When Draco woke, it was the first time he could ever remember feeling completely at ease. The anger and frustration, like a low hum always bubbling beneath his skin, was absent. It was the closest he had ever felt to serenity.
Tori slept soundly beside him, her hair tumbling across the pillow. Draco reached carefully for her forearm, turning it over to look at the dark mark in the light of day. He still wanted vengeance. Before, he had been able to talk himself out of caring too much for her attackers, content that Potter and the aurors would sentence them and he wouldn't need to get involved. But now he knew he would not rest until he'd dealt them in kind. The peace within him evaporated, replaced by a fury that soured his tongue. He sighed and went to shower, leaving Tori to sleep in peace.
The new wand felt foreign in his hands. He turned it this way and that as he drank his coffee, daring a few practice spells until one rebounded and shattered a china vase. He knew he needed to get rid of the chateau, the stupid impulse purchase when he'd been out of his mind with grief. However, it would be difficult, particularly as he'd need to deal with the muggle authorities. The last thing he wanted was some charge of misconduct.
He remained deep in thought, weighing up writing to his mother for assistance though it would mean her chastising him. The crack of apparition broke him from his thoughts, and he shot to his feet at once, brandishing the inadequate wand.
"Only me," Zabini said, entering with his hands in mock surrender. "Calm down."
Draco was still tense from the adrenaline. "Do you have to turn up every fucking day?"
Blaise narrowed his eyes. "Do you have to always be such a dick, Malfoy?"
"What do you want?" Draco snapped.
"I'm here to keep the pair of you fucking alive, but if you'd rather be captured by aurors, I'll leave right now."
Draco considered the words. "What are you on about?"
Zabini stormed further inside the place, finally slapping a copy of the prophet onto the marble table. Draco approached slowly, terrified of what he would find. He and Tori had only just found a reprieve. Surely nothing could be happening to ruin it…
Death Eaters responsible for murder of Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass are wanted for questioning, following the assassination of our former Minister just yesterday.
The circumstances surrounding their presence at the ministry are suspicious at best. Following a hurried trial for Malfoy, with Greengrass herself presenting his only defence, the Wizengamot pronounced him a free man. Not moments later, the Ministry was under threat.
Malfoy and Greengrass set free the criminals awaiting trials of their own, before reducing half the Ministry to rubble — a feat only capable when using nefariously dark magic. They were within range of Shacklebolt when the killing curse was placed, and fled the scene almost instantly.
"There's no doubt in my mind," says Miriam Lockwood, junior auror. "I believe they placed the imperius curse on Robards, and possibly a confunding jinx on Dawlish. It was a very odd trial. Both wizards are currently in St. Mungo's, awaiting treatment."
The auror office are offering one hundred galleons for any information leading to the capture of Malfoy or Greengrass. Do not approach: They are presumed dangerous.
Draco stared at the paper long after he finished reading. There was even a photo of them both, leaping into the fireplace and disapparating from the scene. His head pounded. He wanted to slap himself for suggesting they go back for Parkinson and the others. The way the scene had been framed — they looked guilty beyond doubt. And now, once again, Tori was in danger. Because of him.
"I lost my job after the protest," Blaise said slowly, "but I managed to pretend I was picking up my things and speak with a few people at the ministry. Idiots, of course. But they reckon the aurors have placed a watch on your families. They're taking the hunt pretty seriously, mate. It's only a matter of time before they find out about this place."
"I'll turn myself in." His voice was hollow. "Tell them Tori had nothing to do with it."
"Don't be stupid. She'd never let you."
"She won't have a choice."
"And what then?" Zabini shook his head. "They'd torture her whereabouts out of you."
Draco stared darkly. "The ministry can't use the cruciatus curse."
"Who knows what they'll do behind closed doors if he's really back?"
"I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to find her!" Draco smacked his wand to the table, which promptly cracked with a flash of sparks. He barely noticed.
"Look, hear me out. I was thinking it over-
"What, on your whole three seconds of the journey?"
"And I think it's the best plan," Zabini continued, as though he hadn't heard. "At the moment, they think you're still in Britain. Let them exhaust every last corner of the place before they start looking elsewhere. We'll put protection around this place, disguise the ownership deeds. I would even recommend flicking it off, but at this stage, that would draw too much attention."
