(1) 𝐍𝐄𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐇𝐄 | d. m

Chapter thirty two

Draco

I don't know what lead me to taking Lane in my arms that night. Maybe it was due to the fact that I was in a place where I felt vulnerable and needed something, or rather someone, to distract me from it. Or maybe it was because I had spent so many months aching for her, struggling to bottle up my emotions, that I felt I needed to let go. Because even though the world was still against us, and even though the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord was still out there, I needed a place to feel safe, and where I felt I was able to breathe fully. And that place was with her.

I was more than broken up about my mothers sudden death, and this lead me to shutting Lane out for a good two weeks or so after it happened. With no Death Eaters around (which was quite odd, especially for someone like me, who could never seem to flee their harsh gaze), I had time to wallow in my loneliness, to focus on nothing else but the grief I was struck by. That night however, I invited the one thing I knew had the power to hurt me beyond repair, into my bed.

"What are you thinking about?", she whispered quietly, I could feel her breath against my skin.

"Nothing... Everything", I replied, unsure of it myself. I wasn't used to this sort of feeling. Sure, I was scared for my own and my parents lives all the time, but I never actually thought I would lose either of them. If anyone should've died, it should've been me. I zoned out, looking at the ceiling. Lane was curled up next to me, and if I could feel her heart beat through her chest, I'm sure she could feel mine. It was beating heavily, going at  a maximum speed, and if it wasn't for the girl lying next to me, I'm afraid it would've jumped right out of my chest.

"Where you do you think your father went to?", she asked subtly, planting a kiss on my neck for good measure. "Do you suppose he's ever coming back?".

"My dad will always come back here, sooner or later. It's just a matter of time before he realises what he's done".

"He's a bit of a coward that one", Lane chuckled infectiously, leading me to grin through my teeth as well.

"H—yeah, I suppose he is".

Lane seemed to be able to cheer me up like no one else, at least she was the one who came closest to something of the sort. Her widened smile, the depth of her cupid's bow, the crunch of her nose. Everything about her seemed to bring calm to my otherwise broken soul. We could plan the future, without being entirely sure that we would ever have one, and it still brought us closer to each other. She managed to make me smile, which was more than I could say for my father or those two stuck-up cowards Goyle and Blaise.  But most of all, she made me feel safe. Despite everything going on in both of our lives, her way of going about dealing with it all, and her fierce bravery, made me feel like I could do just about anything, and still make it out alive.

"You know I love you, right?", I spit out, utterly terrified of what she might say to that. I had confessed my feelings towards her before, in fact I had done so on several occasions, but it always seemed to be the wrong time. The first time I did so, I ended up hexing her into forgetting about me and our relationship, and the second time, well — she didn't take it all that well.

"I know I've said it before, but I just need to make sure you know, and that you never forget it".

"Draco—"

"—Shhh", I shut her up. "You don't have to say it back. It's enough having you here. So I don't need to know". I hugged her, bringing her body closer to mine. Finally, I had managed to tell her of my feelings, without something screwing it up, without her leaving afterwards or forgetting that it ever happened. All that mattered, was that moment.  Just her and me. Alone. Together.