Always / Draco Malfoy

Chapter 38

Aurora's POV:

I let the boiling hot, steamy water pummel its way down my skin leaving it utterly redraw in its wake. I silently prayed the water would wash away the memory of his skin against mine the way his hand gripped my wrist before I left him in that field. I prayed it would wash away the memory of his eyes which held a storm of emotions and memories behind them. I prayed that it would wash away the memory of the deep grey bags under his eyes and the hot tears which he let slip down his puffy cheeks. I prayed that it would wash away the memory of his body that trembled begging me to run to him and hold him and tell him everything would be okay. I prayed it would wash away the memory of his voice that shook as he said," I DID IT TO PROTECT YOU,"

Turning off the water and grabbing my red towel I couldn't help the tears which flew down my cheeks nor how my lungs couldn't seem to get enough oxygen and felt as though they were shrinking or that my vision soon blurred and the familiar shapes of the burrow bathroom seemed to fade in and out of view. After drying off my body I wrapped my emerald silk robe around my body using the towel to dry my locks but they still dripped small droplets down my robe onto the floor. I used my wand grabbing it and motioning to dry my hair and I walked from the bathroom up another flight of stairs to my room on the top floor, heading to my trunk only to find the very first thing I saw to be Draco's sweatshirt. 

It felt as though I had no control over my body like I was someone's puppet and I began picking up all my clothes and throwing them across the room. I came across his aftershave bottles which he bought me to spray his hoodies so they always smelt of him and I launched them across the room one after another watching them smash into tiny pieces onto the floor. What followed next was me locking my gaze on the photos that decorated the walls of me and Draco. One of us at my grandparent's home smiling as we lay in a field of colorful flowers and another of us bundled up laughing as the snow-covered the world around us, I picked up my pace grabbing each one and launching those to the floor. I watched the glass shatter into tiny fragments flinching as ut did so, moving to my desk throwing each item behind me letting them clatter and smash to the floor, the tears continued slipping down my cheeks in the process.

Narrator's POV:

All the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione were gathered in the living room around the open fire, not a single person muttering a word too shocked and sad to think about stringing together a sentence. Unlike everyone in the room who was thinking about the betrayal of Snape or the death of Dumbledore Fred was thinking about Aurora. He thought back to how she hadn't said a single word he'd apparated her home and how she silently made her way to the shower a constant flow of tears flowing down her face.

Hearing a loud bang followed by many more Fred found himself jumping up from his seat instantly and running up the several flights of stairs to her room. Flinging open her bedroom door he found Aurora about to launch another framed photo across the room without a second thought he picked up his pace going to stand behind her. He wrapped one arm around her waist and used the other to grab the photo throwing it behind him onto her bed and securely wrapping the free arm around her waist too. 

She resisted against him screaming 'no' and 'let me go like everyone else' the words cut like knives to his chest threatening to break his heart that the girl he'd grown up with was broken utterly broken before him. She was the light of not only his life but everyone she knew and here she stood after years of betrayal by numerous people a shell of herself he'd never seen her like this. Her chest heaved up and down in short breaths as she was barely able to breathe, tears flowing like a river down her swollen cheeks, eyes puffy with smugged mascara underneath them, her entire body shaking violently against him. 

Fred held her tightly against his chest as she finally stopped resisting gradually lowering them to the ground lifting her so that she sat on his lap rocking her until she fell asleep. When he knew she was in a deep sleep he picked her up gently placing her in her bed tucking her in so that she was warm going as far to add another blanket. He used magic to tidy up her room cleaning up and putting all her clothes away neatly except he put all the photos of her and Draco and all of Draco's clothes that he'd given her into a box and put it under her bed. 

He quietly left the room closing the door behind him and walked to his room head hung low exhausted, as he entered he saw George talking to Hermione and Ron. All their heads snapped in his direction as he entered the room walking to his bed and sitting himself down comfortably.

"What happened, mate?" George asked.

"She didn't say much to Harry other than she and Draco broke up-"

"Well, that fairly obvious isn't it, I mean the fowl gits a Death Eater why would she want to be with someone like that?" Ron quickly interrupted Fred and he was too tired to mask the utter disappointment directed towards his younger brother.

"Ronald don't...I'm sure he had his reasons for doing what he needed to do and I'm sure Aurora will tell us that tomorrow so instead of jumping to conclusions why don't you be supportive," Fred's words were venomous and Ron nodded understandingly.

"Come on Ron let leave them to sleep," Hermione motioned for him to follow her.