Chapter 16: Say Something, I'm Giving Up on You
"Hello?" Leolin called setting down her wand and pulling off her coat. "Severina? Sei qui?"
"I'm on the balcony," Severina called. "Come join me."
"There you are," Severina purred when Leolin emerged onto her large terrace.
Severina was sitting at the table, bouncing her eight-month-old Isadora on her knee.
"Mira, Isa," she told the baby. "¿Quién es eso?"
"It's done," Leolin said cryptically. "We were in and out with no alarms. Tomorrow is Monday, so the Borghese probably won't realize they've been robbed until Tuesday, at the earliest. I'm sure Teller will call me in to consult, but I've already set up a convincing false trail for he and the aurors' office to follow in Tel Aviv. The piece will be long gone before he realizes that's a dead end."
Leolin flopped down, rubbing her eyes. Severina frowned sympathetically.
"You looked tense, tesora," Severina observed. "Here, hold the baby."
Leolin smiled, accepting Isa gladly.
"Hello, mon petit bebe," she to Isa. "Comment ça va?"
Severina smiled.
"Between, you, me, and her papa, she will speak four languages before she can walk."
Leolin smiled, stroking the baby's cheek.
"Good," Leolin said dryly. "She's going to need it if she wants to be a criminal like her madrina."
Severina laughed heartily.
"At the very least, it will make her an accomplished socialite."
"And beautiful," Leolin cooed, tickling Isa's round stomach. "Smeriglio, look at those eyes. They're gorgeous. She looks like you, Ri. Both the girls do."
Severina smiled.
"I think she looks more like Xavy. She has his perfect lips. Now my Angie, she looks just like me."
"Non," Leolin said. "I think Isa's going to grow up to be her mama's twin, too. People are going to think you three are the Borgia sisters."
"I hope they will be more well-behaved than their mama," Severina said.
Leolin shook her head.
"You know she won't be," Leolin said, laughing a little and bouncing a babbling Isa. "She's going to be just as wild. Angie maybe less so, but Isa is going to be a handful, I can already tell."
"I only hope in her foolishness she stumbles on loyal friends, as I have."
Leolin said nothing, only smiled and extended her hand, which Severina squeezed gratefully.
"She will always have me," Leolin said softly, kissing Isa's soft head.
"I'm grateful for that," Severina said seriously. "I thought when I found Xavy that my family was complete. It was only after I met you that I realized there was always una sorella missing."
Leolin's cheeks flooded with colour.
"Thank you," she murmured, kissing the baby's head again. "It feels good to be part of a family again."
"What about your own family?" Severina asked pointedly. "Your parents? Are you ever going to go home to see them again?"
Leolin looked down, her grip on Isa tightened a little.
"Someday," Leolin lied.
Who was she kidding? She could never go home. She knew that, and on some strange level it felt like Severina knew it, too.
They were silent for a few minutes, and Leolin could feel Severina scrutinizing her. She needed to change the subject before Severina dug her claws in. However, it was too late. Severina was on her before she could speak again.
"Why don't you have a boyfriend?" Severina said frankly. "Ilario has been asking about you again."
"Who is Ilario?" Leolin asked.
"Xavy's sexy banker friend from Siena. Why don't you let him take you out and make you happy, cara mia?"
"I'm only twenty three," Leolin defended, trying to laugh it off. "I'm not ready to settle down."
Severina wasn't fooled.
"You would have been married three years already if you hadn't left Inglaterra. Do you realize that?"
"Did you consider that's why I left?" Leolin countered, growing visibly nervous.
Severina had been inching closer to the truth for months, and Leolin was terrified she might actually discover it. If she did, Leolin would have to face her demons at last, and she wasn't ready for that.
"No," Severina said simply. "Because that's not why you left."
"How do you know? You weren't even there."
"I know," Severina said evenly. "Because I've seen you and Draco together. I know how much you loved each other."
Leolin stood abruptly, needing somewhere to pace.
"Don't mistake Draco's adoration for me with true love. Those were Draco's feelings you saw, not mine. My sentiments never ran as deep."
"For a thief," Severina said calmly. "You are a terrible liar, Leolin Lefevre."
"Sev, I—" she began, but Severina cut her off.
"I saw you, Leolin. The night of the gala. I saw your face when Draco and I walked in together."
She looked remorseful but resolute, and her candor was wearing away at Leolin's resolve. Leolin turned her back and continued to rock the baby.
"I know how much you loved him. How much I think you still love him."
"Things changed," Leolin said desperately. "My feeling's changed."
"So you decided to leave?" Severina said.
"I wanted a fresh start," Leolin said. "I needed—to get away, to get out of the UK start something new on my own."
"And so you called your loathsome cousin to help you?" Severina asked, clearly not impressed by Leolin's lies. "Why him?"
"I wanted to slip out quietly," Leolin said in agitation. "I wanted someone who wasn't at the wedding to come get me."
Severina gave a sad smile.
"That's how I know you're lying about something," she said in a soft voice.
"What do you mean? No, I—"
"I know you think because we weren't friends yet that I don't know how you would have thought back then, but you're wrong. You were still my Leolin. You still had that same brain I love, and so I know where you would have gone if you were in trouble."
"What are you talking about?" Leolin demanded.
She could she the tidal waves' shadow looming over her, though she had nowhere to run from it.
"If you just had cold feet and wanted to get away, you wouldn't have called Cristian. Cristian's vile and repugnant, and when you came to me in Valencia you were practically his slave. Now, if things were as simple as you said, you would have gone to only man besides Draco you've ever loved."
"I've never loved anyone else," Leolin said at once, though she could see where Severina was going with this.
"Yes you have," Severina said. "Kelly Troy. You were able to convince Draco you didn't, I know, but I know you did. If you needed help, he would have been there. That tells me that you were in more trouble than you'd like to admit, and you called Cristian because he was the only person with the skills to help you disappear."
"Ri, please—"
Severina wouldn't relent.
"What happened, tesoro? Whatever it is, you can tell me."
Leolin held Isa, who was falling sleep, a little tighter in her arms.
"Leolin," Severina said gently, rising to rub her friend's back. "Dimmi."
Leolin turned, her face the very portrait of anguish.
"It was awful," she bit out.
"What was?" Severina said soothingly, gently taking the baby so Leolin was free before settling her in a chair. "dimmi, cara mia. Let it out."
Leolin buried her face in her hands, shaking her head.
"I didn't want to go," she admitted at last. "I loved Draco. I love him still."
"Then why did you?" Severina urged.
Leolin shook her head.
"I had to!" she snapped. "Lucius—made me."
"How?" Severina said, frowning. "What happened?"
Leolin shook her head again.
"Did he threaten you?" Severina asked.
"It was worse than that," Leolin said, her voice quaking with unnamed emotion.
Severina was looking at her quizzically, and Leolin sighed. This was Severina. If there was anyone that Leolin could trust to midwife this secret into the world, it was Sev.
"He came to my room looking like Draco," Leolin said, bowing her head. "And he—we—"
"Oh Leolin," Severina said softly, coming to hold her friend.
"That's not the worst of it," Leolin said numbly. "Do you know what the Le Fey curse is?"
Severina nodded.
"Then you know how it's made."
Severina covered her mouth, and Leolin nodded.
