CHAPTER NINETEEN: Together Again

The room froze, for the third time that day. The third time of this wretched day. Draco could hardly believe his ears. He knew who spoke, her small whisper rising above his pleading shout. Voldemort paused, lowering his wand with great hesitation before he turned to the source.

Verity stood in the doorway, her small hands gripping the wood door tightly. Her little face innocent, her black eyes wide and beseeching. In her hands she held a blanket, green, lovingly quilted, contrasting with her dark blue dress.

"Daddy?" she said again.

"Verity," he replied, his voice much softer than before.

"What are you doing to Eva?"

Voldemort paused, seeming to think about his next choice of words.

"Is she here to play with me?" Verity asked hopefully.

"Bella," snapped Voldemort, his eyes still on Verity. "I thought she was to be kept in her room."

"Milord! I sent Cissy to make sure-"

"Cissy!" he spat. "She is your daughter!"

"Of course, milord," she simpered, her eyes on the floor. Voldemort sneered at her, sweeping his gaze around the room, pausing slightly when they passed him, until they rested on Evangeline once more. A muscle in his jaw jumped.

"Evangeline has been very naughty, Verity," he said in a low voice, "she had to be punished. Do you know what we do to those who do bad things?"

Verity stared at him, her doll features slowly working through his words.

"They get put in time out," she said.

" . . . yes. . . yes, they do Verity. Evangeline must be put in time out," Voldemort said. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Evangeline must stay in the cellar."

"But its scary down there!"

"Evangeline did a bad thing, should she get away with it?" his voice began to take on a condescending tone. Verity's black eyes filled with tears.

"No, daddy."

A smile appeared on Voldemort's face. Draco's stomach lurched.

"Draco," he said facing Evangeline, "you will take her to the cellar, and make sure she stays there."

Draco nodded and went to where Evangeline sat, grabbing hold of her gently and pulling her to her feet. Her eyes were on Verity, shock and horror written in them. Voldemort suddenly grabbed her by the chin, forcing her to look at him. Draco felt her body tremble with fear.

"You will go willingly, and do as you are told," he hissed. "It would be terribly unfortunate for Verity to see you . . ." he tilted his head to the side, seemingly amused. ". . Hurt. It would ruin her."

Evangeline glared at him, swallowing, her Gryffindor trait showing despite the fact that she was terrified.

"Well, that's your problem, not mine," she spat. "I'm not her father."

Voldemort raised his hand, and Draco pulled her away sharply, pushing her behind him on impulse. She hadn't even flinched.

"I'd be careful, Draco, remember who is your master . . ." he warned. A cold shiver ran down his spine. "Take our guest to the cellar."

Draco wasted no time, pulling Evangeline from the room. As they passed through the doors, Verity reached out a hand and gripped Evangeline's. She sniffed and let go, as his mother followed them out of the room, taking Verity and leading her up the staircase to the second floor. Draco led Evangeline down the hall, as silence engulfed them.

Another set of stairs down, and he stood at the cellar door. Evangeline stumbled back into him, eyes wide.

"What is i-" he stopped, gasping in shock. Wormtail lay sprawled on the stairs, his silver hand wrapped around his throat, eyes open and dull. Draco leaned on the wall, breathing heavily. Wormtail was dead.

This whole thing was a mess. If only he could've been braver, and taken Evangeline from the manor when he had the chance. Run away with her. If only . . .

"Draco," she said, her voice cracking. He looked up, finding her teary face staring intently at him. Her body shook, trembled, and stopped. "Open the door."

In a daze he stood, stepping over Wormtail, and opened the cellar door. Evangeline limped past him without saying a word. Her back was to him, he desperately wanted to see her face. A pale, shaking hand rose out to her, his hand. He could almost touch her.

"Go away, Draco," her voice broke, shoulders hunching.

Ice pierced him. The blow was almost physical, and he stumbled. What? Go away? After he had just found her. He clenched his fists, nails biting into his flesh as he forced his voice to stay steady.

"Evangeline-"

"I said, GO!"

The door shut, he scrambled up the steps, whipping his sleeve across his face. Hot angry tears tracked down his cheeks. He growled, he couldn't be crying, shouldn't. But she didn't want him. She told him to leave. . .

A thud filled the air, and he paused. Draco stood at the doors to the Drawing Room, which were shut. Inside he could hear the sound of a woman's sob. Another thud. A wail. Draco flinched.

In a daze he went to his room, locked the door and laid down on his bed. Bringing the sheets to his face he breathed in. Her scent filled him, pine, and the outdoors . . . lavender.

The next morning the house was silent, except for the small sounds of creaking floorboards riddled with age. Draco lay sprawled on his bed, shirt rumpled and pulled from his trousers. He hadn't slept, the sheet still firmly gripped in his hand. He needed to see her.

He was so close . . .

Rising from his bed he left his room, slowly taking him time down the stairs. He found his parents in the dining room, seated around the table, eating in silence. Bellatrix sat facing away from him, Verity was playing with her porridge, as usual. Taking his seat he helped himself to a piece of toast. He didn't eat it.

