Here's the second chapter for the double chapter due to you amazing two reviewers that reviewed this afternoon! I apologize for this chapter being a little sad, but it gets better at the end, I promise!
Draco POV
Everything hurts. That's the first thought that floats into my foggy brain. The second is that I've been asleep for twelve hours when I glance at the clock on the side table. Groaning, I roll to my back and open my eyes to stare at the ceiling when I hear something fall to the ground with a thud. Scrunching my eyebrows in confusion, I go to sit up and feel my muscles and bones protest with every movement. Finally sitting up, I look over to the floor and see the photo of Briar and me laying on the ground.
Briar.
The memories from yesterday come flooding back with a vengeance and I find myself fighting off tears again. I sniffle once and clear my throat to push down my emotions before getting redressed in my robes, shoes, and tie from yesterday. Numbly standing, I pick up the photograph and hold it in my crossed arms against my chest and make my way to exit the room. With a blink, I'm in the hallway and hear the painting close with a soft click. Turning, I glance at the painting to see it's now just a painting of the woods. The doe is gone. Sadness slithers up my spine like a snake before I push it down again and focus on clutching the photo to my chest in a protective manner.
Standing in front of Snape's office, my mind doesn't even question how I made my way to the door without my mind processing it. I'm too numb to care. Unwrapping my right hand from the photo in my arms, I knock tentatively on his door before it quickly curls back around Briar's memory. A gust of air causes me to look up and I see Snape take in my rumpled clothes and appearance. I know my eyes must be bloodshot from crying myself to sleep; bags dark and skin ghostly pale from my emotional turmoil. Snape steps to the side and I shuffle inside his office to stand in front of his desk.
"Your mother floo messaged this morning. Your father is in Azkaban," Snape says softly. Gazing at him emotionlessly, I barely register that he's behind his desk now with his hands on top of a letter.
My only response is a quick shrug of my shoulders. I could really care less about my father right now. I can feel Snape's eyes burning a hole into my chest where the framed picture is clutched in my hands like a protective shield. I glance up at him and hold his stare for a few seconds before hesitantly holding the framed image out to him. He softly grasps it and I see him stare at it as my arms hang limply to my sides. I can hear him quietly whisper my name before I realize I've sunk into the chair that is behind me. My father would be appalled at my hunched shoulders and down turned chin. Malfoy men don't sit with such disregard for posture. Snape slides the photo towards me on his desk so that it's in my view. Her head is thrown back as she laughs and I reach my hand out to lightly trace her face. A small smile graces my lips at seeing her so happy and carefree in my arms. How I wish I could go back to that day.
"I miss you," I whisper to her framed self. I'm met with her snuggling into my arms as I softly kiss her forehead.
"Draco," Snape says again and I find him crouched next to my chair so he's eye level with me. I look at him with defeat encompassing my entire body. He stares at me for a few moments before he seems to make a decision with himself. He nods his head and goes to stand up. "Come with me," he orders. With the frame now clutched against my chest again, I follow him with little coaxing. Green flames surround me and I find myself stepping out of a fireplace next to Snape. Following him without looking up, I see black tiles on the floor.
Snape stops suddenly causing me to look up at him after crashing into his cloaked back. We're in a room with a long table, but what catches me by surprise is the man, Sirius, is sitting at the table with two other people.
"What the bloody hell is he doing here, Severus?! He can't be here!" The man addressing Snape stares at me with an angry glare and my eyes fall to the ground to avoid their stare.
"He deserves to know, Mad Eye," Snape addresses the man who had been glaring at me. The woman sitting next to him sits quietly looking at me when I shyly glance up before looking down again.
"We can't trust him. I know the girl trusted him, but…"
"He has been asleep for three days! This is the first time he has been out of bed since the incident! She wouldn't want him to suffer like this," Snape yells. I look to Snape in surprise that I had been asleep for three days. I guess I had been asleep for a lot longer than twelve hours.
"While that's all sad and unfortunate, Briar specifically told us…" My eyes snap up and I look at Mad Eye in shock before cutting off the rest of his sentence.
"Briar?" I ask in a hoarse voice from screaming and crying all night. Although, I guess it's because it's the first time I've talked in more than three days apparently. Mad Eye glares at me for interrupting him, but I hold his stare silently asking for answers about what my Briar told him.
I see movement in my peripheral and see the woman walking over to me with a sad look on her face. She studies me for a moment before putting a hand on my cheek and brushes a stray tear that I was unaware had fallen from my eye. Pulling her hand away, she turns to the other three in the room.
"He deserves to know and I trust him since I know Briar trusts him. I agree with Severus. Sirius? What do you think about this?" I'm so confused about what this woman is talking about, but turn to look at Sirius to see what he has to say about all of this.
"I think Molly is onto something with her analysis. I also think that if we didn't fill him in, Briar would kick our asses especially when she finds out he was out of it for three days. She may be short, but that one has a mean right hook," he concludes with a chuckle.
Mad Eye grumbles something in the corner, but nods his head in agreement before leaving the room. I tap the woman on the shoulder and she turns to look at me. I take in her features and realize she must be the mother of the Weasleys with her hair color.
"Briar?" I whisper my question again as my throat protests against being used. Mrs. Weasley sends a kind smile my way and nods her head. I follow after her as Snape trails behind us with Sirius. Winding through the hallways, we're soon climbing up some stairs and past a portrait that has a black curtain over it. Snape walks next to me down a narrow hallway before we stop at a door with the name Regulus Arcturus Black on it. The door opens with a quick squeak from the rusty hinges before I'm ushered into the room as my arms squeeze the frame to my chest more securely.
Glancing around I can see this was definitely a boy's room. The interior has all dark color schemes on the furniture, walls, and even the carpet on the floor. My eyes settle on the dark Queen sized bed that is set low to the ground and I see her laying there. My feet shuffle me closer as it becomes harder to breathe. Placing the photo on the bed side table, it now faces the bed. Falling to my knees, my hands press against the soft duvet as I study her ashen face as I can feel tears tracking down my cheeks. Sniffling, I reach my finger out and brush her cheek softly before grabbing the hand laying on the bed closest to me. She's so cold. I bring her hand to my mouth and softly kiss it before placing my two hands clasping her right hand back on the comforter. Studying her more closely though, I find it harder to breath for another reason.
I gasp. Her chest just moved. She's breathing. Briar isn't dead.
A/N Yeahhhhh you guys really thought I was gonna kill my girl off? Nah, not happening! Curious about what's going to happen? I guess you'll just have to leave some reviews to read moreeeee ;)