"Lucius threatened to give some to Blaise Zabini if I didn't agree to leave. Then he made he sign a contract saying I would never contact any of them ever again and threw me out."
Severina cradled Leolin's head as she let it hang loosely towards her chest.
"That's why I don't have a boyfriend," Leolin said tightly, tears welling in her eyes. "Because I'm still desperately in love with Draco."
The tears began to swell in earnest now.
"And now I can never go back," she whimpered. "And I can never see my family."
Severina touched Leolin's forehead with her own.
"Oh Tesoro," she said, tears in her eyes as well. "Oh my beautiful girl. Me despiace. I'm so sorry. Is there nothing you can do?"
"No," Leolin said in a hollow voice. "It's over. I lost."
When Leolin opened her eyes, she saw only white, and she feared for a moment that she was dead. She blinked slowly several times, and even that hurt tremendously. However, things became clearer with every sweep of her lashes, and a face began to materialize. She assumed it was Draco at first, but as things became clearer she groaned, a disgusting pit forming in her stomach.
Gen sat in a chair next to her bed, and it was clear she'd been there for some time. She was currently slumped, sleeping.
"Are you here to smother me with a pillow?" Leolin said hoarsely. "I assume you feel compelled to finish what you started."
Gen sat up at once, smoothing her hair and giving Leolin an odd and unnerving look. Leolin recognized after a minute that it was some mix of relief and sympathy. That made her throat ache. Things must have been desperate if Draco was allowing Gen to sit vigil at her bedside.
"Despite what you think," Gen said, her eyes just a touch more hateful now. "I would never wish death on you. I'm the one who saved you life."
"Saved my life? How do you figure?" Leolin said, trying to sound venomous. In reality she just sounded frail. She'd never felt so weak in all her life.
"You told me to get Draco," Gen said. "And I sent him to you. You're welcome."
"And just how long did you wait before telling him I'd gone missing?" Leolin demanded bitterly. "I was there for hours before Draco showed up. Do you mean to tell me you flooed him straight away and it simply took him that long to find me?"
Gen's flushed cheeks indicated that Leolin had been right, Gen had waited hours to call Draco. Leolin felt so angry she thought she might throw up.
"I knew you hated me," Leolin said hoarsely. "I guess I didn't realize just how much."
She could tell Gen was truly hurt by this accusation.
"Despite what you think of me," she said tightly. "And how I do admittedly feel about you, I wouldn't want to see you fall in Adrian Pucey's hands. I know what he wants to do to you. I wouldn't wish that on any woman; not even you."
"Then why did you wait?" Leolin pleaded, tears in her eyes. "If our places were reversed, I wouldn't have left you there alone, even if I thought it would cost me Draco."
"I'm sorry," Gen said, and Leolin couldn't decide if it was truly an admission of guilt or if she was just so messed up that she was getting paranoid. "I wished this hadn't happened to you."
There were tears in her eyes as well. Leolin laid back. She had to admit to herself that despite all Gen's other failings, she didn't seem capable of murder, even by way of non-action.
"Where is everyone?" Leolin said at last.
"You're little murder spree has really caused some problems, so everyone's running around putting out fires."
"And they left you in charge of me?" Leolin asked weakly.
"I volunteered," she said in a soft voice, as if she was embarrassed.
"Why? Because you felt guilty?" Leolin said venomously, the paranoia flaring again.
Gen bowed her head.
"Grace was really sick, I was worried half to death about her. I—I never dreamed Harry wouldn't bring you back with him. I was terrified when they obliterated your tracker."
"How can I believe that?" Leolin demanded. "How can you possibly expect me to believe that after everything you and I have been through the few six weeks?"
Gen shook her head.
"Even half-dead you're a bitch," Gen sneered.
"Was this supposed to be your version of an apology?" Leolin asked. "Because it was bloody bollocks."
"I'm not sorry," Gen said. "I didn't do anything wrong. I'm only sorry that it wasn't enough, but I'm not going to apologise for something that isn't true."
"Fine," Leolin whispered. "You're a bloody angel. Satisfied?" Leolin said, trying to sit up. However, a searing pain shot down into her lower abdomen and into her legs and she fell back, heaving.
Gen watched her movements keenly, as if some part of her wanted to advise Leolin to keep still.
"You shouldn't move around," she said at last. "You'll only do more damage, and between you and me, I don't think you want that." Gen paused, eyes glittering with something between malice and pity. "The damage might be permanent already."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Something about the way Gen said permanent scared Leolin. Gently she made to touch her stomach, but it hurt too badly, and she pulled her hand away, wincing.
"I don't envy you," Gen continued quietly, a genuine and doleful pity in her voice. "Things like this can really change the trajectory of a woman's life."
"What does that even mean?" Leolin snapped again, trying in vain to remember just what had happened to her.
She remembered Scabior clearly, and Travers and Rosier, but everything after Draco kissing her was foggy. Had he told her he loved her, or was that all in her mind? She could have sworn it was real, but the fact that Gen was still here made it seem less plausible. All this thinking was making her feel nauseous, and she just wanted to sleep.
"Get out," she said tiredly to Gen.
"I have to stay," Gen said. "Doctor's orders."
She gestured to a device next to Leolin, were a white ball floated in a tank of effervescent water. Leolin had no idea what it was for, but she's seen them at St. Mungo's before.
Leolin closed her eyes, an unease creeping up her spine. She felt like she needed to cry, but she really didn't fancy doing it in front of Gen.
"This didn't have to be so unpleasant, you know," Gen said softly. "If you had been nicer to me, we could have been friends. I told you that the first night we met, and I genuinely meant it."
"Piss off," Leolin said coldly. "I don't owe you anything, least of all my kindness."
"I'm not your enemy," Gen said, her voice oddly meek again. "Your enemies are the one that put you in this bed. Remember that."
Leolin, who had been rubbed ragged by the whole affair, found herself biting out something she'd inwardly promised she'd never admit out loud.
"You stole my life," Leolin said with venom. "You stole the love of my life. How could you ever be anything other than my enemy?"
Gen smiled grimly.
"Finally, we can be honest with each other," she said, her eyes chilly even as she continued to smile.
"I didn't realize that what our relationship was missing," Leolin said, closing her eyes. Her wound was aching now, and it was all she could do to keep the feeling at bay.
"When you two went to London," Gen demanded softly, her voice tight. "Did you sleep with him?"
Leolin didn't open her eyes.
"Shouldn't you be asking Draco that?" Leolin grit out. The pain was coming in waves now, which made it hard to breathe normally.
"He said nothing happened," she admitted.
"And you don't believe him?" Leolin asked.
"I have to be sure," Gen said.
"And you expect me to put your mind at ease?" Leolin asked. "Dream on, you little snake."
Gen watched Leolin struggle before tapping her wand against a wire. She then shook her head and stood.
"It was you that gave him up the first time," Gen pointed out sourly. "You have no right to begrudge our chance at happiness now."
Leolin grit her teeth against the pain and shook her head to indicate she really didn't give a damn about Gen's happiness.
"Though I suppose it really doesn't matter now, anyways," Gen said, shaking her head again as she looked at Leolin's bandaged wound. "You can't give him to one thing he's always wanted most."
