to be completely rendered silent and incapable of speaking up is soul shattering in a way you wouldn't believe," I retorted, folding my arms across my chest. A single tear fell down my cheek.

"I'm not your enemy. At least, not anymore," Draco said behind me.

"Is that supposed to comfort me?" I asked icily.

"I'm not used to this whole thing, but I'm doing the best that I can, Maryse," he answered soothingly.

"Why are you even trying, then? We've never been friends or even close acquaintances for that matter! Any encounter we've ever had has been less than civil."

"I don't have time to say anything right now, so I'll leave it at this," he replied, stepping closer to me. "I want to help you. To help each other. Maybe we won't be able to say anything to anyone...but I want to help you cope with what's happening to you."

"If you want to help me, then why don't you do something other than offer your emotional support? Why don't you do something about Cassius?" I asked him angrily.

"Don't you think that I would if I could?" he asked exasperatedly. "As much as I would love nothing more than to march right up to him and kick the ever-living shit out of that prat, what would I tell them when they ask me why I did what I did? It may make me feel better at the time because I was doing something about the situation, but I would also be expelled because I wouldn't be able to give them a reason and whatever is happening to you now will continue happening regardless. In fact, it would most likely wind up worse for you in the long run if I were to act on how I felt. Until I can figure out a way to either reverse this curse, or find a way to tell someone, this is the only option we have."

I closed my eyes and let out a shuddering breath as I realized, much to my dismay, that he was right. Until we could freely and openly speak about what Cassius was doing, there was nothing to gain by acting on impulses and give to him what he deserved. Coming to terms with what Draco was saying, I nodded a couple of times before opening my eyes and looking back at him.

"So, what happens now?" I asked defeatedly.

"We talk. Every Friday evening. I'm not sure how you've been handling yourself currently, but I'm guessing it's not something that's doing you, or your mental state, any favors," he answered calmly.

"What would we even talk about?"

"Anything that we can talk about to help you process what you're feeling. And you'll also get to learn a little bit more about me and my...history," he said painfully as if he was admitting one of his deepest, darkest secrets.

"What if I say no?"

"I really hope that you don't," he answered sadly, a frown forming on his face and his eyes dropping a little. "There are things that no one else knows about me and maybe if we both had someone to talk to about what happens behind closed doors, it could help us both out in the long run."

"Draco..." I unfolded my arms as I noticed how defeated he was looking right now. While I knew it shouldn't, it broke my heart seeing someone as callous and heartless as he was showing weakness. It was a trait I'd never seen in him before. I tried reaching my hand out to touch his arm reassuringly, but he stopped me before I could.

"Meet me in the Sundial Garden next Friday evening after your...lesson...should you decide to take me up on my offer. I know a path along the grounds that isn't used by students so we should have some privacy so no one else knows what our arrangement is," Draco said with nervousness before turning and walking towards the door. Before he opened it, he turned his head a little bit before finishing with, "I hope I see you then."

With that, he opened the door and left, leaving me with more questions than answers. If I had been told I would have been offered the companionship by one of Hogwarts's most hostile students as a substitute to therapy, I would have laughed in their face. And yet, here I was, warring with myself on if he was being sincere, or if this was a trap designed to trick me into more unspeakable horrors.

Before all of this, I would have been wary and probably have said no before storming away with my dignity intact, but there was something in the way Draco Malfoy had talked and looked that made me believe he was sincere in his offer and this was nothing more than an attempt to help. Cassius may be an exception to the rule, but most other venomous creatures didn't put this much time and effort into an attack on their prey. Draco may be cold and ruthless, but he doesn't usually calculate his moves. Rather, he acts on impulse and if he was going to do anything, he would have done it here while he had me alone.

Taking a deep breath, I headed for the door, my mind racing as I tried to decide what I should do.

