The Werewolf's Daughter
39. The secret code
Maya woke up later that evening in her bed; she hoped that what she had been told earlier wasn't real. Unfortunately, she realised it was when she rolled over and saw her dad lying in the chair next to her bed.
Maya started to sob. He was really gone; her Draco was really gone.
Remus woke up with a start when he heard someone crying. 'Maya' he whispered. 'Are you ok?'
She didn't answer him. 'Maya, I'm sorry this is happening.' He said, gently. He took her hand and soothed her until she fell back to sleep, exhausted from crying.
Remus sighed and went through to his own room. Tonks was still awake. 'Is she ok?' she asked. She had been crying too; Narcissa and Draco were her family after all.
'No. She's sleeping again though.' He said, climbing in to the bed and pulling her close to him.
'I don't even want to think what they are doing to them.' Tonks said, bitterly. She was thinking of her aunt Bella, he knew it. The woman was insane.
'Let's try to get some sleep.' He said, yawning. 'We'll be doing a lot of work over the next few days – we need it.'
Tonks nodded and slid down the bed – pulling his arms around her.
They had only been sleeping for 2 hours when they were woken up by someone screaming.
'Maya!' Remus shouted, jumping out of bed and running to his daughter's room.
She was still asleep but she was thrashing around in her sleep.
'No! Draco! Come back!' she screamed.
'Stop! Please stop hurting him!' she begged someone.
'Shhh, shhhh' Remus said, as he held her. 'Maya, you're ok. You're ok.'
'Draco!' she choked out, before she fell silent again.
…
Remus POV
'Any news?' Maya asked, as she came downstairs. It was the only words she had spoken to anyone every day for the last two weeks.
Remus shook his head and watched sadly as she went back up to her room, defeated.
He walked into the kitchen, where a meeting was ongoing. They were obviously still looking for Narcissa and Draco every day, but they had found nothing so far.
'Remus, I have some news. I have been advised that Narcissa and Draco chose to go back to the deatheaters themselves; they were not kidnapped.' Dumbledore said gravely.
'No!' Remus said, 'There is no way Draco would have gone back there; you don't know him the way we do!'
'Remus, please. I am just relaying the information I have been passed. We can keep looking, but if they did go back off their own back there is nothing we can do.'
Telling Maya that piece of information was the hardest thing he had to do.
'No!' she shouted 'Draco wouldn't do that! HE WOULDN'T!'
'I know baby, I know.' He said, holding her as she wept on his shoulder.
'He wouldn't Dad, I know he wouldn't. He loves me – he wouldn't want to hurt me.'
'Sweetheart, I don't know what else to say – the Order has agreed to keep looking for him, but if it does turn out to be true, which I don't believe it is, there is nothing we can do.'
'It's not true.' She said, stubbornly. She refused to believe it.
Remus left her alone after that; she needed to cool down.
…
It had been a week since Dumbledore came with that news and still nothing more had been found.
Maya was sitting up in her room, where she always was now, at her desk. She was writing a letter to Hermione, when she heard a tapping sound. She looked around at her window and saw an owl there. One she didn't recognise. She went over to the window and took the letter – the owl stayed put.
Maya unrolled the letter and gasped. It was their code, the code he had made up. Maya searched her desk for the code breaker and ran downstairs.
'Dad!' she shouted 'Dad! I've just received this!'
'What? What is it?' he asked, rushing into the hallway.
'It's a letter. It's from Draco!'
'Maya, how do you know it's from Draco?' he asked, thinking this could be a trap.
'It's written in the code he made up for us to use when we first got together.' She said, handing him the letter.
'Maya, this looks like gobbledegook.' He said, trying to read the letter. She handed him the code.
'Oh. This makes sense.'
They sat down at the kitchen table and deciphered the letter.
Maya, need help. Don't know where I am but this owl can find me. They're torturing us. Please send help.
Maya began to cry; they were torturing him! 'Dad, we have to do something!' she cried.
'Maya, write back. Just say this:
Can you get to knockturn alley?
Maya was annoyed that she couldn't write any more than that, but she understood why. She sent the letter back and waited for hours before a response came through.
Yes. Only with a guard though.
Maya showed the letter to her Dad, who dictated once more.
Draco, we will be in Diagon Alley tomorrow at 1pm. Find enclosed an invisibility cloak. Cause some kind of distraction; put this on and get away from your guard as fast as you can. We will meet you in Diagon Alley – inside the Leaky Cauldron right at the back by the furthest away fireplace. When you see me or Kingsley, place your hand on the fireplace so only we can see it. I will then ask you a question; do not take your cloak off until you have heard it.
Maya sent the letter back; she was so excited she was going to see him again.
…
The next day seemed to drag; Maya sat in front of the fire waiting for hours. Still nobody came.
'What's happened Tonks? Where's my dad?'
'I don't know sweetheart, we just have to wait.'
Maya eventually wondered up to his bedroom where she fell asleep on his bed.
…
'Maya, Maya.' A voice said, shaking her awake.
'Draco.' Maya smiled.
Draco was confused, he thought she would have been a bit more excited to see him. 'Can I get in?' he asked.
She nodded sleepily; he got in and wrapped his arm around her.
'Are you ok?'
'Yes.' she said, still smiling.
'You seem calm.' He said. 'I thought you would have been more excited.'
'Draco, I dream about you every night and the first few times I woke my dad screaming with excitement. You weren't there. Now, when I dream about you, I just enjoy you holding me.' She responded.
'Maya, you're not dreaming.'
'What? OW!' she squealed 'That hurt!' Maya sat up with a gasp.
'You're here! It's really you!'
Draco laughed, 'That's the response I was looking for!'
Maya started to cry. 'Are you ok?' she asked, sobbing on his chest. 'Please tell me you're ok.'
He stroked her hair. 'I'm ok.' He said.
'You're sure? What did they do to you?' Maya gasped again when she saw his arm.
'They branded you?' She asked, outraged.
Draco nodded sadly. 'Not the worst thing they did, but at least I can hide the other injuries.'
Maya pulled him close. 'You don't need to hide anything Draco Malfoy.'
'I'm so ashamed of it.' He whispered.
'Don't you dare. This is not your fault!' She whispered, kissing his arm up and down. 'I love you.'
'I love you too.' He said, sleepily.
'Sleep handsome man, I'll speak to you in the morning.'
Draco slid down the bed and pulled her close to him; she was lying across his chest and she noticed some new scars all over his body. Maya cried silently still wondering what those evil people had done to him.