Draco's Pov
My back ached as I entered my dorm. The day had been long and nearly unbearable, with Umbridge breathing down my neck about students breaking the rules.
Tossing my shoes toward my door, I paused before I entered my little sanctuary.
Light feminine giggles were ringing out from Mattheo's room.
I had heard her laugh before, but I had never heard Fey laugh like this. It was so carefree.
Careful not to alert them of my presence, I crept to his door and placed my face against the wood.
Now that I was closer, I could hear his laughter, more profound and rougher than hers.
Listening closer, I couldn't hear any words being spoken, but I heard another with them. Their laugh is more of a cackle and a wheeze but noticeably male.
Feeling annoyed and left out, I pushed the door open and let it swing wide as I leaned against the door jam. There they were, Mattheo propped up on his pillows. Theo spread across the bed, and Fey tucked under the covers, laughing her pretty little head off as she held a cigarette between her fingers.
My lips dropped, "Are we smoking now, Fey?"
She exhaled the smoke in her lungs as she sat up to look at me. A bright grin lit her face, "Draco! You're back!"
I held my arms open, and she passed the cigarette to Theo as she scrambled from the bed to reach me. Her legs tangled in the covers, and she broke into another fit of giggles as she tried to right herself, only to fail miserably.
Taking pity on her, I went to her rescue. Freeing her of the dastardly blankets, I scooped her into my arms and held her against my chest. Inhaling her scent, I noticed a lack of ash and a more fruity, earthy, pleasant smell.
"Darling, what were you smoking?" I asked her curiously as I pulled away.
"Theo brought Calmabis for us."
Drugs? Theo had brought drugs for her to try. Fucking hell.
My eyes darted to Theo, who was grinning from ear to ear, seemingly at ease.
"Darling, it isn't good for you," I scolded her.
Fey's eyes crinkled around the edges, and her smile drooped into a frown, "It's not good for long-term use or overuse, Dre. Many witches and Wizards use it to calm themselves and relax occasionally."
I considered her logic and stoked my finger down the side of her face, "I suppose you're right," I admitted softly.
Her smile returned in full force, and she threw her arms around my neck, knocking me backward onto the bed. I tightened my arms around her and took a moment to breathe her in.
She filled my lungs and my mind completely before worming her way out of my arms and across the bed to Theo, where she began to poke his ribs.
"Theo," she whispered not so quietly.
I watched with a smile as she jabbed her finger at him repeatedly, and he did his best to ignore her.
She poked him particularly hard, and he winced. Peeping an eye open, he frowned, "Yes, baby girl?"
"I feel funny," she told him as she sat back on her heels.
The world seemed to stop, and we rushed to do something. Even in their muddled states, Theo and Mattheo moved quickly.
"How? Where?"
Fey pointed to her chest, her eyes wandering the room as she breathed heavier. Her hand began to pat constantly over her heart as she struggled to find words.
She seemed to be stuck in a loop.
Mattheo winced but took her hand and cupped her jaw as we watched, "Darling?"
Her eyes were unfocused, still trailing around the room.
He pinched her cheeks between his fingers and forced her to look at him, "Fey!"
Her attention snapped to him, eyes still glossy, but she was looking at him now.
"Tell us what you're feeling," he instructed, releasing her face and taking her other hand.
I watched them feeling completely useless. I needed to be in my depth here. I couldn't help. I couldn't do anything but watch as they took care of her.
Her soft voice came out barely audible, "I'm feeling a lot," she patted her heart again, "I don't know what to do. There is so much."
Anyone could tell she was starting to panic. Her voice was rising and cracking, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Wha, what do I do?"
Mattheo smiled, and Theo gestured for me to do something, but I couldn't tell what. His eyes were half closed, and he had only jerked his head in her direction, so I wrapped my arms around her waist and let my head rest on her shoulder from behind.
I felt her breathing slow under my touch.
"Tell us what you're feeling," Theo told her.
"I was looking at Mattheo…"
"As you should," he interrupted her, "I'm gorgeous."
Fey giggled, "...then I remembered that he was hurt."
Mattheo cursed under his breath.
Idiot.
"Then I got scared."
"What scared you?" I asked her.