"So I'm stuck inside this fucking lump of stone?"
Zabini gave a pointed look. "Meanwhile, we need to figure out who's behind this. I'm meeting Nott shortly, I'll find out all I can."
"Do it here," Draco said. "I want to know."
"Mate, don't you get it? They're watching us. Illegal apparition's enough to get arrested, and if they come snooping around out here, you'll be gone."
"Why do you keep risking it, then?"
"Have you forgotten what I do for a job?" Zabini rolled his eyes. "Or did. I know how to cover my own tracks, but it's a fuck ton harder to do in pairs. Anyway." He hesitated. "You'll need to keep an eye on her."
Draco didn't appreciate his tone. "Why?"
"Isn't she wanting to go skipping off to the ministry and confess her sins?"
Fuck. Draco remembered Tori's insistence yesterday. He wondered how she'd take the new developments.
"It's not her fault," Blaise shrugged awkwardly. "She's a Ravenclaw."
"I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"Not even for her?"
Draco fumed for a moment. It was the perfect checkmate. Feeling helpless, and wound up with no outlet, he rounded on Zabini once more.
"Why do you care, anyway?" he asked. "Why bother?"
Blaise looked at Draco as though he'd gone mad. "Because we're family, mate. We're all we've got."
When Draco pulled away from me, I could have screamed. Here he fucking goes again, I thought bitterly, my patience well and truly exhausted. But I noticed the familiar, tired look in his eyes, the anxious glances. Something was bothering him.
"I need to go home," I said.
He jolted upright as though something had stung him.
"Just to get some more clothes," I explained, pushing the eggs around my plate with a fork. "I don't have anything here."
"No," Draco snapped. "I'll have new ones owl-ordered here from Paris."
I blinked. "Do you hate the way I dress that much?" I tried to joke.
It earned only a weak smile. I tried again, from a different angle.
"What are we doing today? Some fresh air might be nice."
He thought for a moment. "I suppose we could walk the grounds."
I sighed. "Draco, would you tell me what's going on?"
"Nothing."
I stared at him, piling on the pressure until he cracked. Journalism trick.
"We're going to need to stay here for a while."
"Well, I assumed as much. Until it's safe to go to the ministry, right?"
"Tori… The ministry have put a hundred galleons on our heads."
"What?" My mind went into overdrive. "Because of… Kingsley?"
He sighed and pushed the prophet over to me. I read the article. I read it again. It dawned on me.
"We were set up," I whispered.
Draco's bad mood vanished instantly. He walked to where I sat and knelt beside me, taking my hand in his.
"I won't let them get you," he promised. "I'll protect you. Always."
I felt a rush of affection for him, but something niggled in the back of my mind. "We can't stay here forever."
He frowned. "Why not?"
"…My illness. When it gets bad-
"It won't." He shook his head. "You'll be resting. It could be just what you need."
I bit my lip. "What about work?"
Draco drew in dangerously close, so that I was inhaling every note of his cologne. He was hypnotic from a distance, but so close, he was positively intoxicating. The proximity reminded me of last night's passion, and I fought the blush that rose to my cheeks.
"What about, um, what about our friends?" I tried again.
He pressed his lips to mine. He tasted like apples. I placed a hand on his jaw, only just beginning to darken with stubble. I came alive with exhilaration as he ran his teeth across my lower lip. I tried one last feeble attempt.
"What will we do with our time?"
"I have a few ideas," he murmured.
Draco wound his hands around my hips, tightening at the rear. He pulled me in close with a sharp tug. I gasped softly, bringing my hands to his neck. My breathing quickened as his hands roamed, over my skirt at first, then slipping beneath to caress the soft skin of my thighs. His fingertips left trails of fire and passion, tingling all the way up to my sex. I let out a soft moan as he pressed his lips to my neck, soft, gentle kisses at first intensifying into the graze of his teeth, the suction of his tongue.
"Draco," I whispered, as he lifted me by the legs so I was sitting on the table.
His fingers resumed their prior mission, teasing me before pulling my underwear to the side. My insides lit up as he began to rub small, gentle circles.
"No," I whispered.
