Chapter 75:

Compartments

Ariella was scared and nervous. The scene from four days prior kept replying in her mind, fresh each time. Would Lucius Malfoy become even crueler now that he knew Draco sort-of supported her? Only time would tell.

Yet the simple fact that Draco had stood up for her…that still shocked her. She…she knew they had been getting along, that he was willing to her leeway, but to stand up for her – and against his father no less – that…that was just unbelievable to her.

A sharp ran on the door jostled Ariella from her thoughts. She looked up to see just the person whom she had been thinking about through the glass–paned door. She gave him a nod, beginning to rise from the seat.

"You can stay seated," he said, closing the compartment door behind him. "Glad to be going back?"

Ariella just nodded, looking out the window, but Draco saw it wasn't out of disrespect, but rather out of thought and distraction, and so het let it go.

"I suppose you would be," he murmured under his breath, leaning back against the seat. Considering what he knew now, he couldn't really blame her. "When we return, I'll give you the robes as promised," he said, his voice quieter than usual.

However, she just nodded again.

"Is – "

"I will let you know if anything of importance you may need to know," she interrupted, finally turning to look at him. Draco allowed surprise to show upon his features, taken aback by her words.

Taking a deep breath, she bowed her head to him. "I – I'm sorry, Draco. I – I'm so grateful for what you did, but I – the bond keeps sending me different signals, different messages, and I don't know how to respond or calm it," she admitted.

"Let me try something…but not here. Tonight," he said, cutting off suddenly mid–train of thought as he remembered how she would cripple under his touch to the mark. He didn't need that happening on the Express.

Puzzled, she nodded, accepting his words.

"You're not going to question me?"

"Why, should I?" she responded, surprised as well. When he didn't answer, she continued with her own.

"I have to do whatever you say, you know that. And I – I can tell you're trying to help me. Why would I do something to stop that?"

This time, it was Draco who nodded, understanding where she was coming from.

"Draco? Why'd you defend me against your father?" she asked suddenly.

"I think I actually knew what he was doing to you. And I – he wouldn't tell me, and I couldn't help you after all this time – I guess I was also angry at myself for not noticing – let me finish Ariella," he interjected as she went to interrupt.

"I knew he was punishing you. I even had my suspicions that he was hurting you…but I never wanted to admit it. He's my father, and he – he's always taught me everything, but now I'm starting to question it – and I hate it. But I suppose…you can't, but I – it held less risk for me to do it than for you. I – I had had enough of him lying to everyone, especially to me, and getting away with it."

His words came tumbling out, much to her shock, and she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Reaching across the aisle, she grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "You are not weak," she said simply. He looked up, grey eyes meeting brown, and he nodded, his jaw set. But he wasn't angry at her – she knew that. And that was enough for now.

"Ready?"

"I suppose so," she replied, steeling herself with a deep breath. They had gone to the Room of Requirement again, and were preparing for Draco to find out what was wrong this time.

Draco took a step forward as she slipped her arm from the robe, revealing her bare arm and the gruesome mark. He noted briefly that her lower arm was still bandaged.

Taking her arm in his hand, he moved his free hand to her mark. He heard her sharp intake of breath, causing his fingers to hover just a moment over her arm, before pressing them to his named diamond.

She screamed, instinctively trying to pull away. He almost dropped her arm, though he knew this was coming. Head reeling, he tried to concentrate.

"Stop!" he commanded suddenly, without even realizing it, and she immediately stopped her terrified struggling, her cries becoming silent.

Taking another slow breath, Draco pushed forward, determined to get the answers he needed. So he pressed into the mark, suddenly being brought into her thoughts and memories and needs. He could feel the bond surrounding him, non-threatening though – at least to him. Briefly, he wondered what this was like for Ariella, but pushed it out of his head, at least for now.

He suddenly found what he was looking for – at least one part of it. She needed permission for everything and this he knew, but not quite this way. She – he needed to give her allowance to do everything, particularly now that his father had tightened the rules. She needed permission just to live her life. It was frightening, really, just how much of a grip this practically living bond, not to mention his family, actually had on her. He would have to make sure that when he gave her his old robes later, he specifically gave her permission to wear them.

Draco could also sense that, now that rules had been tightened, submission was going to play more of a role. He stiffened slightly – that he would have to watch out for that from her, to see how much was the bond compelling her to do its bidding, and how much was her reacting to the situations around them.

He then pushed to delve deeper, and suddenly found himself in a different part – it was like space had suddenly opened up. He could clearly see parts of the bond – and what it was demanding of her, both now and in time. He could see everything. Growing closer, he saw faintly glowing orb, and was surprised when he was able to see the exact demands associated with an order. Luckily, this specific request didn't seem immediate, especially considering they weren't of age. Good thing too, since Draco suddenly felt sick thinking about what would have to happen eventually.

