I Knew You Weren't

Chapter Eight

Kylie walked outside to find Draco sitting on a bench under a giant oak tree. Her duffle bag was at his feet, opened, and he was drinking from a bottle of whiskey he had snagged from Kylie's bedroom.

Little did the pair know that Molly had followed Kylie outside. She kept her distance, but could hear everything being said.

"Hey." She said, sitting down next to him. "So, um, I didn't get a chance to apologize. I'm sorry you were there when that happened. That wasn't, uh, that wasn't something I wanted you to witness."

Draco handed Kylie the bottle of whiskey with a shrug. "She was drunk. It wasn't your fault."

Kylie took a quick swig from the bottle. "No, she wasn't- I mean, she just... she wasn't-"

"I may not know muggle alcohol very well, but I know drunk. And I know drunk and abusive. Don't make excuses for her." Draco took the bottle back and took another drink.

"Your father." Kylie replied, understanding where he was going.

"The drinking was mostly social or maybe a couple glasses at night. Occasionally, he'd whack me with his cane when I was being a prat. But that was it, at least until Vol-" Draco took a deep breath. "Until Voldemort took up residence in the manor."

"Is that where the scars on your back came from? He tortured you." Kylie knew she had a look of pure disgust on her face and it wasn't caused by the whiskey.

"When your most precious Dark Lord tells you to practice your Cruciatus on your son, you listen. Or when he tells you to watch your sister use her particular brand of torture on your son, you listen." Draco sounded as disgusted as Kylie felt. "After that started, he'd get drunk and take it out on me."

"I'm so sorry."

"When did it start for you?" Draco took a big gulp of whiskey and pulled a face before handing the bottle over.

"I can't remember a time that she wasn't drunk. But it started the day after I turned eleven. She was at work when my letter came and I hid it. I had no idea what it meant, but I knew it was special. It was October, so the school year had already started. My dad's sister, who I'd never met, came the next day. She tried explaining everything to my mum, but she kicked her out. I went to bed with a black eye that night. My aunt came back the next day while I was home alone. When she saw my eye she decided to take me to her house. She packed me a trunk and I stayed there until school started. Somehow my mum convinced her it was an accident and it wouldn't happen again. And my aunt let her pick me up from the station at the end of the year. Obviously it happened again."

Molly couldn't contain herself anymore. "You poor things." She said, coming out of her hiding spot.

"Mrs. Weasley!" Kylie dropped the whiskey bottle as she jumped up. "I didn't, um, know you were there."

Molly came closer and Kylie could see the tears in her eyes. "Ginny tried to tell me things were bad. But I didn't realize- Does she know any of this?" She reached out and took Kylie's hand.

"She's figured out bits and pieces. I've not told her everything, though."

Molly motioned for Draco to come closer and when he did, she took his hand as well. "This won't do. Your parents should be ashamed of themselves. No, no. This will not do at all. When the school year is over, you both will come here."

"Oh, I couldn't possibly-" Kylie began.

Molly interrupted her. "You can and you will. Everyone but Ginny is gone. There's enough room. You both stay here until you get on your feet." She let go of Draco's hand and reached out to place her hand on his cheek. "Torturing my own son, I can't even imagine."

"Mrs. Weasley, I-" Draco started.

"Molly. Call me Molly."

"Um, okay. Uh, Molly, it's extremely, well, kind of you, considering everything...but my mother is all alone and I couldn't just...leave her there."

"Your mother, she was there when they were doing such terrible things to you? In your own house?"

Draco just nodded.

"No. You can't live there. You can't live in a house where you went through what you did."

"We'll think about it." Kylie smiled. "I think we should be getting to bed."

"Yeah, thank you, Molly but we're pretty beat." Draco paused and his eyes widened a bit. "That was a terrible phrase to use."

"Smooth, Drake. Smooth."

"Kylie, dear. You'll show him to George's room?"

Kylie nodded.

Molly gave a small, satisfied smile. "I'll see the two of you bright and early for breakfast. Goodnight."