He stopped immediately, withdrawing, checking my face for signs of what had gone wrong. His respect only made me tingle further, reassured me to do what I had planned.
"I want to please you," I said quietly, lowering to my knees.
I reached for his belt, too shy to meet his gaze at first.
"Tori."
I risked a glance to see his eyes burning with passion.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
I nodded slowly, moving to pull his trousers down. His length hardened beneath the soft fabric of his boxers, growing into my hand as I cupped it down there.
"Fuck, baby," Draco whispered. He let out a groan as I pulled his underwear from him too. My eyes widened at the sight of Draco, how responsive and ready he was for me. I felt suddenly incompetent. I'd had sex before Draco, but both occasions were a bit of awkward fumbling in the dark. I'd never felt this desire to please a man, to make him tremble just as Draco made me tremble last night with his mouth.
"How do I do it?" I asked, grasping it through instinct.
He moved my hand beneath his own, and once I'd settled into the rhythm, I felt ready. I watched his face as I slowly took him into my mouth, my lust overcoming my shyness. His eyes rolled back as I moved, licking and sucking, paying attention to how he responded each time.
"Tori," he groaned, "I'm ready to come."
I kept going, triumph washing over me as I felt him finish. He tensed, cursing my name and holding my head in his hands.
"I love you," he said, lifting me to my feet. I swallowed his seed, feeling a weird pleasure at having such an intimate part of Draco inside of me.
"I love you, Draco," I whispered, wrapping my arms around him.
"Now do I get to return the favour?" he asked.
I wanted so badly to give in, but my stomach had already clenched with guilt for what I was about to do. I had known it, deep down, from the moment I read the Prophet article. But it would mean betraying Draco.
"We need to do the enchantments," I said, feeling sick. "I just wanted to make you feel good."
He studied me carefully for a moment. I tried not to look away, but felt my resolve crumpling with each passing second. But he seemed to buy my excuse, kissing my forehead before getting us ready to protect the chateau.
The day passed too quickly. Draco was unusually calm, and unlike his snarky self. It had me worried. Though, maybe it was just my imagination, bearing premature guilt. Luckily, I'd managed to spend most of the day in the Owlery, under the guise of making it habitable once more. Just as I'd planned, this meant I was able to catch Ginny's return owl without Draco seeing. My heart hammered in my chest the whole time, until the last of his feathers had nipped below the horizon. I read the parchment quickly before burning it.
Le crapaud verruquex. 7pm.
"Tea?" I offered Draco, my breath high in my chest.
He was sat at the grand oak table, immersed in a three-inch thick stack of alchemy parchment. "Please."
I ransacked the cupboards, sending a silent prayer that Draco kept a stock of what I was looking for. As I'd hoped, three neat vials of sleeping draught were present. I felt another wave of guilt as I took one in my hands, rolling the smooth glass between my fingers. It wasn't too late to back out.
"Did you want a game of chess after dinner?" he called.
Tears stung my eyes. This only reminded me why I had to do what I was about to do. We needed to be free. I would not sentence Draco to a lifetime of the same brick walls, a fugitive, unable to leave. Or worse, a nomad, on the run forever. It would be far too exhausting. And Draco wouldn't cope, this I knew for sure. He would endure, but he would be miserable, and his dark side would begin to leech out once more. He deserved better than that.
I set his drink before him, disgusted with myself. My hands shook so badly I was sure he'd hear the clink of china, but he remained too distracted in his notes to notice. My heart hammered in my chest, blood rushing in my ears. If he suspected what I was up to, I had no idea what he'd do.
I walked to stand beside him, wrapping my arms around to cradle his head.
"I love you," I told him.
"I love you, Tori."
His words came out slurred and then he slumped, my arms the only things holding him up. I set him down gently as tears fell from my eyes. I wiped them away furiously. I needed to harden now, to prepare for what I was about to get into. I left Draco a note, in case things went wrong.
I've gone to meet with Ginny. She can help us — she can have Harry call off the search. If I'm not back and you're reading this… things have gone wrong. Don't come for me. Stay safe.
Love, A x
I took a deep breath, and disapparated with a crack.
