Merely Misunderstood

Chapter Fifty-Eight

It felt as though we were being sucked through a rubber tube; I couldn't draw breath, I couldn't move, I couldn't hear or see....

Just as I felt as though I might pass out, the tube disappeared, and I found myself standing on the long driveway leading toward Malfoy Manor.

My legs suddenly shook below me, and I keeled over, hurling all over the ground. Draco's hands suddenly appeared on my arms, supporting me from behind, keeping me from collapsing onto the gravel.

"Are you okay?" he asked, alarmed. I couldn't speak, so I just nodded, wiping my mouth on my sleeve.

Draco gently helped me up, and we slowly started toward the manor, neither of us speaking. It took us much longer than it normally would have to reach the front doors, but once we did, Draco gestured weakly for me to stand behind him before pounding on the doors. There was a long moment of silence, and then the door creaked, and a large eye peered through the crack in the door.

"Master Draco," a withered voice croaked, and the door slowly opened fully, revealing an ancient-looking house-elf about as tall as my knees. "Welcome home," the house-elf greeted gravely, stepping aside to let Draco in.

Draco grabbed my hand and started forward, immediately heading for the staircase that led up to the second floor. He pulled me along much faster than he'd done on the way up to the manor, and I assumed he was avoiding coming in contact with anyone else. Why he was doing this, though, I had no idea.

He opened the door to his room, ushering me inside before following me in, closing the door and locking it behind him. Despite feeling terrified and exhausted and sick all at once, I couldn't help but feel relaxed to be in his room again. The last time I was here had been a dark occasion; I came here the day the Death Eaters attacked my parents.

But yet, standing in his room gave me a feeling of peace that I couldn't explain. Perhaps it was because the entire room held his smell, or maybe it was simply because it was Draco's room. But whatever the reason, I was glad to be here with him.

I turned to face Draco, wondering why he was so quiet, but fell short when I noticed the air of panic surrounding him. He had his back pressed against the door, his head tilted back and his eyes screwed shut. His lower lip was trembling, and he bit it hard with his teeth, probably to keep from breaking into sobs.

I started toward him, wrapping my arms around his torso and pulling myself close against him. His heartbeat, which was racing at first, started to slow as I hugged him, and after a short pause, his arms wound around me, pulling me even closer. He rested his cheek on top of my head, and I was pleased to find his breathing gradually steady.

I didn't know how long we stood there embracing each other, but eventually, Draco pushed away from the door, releasing me. Then, he took my hand, pulling me toward his bed wordlessly. He climbed on top of the blankets, pulling me along behind him.

He only released me for a second to situate himself on top of the blankets, but as soon as I went to lay beside him, he scooped me up in his arms and pulled me close, tucking me into his chest. I curled as close to him as I could, and he did the same, burying his face in between my neck and shoulder.

I fit against his body perfectly; I molded to him like a puzzle piece, and he was wrapped around me like a cocoon. I had never cuddled with him like this before — it was like being put in imminent danger just made us that much more in need of each other's warm embrace. He was clinging to me as though I was all that mattered, and I was huddled against him like he was all I had left.

Regardless of what we'd just come from, I had never felt more at peace anywhere in my entire life.

Draco's breathing deepened, and although he'd fallen asleep, his arms never relaxed from around me. But I was glad; if he held me any looser, I wouldn't be able to fall asleep — I felt safer in his arms than I'd felt at Hogwarts.