A/N Wow the weather was beautiful today! I apologize for this chapter being so late, but I was outside soaking up the sun while I could! Thank you for your patience, everyone and I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, R&R!
Draco POV
"Sweetheart, you have to eat," Molly says from across the table. For the past two days, I've stayed here at Sirius's house and watched over Briar. Out of the two days, I can count on one hand the number of hours I've slept and have barely eaten. Glancing up at her, I lightly shake my head.
"I'm not hungry," I mumble quietly. Molly gives a look of disapproval, but is interrupted by Sirius walking in. I haven't seen him since he came through Snape's Floo network the day he said Briar didn't make it.
"Hello, Draco," he says with a small nod of his head.
"Did you know?" My voice is barely above a whisper. He just stares at me. "DID YOU KNOW?!" I stand abruptly knocking the chair I'm in over behind me. Sirius doesn't even flinch at my movements.
"Yes." He doesn't offer any other information. I turn to look at Molly.
"Who knows she's not dead?"
"Just me, you, Severus, Dumbledore, Alastor, and Sirius." I nod my head before turning to Sirius with a glare. I barely register Molly reminding me I have to leave in a few minutes as I stomp up the stairs towards Briar's room. I slam her door and rest my hands on the black wood as I take a deep breath to calm the anger I feel towards everyone for keeping this from me. Especially Snape.
Looking over my shoulder, I see Briar's sleeping face as her chest rises and falls steadily. I quickly walk over to her bed and lay down next to her before taking her into my arms. Her head rests against my shoulder and I place her hand on my chest so I can intertwine our fingers together. My other hand finds its way to her hair and I lightly stroke it as I place a kiss on her forehead.
"I'm not giving up on you, my doe. We're going to find a way to wake you up," I whisper against her forehead as my lips rest of her cold skin. I close my eyes for a few moments and can even feel my body relaxing as I hear the soft sound of her breathing and feel her body pressed against mine.
"Draco," Molly says making my eyes snap open to see her standing in the doorway. She has a small smile on her face as she looks at us. "We have to get going. Your mother is expecting you." I nod my head and place another kiss on Briar's forehead before slowly removing myself from the bed and letting her rest on her back again. Following Molly out of the room, I glance back one more time before mentally saying goodbye to her for a little while.
"Molly? Would I be able to tell my mother about Briar?" Molly looks at me sadly and shakes her head no.
"I'm sorry, Draco, but she needs to think she's dead. We don't know if her mind is safe from those around her." I nod my head in understanding, but realize I will have to stay away from Briar the entire summer to keep up the illusion that she's dead. If someone ever followed me here and saw she was still alive, she would be in danger. I turn to tell Molly all of this and find her face has already fallen more because of the defeated look on my face before I even open my mouth.
"I won't be able to come here then to see her, will I?" I don't even have to look at her to know her answer. "I can't stay away from her, Molly. I can't go about my life not knowing how she's doing now that I know she's not dead. I just can't," I whisper and my voice cracks at the end. She stays silent for a moment and I almost think she won't say anything back when she suddenly breaks the silence.
"I will write you then. At the end of every week, I will send you updates so you know how she is doing and if there are any updates. Does that sound alright?" I look at her in shock and find myself wanting to hug her for her kindness, but I refrain from it and instead ask her the question that has been weighing on my mind since I got here two days ago.
"Why are you being so nice to me? I've tormented your children since day one and have said hateful things about your family since I was a first year. Why are you going out of your way to do all of this for me when I don't deserve it?"
"Who says you don't deserve it?" I just stare at her with a blank face because I don't have a suitable answer to her question. She sends me a small smile. "Draco, my guess is you have been raised like every other Pureblood child has been. You were raised to praise some wizards and look down on others. That's not your fault, but rather those who think blood status is more important than being a decent person. Briar wouldn't love you if she thought you were someone who held blood status first instead of being a decent wizard and she certainly wouldn't have defended you when Ronald tried to talk badly about you at Christmas," she states confidentially. I had no idea Briar had defended me against Ron when she visited for Christmas. I nod my head in understanding and follow after her when she gestures to the stairs that would take us into the family room.
Standing in front of the Floo network, Molly and Sirius stand there waiting to see me off. I turn to Sirius and hold out my hand for him to shake. He stares at my hand in shock for a moment before shaking it and nodding his head at me in acceptance. Releasing his hand, I look him in the eyes.
"Thank you for everything you did and continue to do for Briar. Snape the other day said you would be helping him with trying to find answers. I can't thank you enough." He looks at me sadly.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save her. I had no idea what she was doing when she shoved me out of the way and that Bellatrix would…" I cut him off and speak to him in a firm voice.
"Stop. While I'm still mad Briar is upstairs in a coma for Merlin knows how long, I know you wouldn't have been able to stop her. My girl is very stubborn when she sets her mind to something," I finish with a teasing tone. He smirks at me before scoffing in agreement.
"She does have an unimaginable amount of determination, doesn't she?" I give him a small smile and see Molly smiling at our exchange a few steps in front of me by the fireplace. I walk to her and she pulls me into a hug that surprises me into silence. After a few moments, I find my arms slowly making their way around her. My chest starts to tighten as I feel my unacknowledged emotions from the past few days begging to come out as her embrace reminds me the one I want embracing me is insentient. I'll have to wait a few more minutes before I can let them out.
Pulling out of the hug, I grab some Floo powder and step into the fireplace. Admiring the two people in front of me, I silently thank Merlin that they will be here trying to wake up Briar throughout the entirety of the summer break.
"Malfoy Manor," I say clearly and throw the floo powder down to my feet. Stepping out of the fireplace, I look around and am reminded that a few months ago Briar had been here celebrating the holidays with me. A few months ago, she wasn't in a bed comatose and her future wasn't unknown. Before it even registers in my mind, I'm on my knees on the floor as I sob loudly. I feel like my chest is about to rip open from the anguish I feel from how quickly everything went downhill. Hours before she was unconscious, she was in my arms looking at me as we became one. Now I don't even know if she will ever wake up and look at me with those emerald eyes ever again.
"Draco!" I can hear my mother's heels clicking against the floor as she races to get to me. I see her kneel in front of me and she places her hands on my face to force my eyes to hers, but it just makes me sob harder because it reminds me of Briar's hands on my face as we said goodbye in the forest. It reminds me of the goodbye she gave me and how she knew she wouldn't be coming back. She knew…
"Draco, my love, what happened?!" My mother's eyes stare at me in concern and I can feel my body shaking uncontrollably.
"Briar…Dead…I can't…" That's all I can gasp out before she hugs me to her chest as I cry and shake. After what feels like hours, my sobs have turned to hiccups and I can feel my eyes starting to droop closed in exhaustion. I clutch onto my mother's arms more securely as I feel the darkness pulling me under. I can hear my mother trying to soothe me, but I give into the darkness and numbness rather than answering back. The last thing I remember before I completely give in is emerald eyes and how much I wish to see them again one day.