…

George

Monday classes passed by in a droning, repetitive blur. George had thought school was boring and a waste of time before, but with the addition of Professor Umbridge to the school and her ideas of what should be taught in the classroom, things were now unimaginably worse. Notes, notes, and more notes. No more learning new spells, or anything else that had made things slightly more interesting. He was beginning to wish he wouldn't have taken his previous years for granted.

"I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Please make sure you take the week to review everything you have learned today because you will be quizzed on this next week. Class is dismissed for the day," Professor Flitwick announced to his class as the school day came to an end.

Breathing a sigh of relief, George gathered his parchment paper, quill, and book before shoving them into his bag. He got up and made his way to the door with the rest of his classmates with Fred sidling up to him within a matter of seconds.

"What are the plans tonight, George? Mess with Filch or should we attempt a strike on Snape?" Fred asked his brother with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Honestly haven't thought about it much. My mind has been elsewhere today," George admitted unabashedly.

"Oh?" Fred inquired as they walked down the corridor.

"Maryse and I haven't been spending as much time together ever since we came back to school. Granted I know she said she's had more homework lately, but it still doesn't feel right, you know?" George continued.

"And you're understandably worried, which I completely get, but I'm sure she's just fine. Sixth year is considerably worse because you're that much closer to walking out of those doors forever and they want you to be prepared by piling as much on you as they possibly can. Once she figures out how to balance everything, things will go back to normal," Fred assured his brother, wrapping an arm around his shoulder as they make their way into the Great Hall.

"And I'm sure you're right, but I think I'm going to spend some time with just her tonight. I miss her and I want her to remember that I'm always here for her."

"Whatever you choose to do. I, on the other hand, can't make any promises that I will be on my best behavior while you're away," Fred said, grinning from ear to ear and patting his brother on the back while they take their seats at the Gryffindor table. Harry, Ron, and Hermione are already seated and talking animatedly about their OWL preparations.

George takes a glance around the hall and spots Maryse sitting with Jessica and Riley at the Ravenclaw table. Maryse notices him and smiles softly, waving to him. George waves back and then motions to her to wait for him after she's done eating. She nods and goes back to the conversation she had been having with her friends. George continues looking at her for a few seconds longer before returning his attention to the food beginning to pile on the platters before them.

Roughly an hour goes by before George finally admits defeat to his stomach. He stands up and heads over to where Maryse is seated alone, her friends having left already. She stands up and immediately falls into him. He wraps his arms around her and holds her, relishing in how her body perfectly melds with his.

"Mind if we take a walk?" he asked after a minute, reluctantly letting her go.

"Is everything alright?" she asked with concern written on her face as she grabs her bag from the floor.

"Absolutely! I just wanted to spend time with you tonight. You've been so busy lately and I wanted to rescue you from the mounds of homework I know you'll say are calling your name," he answered, taking her hand as they make their way out of the Great Hall.

"George..."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," he said definitively, stopping her as they enter the corridor. He turned to face her and placed his hand under her chin, lifting her face up so she was looking at him. "I miss you, Maryse. Not seeing you is absolute torture and I refuse to let you continue avoiding me all the time. Tonight, I'm the only thing you're going to focus on."

Letting a small smile play on her face, she lets her head rest into his hand. Her eyes stare into George's and for the first time in a month, he sees the Maryse that he fell in love with looking back at him. He smiled in return and leaned down to kiss her as softly and as sweetly as he could.

"I love you," he said after breaking the kiss.

"I love you, too," she responded affectionately. "What did you have in mind?"

"You, me, and the never-ending, star-filled sky," he answered her softly before taking her hand and leading her down the corridor towards the Clocktower Courtyard.

…

Friday came as suddenly as it always did. For the past few days, all Maryse could think about was her meeting with Draco. Her mind almost forgot about Cassius and her lesson as she contemplated what it was about Draco's past that made him feel the need to reach out to her and help her.

Almost.

