Chapter Seventeen: Blood, Tears and Freedom

My blood ran cold and drained from my face, just as it had from Draco's when a bony hand clasped at his throat and a wand aimed at his head. I didn't move a muscle. My world that had turned upside down once and had done it all over again and I couldn't make any sense of it.

"Draco," the woman behind him hissed as her wand trailed up and down the side of his face, "look at the trouble you have gotten yourself into now." She giggled and I wanted to wretch. What had I gotten us into?

Draco tried to wriggle free and I turned when I heard my father speak. "What is going on here!? I demand you leave at once. You have not been invited and therefore have no business being here."

I held my breath and closed my eyes. My father had just signed his death warrant. I didn't have to guess that the cloaked figures surrounding us were in fact Death Eaters. I knew as soon as they had appeared. Draco's presence had brought them here. I had seen him naked enough times to know that the mark on his arm was not false.

There was a screech in the air and a wand pointed at my father. It was a curse I was familiar with, even more so now having visited my mother. My father screamed and writhed with pain. When the curse desisted he was crumpled on the ground muttering to himself and the man who cast the curse was shouting, "DO NOT SPEAK AGAIN MUGGLE-LOVER!"

"This is your fault, Draco," the same man turned to face him, drawing his hood down. His long white-blonde hair told me this was Draco's father. "However," his father paused, "the wizard is powerful and has money. He will pay and then we will erase this night from his memory."

"Let the girl go," Draco said clearly, the hand at his throat obviously not hindering his ability to speak.

"The girl! The girl!" his father spat at his son. "She is coming with us."

"Why?" Draco croaked.

"As if you have to ask," the woman behind him with her wand now lowering to her side. "You chose an awfully funny play thing, Draco."

I shot her a dirty look and then flinched when the nearest cloaked Death Eater reached out to take my arm. A back hand slap to my face took care of that though and I licked the side of my mouth where a dribble of blood dripped. I was in hell now. And I was really pissed off.

I watched silently as my father was forced into writing a cheque for the Death Eaters, no doubt to go towards their galleons in debt, or to support their cause. This was so beyond my world now. I could see why Draco wanted me out. I wasn't prepared for this kind of violence. This wasn't my world. This was Draco's. And that thought, more than anything else, scared me to death.

After my father had handed over the papers for the money we made eye contact and while I felt little remorse for the manhandling this particular Death Eater was giving him, I felt nothing when he erased my father's memory. He would no longer be the CEO of this company. He didn't remember it anymore. This all meant that in four months, as soon as I turned 17, I would own everything. His VP would take care of matters for me until my birthday, if he managed to stay alive until then. He was no longer CEO. He was no longer my father.

The reality of the present world was crashing through my window and I didn't have a single defense to stop it. My only defense before this had been Draco and he was more mixed up in this strange and dangerous world than I have ever imagined.

My father slumped to the ground and that was the last I saw of him. He would go to St. Mungo's now and probably live out the rest of his days there, dreaming of living a life that no longer existed. Where would I go?

There was another flash of light and then utter darkness. We had Disapparated.

Where were we going now?

When we arrived at wherever we were I collapsed to the ground, finally dissolving into a fit of tears. Draco, who was no longer in the arms of the scary woman with crazy black and white hair, rushed to my side but did not bend toward me. I assumed he would get in far more trouble for bending to help me than the trouble he was in by rushing to my side.

"Your plaything isn't a very brave person," another woman with pin-straight blonde hair. "But I understand now where your head as been for the past couple of months Draco. She is alluring but hardly worth your time, don't you think?"

"It doesn't matter what I think, Mother," he retorted to the woman.

So this was Narcissa Malfoy. And the other woman who had taken her wand to him must have been Bellatrix Black, Draco's aunt. He had told me about them during one of our midnight encounters. It had been one of the more disturbing discussions we'd had because he didn't find his Aunt Bella a very pleasant person and I already knew exactly how he felt about his parents.

"How right you are," Lucius continued. "But there is the still the matter of your punishment and what we are going to do with her."

"Do with her? She is nothing to me. You can let her go back to Hogwarts and I will go back to the task the Dark Lord has given to me." Despite his biting words he subtly shifted his one foot closer to me letting me know that as much as I was a good actor, he could go one step further.

"Nothing to you?" Bellatrix had an evil grin on her face. "Then why don't you just kill her and be done with it, if she really is nothing to you."

My stomach dropped and while Draco's foot was almost touching my leg it was not comforting me at all hearing his aunt's threat. What was even more uncomfortable however was the nonchalant way in which Draco said, "Fine."

"Fine?" I squeaked.

"Shut up," he growled at me, and I did. What was going on?

He turned and walked away from me for a few seconds and then whirled around to face me. Our eyes met and he was furious…but not at me. Behind the rage I connected with the Draco that I had come to know over the past few months. I couldn't read exactly what he was trying to convey to me through the uncomfortable silence, but they did tell me I was going to be okay. I just hoped he was right.

