The Werewolf's Daughter

45. A birthday and a wedding

'Happy Birthday Harry!' Maya cried, stepping out of the floo and pulling her friend in for a hug. 'You're so luck you're finally 17!'

'Happy Birthday mate.' Draco said, shaking Harry's hand then moving to stand behind Maya. He wrapped his arms around her, and she nestled in to him. Maya had barely let him leave her side since the night he had gone to help Harry.

'Please – no more missions.' Maya begged that night, crying next to Draco in bed.

'I can't promise you that.' He responded. She knew he didn't mean to sound cruel – he was just being honest.

'Why do you insist on putting yourself in danger? Who are you trying to prove yourself too?'

'Maya, I'm not trying to prove myself to anyone. I just need to be able to help. Are you telling me that when you get to 17, you're not going to be volunteering your help? I highly doubt that.'

Maya dug her nails into his arm, which she had been gripping. He was right. 'It feels like you want to be anywhere but here. It feels like you want to put yourself in danger.' She whispered.

Draco winced and took her hand off his arm. 'Sorry.' She muttered.

'It's ok. Look, I don't know how to explain it, but I HAVE to help Maya. Please don't make me feel guilty. I'm helping to make a better world for us – for our future. I'm doing this because I love you.' He said, kissing her head.

'Can you at least try not to volunteer for every mission?' she asked through gritted teeth. 'Please?'

Maya thought back to that night; Draco had agreed that he wouldn't volunteer for every mission, but he asked Maya to understand that he had to help.

'Right guys, there are too many of us here so Molly has asked that we set up the dinner outside; can everyone please help?' Arthur shouted over the noise in the Burrow's kitchen.

Maya watched as Draco helped the men move tables outside, while she helped Ginny get the cutlery and plates. 'I can't wait until next month.' She groaned to the younger girl, as they carried everything by hand out to the garden.

As soon as she was outside, Maya looked around for Draco. She started to panic when she couldn't see him. Suddenly, someone held her from behind and she froze. 'Sorry, sorry.' He whispered, 'I didn't mean to scare you.'

Maya was silent and let Draco lead her over to the table for food.

…

'Hermione?' Maya called, stepping in to Ginny's room. 'What are you doing?' she asked, confused.

'Just packing.' Hermione said, flippantly.

'Packing for what?' Maya asked.

Hermione stopped. 'I'm not meant to say.'

Maya raised an eyebrow at her friend. 'Tell me. Now.'

Hermione spent the next half hour telling Maya what her, Ron and Harry would be doing for seventh year.

'You're not going back? You're going off on a mission?' Maya started to panic, her breathing getting heavier as she started to feel anxious. 'You're only 17, you are all going to end up killed!' she cried.

'Maya, calm down. We know what we're doing. Harry is the only one that can do this Maya, and I have to go and help him. Harry and Ron wouldn't last ten minutes if they were on their own.'

Maya got up and walked out of the room. She couldn't talk about this right now.

'Dad.' She said, passing Remus holding Teddy out in the hallway 'I'm going home – I don't feel too good.' She said.

Remus frowned but nodded at her. 'We'll not be much longer.' He said.

Maya used the floo to make her way home; once there she went up to her bedroom.

Why are they all doing this? They're all going to end up dead. Draco volunteers for every dangerous mission he can; Harry, Ron and Hermione are going god knows where and may well end up dead; Dad and Tonks are in the Order.

As Maya thought all of these things, she found herself making her way to the corner of her room. She sat down, brought her knees up to her chin and hugged herself, as she sobbed. My whole family could end up dead soon.

Suddenly, she heard laughter downstairs and someone making their way up to the bedrooms.

'Maya?' Draco's voice called, confused when he didn't see her in her bed. Then he heard it; her sobbing. Draco flicked on the bedroom light and looked everywhere. He spotted her sitting in the corner of the room, her face pale and her eyes wet.

'Maya? What's wrong?' he asked, hurrying to her. He checked her over, thinking she was hurt, but he couldn't find any wounds.

'Not hurt.' She mumbled.

'What is it then? What's got you in this state?'

Maya glared at him 'Y..you!' she cried. 'I am constantly worried about you. When I can't see you, I panic. Tonight, at the Burrow when I couldn't find you out in the garden, it was like my throat was closing and I couldn't breathe. Even though I knew nothing COULD have happened, I just kept thinking it had. I kept thinking you were gone again.'

