Draco POV
Briar reaches out to grasp my arm and lightly trace her fingers over the dark ink on my forearm. I look down as shame and guilt crawl up the back of my neck. It's so quiet, you can hear the cars driving by outside as if they were right next to you. I nervously glance up and notice Briar has stopped tracing the mark and is now just holding my hand with both of hers. I swallow heavily and run my eyes along her face in trepidation.
"Bry?" My voice doesn't come out as anything other than a hoarse whisper. Her misty eyes meet mine and I see her gulp before opening her mouth.
"Why?" She whispers back. The look on her face crushes me. I've never seen her look so defeated and betrayed and it's all because of something I did.
"Snape thought it would be a good idea. Something about how great of a double spy I was when I was in the Inquisitorial Squad," I tease trying to lighten the mood. She's not amused. If anything, my answer makes her even angrier.
"I'm going to kill, Severus," she growls and stands to walk towards the bedroom door. I hastily stand and grab her hand before she can go on a murderous rampage. I pull her to me as she fights my hold and find myself holding her against my chest as she protests and smacks my chest with her open palms.
"Calm down, love. You're not going to kill him," I say in a soothing voice. "I had a choice in this and I agreed, okay?" She keeps slaps against my chest, but the hits have a lot less conviction behind them. After a few more hits and holding her closer, she finally slumps into my arms in defeat and clutches onto my t-shirt.
"Why would you agree? He'll kill you if you disobey him even once, Draco. How reckless can you be?!" I feel my anger flare up at her choice of words even though I can hear the fear in hers.
"I'm the reckless one?" I can feel her tense up in my arms at my raised voice. "You jumped in front of a killing curse, Briar! You could be DEAD right now and I'M the reckless one for doing something that could help keep us safe?!" She pulls back and looks at me with a glare before crossing her arms against her chest in defiance. I drop my arms to the side of my body and focus on the look of pure rage in her eyes at my response, but I'm positive my look is equally as angry as hers is.
"I did it to save Sirius! I couldn't let him die!" She glares at me as she defends herself, but it just makes me even more infuriated. I snap at her and spit my response back.
"You dying was a better choice?!" At this point, my throat is raw from yelling. Her eyes snap to mine and she screams back at me.
"ME DYING WOULD BE BETTER THAN YOU BEING A DEATH EATER!" I stare at her in shock and she clasps her hands over her mouth. A tear runs down her face and I scoff in true Malfoy fashion. I feel my anger vibrate through my entire body as she tried to back peddle, but the damage is already done.
"Dray, I'm sorry. I didn't…They killed my parents," She trials off after whispering the last part of her sentence and sniffles as I stare at her with nothing, but a blank stare on my face. I chuckle humorlessly and can feel the beginnings of a stirring in my arm meaning I'm being summoned for a meeting.
"Now I'm just another Death Eater then, huh? Well, this Death Eater is being summoned so if you'll excuse me," I say emotionlessly. I brush past her and open the door to the bedroom as I feel her hand on my arm halting my movements.
"We need to talk about this, Draco. I can't let you leave like this. Please," she pleads with me desperately. I can't look at her because I know it will break my resolve to leave and I can't be late for a meeting. It could put both of us in danger.
"There's nothing to say. Besides, if you're lucky, I'll be late to the meeting and he'll kill me so you don't have to be with a Death Eater anymore," I sneer and rip my arm from her grasp. I hear her gasp behind me, but I don't pay any attention to it or her soft cries that are slowly piercing my heart as I make my way down the stairs.
Draco, please come back.
I ignore her pleas in my head and push her out of my head as I pass the concerned looks of the three standing in the living room having heard our screams. I barely glance at them as I answer their unspoken question.
"I've been summoned," I growl and I hear Snape confirm he has been too from behind me. I don't even hear his footsteps until we reach the fireplace that we will floo out of when he pulls me to an abrupt stop by yanking my arm back.
"Your relationship is between you and Ms. Griffin, but if you don't wipe that anger off your face then the Dark Lord will get suspicious and try to penetrate your mind. You may be strong, but we're not going to test if you're stronger than the Dark Lord's mind tricks. Do you understand?" I look at him and feel myself deflate. I nod my head and plaster my signature Malfoy smirk on my face. He nods to confirm that's better and we both floo together to Malfoy Manor. Stepping out of the fireplace, I'm met with the Dark Lord as well as my mother and Aunt.