He came at me and for a second I thought he was going to hit me. But I knew him better than I thought and when at the last second his rage died I knew instantly what he wanted me to do. His hand whizzed by my cheek and somewhere there was a loud SMACK and I fell back onto the hard marble floors. While I was down I covered the cheek he had supposedly hit and rubbed, hoping to produce flushed, red skin from the impact. My head snapped back and the eyes of our audience looked very satisfied with Draco's action and my reaction. So long as Draco didn't require me to make myself bleed things were going to be okay.

He 'hit' me a few more times, and together we were better actors than we ever believed possible. His family was eating it up, buying every false slap and fake punch. Draco even directed a few kicks to the stomach that I padded well away from my body using my arms. I was going to be bruised nonetheless, but this way I knew that Draco didn't actually wish to harm me.

"Enough!" Lucius protested. "You have magic in your veins boy, use it!"

My breath hitched in my throat. Damnit! The physical violence was meant to be a deterrent for any actual pain. I guess his family had had enough of the display of Draco's physical power over me, a weak woman.

"Finish the mudblood-lover," his aunt hissed. She was truly a terrifying and truly insane woman when I saw her up close.

Draco nodded and brought out his wand. He rushed towards me, grabbed at my throat, careful not to cut off any air though I pretended it hurt. He mouthed the words to me as he lifted me from the ground. It took me a few moments to understand what he had said but then it clicked: "Scream."

I had never been good at screaming, but this would have to be the minute I did it like a professional. I'd have to channel a little more of my mother tonight, and a little bit of the pain and rage I used to feel against my father.

I stood there, Draco with his hand at my throat and my eyes watched, like a deer caught in the headlights of the Knight Bus, he raised his wand and pointed it at my face. He blinked. I screamed. I attempted to fall, hoping it would be all the more dramatic to be brought to my knees again by such exquisite pain. He refused to let me though. His hand was gentle but firm on my throat and while I screamed I was almost unaware that he was shoving me back across the room. Whilst screaming he asked me a question with his eyes. He was going to hurt me for real this time, but only to make it seem more convincing. I nodded and screamed again. I felt my body make contact with the wall behind me and a sharp pain shot through my spine. This time he released me and let me crumple to the floor. He walked away as if I really were nothing to him.

His aunt Bellatrix was chortling and clapping her hands wildly. His father, while I did not look to see his face, was undoubtedly proud of his son's actions. I simply prayed to get out of there alive.

"She looks used to this kind of treatment from you, Draco dear," his mother crooned. I had a sudden image flash through my mind of Lucius and Narcissa, playing at the same game that Draco and I were forced to play now but instead theirs ended in a wild but violent embrace. I whimpered and hung my head.

"She is used to it, Mother," Draco replied, clear and cold. "It is not the first time I have touched her like this. This is simply the first time we have had an audience."

Lucius was quiet and pensive. I chanced a quick glance through the straggled strands of hair hanging around my face. He looked even more thoughtful than I had pictured in my mind. "Perhaps I misjudged you, Draco," he said finally, striding forward to his son purposefully. "This girl has been good for you. Should I allow you to keep her as your pet?"

Draco tensed his back to me and I almost gasped a sigh of relief, but held it back for his father had not yet made the final decision. "If it is your wish, Father," he replied. "I can find dozen like her at school. No one quite bears up against me as she however. She is quite a rarity and I enjoy exerting my physical strength over her. She can take it."

"She enjoys submitting to the power of a Malfoy," his mother said quietly, intrigued and once again reflecting on her own life with Lucius. They were drawing the wrong conclusions about me, but I didn't care. My father had been dealt with and I wanted to get out of here. "She may one day prove of use to Draco," she continued, now making a plea towards her husband. "He needs someone who can withstand this world, who will stand beside him, as I have you."

"Does she care for such a life?" Lucius wondered aloud.

Bellatrix was silent, watching the entire scene with wild eyes. Gone was her giddy nature that had broken whilst I was being beaten. She now looked as dark as the shadows that encompassed her.

I knew what I had to do. I shook more visibly so I might draw more attention to myself. I weakly ignored the throbbing pain coming from my back and made the motions to stand, one foot and then the other. I pushed back my wild hair with my chin slightly higher than before, I walked as strongly as I could manage towards Draco. His eyes were wide and as dark as his aunt's. I stood before him, didn't touch him, and bowed my head. His family assumed this meant I was requesting more punishment. Draco knew it to be something completely different. I was winning the decision for him.

"You may keep her Draco, for now." His father had decided in our favor. "I do not believe she is cut out for our life, but she may be easily disposed of in the end. I will not ask what you were doing in the heart of London with that man, Loden Morris, though seeing you have his daughter one can only guess. It doesn't matter any longer however. Return to Hogwarts now and complete your task, as required of you. DO NOT allow this dalliance to hinder your abilities. I doubted you before and I do not now, but you have my warning."

Lucius took his son's arm and Narcissa stepped forward to take mine. In a whirl that made me want to wretch again we Disapparated again.

We arrived in Hogsmeade. It was dark out, as I suspected, nearing midnight. There was a howl in the distance that made my blood run cold. Lucius and Narcissa stepped back from us, linked arms again and disappeared.