She placed a hand one of my own, "That I would lose you," she admitted so quietly it was as if she hadn't said anything.
The room was silent for a long while.
None of us wanted to lie to her.
There was a chance she would lose us. All of us. We couldn't promise her that we would be around forever, not when there was a significant chance that she would see us die.
Our mortality filled my mind until her sobs filled the air.
Snapping back, I squeezed her tightly and placed as many kisses as possible along her neck, covering her skin. I couldn't bear being the first to speak.
"Fey, nothing is going to take us from you," Theo whispered to her.
"How can you-" Her words came out hiccuped between gasped breaths like she couldn't breathe.
"I promise," Theo interrupts her, "We're here. We love you, and nothing is going to take us."
I looked up when an extended silence passed and saw Fey holding her pinky to Theo.
"Do you promise?" she asked, her voice softer. Her chest was still heaving.
Theo wrapped his pinky around hers without hesitation and kissed it, "I do."
From the corner of my eye, I noticed his crossed fingers before I pulled Fey's face around mine and kissed her lips, "I love you."
She was pulled from my arms as soon as I had taken her into them by Mattheo, who tugged the blanket over her. He got them comfortable as he cuddled her against the pillows. No audible words left him, but he saw his lips moving near her ear as he whispered.
Watching them, I felt something tangle inside my chest. A knot so thick I thought it against my ribs.
My robes fell to the floor before I crawled farther into bed. Under the covers, I sought her warmth and wrapped myself around her, begging the universe to let her heat undo the complicated mess inside. Tears stung my eyes, and not wanting to cause a scene, I hid my face in her hair.
Fuck me, this wasn't supposed to happen.
She wasn't supposed to happen.
My father warned me to keep things simple this year. He warned me there was a significant chance The Dark Lord would call on me or the others, and the fewer ties I had, the less complicated it would be.
Holding Fey in my arms, I was being pulled in two directions.
My family, who had always supported me, and Fey, the girl of my dreams who could very well be the mother of my children.
Theo's Pov
Lying was never something I planned on doing. Not to Fey, but seeing her body heaving as she struggled to breathe broke something inside me. Her face was damp with tears, and her eyes were puffy from stress. I never wanted to see her that way again.
So, I told her the first thing that came to mind, and it was a lie.
I lied to my baby girl…
I just hoped that whatever fucked up God there was that she would forgive me one day when she could understand why. Inside, there was a terrible shredding sensation as if a demon was attempting to claw its way from inside me. The pain was unbearable, but I deserved it. Every ounce of it, for lying to her and for what I'm sure is to come.
The only assurance I had was that she wouldn't be completely alone. She'd at least have Lorenzo, maybe Blaise.
Pansy, probably.
I couldn't see them forced to do The Dark Lord's bidding. Mattheo, Draco, and I, on the other hand, had it written in the fucking stars. Encoded in our God damned DNA.
There was no escaping it.
Mattheo already had the fucking mark.
My fingers pulled at my hair as I remembered the night he returned with it.
….
I opened Mattheo's door and found the room dark. Flicking them on, I saw the bed rumped and empty and the bathroom abandoned. No trace of him anywhere.
Fucking asshole he was supposed to meet me to watch the final task. The stupid twat probably found a girl to mess with and forgot all about the task.
I shut his door and snag my coat on the way out.
Draco and Blaise were waiting by the fireplace, dressed for the cold and waiting. I nodded toward the door and kept walking as I shoved my arms into my coat.
"Where's Mattheo?" Blaise asked, following along.
Shrugging, I whipped out my smokes, "Don't know, wasn't in his room."
Draco laughed, "He's probably with that Ravenclaw he told us about last week."
I lit my ciggie and puffed away when we hit the cool air outside. Dozens of students walked around us, but I couldn't care less.
As we turned the corner, we saw the maze overgrown in the center of the quidditch field. Students filled the stands and cheered in the air, causing a deafening effect around us.
Blaise tugged on my arm as we walked. He motioned for my smoke, and I passed it over to him after pulling another drag. I smacked into someone before I faced the front again, knocking them to the ground.
"Shit," I muttered, reaching down to help the poor girl.