So much so that he pulled out, stumbling as he released her arm, but managing at the last second to regain his balance. Ariella, meanwhile, collapsed to the floor, her body shaking and convulsing. The witch wrapped her arms around herself, rocking back and forth, trying to regain control of her body.

"Ariella…?"

"I – just give me a moment, please," she requested, her voice broken.

Draco nodded, aware she couldn't see him, and used the moment to regain control of his wandering emotions, to compose himself, allowing his mask to slide back on, however thin.

"I – I think I'm good now," she said, still struggling to get her breathing under control. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"Some of it," Draco replied tensely. "I'll let you know as time reveals information," he continued, and she just nodded in acceptance – something that bothered him.

"Thank you. It – it's less now," she said quietly.

"If it – the bond – starts bothering you again, just come to me. I won't be angry with you," he said, his voice portraying a calm he didn't feel.

However, she simply nodded again.

"Why? Why do you keep doing that? Just accepting what's happening to you?"

"Well I can't stop it! And I – I trust you," Ariella admitting, blushing as looked back down at her lap.

"What?" Draco gasped out, unable to believe the words she had just uttered.

"I trust you," she repeated.

Draco turned from his servant, facing the wall as he breathed in deeply. She trusted him. Why in the world she would do that, he wasn't quite sure, but she did. That – that was just incredible to him. How she could do that boggled him. He – he wasn't even sure how to react to that, except…

"Thank you," he said finally, his voice betraying more emotion than he meant it to, and he silently cursed himself for that.

"I – I want to help you Draco. Obeying you is something I can do," she replied, standing up at last.

This time, he just nodded.

"Draco? Are you okay?"

At this, he allowed surprise to appear on his face. "Me?" he gasped out, before conversations and realizations from earlier in the week hit him again. Was she doing this because the bond was demanding her to ask about him? Or, almost worse, was she doing it because she didn't want to be punished and was trying to preventively ask? Either way, he didn't think it was ideal. Yet – he didn't want to cause her pain either by not responding.

"Draco? Are you all right?" she repeated, concerned.

"I'm fine," he replied curtly, causing surprise to flit across her face.

"Come," he ordered. "We should be getting back now," he said, his voice still hard as he nodded his head towards the door.

"Of course, sir," she replied, bowing her head as she went to follow him, only to have to stop as she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"Why'd you call me that? Is the bond demanding it right now?"

"I – I don't know. It just seemed appropriate. You – you're angry, tense. I – I don't want to do anything to make it worse," she said, stuttering over her words as she responded, eyes flitting nervously around.

"I'm not upset with you. We're back at Hogwarts now and we're alone. You're fine to call me by name. I thought we discussed this already."

"We – we did. I – I just wanted to be careful; to be sure."

Draco nodded, before beginning to lead the way again towards his room, now that they were clear.

The pair was silent as they made the journey, and Draco noted that Ariella kept her gaze straight ahead, particularly as they entered the Common Room. It seemed unfocused, but that could simply be her trying not to show weakness in front of the Slytherins – a perfectly legitimate reason if you asked him.

Upon reaching his dormitory room and noting no one else was there, he saw her relax just for a moment. He left her standing by the doorway as he headed over to his smaller trunk, pulling out the pile of robes.

"Ariella," he said simply, beckoning her over. She silently complied, coming to stand stiffly in front of him.

"Thank you," she whispered, bowing her head slightly as he handed her his old robes. Draco allowed a small smile to grace his lips for a moment as he heard her gasp, feeling the material.

"Ar – are you – "

"Yes. They don't fit me and so they were just going to collect dust. I'd much rather you have them," he interpreted, cutting off the question he knew she was asking.

"Thank you," she repeated.

"Do you also need a new shirt?" he asked. Hesitating for a moment, she shook her head.

"I can't go to class, so I'll just wear other clothes under the robes – if that's all right," she added hastily to the end.

Draco let his eyes sweep up and down her body once, not quite happy with the arrangement, but knowing she disliked asking too much of him, especially at once. And so he nodded.

"If you change your mind, let me know. And you are allowed to wear the robes," he instructed, turning back to his bed, pausing for a moment, before beginning to undress.

Ariella turned to give him privacy, a blush rising to her cheeks.

Turning back briefly to hang his tie and shirt, Draco started, immediately pausing in his action. "Was there something else you needed?"

Looking up at him as she turned around, Ariella replied, "I – I could ask the same of you."

He hadn't dismissed her in any way, and so she had stayed.

"No, I do not need anything else from you at this moment."

"May I go then?"

"Yes. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good night," she said quietly, giving a slight bob of her head.

"You too," he replied in a hardly heard voice.

I am so sorry! I actually lost my flashdrive with everything on it! But I just found it and I'm back! :)

Thanks for waiting for me and understanding!