It took a few minutes for us to realize that we were in fact quite alone and that this night had finally ended. But when the realization hit, Draco rushed towards me, wrapped his arms around me and I could hear him breathe deeply. He clutched my hair and buried his face in the crook between my neck and shoulder. I likewise grabbed on to him, memorizing his scent once more.

I was crying; I could feel it on my face. The cumulated events of this night had brought me to a blubbering wreck, but that was okay.

He pulled back, not so far as to leave my embrace, but enough for him to look into my eyes. He brushed back whatever stray hairs there were and looked for any evident injury aside from my split lip from when the Death Eater had struck me earlier. "You're okay?" he asked, though he was reassuring himself more than asking me the question. "I'm sorry I hurt you, but I had to." I could see he was more shaken than I was.

"Draco," my voice cracked when I said his name. My hand found his cheek instantly and I kissed him, let our mouths meld and our arms locked around each other once again. When the passionate kiss ended I held my head against his forehead. "I'm fine Draco. We're both fine. I should never have made you agree to come to London with me. It would have been safer for the both of us."

"Hey, shh, shhh," he attempted to calm me, "I made a promise. Not a vow, not bound by blood as I am to other things in this world, a promise and I intended to keep it. I did keep it, that's all that should matter."

"I know," I cried, "but my father…" My voice shook again.

"Your father will never bother you again. He doesn't even remember who he is. He was never a real father to you anyway."

"But your father—"

"My father is my business," he cut me off harshly and I blinked. "You are no longer in his reach, Sadie. We know what is going to happen. We know our roles in this game. We did before tonight. We know even better now."

My bottom lip quivered. I nodded though, knowing that he was right. He had saved me tonight. He had saved me from my father and then his family. Perhaps in some small way I had saved him too. "What would they have done to you if…?" If I hadn't convinced them that the violence was what I truly wanted? I didn't say the words but Draco knew what I was talking about.

"You have seen the scars, my love," he said quietly, "but this would have been worse and probably would not have healed for months." I know I looked sad. I was almost heartbroken to hear that his family did such cruel things to him. His hand lifted my chin though and I opened my eyes. "Thank you."

He didn't have to say what he was thankful for. We were so alike that we had at last come to the stage of communicating without words on a purely mental level. In the beginning it had been all lust and desire. Then it had moved to anger and rage. Now we had come to the plain of peace and understanding.

We kissed again, our hands interlocking at our sides. "I want to go home," I said finally, knowing we were standing in a deserted part of Hogsmeade and were less safe here than behind the gates of Hogwarts. It was also very cold and I was in stilettos and a blazer.

We walked in the direction of the school and in no time at all we passed through the gates after a cursory inspection from the night wizard. He had instructions from McGonagall to allow us in however and I was thankful for her uncanny foresight.

We were both quiet as we walked the corridors and climbed the stairs. It was a silent agreement we made when entering the school that this night was not meant for sleeping in our own beds alone. Tonight we made our way to the Room of Requirement, a familiar path to the both of us.

We walked back and forth in front of the door three times, picturing in our minds the room we had come to know and cherish as a little hideaway from the rest of the world. I suddenly had an idea. When we entered the room I stopped and faced him. "Draco, I want to do something for you. For us."

"What?" he asked.

"I don't know how long this war will last. I know that we are not meant to be together past these next few months. I'm not even sure I'll return from Australia after the Christmas break. But I am going to do it anyway."

"Do what, exactly?"

"I'm going to set up a place for us. It will be somewhere safe, a hideaway, in Switzerland I think, safeguarded by magical enchantments. But it will be ours. When it ends, if I have no knowledge whether you are alive or dead," (the words hurt to say and my throat was dry and numb almost), "I will be there. I may never see you. It may be the last we see of each other ever. It may prove a new beginning in a new world, but it will be ours. Yours and mine."

"You cannot know what will transpire, Sadie," he said, holding her hands.

"I know," I shook my head, "I know that. I just want this little beacon, please. We survived tonight and while that is only a drop in the ocean compared to what is to come, we survived and I have faith and hope that we will continue to survive in this cruel and messed up world that has tried to control us."

He looked at my dubiously for a few seconds, his eyes shifting through feelings and emotions that passed too quickly for me to decipher. In the end a slow smile spread across his face. He nodded, "Okay."

I threw my arms around him in happiness and tried to bite back the wince as I strained my injured muscles. Draco caught it though and while any other man would cease to touch me and refuse any sort of physical contact, he did not. He began to remove my dirty clothes, along with his, and then when both of us were naked he whisked me up into his arms and carried me to the bed.

He lay me down gently and then held himself above me. It was a beautiful feeling knowing our skin was touching and we were far away from the outside world.

I thought back to what we had both endured. I smiled. "You became a man before my eyes tonight, Draco."

His brilliant smile warmed me to the depths of my soul. "I became a man the day I met you."

We spent the night forgetting everything else but just us two. It hadn't gone exactly as I planned, and while yes I was more terrified of his family than ever, at least I was free in my own life to do as I pleased. Draco's freedom would have to wait a little longer. He was a spirit that longed to run wild and free. He was free with me, to be himself and do as he pleased, but even that was going to end for him. I hoped that knowing my freedom had been achieved he had faith his too would come.