She was small. She was no more than five foot, maybe five two. Her long black hair fell across her shoulders, and as I helped her stand, her mossy green eyes connected with mine in a panic.
She flinched and hurried away, her ass swaying deliciously as she went.
"You scared the girl," Blaise yelled, shoving my smoke back at me.
I shrugged again. It was an accident. Not like I meant to knock the girl on her ass.
We kept going and shoved our way through the excited crowd until we found our way to the front of the stands where Lorenzo, Crabe, and Goyal waited.
Music started to play all around them, and every student went silent, looking at Dumbledore. The old man watched the crowd and waited until every voice was off.
He cleared his throat and began, "Earlier today, Professor Moody placed the tri-wizards cup deep within the maze. Only he knows its exact position. Now, as Mr. Diggory and Mr. Potter are tied for the first position, they will be the first to enter the maze. Followed by Mr. Krum."
The crowd went wild, and everyone screamed, cheering for their champion.
"Fucking shitheads," Draco muttered beside me, "Potter is a fraud."
"The first person to touch the cup will be the winner. I've instructed the staff to patrol the perimeter. If at any point should a contestant wish to withdraw from the task, he or she need only send up red sparks with their wands." He demonstrated, and red fireworks went off in the sky, lighting it a deep red.
"Contestants, gather round. In the maze, you'll find no dragons or creatures of the deep. Instead, you'll face something more challenging. You see, people change in the maze. Oh, find the cup if you can, but be very weary. You could lose yourselves along the way."
Mad-Eye stepped to the front, "Champions! Prepare yourselves."
Cedric hugged his dad, Harry hugged Hermione and Ron, and he gave the crowd a thumbs up and roared around us.
"On the count of three... ONE..." The cannon goes off.
Mr. Filch shrugs, grinning apoligeticly.
Dumbledore groaned at his stupidity, and the champions entered the maze. First, Harry and Cedric entered the maze through different entrances, and last, Krum and Flur, the entrance closed up behind them, and we were all left to wait.
Lorenzo frowned, "Are we just expected to sit here now?"
The heavy mist set in around the stands, setting an eerie tone for the night.
"No shit. We wait and see who makes it."
We waited for what seemed like hours. Something didn't feel right. There was screaming and yelling, and panic was setting in. Flur and Krum had returned long ago, around the one-hour mark.
Now, the entire school waited for Harry and Cedric to return. Red sparks flew into the air, and whispers broke out. Speculation and bets were placed on who shot the sparks into the air, but as we all waited, no one returned from the maze.
The word went silent, and then suddenly Harry appeared with Cedric and the Cup. I frowned as the rest of the students cheered.
"Who the fuck won?" I asked, standing to try and get a closer look.
Potter looked bloody like he was beaten to a fucking pulp, and Cedric was still on the ground.
Then it happened. The screaming.
Harry sat up, clutching Cedric to his chest, tears streaking down his face as he screamed.
Cedric's father hollered, "Let me through! That's my son! My boy!"
Students were pushed back and forced from the arena back into the stands as they tried to gain control.
Crabe leaned over toward us, "Do you think Potter killed him?"
I scoffed, "Potter doesn't have the balls to kill anyone."
That made them laugh.
We were soon silenced by McGonagal's loud voice, "Tonight, there was a terrible accident in the maze. Cedric Diggery is dead," she hushed the roaring crowd who gasped and shouted for answers, "Please return to your common rooms. We will answer your questions as soon as we have the answers."
Teachers began ushering us away, their lips sealed tight.
They were spilling any secrets tonight.
Mattheo wasn't in the common room when we returned. His room was still empty, but we weren't worried. He had a habit of disappearing for good pussy.
The night raged on; the older students broke out their good alcohol after sending the younger students to bed. We poured one out for the actual Hogwarts Champion and drank until we couldn't dance or stand anymore.
For a few hours, I made out with a fifth-year I didn't recognize. She was hot enough to pass the time, but now she sat in my lap, her arms around my neck as she chittered away about going on a date this weekend.
Tired of ignoring her, I dumped her on the seat beside me, staggered to the table, and grabbed another drink. All that was left was Firewhiskey and Bulgarian Rum. I lifted the whiskey to my lips and took a few swallows, savoring the cinnamon and the burn as it slid down my throat.