She stood, and despite the pain, Leolin grabbed her wrist.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Leolin demanded hotly. "What is it that you think Draco wants most in this world?"
"Why should I put you mind at ease?" Gen said. "Now let go of me."
Leolin did what she was told, if only because she didn't have the strength to hold Gen there.
"I'll tell the others you made it through the night," Gen said, sounding bitter. "I'm sure everyone will be jumping for joy."
"Get out," Leolin hissed.
"With pleasure," Gen said.
With that, she swept out of the room, slamming the door behind her. However, it only remained shut for a moment of two before Blaise slid in, his eyes trained on her.
"Leolin," he breathed, relief flooding into the creases on his worried frown and making them disappear. "Thank Merlin."
He came to her side, sinking into Gen's unoccupied chair and touching her cheek.
"Thank Merlin," he repeated, sounded almost choked up. "You've been out for almost twenty-four hours. We were worried you might—"
She nodded at his implication before swallowing heavily. She didn't want to think about that.
"Where's Draco?"
"He went to fetch your parents. They got hung up in customs by the American Aurors, but Draco and Brankovitch are smoothing things over."
She nodded grimly, and Blaise took her hand.
"How do you feel? You put up a hell of a fight."
"I'm in a lot of pain," she admitted, and he nodded. "What happened to me?"
"Dolohov hit you with a sectumsepra," he admitted.
"I remember that vaguely," she said. "I remember the blood."
She swallowed heavily and he nodded.
"You're body's been through a pretty big trauma; you lost almost four pints."
"Was Snape here?" she asked weakly. "I remember Draco saying his name over and over."
Blaise's jaw tensed.
"No," he said at last.
She gave him a quizzical look and he frowned, looking down.
"That was Snape's spell that Dolohov used on you. Draco wanted him to come and fix you up, but Lucius caught wind of all this and snarled him up at King's Cross. He couldn't get here, so we had to improvise. You're going to see him as soon as you get home."
"How bad was it?"
Blaise grimaced.
"It was touch and go for awhile," he admitted." But the healer said that if you could make it through the night you would live." He squeezed her hand. "We knew you would."
"Is Ginny here?"
"She will be," Blaise said. "She went with Draco."
"Blaise?"
Blaise turned to look at the newcomer in the doorway.
"Come in."
A young girl no older than twenty-one or twenty-two slid in the doorway, a clipboard held tight to her chest. She was wearing a healer's white coat, and her auburn hair was pulled away from her face in a long, neat ponytail. Behind her dark-rimmed glasses were serious-looking blue eyes, and they surveyed Leolin critically as she approached.
"Who are you?" Leolin demanded.
The girl adjusted her glasses somewhat nervously.
"Your healer," the girl said, adjusting her glasses again before setting down her clipboard.
Leolin looked at Blaise quizzically.
"It's alright," he said. "We can trust her. Lyra's been a friend of my family for ages, and she's a healer student in Atlanta. She was the only person we had this side of the Atlantic."
"You're still in school?" Leolin asked, feeling sick to her aching stomach. "I mean, you're not even a real healer yet?"
Lyra and Blaise traded a glance. Finally, Lyra's blue eyes dragged back to Leolin..
"I'm in my residency," Lyra explained. "I'm almost done."
"She was one of Snape's top students," Blaise explained. "Aside from him, she's the most equipped person to handle this sort of thing. We're lucky she was stateside. You probably would have died otherwise. And she took a great risk coming here. Her dad and her brother both work at the ministry. If Lucius found out she helped you, they could both be in danger."
"In that case," Leolin said, feeling someone sheepish. "Thank you."
Lyra nodded, readjusting her glasses again. Leolin could see now she was nervous, and she felt for the poor girl. Would she risk her family's lives to help a complete stranger? She honestly wasn't sure.
"May I?" Lyra said to Blaise, indicating she needed to move closer to Leolin.
"Of course," Blaise said.
Lyra stepped up, gently lifting Leolin's shirt to reveal a jagged, angry scar. With a feather-light touch, she prodding Leolin's lower abdomen, biting her lip as Leolin winced in pain.
"It's healing, albeit slowly. When Professor Snape sees you, he can speed up the process. I'm afraid he wouldn't tell me the counterspell, so I had to improvise."
"And the scar—" Leolin said, feeling a bit embarrassed for even asking, but even in the face of death she was vain.
"Once the wound is properly healed, we can clean it up. It won't go away entirely, but it will be a lot less visible."
"What about permanent damage?" Leolin asked. "Gen said something might be permanent."
Lyra and Blaise traded a worried look, and Lyra sank down in the chair and reached for Leolin's hand. Leolin looked at it wearily for a second before accepting the gesture.
"The cut was deep," Lyra admitted. "And it—" she paused, looking down for a second. "It severed the top wall of your uterus."
Suddenly Leolin's ears were buzzing so loud she could barely hear, and her mouth was bone dry. She thought back to what Gen had said about what Draco wanted most in the world, and she felt like her heart was dead and rotting in her chest.
"Are you saying I can't have children?" Leolin asked hoarsely.
She thought of Maximilien and Henri and Amelie's new baby, and her heart ached.
"I repaired the damage," Lyra said. "But the reproductive system is very fragile. A trauma like this can prove irreparable."
"How certain are you?" Leolin croaked, inadvertently squeezing Lyra's hand a little tighter.
"It's hard to say," Lyra admitted. "A specialist would be able to tell you more."
"But in your opinion," Leolin said, grasping at straws. "In your professional medical opinion, will I be able to conceive and carry a child?"
Lyra readjusted her glasses and sighed. "The damage was—extensive."
"Does that mean no?" Leolin whispered, looking at Blaise in a dull panic. He looked grief-stricken for her sake.
"I'm sorry," Lyra said. "But in my professional medical opinion, no, you will not be able to have children."
Leolin swallowed hard, forcing the lump in her throat back down into her chest. Perhaps this was her penance for her hesitancy to want children.
"I'm so sorry, Lai," Blaise breathed sympathetically.
Leolin nodded dazedly.
"I know this is a shock," Lyra said gently. "But try to just relax. Stress can be really detrimental to the recovery process."
Again, Leolin nodded, the buzzing in her ears louder now. She knew she needed to cry, but she didn't want to do it in front on anyone else.
"Can—" she began hoarsely. "Can I please be alone?"
"Of course," Lyra said sympathetically. "Just tap this wire if you need anything."
Leolin nodded gratefully, returning the soft smile Blaise gave her with as much vigour as she could muster. He bent to brush a kiss on her forehead.
"I will send Ginny in as soon as she's back."
"Thank you," Leolin whispered and Blaise nodded before ushering Lyra out.
When she was alone, Leolin bit her lip, bitterly wishing she could travel in time. Yesterday she had been convinced her predicament couldn't get any worse, but she realized her perceived low point has actually been a false bottom. This was the cruelest outcome she could have imagined. In some ways, it would have just been easier to die.
She had thought at first she needed to cry, but she could feel herself simply ingesting the grief instead. She felt it slipping down her throat and pooling in the forgotten corners of her dark heart. How could she even win back Draco's love now? How could he possibly want her in this state? She was damaged goods, even more than she was before.
"Knock, knock," someone called softly, and Leolin looked up, a small warmth blooming in her chest when she saw who it was.