'Then Hermione told me their plans; what her, Harry and Ron will be doing. I realised that my whole family could die in this war.' She moaned.

Draco sat down opposite her, he didn't say anything, but he took her hands and held them until she stopped talking.'

'Maya.' He whispered.

'Don't. It's irrational, I know. I can't help it though. I worry ALL the time.' She stared into his beautiful grey eyes. 'I'm sorry.'

'What are you sorry for?' he asked. 'You have nothing to be sorry about. You can't help how you feel.'

Maya threw herself at him and he wrapped his arms around her. 'I'm sorry that I keep making you go through this.' He murmured. 'I don't want you to be like this.'

'Draco, I turn 17 next month and the way I am right now, I don't know if I can help the Order the way you and the rest of them do.'

'You don't have to.' He said, pulling back and looking at her.

'So, I let everyone else do the dirty work?' she asked, staring at him. 'I want to help. I do. I'm just scared.'

'Maya, every time I go off to do something for the Order, I am shit scared. I promise you. It's not easy to go. Especially when you're here begging me not to go.'

'If you're scared, why do you do it?' she asked, wiping her tears away.

'The reason I told you before. I think about how winning this war will mean a better future for us.' He stated.

Maya nodded. 'This isn't normal though Draco.' She muttered.

'What's not?'

'All this worry – it's not normal for someone to constantly be on edge and worried. I mean, I couldn't see you for two minutes and I almost had a break-down.'

'I might be able to help there.' Came a voice from the door. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop.' Remus said, as he came in to her room. 'I was just worried about you.'

'What do you mean you can help?' Maya asked, looking up at her Dad.

'Well, in the muggle world I have heard of things called 'Panic attacks' – people get them when they become anxious and some people suffer through them a lot worse than others. Maya, you forget that you have gone through a lot in a short space of time. I think you are definitely suffering from panic attacks.'

'How do I stop them?' she asked.

'You just have to try and remain calm sweetheart.'

Maya threw a death glare his way. 'As if it's that easy' she scoffed.

'Look, try and get some sleep tonight.' He said, 'Tomorrow we will research this.'

Maya nodded, but she still wasn't happy. Remus left the room and Draco turned back to Maya, she was looking at the floor.

'Hey.' He said, lifting her chin with his finger. 'You're ok. I am going to do anything I can to help you, ok?' Maya nodded, and fell against him again. 'Time for bed?' he asked and felt her nod against him.

'Up you come then.' He said, lifting her off the floor. Maya squealed; she hadn't been expecting that. He lay her carefully on the bed, getting in next to her and curling his body around her. 'I love you' he whispered.

'I love you too.' She sighed, pulling his arm over her and kissing his mark.

…

'You look stunning.'

Maya whirled around, she hadn't heard him come in her room. 'Thank you.' She said quietly, smoothing down her dress.

He was right; she was stunning. Her dress was floor length, strapless in a deep blue silk. Her hair was down and all curled, pinned to one side of her head so it fell over one shoulder.

'You look gorgeous.' She told him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him. She started to giggle after that.

'What? What's so funny?' he asked, frowning.

Maya stepped back and he realised why she was laughing; her dress had fallen down slightly, exposing the black strapless bra. 'Yeah, I hadn't quite finished getting ready when you came in and distracted me.' She laughed, pulling her dress back up. 'Can you do it up please? It has to be tight ok?'

She leaned over and held herself against the bedside table as Draco pulled on the laces of her corset top. 'Is that it?'

'Nope, I can still breathe.'

'Maya, seriously?'

'I'm joking! It's not tight enough though – I need it a bit tighter as it's still falling down.'

Draco pulled again and then tied the ribbon.

'Much better.' She said, turning around and kissing him. 'Thank you.'

…

Bill and Fleur's wedding was beautiful. The bride was beautiful, the dress was beautiful, the groom was handsome; the whole day was just lovely. Maya was currently on the dance floor swaying to a song in Draco's arms. 'What is this song?' he asked, as she sang along.

'It's a muggle song.' She responded – she had heard it in a film before.

'I love it.' He whispered, holding his forehead against hers. 'It explains how I feel about you perfectly.'

Everything I do, I do it for you…

The song came to an end and Maya pulled Draco off of the dancefloor. They had just reached their table when she heard a voice behind them. 'Ministry has fallen. Minister is dead.'

Chaos ensued; her dad apparated them all home as quickly as possible. Close to home anyway; the nearest apparition point was a few blocks away from their house.