Most other students were paring off and heading to their dorms. My eyes sought out the clock on the wall, and I signed when I noticed it read nearly two in the morning.
Taking another swig, I tossed the empty bottle in the trash and went to plop onto the couch again when I noticed Snape's office door open.
Expecting a screaming lecture from our head of house, I groaned, but instead of the tall, dark, and dead-eyed Professor, Mattheo limped out clutching his right side.
Concerned, I tossed an empty cup at Blaise, who had his lips attached to a redheaded Hufflepuff, "Mattheo's back."
Blaise glared, "And?"
"He looks fucked up."
"Again, and?"
I glared, "Fucked up bad. Get Enzo, I'm getting Draco."
He huffed and set the sweet girl on her feet before leaving. Draco was passed out on the sofa. His hair was sticking up at all ends, and his mouth was hanging open.
These were the moments I wished I owned a camera. I shoved him onto the floor, and he landed with a hard thunk before shooting up to his feet and raising his wand as he staggered.
"What the fuck? Who the fuck pushed me?"
"I did you fuck. Mattheo needs some help."
Draco dropped his arm and slouched, "Alright, let's go see the fucker."
We stumbled up the stairs to our shared dorm, stopping twice to regain our footing as the world began to spin. Our breathing was labored when we finally arrived.
Pushing through, we went straight for Mattheo's room. The door was shut tight when we tried to push it open.
The dick locked us out.
Draco whispered, "Alohomora."
The lock clicked, and the door swung open, revealing a dark room. Sobs sounded from inside.
Mattheo flinched when we flicked the light on. His hair was matted and bloody, skin black and blue, littered with cuts and scraps. His clothing was torn and singed like he was freed from a house fire or maybe put into one.
"Get the fuck out," Mattheo yelled, his words slurred.
"What the fuck happened to you?" I asked, plopping onto the bed, "You were supposed to be at the last task."
Mattheo shrugged, "I had things to take care of, I guess."
Draco laughed and stumbled before falling to the floor, "Looks like things took care of you."
Blaise stumbled in, with Enzo slamming the door behind them.
"What the fuck happened to you?"
Mattheo winced and hung his head, "What did you do, invite the whole fucking house?"
"You've been gone all damn night, Mattheo. Just tell us where the fuck you were," Draco groaned, "Damn, I'm tired."
Mattheo didn't say anything. He pushed up the sleeve of his left arm and thrust his arm out at us.
We stared at it in shock. He was cut up and bloody, but underneath it all, The Dark Mark glared at us.
"Fuck, Matty, your dad…"
"Don't you call him that," he growled, "He isn't my father. I sprouted from the fucking ground."
No one said a word.
How could we?
…
That night, he had broken down in front of us. He destroyed his room in a fit of rage and passed out drunk, still covered in bruises and blood.
Weeks had gone by before we had heard anything about the mark again. Lorenzo had found Matty in his bathroom with his wand, casting spell after spell on the stubborn tattoo, but still, the mark stood out on his pale skin, black ink slithering back and forth as the soulless skull stared up at us from his arm.
We tried everything for the rest of the year to get it off. No spell touched it. Muggle removal methods weren't worth it either. They simply irritated his skin. Desperate, we tried knives. They would cut his skin, leaving the dark ink perfectly saturated and his skin a bloody mess. Fire burned and blistered, but the snake kept hissing.
It's a reminder of what awaits us all.
A branding.
An inked-in leash to call us when 'he' wishes.
My teeth clench and grind together. I should have stayed away from her. I should have kept my distance to keep her from this.
Fey shifts under the covers between Draco and Mattheo. Sleeping deeply hugged between them both. I catch Mattheo's eyes, and I see pain and uncertainty in their deep brown depths.
What would have happened if we had stayed away? Would she still be hiding? Scared of everything?
Trying to imagine life without her now was painful. She was ingrained in everything good. She was the light to the darkness that threatened us.
There was no life without her in it.
I sighed, trying to let go of the tension building, but only succeeded in creating space for more.
How did everything get so fucked?