"Kelly," she breathed hoarsely as he emerged more fully, an obscenely large bundle of yellow roses in his arm.
He gave her a soft but incredibly warm smile.
"I heard Malfoy was out of the house, so I figured it was my only chance to see you."
He set the rose gently down on her bed and sank into the chair.
"I'm so happy you're here," she choked, touching his cheek gently.
Seeing the sadness in her eyes, he did something unexpected. Curling a hand softly around the back of her neck, he leaned forward and kissed her. Some part of Leolin registered that there were a thousand reasons she ought not to kiss him back, but the solace she'd always found in his embrace came rushing back, and she brought her other hand to his opposite cheek, deepening the kiss. Finally, he pulled away, resting his forehead on hers instead.
"I'm sorry," he said abruptly, licking his lips. "I probably shouldn't have done that."
"No," she breathed in response. "You shouldn't have. But I needed that. Thank you."
He leaned back, eyes studying her intently.
"How are you?" he asked. "You look amazing, all things considered."
''You're a bloody liar," she said weakly, laying back on the pillows. "I look like shite."
"Not possible," he said, smiling. However, the looked dimmed somewhat. "You had everyone in a panic yesterday," Kelly said seriously. "I've never seen Malfoy so worked up."
The mention of Draco made Leolin's heart clench painfully. She wondered how he would react when he heard the news about her condition. Perhaps he already knew and was putting off their confrontation.
"Well you know him," Leolin said. "He'll use any excuse to fly off the handle."
"Especially when you're involved," Kelly said purposefully.
They were quiet a minute as his insinuation hung in the air. Finally, Kelly spoke again.
"What's you two's story these days? It's somewhat hard to follow."
Leolin looked down at her hands. Even if she was able to show Draco the truth about the wedding, how could he ever want her now?
"There isn't one. He is engaged, and I'm well shot of him."
"Well I suppose I should state for the record that he wasn't much of a fiancée yesterday. I think Genevieve could have left and Draco wouldn't have noticed."
"He needs me, is all," Leolin said dully. "I think I may be the only person who can find his stepfather."
"I agree he needs you, but not for the reasons you think."
"Kel—" she began, but he shook his head.
"I'm sorry," he said, taking her hand. "It's really none of my business. I just want to look out for you."
"I appreciate that," Leolin said sadly. "You're a good friend."
He smiled.
"I endeavour to be, yeah."
She nodded. Kelly had always had a talent for making situations less bleak, this one included.
"How do you feel?" he asked finally.
"Like hell," Leolin admitted, pulling up her shirt to show him her scar.
He winced involuntarily.
"Merlin," he whispered. "Are you alright? There's no permanent damage or anything, is there?"
She looked down.
"I—it's too early to say," she said, biting her lip.
"It's bollocks this happened to you," Kelly said.
Leolin shrugged, bowing her head again.
"It's my own fault, really. I should have gone back with Harry when I had the chance."
"Maybe," Kelly said. "But if you had then you wouldn't be who you are."
"And who's that?" Leolin said resignedly. "A bloody stupid idiot?"
"I was going to say brave," Kelly laughed.
"I'm a Slytherin," she said. "I should know better than to pull stunts like that. That's for you lot."
"I think you're more Gryffindor than you know," he said, touching her cheek and laughing.
"Spare me," she said softly. She'd yet to muster a smile, but her eyes sparkled.
"Good thing Malfoy didn't hear me say that," Kelly said, studying Leolin's face again. "You're his little Slytherin princess."
"Not any more," Leolin said softly. "That was a lifetime ago."
"So it was," Kelly agreed, and they lapsed into nostalgic silence. Finally, he broke it by speaking. "I'll have been married three years in August."
Leolin nodded, her dark blue eyes dancing across his face.
"You have no idea how happy I am for you," she admitted, though some forgotten part of her heart ached a little at the news. "What's she like?"
"Cara?" he asked. "She's brilliant, apart from being Scottish."
He smiled.
"Where did you meet her?"
"At a Portree press event. She's a top buyer for Quality Quidditch."
"She sounds lovely."
"She is," Kelly agreed. "I'm happy," he said at last, looking at her candidly. "There was a period when I wasn't sure I would be, but now I am."
"And I'm happy for you," Leolin affirmed. "You of all people deserve it."
"Can I tell you a secret?" Kelly said.
"Of course," Leolin replied. "I love secrets."
"We're trying for a baby."
Her stomach clenched, and she fought savagely to smile. The best she could muster was a small turn of her lips, which felt heroic, given the hempen knot swelling in her throat.
"That's amazing," Leolin croaked, clearing her throat. "You're going to be the most amazing dad."
Kelly smiled.
"I hope so."
"No, you will," Leolin said softly. "I know you will."
He seemed to read some of the sadness in her eyes, though he didn't quite know what to make of it.
"It will be you sooner than you think," Kelly said. "Especially if bleeding Brankovitch has his way."
She made a disgusted face and he laughed. There was a knock at the door, and they both turned to look.
"Shit," Kelly said good-naturedly. "Hope that's not Malfoy."
"It isn't," someone called from the other side of the door. "And what you just said about me, Troy."
"I'll see you soon," Kelly said, kissing Leolin softly on the forehead.
She nodded.
"Thanks for the flowers," she said. "They're lovely."
"So are you," he said candidly, and she felt a small pit forming in her stomach.
Kelly strode out, holding the door for Leolin's next visitor.
Leolin had never seen Max's face so serious, but he was frowning deeply as he strode in, coming to her side at once.
"Jesus," he murmured. "You scared the fucking shit out of me."
"Sorry," she murmured, no longer having any energy to smile.
"Thank Merlin you're all right," he said softly, sounding more sincere than she'd ever heard him.
All the flirtatiousness and hunger had bled from his face, and he looked handsome and stern.
"You had everyone worried sick. I thought Malfoy was going to tear his damn hair out."
"I made it," she said hoarsely. "Surprise."
"Has the healer been back to see you?" he asked. "What did she say?"
"She said—" Leolin began, choking a little on her words. "She said I'll be fine."
"That's a relief," Max said. "It was really touch and go last night."
"That's what Blaise said," she admitted.
"I should have known that you would pull through," he said. "You're a fighter."
"And don't forget it," Leolin said.
"I haven't," he said, laughing almost sheepishly. "You kinda scare me."
"I'd kick your ass in a fight," she croaked. "You know I would."
"How can you be half-dead and still funny?" he asked.
"Don't be obsequious," she scolded softly. "That wasn't funny at all."
"Alright," Max said. "But still, you seem like your old self."
"I don't feel it," Leolin admitted.
"You almost snuffed it," Max said. "Don't be too hard on yourself."
"Charming as usual, Brankovitch."
"It was a compliment," he defended and she simply nodded.
"Of course it was," she said, licking her lips. "Where are we, by the way?"
"Funny you should ask," Max said. "This is my actually my house outside Atlanta. I like to have at least one place that I can keep off the grid, so it's a good place to lay low."
"Why lay low?"
Max wrinkled his nose.
"Pucey's got someone in the AAO, and he's set them on your trail. You're the prime suspect in a double murder."
"AAO?" She asked, her heart rate elevating again.