As Molly turned to walk away, Kylie took Draco's hand and intertwined their fingers. "She means well."

"She has no right to be this nice to me. Not after how my father treated them."

"She's a good person. And a nice one. She's a mother and she likes to take in strays to take care of."

"Can we just go to bed now? I can barely keep my eyes open."

Kylie let out a small laugh. "I'm right there with you. Let's go."

Kylie gave a small knock on the door of George's room and opened it slightly. "Hey." She whispered. "You awake?"

Draco rolled over onto his side to look at the door and smiled a bit. "Of course."

Kylie walked into the room and shut the door quietly. As she walked over to the bed, Draco noted that she was wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt abs bikini-cut underwear. She climbed in bed next to Draco and cuddled up to him, pressing her back to his bare torso.

"You can't sleep either?" He asked, wrapping his arm around her.

"Not a wink. And then I realized what was missing."

"Mm, what was that?" Draco asked, planting a small kiss in Kylie's shoulder.

"You, of course." Kylie sighed as she tried to cuddle up to Draco a bit more. "Try to be nice tomorrow. I'm sure everyone will be cordial, but on the off chance someone isn't, don't be an arse."

"Me? An arse? Never." Draco feigned surprise.

"You already know that Ronald will probably open his big mouth. Be nice. I can get away with punching him. You can't."

"Yeah, yeah. So, was Red okay with you sneaking out to see me or was she already asleep?"

"Actually, she had already snuck out to, uh, see Harry." Kylie giggled.

"Oh." Then Draco understood what she was implying. "Oh! Eugh..."

"You know, people might say the same thing if they knew whose bed I was in."

Draco moved his hand and began lightly dragging his fingertips up and down Kylie's thigh. "Probably."

Kylie rolled onto her back and pulled Draco on top of her. He settled between her legs and propped himself up with his elbows on either side of her head. "I'm tired of depressing talk." She placed her hand on his hips and smiled. "Kiss me already."

"Say no more." Draco bent his head down and captured Kylie's lips.

One of his hands strayed again and grabbed at the hem of her shirt, pulling it up a bit. He let go of the material and let his hand travel up her side underneath the shirt. His thumb grazed the side if her breast, and she started to moan but caught herself and pushed him away.

"You won't even let me do that? Really?" Draco asked, sitting back on his heels.

"Things like that lead to sex. And I don't want that." Kylie sighed and closed her eyes when she realized how that sounded. "I mean, I do want it. With you. Just- just not now." She opened her eyes back up and bit her lip.

"Your mother called you a slut. Is that why you're so weird about sex? She calls you that often?"

"Don't go all psychology-student on me, okay? One, I just got out of a relationship and stopped having sex with someone five days ago. And two, every relationship where I've jumped into sex had ended badly. At this point, maybe my mother is right. I mean, for fuck's sake, I hadn't been single for 24 hours before I was home alone and thinking about you while I masturbated."

Draco raised an eyebrow. That statement piqued his interest a bit.

"Oh, please. Don't act like you're so innocent." Kylie rolled her eyes. "Look, sex is great. Sex is fucking awesome. I highly recommend it. But I just want to enjoy us for a bit before we-"

Draco leaned forward and kissed Kylie, effectively shutting her up. "Enough. I get it. If we have sex tonight or tomorrow or a year from now... it won't change how I feel about you and it certainly won't make me think any less of you."

"Well, listen to you being all mature." Kylie smirked. "Merlin, I love a good redemption story. I can see Rita's headlines now. 'Slytherin Sex God Changes Ways For Half-blood Gryffindor'. Your mother would have a heart attack."

"My mother can sod off." Draco chuckled. He glanced over at the small clock on the dresser. "It's after midnight. Let's start this day out good and maybe it'll end that way too."

"Merry Christmas, Drake."

Draco rolled back onto his side of the bed with a large smile plastered on his face. "Merry Christmas, darling."

Xxxxx