"Finally out of bed?" asked a bitter cynical voice. Draco looked up and froze. His Aunt regarded him coldly. Across the right side of her face were dark purple bruises, her eye nearly swollen shut. The cut on her lip open and bleeding. He found himself nodding.

"Mommy got new make up!" Verity announced, her curls bouncing. Bellatrix smiled at her daughter. Draco was painfully made aware a of how innocent Verity was. She didn't even know what a bruise was.

"Draco," Bellatrix said her voice painfully sweet, "why don't you take Evangeline some breakfast, I'm sure she is famished."

"Sure," he muttered rising from the table.

"Can I help?" Verity asked hopefully.

"No sweetheart, you haven't finished your breakfast," Bellatrix told her. Crestfallen the little girl sighed and looked down at her food. Without looking back, he went to the kitchen and got a tray of steaming food for Evangeline. He found himself at the cellar door. Wormtail's body had been removed since he'd last been here.

He raised his hand and rapped his knuckles against the wood. Cringing as the sound echoed through the air. Why was he knocking? It was his home, his cellar? Because it was Evangeline. That and she was a nasty case of wizard pox when angry. No answer.

He slowly opened the door, his eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the dark cellar. Draco couldn't see her, maybe she was behind one of the pillars? He took a step forward.

"Angel?"

"Draco?" her voice echoed slightly, it was strained, as if in pain. "Don't move."

He went rigid, obeying her command, as she limped from the shadows. She was bedraggled, her hair a mess of knots on her head, her clothes looking dirty and full of holes. She had the look of someone underfed. Malnourished. Her blue eyes flicked to the tray he held with a look of hunger. But she stepped closer to him, her eyes shooting above his head. She twitched.

"I booby trapped the door," she said slowly, a small smirk on her chapped lips. He looked over his shoulder, and shuddered.

Just above the door was some sadistic contraption, with sharp claws and jagged edges. It was crude, and looked like the cans that were brought to the cellar for the previous prisoners.

"I made that in case Bellatrix tried to come and have some fun," she explained, "I used the dishes I found lying around."

Draco swallowed.

"Ingenious."

She walked around him and gently pulled the string holding it up. Slowly it fell to the floor with a clatter, as she led it. Had he taken another step it would've shot straight at him, impaling his body. Then he saw her hands.

The hem of her shirt was torn, revealing her midriff, the cloth tied around her hands. But the cloth was soiled with dark blood. He set the tray down, noticing that her eyes followed it greedily, and grabbed her hands.

"You got cut when you were making the trap," he murmured. She nodded, looking at him.

"I didn't want to feel it again," she said quietly. He raised a brow in question and she looked away. It struck him. She didn't want to be tortured by his Aunt again. Suddenly she jerked in his arms, her knees giving out.

"Evangeline?" he said alarmed. He grabbed her writhing body, holding her tightly by the arms. A sound of pain escaped her lips, and it stabbed at him like a sharp blade of fire. "Shh. Hold on Angel," he said, trying to keep his voice even as he rocked her back and forth. The spasms kept coming, she was grinding her teeth, lashing out in sudden jerking movements. Draco held her tightly.

And just as suddenly as it had started, it left. Evangeline sighed in his arms, her body loosening. A moan escaped her lips.

"What was that?" he finally asked after a period of silence, as she regained her breath.

"Didn't you pay any attention in school? We went over curses with Snape," her tone was condescending, but she squeezed his hand in comfort. Draco felt a small smile creep onto his face.

"No. I was too busy watching you," he said. She made an indignant sound. "My mind was elsewhere."

" . . . they're aftershocks, of the Cruciatus curse," she whispered, "and they feel like I'm on that floor again, with her leering down at me."

He hugged her closer, but she cried out. He pulled away.

"It's not happening again, is it?" he asked alarmed.

She shook her head. "No, it just leaves me sore."

He kissed the side of her head.

"You need to eat, and something warm," he said. Getting up, he passed her the tray and promised to come back in a moment. He flew to his room, grabbing a blanket and a spare set of pajamas. Then to his mother's room where he borrowed her brush.

Out of breath he sat down behind Evangeline when he returned, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders as she ate. She had already finished the soup. Taking his mother's brush he began to brush her hair. She stiffened, and he thought that the aftershocks were back . .

"What are you doing?" she asked in an accusing voice. He smirked.

"Brushing your hair. It looks like an animal has decided to call it home."

She shot him a glare over her shoulder and bit into a roll. Smiling he worked on her hair as she ate. Turning the tangled mess into its usual sleek shining curtain of hair. The tips of her hair held no color, suggesting she had been neglecting it. He missed the pink tips.

Without saying anything to each other, she rested her head on his lap. He brushed his fingers through her hair, watching as her eyelids drift shut, staring at him. She looked peaceful. He traced circles in her skin, enjoying the tingling sensation it sent up his arm. She was cold, and he was warm. Draco positioned himself to lay down next to her, holding her hands in his, yet not holding her. He stared at her face for what seemed like ages, until he too succumbed to sleep.