"American Auror Office," he confirmed. "Pucey's contact has been advised to turn you over to the British authorities. The Americans are holding out for now, but we need to get you back to London."
"What am I supposed to do?" she asked, feeling panicky as she tried to sit.
"No," don't sit up," Max said as Leolin winced. "I have it under control. I have a contact in the AAO, and I called in a favour with her."
His floo began softly billowing smoke, and he reached into his pocket and retrieved it.
"This all feels like it's happening so fast," Leolin said, shaking her head. She didn't want to deal with strangers right now. It was too much.
"I know," Max said sympathetically. "And I'm sorry about that. But I'm afraid Uncle Sam waits for no one. Anyways, She's just going to ask you a few questions. She's been prepped, so all you need to do is tell her that you were there but didn't see anything. She won't push you on it. Do you think you can do that?"
"How do you know you can trust this woman?" Leolin asked with suspicion.
Max clenched his jaw, a secret in his eyes.
"We go way back," he said.
"I'm sorry," Leolin said tiredly. "But that's not good enough for me," Leolin pressed. "I need specifics."
"Liv is—she was—Amelia's best friend, so we've been—close for a long time."
"Who's Amelia?" Leolin asked.
"She was my fiancée," Max said tightly.
"The healer?" Leolin asked.
"Yeah."
"And you trust her best friend. Don't you think that's a little thorny? What if Amelia is just having you on?"
"She isn't," Max said dully.
"How can you be sure?" Leolin pressed.
"Because Amelia committed suicide five years ago," Max said.
"Oh," Leolin said, feeling ashamed that she pushed. "I'm sorry."
Max came to sit back down again.
"Do you know why I'm so committed to this?"
"No clue," she admitted.
"Because of Amelia. She was one of the muggleborns those Deatheaters tortured at the World Cup a while back. What they did to her drove her crazy, and eventually she couldn't take the guilt and she jumped off a bridge."
"I'm sorry," Leolin repeated numbly.
"That's how I know I can trust Liv," Max said seriously. "Because we both loved Amelia and we're in this together to honour her. So when I tell you we can trust Liv, I mean it. Now, do you trust me?"
Leolin considered then nodded, still reeling from all this information.
"Good," Max said, touching her cheek.
He then stood and got on the floo.
"We're ready for you," he said before clicking it shut. He turned back to Leolin. "This is going to feel really formal and official, but don't freak, alright? Just say what I told you and nothing more."
"Alright," Leolin said as another woman strode into the room, her dark Auror's jacket freshly pressed.
Despite her stark uniform, she had a sweet, almost angelic face with spring green eyes and a dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose. Her amber-coloured hair was cut into a long bob, and it seemed somewhat at odds with her severe uniform. She was graceful in her movements, like a dancer, and there was something almost hypnotic about watching her walk.
She glanced at Max but didn't greet him, her eyes now skirting to Leolin as she approached. She had a briefcase with her hand, and she carefully set it down before smoothing her pencil skirt and sitting down. She neatly tucked one ankle behind the other then looked up at Leolin.
"Leolin, I'm Olivia Westmoreland. I'm with the AAO."
Leolin glanced at Max, who stood in the corner, arms crossed.
"Lovely to meet you," she said stiffly.
"Now Leolin," Olivia said, raising her handsome laurel wand to record for the record. "As you may or may not have been aware, two men, who have been identified as Nicolas Scabior and Radomir Dolohov, were found murdered in the Rue de la Mame yesterday evening. Were you aware of that?"
Leolin glanced at Max, who shook his head.
"No," Leolin said.
"But you were there?" Olivia pressed gently, her sparkling green eyes dancing across Leolin's face.
"Yes," Leolin said.
"And can you tell me what happened, for the record?"
Olivia was looking at her expectantly, and Leolin said nothing.
"Leolin," she said reassuringly, turning her recording off for a moment, "You should know that whatever you tell me will be accepted as the truth. So if you tell me that you weren't involved, the AAO will have no reason to suggest otherwise."
Her words were full of meaning, and Leolin understood her perfectly. She need only lie, and the AAO would temporarily be off her back.
"Alright, Leolin, tell me what happened."
"I have no idea," Leolin said, trying not to remember it. "Nic Scabior tied me up and left me in a room and I managed to escape. I never saw either him or Dolohov."
"And who performed the Sectumsempra curse on you?" She asked.
Leolin blinked, remembering the look on Dolohov's face as he raised his wand.
"I have no idea."
"Very good," Olivia said, setting down her wand. "Now," she said, throwing a wary glance over her shoulder at Max. "I'm afraid it's routine for the AAO to placing a tracking charm on you for the duration of the investigation. We may need to interview you or have you testify, and for that you are unfortunately required to return to New Orleans.
"Liv," Max groaned. "C'mon! You're killing me here!"
"It's policy, Brank!" she snapped, clearly torn. "I will be in major trouble if I don't do this! If I get fired, you lose your foothold in the AAO."
"And what about her?" Max asked, gesturing to Leolin. "She needs to get back to London for proper treatment. Look at her, for Merlin's sake."
"Thanks," Leolin said blandly.
"I'm sorry," Olivia said, a small pleading slipping into her voice. "It will only be worse if I don't do this."
"What about I supposed to do now?" Max snapped. "Malfoy is going to absolutely flip his shit when he hears all this."
"Is that your boyfriend?" Olivia asked Leolin.
"Ex-fiancée," she said.
Olivia nodded her head sympathetically.
"Look, I'm sorry Max, but this has to be done. Leolin, give me you arm, if you will."
"Liv!" Max said. "This is fucking serious!"
"You don't think I know that?" she snapped at him. "I just knowingly allowed false testimony. What else do you want from me?"
"I want you not to put that fucking tracker in her arm!" he said.
"I have to," Olivia said. "If I don't, a team of aurors is going to burst in here and have her held in contempt. Is that what you want?"
"What do you suggest, then?"
Olivia considered.
"Isn't you curse-breaker friend live down here somewhere? Call him."
"Who are you talking about?"
Olivia rolled her eyes.
"Your friend from Golden Gate? The gorgeous, douchy one. Foxy, or whatever you call him."
"Ren?"'
"Whatever," Olivia said flippantly. "Isn't he a curse breaker?"
"Yeah," Max said slowly. "But don't these charms require the unlocking agent to be lifted? I don't suppose Ren's going to have one of those lying around."
"This is a very simple tracking charm. If he's as good at his job as he obviously thinks he is, this shouldn't be too much trouble for him. I'm sorry; that's the best I can do."
Max nodded grimly.
"Alright, you're right. I'm sorry I yelled at you."
Olivia only shook her head and turned to Leolin.
"Leolin, if you would, please give me your arm."
Leolin did as she was told, and Olivia pointed her wand at the think vein pulsing through the crook of Leolin's left arm. A white light shoot out, and it was following by a nasty sting spidering up the vein of Leolin's arm.
"Merlin!" she cried, involuntarily jerking her arm back. "That fucking hurt."
"Sorry!" Olivia said sympathetically. "I forgot to warn you."
Leolin flexed her arm several times, wincing as she did so.
"Okay," Olivia said, standing. "I've done by part. It's nice to meet you Leolin. I'm sure I'll see you again soon."
