Chapter 15: Lagoon

Harry looked at the picture he had taken while she wasn't looking. It was Hessa smelling some flowers at a local cart. Every so often he would take it out and stare, almost expecting her just to walk out of it, but she didn't. He sighed and put it back…the bond, why wasn't he selected? Still, it made sense. Draco never wavered from Hessa. Sure he dated around, but he was always around Hessa, whether he was bullying her or not. Where as he had snogged Cho, yes…it was consensual, he lied about it only because he didn't want to hurt his chances with being with Hessa again.

Lupin said that it was just her pheromones that were making him feel this way, but then why did he still? She hadn't been around him at all these past few months…and the last time he saw her she was saying how sorry she was. It wasn't her fault…but how beautiful she looked in her traditional Conk garb, almost like royalty. But why a Malfoy? Gods forbid that he Harry Potter, actually be bonded to a girl he had felt close to all this time…yet, if she was really meant to be his, would it have been so easy to abandon her? But it really wasn't! Not at all! He thought about her the whole time…yet, he was serious with Ginny.

Did Malfoy treat her well? Or was he a monster to her too?

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Hessa awoke in Draco's arms, she looked up to find him smoking a cigarette. "He's dead," Draco said plainly.

"W…why?"

"What do you mean, WHY? The man was going to rape you and kill you if I didn't give you to him. Did you think I was just going to let him do it all because he was a Malfoy?"

"I…no, but he was your father," she said softly.

"He was a madman. I couldn't let him do it Hessa, I couldn't let him break you like he tried to do to me and my mother. And you would break, you're not a true Malfoy…cold and hard like steel, downright mean. That isn't you and I won't let it be you…," his free arm wrapped around her and hugged her tightly. "We will have to leave soon."

"But I thought…"

"I have killed the right hand of Voldemort. I wasn't going to just take his place, Hessa. I am simply a tool to them, I have been from the very beginning. My mother has discovered the body…"

"Is she alright…?"

"More than alright, she's gone into hiding and we will too. Did you know that if I hadn't improved at all, that Dark Lord would have most likely killed me?" Hessa shook her head. "Yes…I was already a sadistic little fucker but I just couldn't get out of my father's shadow…until that day you told me what kind of man you really wanted. How you admired POTTER. You gave me the strength to be whatever it is I am and looking back, I don't regret it." He slowly stood her up and by this time he had put out his cigarette.

"I didn't know you smoked," Hessa looked at him curiously.

"I think the situation called for one, don't you?"

"Can I have one?"

"No, it will make you sick."

"But…"

"I said no, Hessa…now, wear your cloak, its cold outside."

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Draco and Hessa left Malfoy Manor quietly, he looked back at it knowing that he would be it's master again some day, but not now. He looked down at his Conk, she wasn't very cold, mostly because of her traditional clothing. It took him forever to find a tailor who knew what he was talking about and even then he had to make it a very hush, hush deal. Finally they got on his broom and he placed her neatly between his legs, she loved to fly so there would be no problem.

They flew under cloud cover and disillusionment charms and cloud cover until they got to their destination, no doubt other Death Eaters would want to know where they were going. They finally landed at a base of a cave. Hessa awed at the ocean under the moonlight, she never really saw the ocean before. "This is nothing," Draco stated. "Wait until you get inside."

It was almost a treat for her. There was a crystal blue waterfall that fell into a lake, little cliffs were everywhere to sit around it and there was a white beach as well. Draco watched as she seemed to play in the sand and pick up sea shells and felt a pang of guilt. He had kept Hessa in the house for too long. Conks had a natural curiosity towards nature and loved the outdoors, but his pang was removed when she seemed to smiling happily while looking at some fish. Conks also seemed to have boldness…because Hessa stripped down with no thought to modesty and started to swim in the lake. Hopefully she didn't do this in front of just anyone.

Draco tilted his head and she dived and did back strokes, then climbed back on the beach and rested her naked body to dry off. 'Ignore it,' he thought. If he didn't, his need to mate would conquer and he needed to set up their tent. Still, her playful giggling was like an aphrodisiac and his ears twitched, causing his head to turn a bit and clenched his jaw. It was not her fault, of course she wouldn't be modest now, it was just them.

Just them.