This can't be good.
"Ah, young Draco. I have a task for you," the Dark Lord says as his snake like eyes stare into my soul. I nod my head and walk closer with Snape by my side.
"Whatever you need, my Lord," I say and try not to throw up as the words leave my mouth from disgust and fear.
"You will kill Dumbledore for me." I wait a moment to pull myself together, but find myself blanching as I look at him.
"Dumbledore?" The Dark Lord looks at me in annoyance before I shake my head to clear it. "My apologies, my Lord. I will complete the task to the best of my ability," I say as I raise my head and hold his gaze. He nods his head once before looking to Snape.
"Severus, I trust you can assist Mr. Malfoy should he need assistance?"
"My Lord," Snape replies in agreement. The Dark Lord nods his head once, gazes at me again, and apparates, but I can't relax yet with my Aunt here. She smirks at me and I suddenly get a very uneasy feeling. My eyes fall to my mother who looks as equally uncomfortable.
"Your Aunt will be staying the night," my mother says with her eyes locked on mine. I nod and turn to glance at my Aunt again. That damn smirk is still there.
"What do you think of the task, Draco?" Her dark eyes stare into my soul and I hold back a growl.
"It is an honor, Aunt Bella," I say very simply as if I believe anything I'm saying. A satisfied smile stretches across her face.
"Good. I was pleased he took my advice to have you do it then," she says as I stare at her in shock. She doesn't even pay attention to me as she grabs my mother's arm to pull her towards another room in the house. "Come, Cissy. I want some food," she cackles and I see my mother glance back at me sadly before going willingly with my Aunt. Now that they're gone, I whip around and start to walk back towards the fireplace so I can return to Briar. She was right to try and keep me from coming here, but Snape's hand around my arm stops me.
"You must stay here for the night now that your Aunt is here. I hope you didn't damage things too much with Ms. Griffin since you may have to stay here a few days," Snape drawls uncomfortably. I nod my head sadly and look him in the eyes.
"I hope so too," I whisper painfully as my throat still hurts from screaming earlier.
Screaming. That's the first thing I hear when I wake up in my bed in Malfoy Manor. I glance at the clock and see it's 5 in the morning.
I've only been asleep for an hour.
Keeping my breathing steady, I listen carefully and am about to lay back down when I hear faint yelling downstairs. I'm not prepared for my necklace to be warm against my chest and I'm also not prepared for Briar's voice to reach out to me.
Please, Draco. I know you're mad, but PLEASE! I sit up frantically when I hear the fear in her voice. Throwing my covers off of my body to reveal my black t-shirt and black sweatpants, I start to run towards my bedroom door hoping my thoughts aren't on the right track. Racing downstairs, I hear voices arguing in my father's study. As I get closer, I realize it's my mother and Aunt, but there's someone gasping for air as well.
Merlin, no!
I shove the door open and my mother and Aunt turn to look at me. My Aunt lowers her wand and cackles as she sees me, but the defeat and sadness in my mother's eyes nearly takes the air from my lungs.
"Come for the show, Draco?" My head whips to my Aunt Bellatrix who steps to the side and I see someone slumped on the ground as they gasp for air. Their entire body shakes in exertion as they press their hand to a wound on their stomach that is bleeding profusely. I can't contain the gasp falling from my lips when the person raises their head and stares at me in pain.
The girl pants lightly and I can tell it takes a lot of effort to keep her head up, but I can see her bleeding is slowing down. She's healing herself from whatever my Aunt Bellatrix was doing to her.
Briar.
Her head gives into her body's weakness and her head drops to look down at the floor, but I saw a small smile grace her lips for a moment as she stares at the floor. What I can't shake is the fear that was in her eyes and the bloodlust in my Aunt's eyes.
She didn't think I would come for her.
A/N Yes, I'm sorry! Draco and Briar had their first fight because they ARE emotional teenagers after all. How do you think Briar ended up in the Manor?! Next chapter is already done, but I want to hear your opinions! Until next time, my loves!