Leolin nodded, flopping back onto the pillow and cradling her arm to her chest.
"Thanks Liv," Max said. "I owe you one."
"You owe me about a million," Olivia countered. "But you're welcome anyways. Good luck with Felix."
He smiled.
"I knew you knew his name!" Max grinned. "Should I tell him you say hello?"
"Tell him I still need my underwear back," Olivia curtly, and with that she strode out.
When she was gone, Max's eyes fell on Leolin.
"Are you alright?"
"Fine," she grit out. "I just feel weak."
The poison in her heart was beginning to bubble up again, and she didn't know how much more poking and poking she could take before she completely lost it.
"As soon as we get this tracker out of your arm, you can rest. Deal?"
"Yeah," she said softly. "Deal."
They sat in pensive silence for an hour or so, and Leolin decided she liked the Max Brankovitch underneath the arrogant, boastful Quidditch star. He was deep in thought, his dark brow furrowed over his storm-ridden eyes.
"What was she like?" Leolin asked finally.
"Who?" Max replied, emerging from his reverie and lifting his chin from where it had been resting on his fist.
"Amelia."
Max looked down at his hands but said nothing, and Leolin wasn't sure he was going to respond. Finally, though, he looked up and spoke again.
"She was—brilliant. She was seriously the most amazing girl I've ever known."
"How did you meet her?" Leolin asked, wanting to be transported away from her current pain.
"Olivia and I went to college together up at Scamander in Boston, and Amelia went to Mohegan in upstate New York. She came down one weekend to visit Olivia and I instantly fell in love with her."
"I'm sure she felt the same," Leolin said, and Max gave a sad but handsome smile.
"Hardly. She told Olivia she thought I was a shallow, arrogant meathead, and that all I really wanted was to sleep with her."
He shrugged, the smile brightening a little as he thought about it.
"And was she right?" Leolin said evenly.
"I don't know, I guess. I was paying someone to take my exams because I was always gone with quidditch, and I admittedly chased my fair share of skirts. I wasn't really looking for anything—long term."
"You? I can't imagine," Leolin said dryly, and he gave her a sheepish smile.
"Anyways, she came to visit a lot, and every time she did I was doing everything I could to impress her."
"And eventually she came around?"
Max laughed.
"Hell no. The more I tried to win her over, the more she fucking hated me. Eventually I got tried of the rejection and left her alone, and she honestly seemed relieved."
"So how did you end up getting her to agree to marry you?"
"After college I signed with the Finches, Olivia went to law school, and Amelia got into healer school. Liv and I fell a little out of touch, and even when I did see her I was too afraid to ask about Amelia. Then like two years later I got hurt during a match and was rushed to the hospital, and of all the residents I could have gotten, I got Amelia. I think she was annoyed to see me at first, but I was really hurt, and I didn't have time to pull all the punches I normally would have. I realized she was nicer than she let on and she realized I wasn't as shallow as I seemed, and we really started hitting it off."
"So she was a ball-buster?" Leolin asked.
Max laughed.
"Oh my gods, yes. She really kept me honest; that was one of the things I loved most about her."
He looked away.
"I don't think I will ever forget the way it felt when I got down on one knee and she actually said yes. It was—"
"—transformative," Leolin supplied softly, thinking of her own engagement. "I know."
He nodded sadly.
"What happened at the World Cup?" Leolin asked.
Max clenched his jaw.
"It was my fault," he said softly. "Kelly and Mullet and Moran and all them were going out to celebrate, and I wanted to go, too. Amelia said she was too tired and I should go without her. I told her she shouldn't be saying alone, and she hit me with a stinging jinx and said she'd do more if I didn't go and enjoy myself. That was so quintessentially Amelia to do something like that. She was brilliant and independent and so full of fire."
He bowed his head and grit his teeth.
"Lucius Malfoy and his thugs came in while she was sleeping and imperiused her. I think—I think they were looking for me. Who better to humiliate than a muggleborn quidditch star?"
"That's not your fault," Leolin told him softly. "That's on them."
"They raped her," Max whispered. "She never admitted it to me, but I could see it in her eyes. Eventually the shame of it all got to be too much for her, and she started totally falling apart. I tried to help her as best I could, but I just—I couldn't—"
Max bowed his head.
"I know you think I'm a cad," he whispered. "And maybe I am. But she made me want to be better. For her I was better. I'll never forgive myself for losing her."
"Max," Leolin said softly. "There was nothing more that you could have done."
He finally looked at her.
"I shouldn't have gone out that night. If I'd been there—"
"They might have gotten away with it, anyway," Leolin said, grabbing his hand and squeezing softly. "And she's here," she said, pointing to his chest. "She's invisible to everyone else, but she'll always be here with you."
"Do you really believe that?" Max asked.
She nodded solemnly.
"I do."
Just then the door opened again and a handsome man swaggered in, grinning at Max. He was moderately tall, though not nearly as tall as Max, and he was of a more willowy build. His long, narrow face that was finely tailored, and his nose cheekbones and jaw were sharp but sleek. The stubble on his cheeks was obviously carefully maintained, as was his tawny hair, which was a meticulously crafted tousle.
His eyes were an extremely dark brown, almost black, and when he looked at Leolin, she felt as if she were falling into them. He wore a slim-fitting light gray blazer with a soft jumper and a white collared underneath. His pants were a boastful cranberry, though they fit him well. The shined shoes on his feet were both well-made and highly polished, and the only person Leolin knew with a watch more extravagant than the one of the man's right wrist was Draco.
Leolin couldn't decide if she was charmed or annoyed by the man's bravura, though she met his winning smile with a grim look.
"That was fast," Max said appreciatively. "I just owled a few hours ago."
The man gave an amiable shrug.
"I was in the neighborhood, and I was hoping I'd run into Olivia. Is she still here?" the man said, his English flavoured by a foreign intonation.
"You just missed her," Max said. "But she told me to tell you to give her underwear back?"
"Well you can tell her not a chance. I won them fair and square in a strip poker match."
He winked at Leolin.
"Ugh," Leolin said aloud, unable or unwilling to hold back her disgust.
"You must be Leolin," the man said. "You're as gorgeous as Max described."
Leolin only scowled in return, sickening by his tawdry attention and simply unable to stomach her rising Parisian distain.
"Quebecois?" she said haughtily in reply.
The handsome man only smiled, seemingly un-phased by her tone.
"Spoken like a true Parisian snob," he said jovially. "Is it really such a problem that I am from Québec?"
"Who are you?" she said in reply, narrowing her eyes.
He was right, of course. Like all French nationals, she didn't trust French Canadians. To her way of thinking, they were constantly masquerading as something they weren't, and that both agitated and unsettled Leolin.
Admittedly, this would have been less of a problem on any other occasion, but after all the ills she'd suffered, she was rubbed raw, and all of her prejudices had bubbled to the surface.
"Felix Chaisson," he said simply. "I'm the one who's going to spring you out of tracker jail and send you home to London. Pleased to meet you."
"No one calls him Felix, though," Max explained. "Not since we were about fifteen."
Leolin looked at him dubiously as he cleaned her arm, preparing to insert a needle.
"What do they can call you?" she demanded.
Felix smiled. "Ren."
She frowned.
"Short for…?"