Le crapaud verruqueux was a French wizarding pub, far livelier and more colourful than the Leaky Cauldron. The walls were decorated in pastel hues, with larger-than-life drapes reminiscent of the 18th century. Pillar candles in silver holders cast the place in a cool glow. I'd coloured my hair with magic, hoping it would be enough to disguise me. Surely the whole of France wouldn't be on high alert for my presence, but the wizarding community was small. I didn't want to take any extra chances.
I saw Ginny at the bar straight away, her long, red hair fanning out down her back. She kept twitching around with a frown, finally catching my eye. Her face hardened.
I ordered a firewhiskey, plucking the courage to speak. "Hello."
She glared at me. "Hello."
I fought the urge to check my shoulders every second, just as she had. There was every risk in meeting her here. Harry could be waiting amongst these flamboyant wizards, ready to take me in. I kept my hand on my wand, tracing the grooves in an attempt to calm my nerves.
"Thank you for coming."
"It's not like you to mince words, Astoria," Ginny snapped. "Tell me what the fuck happened."
I tried not to recoil at her hostility. I launched straight into a recount of events, from the moment I entered Kingsley's office right up to arriving in France. Ginny listened intently, interrupting only once or twice to ask questions. When I'd finished, she was silent for several long moments. I refilled my drink nervously.
"It makes no sense," she finally said. "Why would somebody be trying to make you look guilty?"
Marcus Tatter's threat came to mind, but I brushed it off. He was certainly a breed of evil, but was he capable of tearing down the entire ministry? Assassinating the minister and pinning the blame on me? I couldn't be sure.
"Your guess is as good as mine," I mumbled.
"Do you think it's linked to your attack?" she asked. "Harry says they've got the attackers in custody. Their leader… he's a ghost. No record of him anywhere, not at any of the schools, but he's definitely a wizard. It's all very strange."
"That sums it up," I agreed. "Look Ginny, I don't know. But I need somebody to look into it. I don't want to be in hiding, I…" I gulped. "I don't want to be guilty."
Her expression changed. "And you're hoping I'll convince Harry," she said coldly. "You're expecting me to do this without mentioning the fact I illegally met and corresponded with a fugitive."
I hung my head.
"Is this really a friendship, Astoria?" she asked. "Or is it a way to manipulate the auror office?"
I set my jaw. "Of course not."
"Really? Because you don't seem interested in anything that doesn't involve Harry somehow. And with all the rumours flying around…"
It felt like a slap in the face. Tears welled in my eyes. "How could you?" I asked.
"I don't know what to believe," she said simply.
I'd been stupid to come here. To risk everything in the hopes that Ginny would look past what all the logic seemed to point to: I was a bad person. I didn't feel as sad as I'd expected. Mostly, I was angry. And I needed to get out of here.
"I can't make you believe me," I said. "And I would never expect you to lie to Harry, not for me. But please, Ginny… At least look into it. Because I promise you, as your friend, I didn't do it. I'm not a death eater."
I knew what was happening before I'd even finished speaking, just from the way Ginny's face tensed. I recognised the look in her eyes. It was the look of worry for somebody you love. It was the look I wore when Draco was at risk of being hurt.
Harry's voice was smooth and calm. "We just want to talk, Astoria."
I tried not to laugh in anger. "You set me up."
I turned around, seeing Harry and three other aurors approaching. Most of the wizards in the pub drinking and chatting continued merrily, unaware anything was amiss.
"We just want to know what happened," Harry continued, his eyes wide. "I won't let any harm come to you. I promise."
"Yeah? What about Draco? Will he be wrongly imprisoned again?" I lifted my chin. "I'm afraid I don't have faith in the ministry anymore. And neither did Kingsley." My voice shook, but I continued to speak. "I was one of the last people to speak directly to him alive. Something was off."
"And that's exactly what we want to talk about," Harry said, still in his calm manner. We could have been discussing the weather. "So please don't make this difficult, Astoria. You have my word we are only trying to help you."
I thought of Draco, of how broken he would be if I got taken in. He would risk himself in the process. I'd have failed him — and failed any chance we might have of a life together.
In the process of loving Draco, I had become a different person.
At times, a clearly insane person.
This became apparent as I jinxed a room full of aurors.