Before she knew it, it was evening. Classes were over and she was standing in front of the Potions classroom once more where Cassius was waiting for her expectantly. The only difference was this time, she had something to look forward to after it was over. It was almost enough to make what she knew would happen bearable.

Almost...

She entered the classroom and took her seat next to Cassius, feeling her body go numb like every other Friday before. His voice droned on as he helped her understand what was in Snape's lesson this last week. Her hands worked meticulously as they went, adding ingredients to her cauldron and taking notes when necessary.

The seconds ticked by and the heavy feeling of dread filled her stomach as the moment continued getting closer.

Before long, her things her packed away in her bag and the table was cleared before she was thrown across it and Cassius, once more, was on top of her, groaning and grunting in her ear as he thrust painfully into her. His hand firmly gripping a fistful of her hair the entire time.

As she stared blankly at the bookshelves, she imagined her time with George on Monday night when he had whisked her away to go stargazing after dinner. She recalled how content she felt lying next to him with her head on his shoulder as she pointed out different constellations to him. The warmth of his arm returned in that moment as he had cradled her lovingly underneath the serene glow of the stars above them.

She could hear his heart as it beat rhythmically in her ear, feeling his chest move up and down with each breath he took.

"I'll teach you a thing or two yet," she laughed after he had asked her yet again about a certain group of stars she hadn't named yet.

"Aren't you happy I convinced you to come out tonight?" he asked, squeezing her arm gently.

Maryse sat up and looked into George's eyes, internally swooning at the glow of happiness she saw in the darkened shades of brown.

"Of course," she answered, placing her hand on the side of his face before leaning to kiss him softly.

"I hope this will remind you of what we used to have whenever you're focusing too much time on homework," he said. Maryse could tell he regretted saying it as a wave of dejection filled his once sparkling eyes.

She felt her throat close as she realized that he was right. She was completely ignoring the one person in this world that made her feel whole and if she continued closing herself up, she was going to lose him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that..." he said after she didn't respond to him right away. George started to shift to get up but she stopped him.

"You have no reason to be sorry. I'm the one who should be sorry. You are my always, George, and no matter what happens in the future, I don't want to lose that. I needed tonight to remember it," she said quickly to keep him from leaving. "Thank you."

George placed a hand on the side of Maryse's face, his thumb instinctively tracing the scar that he had felt a hundred times before. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the trance-like touch that only he could provide.

"You're my always, as well. No matter what happens," he said back, sitting up until their lips met once more.

It was in that moment that Maryse knew what she needed to do to keep from losing not only herself, but George as well.

The flashback provided that temporary escape that Maryse had so desperately needed for so long. As horrible as it sounded, that night was exactly what she needed to remind her that there was hope and she had risked losing it all because she was holding herself hostage. In order to not lose it, she needed help and that help prevented itself in the form of an unexpected ally.

It wasn't long before a vial was being dropped into her hand and she was being dismissed. She wasn't even out of the classroom before she was downing the potion and stuffing the empty vial into her robe pocket.

As quickly as she could, she was racing down the corridor and up the stairs, making her way to the Clocktower Courtyard and the wooden bridge that would lead her to the Sundial Garden. She slowed down to a walk as she progressed the length of the bridge, the clearing getting closer and closer. Soon her feet were treading the dirt around the giant stones that marked the spot where Draco should be waiting. She looked around but didn't see him at first.

"I was hoping you'd come today," a familiar voice sounded from behind her.

She turned back towards the bridge and saw Draco Malfoy standing next to it, completely out of view of anyone else that should have happened to come before she did.

"I wasn't going to at first, but I decided I need this. And from what you hinted at, you do, too," I said while walking towards him. "Where do we go?"

"Follow me," he answered, motioning with his head to follow him down a small gravel hill with a faint outline of a path leading into a set of trees.

Maryse nodded and, gripping the strap of her bag tightly, followed Draco into an area she had never been in before. A mixture of emotions filled her up and she hoped that coming here wouldn't be something else she regretted later.