His smile widened.
"Renard."
"Alright, no!" Leolin exclaimed weakly, pulling her arm away from him. "Definitely not."
"Oh come on, Lefevre," Max said. "Relax."
"Excuse me if I don't trust a guy whose nickname is 'the fox'," she grit out. The sudden movement was causing her head to spin. "That's the ponciest thing I've ever heard."
"Look, Felix and I go way back. As far back as you and Weasley and Zabini and all these people, and I trust him. Don't you trust me?"
She said nothing, and Felix laughed.
"You don't trust me?" Max said, sounding a little hurt.
Felix laughed again.
"This all seems indicative of a larger problem, Brank," Felix said, eyes glittering.
"Stay out of this, foxy man," Leolin snapped.
"Leolin," Max said more seriously. "Listen to me. If we want to get you out of the States, we need his help. Now do you trust me to see this through or not?"
"Fine," she said, frankly exhausted from her outburst.
She lay back against the pillows, offering her arm resignedly.
"Dare I ask where you two met?" she said.
Felix and Max traded a smirk.
"We went to the same boarding school in San Francisco," Max said. "Back then Ren was just the skinny poor kid with the weird accent."
"That's what makes me so charming," Felix said, teeth glinting. "I had to work for all of this."
He drove the needle into Leolin's arm, and she winced.
"Why do you have to draw blood?" she demanded. "Olivia just did a charm."
"How did she look?" Felix asked, ignoring Leolin's question.
Max smiled grimly, watching Leolin's blood fill the vial.
"She's pretty as ever," Max said.
"Is she still single?"
"I think so."
Felix laughed quietly.
Leolin closed her eyes and grit her teeth. This was the last thing she wanted or needed right now. She wished they would both go away.
"You never answered my question," she said, feeling a little faint from the draw.
"What was that it again, my little Parisian princess?" Felix said.
"Why are you drawing blood?"
"Tracking charms are easier to cast then they are to undo," Felix explained calmly. "The charm adheres to your red blood cells. That way the AAO can track every drop you shed, just in case. Anyways, I have to disassociate the charm from the cells before I can draw it from your body."
He stood and shrugged out of his jacket before rolling up his sleeves before drawing out a small cauldron and a series of vials. He lit a fire under the cauldron with his wand and added ingredients, an easy grin on his face as he worked. Liv had been right; he seemed to know his business well, and his fingers were dexterous and adept.
"So, Leolin," Felix said casually as he stirred the potion. "Max says you're in some sort of tug-of-war with Genevieve Beauchene. How's that going for you?"
"Put a sock in it, Chaisson," Max demanded, but Felix only smiled
"I would tread lightly, if I were you," Felix warned. "She's a real hellcat when backed into a corner.
Leolin closed her eyes again, thinking about what Gen had said. You can't give him the one thing in the world he wants most.
"We're not in a tug-of-war," Leolin said softly. Not anymore, anyways.
By that time the tonic was done, and Felix offered it to her. He seemed to have sensed a shift in her behaviour, and he stopped teasing at once, plunging them into a tense, icy silence instead.
"Here," he said softly, offering her the cup. "It's best if you put it all down in one go."
She nodded, accepting the small glass from him and doing as he said.
Now that he wasn't smirking arrogantly, she could see concern shimmering in his deep, dark eyes. As he continued to look at her candidly, she could see the skinny, insecure boy he used to be hiding just below the surface. Perhaps she liked him after all. At the very least, she was grateful.
"Now what?" she said, offering the glass back.
"Brace yourself," Felix said.
Max came around and offered Leolin her hand, which she squeezed.
As painful at the tracking had been going in, it was a thousand times worst coming out. Felix's seemed to be tugging on his wand, as if the tracker was resisting him. Finally he seemed to wrench it free, and the pain ceased.
Leolin collapsed back onto the pillows, heaving and sweating.
"Are you alright?" Felix asked. "I know that can be—less than pleasant."
"Thank you," she said. "for helping me."
Felix nodded, the smile returning.
"For you, anything."
"We'll let you rest," Max said, clapping Felix on the back.
They headed for the door, but Leolin called his name and he turned back.
"Max," she said softly, and he looked hopeful. "When Draco gets back—"
His disapproval was palpable.
"Don't worry," he said grimly, clearly displeased with the way Draco must have been treating Gen. "When Malfoy gets here, this will be his first stop."
"Thank you," she said softly, and he nodded.
They made to leave, but the door swung open before they could.
"Mon dieu," Felix blurted appreciatively as Severina swept in the room. "Who in Merlin's name are you?"
"I'm married and dangerous," Severina shot back. "that's all you need to know."
With that Max and Felix disappeared, and Severina came to Leolin's side.
"Scoot over," she said gently, coming to lie in Leolin's bed next to her.
"Sev," Leolin croaked.
She lay her head on Severina's chest as the latter softly smoothed Leolin's hair from her face. "You're here."
"Of course I am," Severina said soothingly. "I left the minute Ginevra flooed me. I'm only sorry I wasn't here sooner."
"You're here now," Leolin said, melting into Severina's embrace. "That's all that matters."
"Dimmi, cara mia. What happened to you?"
"It's too hard to explain the whole thing now, but I got hit with the sectumsempra."
"I don't know what this is," Severina said. "But when I talked to Ginny, it sounded serious."
"It's a cutting curse," Leolin said simply. "I almost bled out."
"Are you alright now?" Severina cooed.
Leolin didn't say anything, her lip trembling as she fought to hold herself together.
"Leolin?"
"No," Leolin whimpered. "I'm not."
"Che cos'è?" Severina said in alarm.
Leolin nestled closer and began to sob.
"Sev," she said sorrowfully.
"What is it, cara mia? You know you can tell me anything."
"The curse hit me low, and it was so deep that it destroyed the—" Leolin paused take a shuddering breath. "It destroyed the top wall of my uterus. The doctor told me—I can't have children."
Severina laid her head atop Leolin's as the latter curled tighter into a ball, her dark emotions feasting on her.
"Oh Leolin," Severina whispered through tears. "Oh my darling."
"How could Draco ever love me now?" Leolin said softly. "I can't even give him children."
"Don't say that," Severina demanded. "He loves you; you will find a way to be happy."
"I've never felt farther from him," Leolin said numbly. "I've never felt more alone."
"You're not alone," Severina said. "Xavie and I and Ginny and Blaise and your parents are all here, and we love you as you are. So does Draco, I promise you. Capisce?"
Leolin nodded, and Severina seemed to sense Leolin didn't want to talk anymore, because she simply held Leolin in silence until she fell away into troubled sleep.
She woke to find Severina rising off the bed. She blinked several times before realizing there were more people in the room. She looked up and her heart beat faster.
"Mamun," she said softly. "Papa."
"I'm going to give you some space, tesoro," Severina said softly. "But I will see you later."
Leolin nodded, squeezing her hand a final time. When she was gone her parents swelled closer, both kissing her at once.
"Oh my gods," Ariadne sobbed. "Leolin, don't ever do that to me again."
"I'm sorry," Leolin said dolorously, said voice breaking. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"When I got that call from Draco," Ariadne said. "My heart stopped. Oh my gods, I'm so happy you're alright."