When he woke, it was slow, and not sudden. So unlike the past nights he'd woken from a dream. This was different. There was someone touching his face, running their fingers over his cheeks, and his lips. He caught the hand in his and opened his eyes. Evangeline stared down at him, a smirk on her face. Placing a kiss on her caught hand, he saw her shiver. Was she still cold?

He sat up, and she scooted closer to him, grabbing his other hand and holding it tightly. Draco stared at her eyes, they were filled with desperation.

"Draco, I have to get out of here," she said.

"It's too dangerous."

"It doesn't matter. Harry needs me."

"Potter needs you?" he said in disbelief. "You were starving with him. At least here, the Dark Lord can't touch you because he doesn't want to upset Verity."

"I can't believe that he's her father," she said in disgust.

"Well she's nothing like him," he told her. She looked away, abashed. "But he won't make her upset, he won't kill you."

"How can a monster like that, love someone so . . . pure?" she asked. "He is cold, ruthless, a killer!"

Draco frowned at her. During his time in the manor, he had seen a caring side to Voldemort. It was not one that was unicorns and rainbows, but one that was silent. Voldemort cared for Verity, because she was his legacy. He would eventually create her in his image. Have her carry on his dream, until it spread all over the world.

"She's his daughter, his heir," he said simply.

"And your Aunt? Bellatrix?"

"He could care less about her," Draco said with a scowl, remembering the bruises that covered her face the morning after that awful day. "She's a pure blood. As pure as it gets and she was willing."

"That's disgusting."

He shrugged. Evangeline looked down at their hands, then back up at him. He held her gaze.

"I still need to leave," she said. Draco growled. If she tried leaving, Voldemort would kill her no matter what Verity wanted. "It's import-"

He kissed her.

Catching her lips with his he easily silenced her. Merlin, her lips on his sent a fire through him. At first she tried to keep speaking but she gave in and readily returned the kiss. His hand found her face, cupping her cheek. The other her waist. She tasted like soup, and he didn't mind. He hadn't kissed her in months. A year. It felt like the first time.

Like a sunset on a perfect day, in a field of flowers, all Evangeline's favorite. Perfectly happy, and content. He pushed her to the floor, leaning over her as her hands found his hair. He moaned, delighted that her hands felt so good running through his hair. His hand traveled down her face and to her neck. Evangeline balled her hands in his hair, moaning.

But he stopped. Pulled away. Stared at her bewildered eyes, with shock. It turned to anger and he was pulling the collar of her shirt away from her skin. She protested, grabbing at his hands.

On her neck, were long pink scars, zig zagging their way across her pale flesh. Some of the skin was puckered, and it kept going. He stared at it with loathing and Evangeline tried to pull her shirt out of his hands.

"Did he do this to you?" the anger in his voice made her flinch, but glare up at him. "I- sorry. It's just-"

"Yes. Fenrir Greyback did this to me. I survived. But when I find him . . . I'll kill him," she said with a determined voice. Draco believed her. The venom in her tone led him to believe every word.

"Don't ever do that again."

"What?" he said startled.

"Kiss me to shut me up," she snapped. Draco sighed.

"I won't," he told her, laying down on his back next to her. "But there's no way you could escape from here."

"Says who?" she asked with a raised brow of defiance.

"Well, you can't run out of here, there are wards all over the place. Bellatrix would be on you in seconds. And you can't apparate, only house elves, and the Dark Lord can."

"Vol- You-Know-Who can apparate out of the manor?" Evangeline asked curiously.

"The wards are attuned to him, his blood, because no one else has it," Draco told her. Instead of her reaction being crestfallen, like he had expected, it was excited, dare he say, gleeful? "What?"

"If the wards are attuned to his blood," she said maniacally, "then I can get through them."

He stared at her dumbly.

"I've got You-Know-Who's blood in me!"

He really should have seen that one coming.

A BIG hug to my reviewers!:

xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- was that some Draco action? He gets sweeter by the day. 3

Nizuna Fujieda- This one is a slight cliffie. Not much, but Draco's doing a head smack right now, wondering, "why do I put up with her?" Cause Ev is amazing!

TheElegantFaerie- hehe, scars. Did you like his reaction? I did, but it probably was a bit crazy.

wisegirl2772- This was so much fun to write. I hope I did them justice, they still need more time together, in my opinion. :P

Erugalatha Fael-ionath- I know! I was writing that chapter and I realized I'd written myself into a corner! So, I scrambled to find some way to save my own character and came up with the cutie. Glad I did. Phew! I was relieved too.

The Mysterious E- Does this help? I hope so. I feel bad about the cliffie and I apologize. But I do love a good cliffhanger.

WulfLuvr22- YOU GUESSED CORRECT! Yay! Although you probably already know that by now 'cause you just read the chapter. -_- Hope you liked it!

And I know that I could've posted sooner, but its FINALS. And I am blowing off a bunch of work to do this, so I'll probably fail. But school will be over, and I will be FREEEEEEEEEEE! Anyway, with love,

~Ciao