Chapter 86:

Room of Solace

Draco woke, feeling better rested than he had recently. Then he started. Where was he? Immediately, Draco moved to grab his wand, hissing in pain as he moved, only to stop again as he saw Ariella. Looking around again, he realized he was simply in "her secret" room within Hogwarts.

"Are you okay, Draco?"

His head swung towards hers. Slowly, he nodded.

"Can I help? I have some of the salve and bandages here…"

Swallowing hard, he simply shook his head.

"I'm not the enemy. I know I'm not your first choice for…an ally, but I am here to help and I won't turn on you. I won't do it, not because I can't but because I refuse to."

He nods, understanding what she was trying to say.

"What happened last night?"

"He wasn't happy with my lack of progress. He had my aunt curse me to remind me of what will happen if I don't succeed or progress quickly. I got out of there as soon as I could afterwards so I wouldn't have to talk to them…to her."

"I suppose salve won't really help then, will it?"

"No."

"Draco, I'm sorry; you're…this shouldn't be happening."

Draco sighed. He hated being vulnerable, but he also knows that if anyone would be able to understand, what if felt like not to have control, it would be her. "It's not your fault, Ariella. None of this is your fault."

"You're wrong," she says, so quietly Draco wondered if he misheard and looked up at her.

"You blamed me for what happened last spring, but the truth is, you weren't wrong to do so. I tried cursing your aunt, I found a loophole in your father's commands, I aided those working against him. I disobeyed your father and as a result, he was put into Azkaban. As a result of his failure, you were given this task. Yes, the Dark Lord has his own agenda, but I am partially at fault for this. I never meant for him to turn on you."

"Between you and I, I have no doubt it was only a matter of time before I was…encouraged to become a Death Eater."

"Still…we may not agree, but I am not going anywhere."

"Is this what it's like for you? Not having a choice in obeying? Always having to look over your shoulder?"

Slowly, Ariella nodded. "It's similar. When you were summoned, it burned, didn't it?"

He nodded slowly, knowing she already knew the answer.

"When the bond reacts, it's similar. It burns or stings, and the intensity changes the longer I ignore it. The difference is that the Dark Mark is connected to a series of people, but the mark isn't necessarily going to act on its own. My – our – bond does. But yes, it's similar. I risk punishment with most of my actions, particularly the longer I take on something. But you of course, know that already."

"Of course. It's just different being on the other side of it. Experiencing the punishment. I never realized before the summer just how powerful the…some of those punishments actually were."

"Yes, they are rather pleasant, aren't they?" she asked wryly. He snorted in response.

"Now, what did you have planned for today?"

"Nothing; just helping you."

"Take today to yourself; I doubt I'll get much done today, not with this headache."

"Yes Sir. Thank you."

Draco just nodded once and Ariella paused. "You can stay here if you want. I can go."

He nodded. "Thank you, Ariella."

She nodded, rising from her seat, hiding her surprise. "I'll leave you be. If you need my…service, you know how to reach me."

Without saying anything else, she left, taking her bag, heading towards the grounds. It was still nice enough weather that she could go to the grounds. However, she wished there was more she could do, both societally and to get her younger master out of the current situation they were in.

The Room had become a safe–haven of sorts for Draco. He hated how his task loomed over him, how it ate at him. But he was glad he found the Room of Requirement. It gave him a way to escape, particularly as his classmates grew more suspicious and as the weather grew colder. He knew his grades were slipping but what would that matter if he couldn't succeed at this task.

Suddenly, the door to the Room slid open. He jumped, his jaw clenching, especially as he saw who the intruder was. "Nott? How are you even able to get in?"

"Ariella. She told me. I asked her, so please don't punish her for it. I simply wished to address something with you and couldn't risk being overheard."

His guard still up, his heart racing, Draco gestured to an empty chair. "What is it?"

"You have to tell your girlfriend to back off. It's disgusting seeing how she hangs all over you, but more than that, she's been making snide remarks to Ariella for the past three weeks. More than usual, I mean. Does she know?"

"More people than I would want to know do."

"I haven't told anyone – "

" – I never said you did. Ariella did or found a loophole around it. She's only told you and Potter, at least outright. She's since been forbidden from telling anyone without the explicit permission from a Malfoy first. However, she can confirm it if they ask her and she cannot prevent someone else from spilling. A whole group of Gryffindors – Potter's friends – know the truth, as I've just found out. She told him, but I think he told them. Anyone who was involved last year, plus a few. I'm not happy with her for it, for obvious reasons. The less people that know, the better, of course, but I don't trust them."

"But does she?"

"I don't know anymore. I'm almost certain she does trust Potter and as for the rest of them, I'm not certain. It's just nerve–wracking. Despite the fact that no one else can use the bond, per say, too many people know of it. It isn't safe."

"Who else knows? I won't take advantage, you know that by now, surely."

"Of course I know that. I'm not worried about your knowledge of the bond. As she stated to me, all of the staff of course knows, this group apparently knows, a fair amount of Death Eaters now know, I believe. Who else, I couldn't even say. And to answer your original question, yes, Pansy knows. Ariella said something to her that made her ask me about it. Pansy is less than pleased that I am bound and assisting someone, who is, to use her words, "so beneath me".

"She isn't. Please tell me you don't agree with your girlfriend on that point."

"Legally, she is beneath me. I cannot change that and I cannot disagree with that point. If I think otherwise, it could affect her, badly."

Nott slowly nodded, realizing both what he was saying and what he wasn't…couldn't…say. If he read the other man correctly, Malfoy was saying that legally she was beneath him and to say otherwise had the very real possibility of causing his friend harm. By the same token, he was also saying, by his choice of words, that he didn't believe her beneath him in the same way as Parkinson did. And that made Nott feel better, just a bit, about the situation.

"What else was there?"

"She's hurting."

"I'm aware. I cannot do anything about that."

"I know you are under a lot of pressure. But please; don't forget about her."

"I'm not. I swear, Nott, I've even told her as such. Not to ignore the bond, that is. But yes, I understand what you're saying; I appreciate you coming to me…as always. It's…good to have someone on the outside of the bond looking out for her."

"Of course."

"What else?"

"Are you doing okay?"

"Pardon?"

"Look Malfoy, we've had our differences, still do. But we are friends. Slytherins look out for one another, especially when no one else will. I know something's affecting you; I didn't need Ariella to tell or confirm it for me, though it didn't hurt that she did so."

Draco inclined his head to his classmate. "There's nothing you can do. Except – "

" – except…?"

"If…when…things go south, watch out for Ariella, protect her when you can. The bond means she can't truly defend herself all that much to begin with and without a wand…I need to know there's someone else who can assist, especially someone whose action shouldn't impact the bond."

"Of course. I've – without a wand?"

"Don't know. She hasn't had it since the end of last year."

"Are you serious? That's…"

" – She doesn't want it. She's scared to use it…magic…to defend herself right now. Quite frankly, though I don't agree, I can't blame her. Not to mention, I don't know where her wand is."

Nott sat back, running a hand through his dark hair. He hated what his peer was being forced to do right now. He could physically see the toll it was taking on Malfoy. And he knew that had to put a further strain on Ariella.

"I'll help as I can." He finally said.

Draco inclined his head. They had a long way to go and he knew the longer this went on, the harder it was going to be to hide from suspicion and from punishment.