"Leolin," he father croaked, tears on his cheeks. "My little girl. You have no idea how good it is to see you."
Amelie and James remained back a ways, but Leolin opened her arms to them.
"You have no idea how it feels to see you all," Leolin said. "I was scared I wouldn't get the chance to tell you how much I love you."
"Non," Amelie said. "You are our strong Leolin. We knew that you would make it through. We knew you wouldn't give up."
"Thank you," Leolin breathed overwhelmed.
However, she had very little time to think about it, because suddenly Draco emerged, Henri in his arms. Leolin heart felt so full insidious darkness that it might burst. Despite his own twisted upbringing, Draco was clearly born to be a father. Henri clung to him desperately, and Draco ran a soothing hand up and down his back, whispering quietly to him in French.
"Regarde, Henri," he said softly. "C'est tes sœur."
Henri looked at her keenly, squirming to be let down. He fussed to be put on the bed, and he crawled next to her.
"Laylon," he said quietly.
It was as if he knew what she'd been through.
"Allo," she breathed through tears. "How are you, peanut?"
He didn't say anything.
Everyone watched with tears in their eyes, and Amelie couldn't bite back her sob. Adrien put a comforting arm across her shoulder.
Draco's eyes were on Leolin now, and they were burning brightly.
"C'mon," James said gently to Henri. "Let's go downstairs and play with your brother."
Henri held his arms up, and James scooped him up.
"We'll be right back," Ariadne said, smoothing Leolin's damp hair back to kiss Leolin's forehead.
Leolin nodded wordlessly. The minute the room was clear, Leolin spoke.
"Drake," she said desperately.
Wasting no time, he came to her side, wrapping an authoritative hand around her neck and kissing her fiercely. It would be impossible for Leolin to compare Draco's touch to anyone else's; it was transcendent. Kissing him was always like coming home, and she couldn't get enough of his hands as they scraped across her skin and tangled in her hair. Everything was forgotten as their lips and tongues moved in desperate harmony, and for that moment, Leolin could set aside her troubles.
However, all too soon, that moment ended, and Draco pulled away, frustrated.
"Damnit," he cried, standing up and pacing back several steps. "What am I doing?"
"No," she whispered, "Don't stop. Please."
"Leolin," he choked, his eyes glittering like diamonds in the late afternoon night. He made to touch her and then recoiled, almost as if she'd burned him. "Fuck," he seethed. "I can't do this with you again."
She bowed her head.
"Did Lyra tell you?" she asked quietly. "About what the curse did to me?"
Draco looked almost mad now.
"You think this is about what happened with the sectumsempra?" he demanded angrily.
"Isn't it?" she whispered desperately.
"No!" Draco practically sneered. However, she realized after a minute he was fighting not to cry. "Merlin, Leolin I—" he paused, his eyes brimming with a snarled, conflicted emotion she couldn't name. "This isn't about—" he clenched his jaw. "Leolin," he said somewhere between anger and anguish. "That doesn't matter to me."
"That's not true," she said sorrowfully. "I know you know much you've always wanted a family."
He shook his head, his face an odd portrait of both frustration and pity. "It isn't about that."
He'd come in closer again, reaching to touch her cheek but stopping just short of contact. She leaned into his outstretched hand, her eyes pleading. He gave in and brushed a hand down the soft skin.
"Then why are you mad at me?" she asked, her voice somewhat hoarse again. "Yesterday, I thought—" she broke off.
Somehow she didn't have to courage to admit she thought he'd said 'I love you'. Perhaps she was worried she'd imagined it, and he would simply throw the whole delusion back in her face.
He seemed to think better of what he was doing and retracted his hand.
"Talk to me," she breathed. "Let me in."
His face remained stony, as his eyes skidding gracefully across the planes of her face.
"Tell me the truth," he demanded abruptly "Tell you why you left me. I—I can't wait any longer. I need to know."
She closed her eyes.
"Will it change anything?" she asked.
He said nothing in response, and she let out a stale breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"Drake," she said, her tone desperate. "Please, I can't."
"Stop saying 'can't'!" He demanded, turning and pacing several steps. He turned back "Why can't you?"
He advanced again, something new glimmering in his eyes.
"Are you under a gag?" he breathed, eyes alight. She couldn't see how desperately he wanted to believe she was. "Is that why?"
Leolin felt a sickening word bubbling up in her throat before she could stop it.
"No."
It had been involuntary, and it burned on her tongue. Her eyes were pleading, and she hoped he would read them and know that wasn't true. However, he turned away instead.
"Then there's nothing stopping you," he said imperiously.
"I—" she fumbled. "Please Draco, don't do this to me."
"If you ever cared for me," he said, his voice now oddly tight. "You'll stop playing games and tell me the truth."
"Someday I will; I'll tell you everything," she begged. "Please, you have to let that be enough for now."
He groaned in anguish, jamming the heels of his hands into his eyes to stop the tears.
"It isn't!" he cried at last. "You know it isn't. You can't honestly expect me to give up everything I've built on your word alone. Don't you see your word means nothing?"
"Do you not love me?" she demanded, anguished.
"How could I?" he sneered. "I don't even know you. When I look at you, all I see are your secrets and lies."
"Draco," she pleaded, rising to unsteady feet. "Don't give up on us. I'm begging you."
"Tell me why you left," he repeated, his resolve faltering. "Please, Leolin, please. I'm begging you."
"Drake—"
"This is your last chance," he warned.
She said nothing, only bit her lip. Her wound was throbbing again, though it was admittedly nothing compared the sickening ache in her chest.
"Well?" he said
"I—" she choked. "I—" the gag was tightened around her throat, and it was so tight and her face started to turn a little blue. She'd pass out if she kept trying to fight it. It was stronger than her and she knew it.
She bowed her head, knowing her race was run. Slowly, she shook her head. He nodded, clenching his jaw.
"Fine," he said, his voice chilling and drenched in bereavement. "Then we're done here."
"Don't go!" she sobbed. "Please!" I love you! I always have and I always, always, always will."
He looked anguished. When turned to the door, she felt the same piercing agony she had the morning of their wedding.
"Don't do this," she whispered. "Don't give up on me. I know things are bad and broken and desperate, but please, you can't give up."
He turned.
"I've not giving anything up," he said, voice hollow. "That's the point, Leolin. I've spent five years rebuilding the life you burned to the ground. Why should I give that up now?"
"You know why," she said softly. "You've always known."
He'd come back and they were toe-to-toe now. He looked down at her, eyes full of light.
"Last chance," he breathed, looking almost as if he meant to kiss her.
He touched her cheek softly, pressing his forehead to hers. He had tears on his cheeks. She knew that he yearned to believe her, but the damage her departure had caused was not so easily undone. His gaze begged her to justify her wrongs.
"Why did you go?"
His lips were practically brushing hers.
"Because I had to!" she burst.
"Why?" he whispered softly. "Please Leolin, just tell me why."
She tried to say more, but the words were snuck in her throat. She was choking on them again.
He took a step back, letting his hand drop. He was looking at her as if he didn't know her.
"I'm done, Lefevre," he said in a stony voice, retreating to the door. "I'm done."
A/N: Thank you WhiteRoseQueen for Lyra, ShellySadistic for Felix, and NocturnalHealer for Olivia
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