Now he could marry Hessa if he wanted…and he would. With his father dead, the contract was null and void and his mother hated Pansi as much as he did. He shook his head, finished the tent and went inside to avoid something very aggressive and rash towards Hessa. She had been through already one ordeal of nearly being raped, and didn't need to feel almost violated again.

She had finally come through the tent and dinner was ready. Draco had taken one of the house elves and his mother took the other. Hessa looked at him and wondered whether or not they should go ahead and talk to the Order about helping them. Plus, she would like to see her friends again…but would they try and trap Draco, would they try and take him away from her and her him, try and find out what she was, question her and find out what Voldemort exactly did to Draco…?

"What is it, my pet?" Draco disrupted her thoughts.

"Nothing really…except, what do we do now?"

"Hide for a while, I suppose. I have enough money put away to take care of us for a while, why?"

"It's just…maybe…we should go to the Order, help them…," Hessa winced when Draco slammed down his plate with his fish and vegetables and stood up.

"What for, so you can see POTTER!"

"NO! It's just that we could help them stop Vol…the Dark Lord and then we wouldn't have to go into hiding anymore!"

"You don't need protection, you have me! Still fawning over the boy wonder…, do you wish to be with him instead?"

"I said, no," Hessa stood up, her fists clenched and looking up at him angry. "You always think that I want him, that I want to be with him, maybe I did," she nearly jumped when he growled but stood her ground. "But that was because of your father…because of my father's death…what else would you have me wish for? I want to see my friends again, to just be around other people."

"Go to bed, Hessa…"

"What? It's not even 8 o'clock? And since when am I a child!"

"I'm done discussing this, go to bed," Draco growled.

"No," Hessa clenched her jaw, trying to look fierce…but that was about as effective as a kitten hissing to him.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said, no…," she marched out of the tent and went and sat by the beach.

Draco stared at the place she was standing, she had hardly said 'no' to him, but for some reason, at this particular time, it had angered him. He marched out and was next to her, "get back in the tent!"

"I'm fine right where I am, you need to calm down so you can see reason. Instead of acting like a jealous little boy!" A small screech came from her when Draco pulled her up by one of her arms and pulled her back to the tent. Normally he would just carry her off when she was being stubborn and didn't want to go anywhere, but this time he was trying to deliberately make it hurt. "Let go, you're hurting me!" Hessa was finally afraid of him and she hadn't been afraid of him in a while, there was true anger in his eyes and she made a 'ooof' sound when he threw her on the bed, her other hand rubbed her arm that he'd hurt.

She then felt his weight on her, but to do nothing more than put his hand around her neck, nearly choking her…he promised he wouldn't do this again! Draco looked coldly down at her, cocking his head as he watched her feeble attempts to remove his hand….still, why was he doing this to her? All Hessa did was mention that they should go to the Order for help…even then, the idea of her being around POTTER. But why just Potter? Why not just any man? Because no other man bothered him, no since he father, no other man dared go near her and knew it…but not Potter. He wasn't jealous of the Weasleys, not since the potion had taken full effect…

"Draco…," Hessa's eyes glassed over with tears. He finally let go and watched as she coughed. "W…why?"

"I'm sorry, but you just won't listen," he said it weakly…it was Potter's name.

Rubbing her neck, she got up slowly and looked at him as if she didn't know him…

"Hessa," but Draco watched as she went over by the fire and sat down. "I didn't mean to do it, I lost my temper…" The truth was he would rather her be dead then be Potter's…but she wouldn't be, she was bonded to him.

She just stared ahead, "I don't want to talk to you…"

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After she was asleep, Draco looked through the book for any sign of what he was doing. Obviously he had screwed up, it would be days before she even looked at him. The tent has a warm feel to it with it's greenish draperies and velvet furniture, funny what you think about when it was late. Finally something caught his eye, something he had apparently missed and he immediately ripped it from the book…she didn't need to know that and was sure she hadn't read it. Lately there was little interest in the book with her, but Hessa wasn't like Hermione, once Hessa found what information she needed, there was no need to really look for more unless she was instructed. And though she loved reading, it was more fictional stories more than anything.

He stuffed it in his pocket, no need to burn it in case there was other information on the back of it. One day he'd put this book away and then he'd reattach it. Draco stood up and went back to bed and brought Hessa with him…she should know better than to assume that he would leave her there, regardless of whether or not she was mad at him…the usual position was taken of him practically engulfing her in his embrace.