Dare - Draco Malfoy

A/E - Chapter 60: Two knocks

Maeve:

"You are pregnant" 

The words roll around in my brain, incessantly repeating in a desperate loophole. 

 I can't. I physically could never be pregnant. I've known this my entire life.

"Aria, come on. She made a mistake, obviously." I huff sitting down on my bed. We are back in the dorms and I feel so much better. 

"You don't know that. You have said it yourself that there's one in a million chance."

"Ah! That's not what I meant." I laugh.

She gives me a reproving look and sits next to me. 

"All I'm saying is, it could happen, and you know that it could happen. Even if it's one in a million"

I stare at her, taking a deep breath in. Her hand rests over mine. I feel a ball in my throat. My eyes filling with tears. Tears come easily these days. 

I look down at my belly, my hand gently feeling it, I close my eyes. And just as tears hit cheek, her hand finds its way to my belly too. 

"What if I am?" I sob, searching, craving her reassurance.

"It's gonna be okay." 

"No it's not. There's a war." I spit angrily, standing up. 

"I fucked up Aria" I take a step towards the middle of the room. 

She stands and rushes to me, holding my shoulder. 

"Hey. Hey. Look at me" She speaks calmly. 

"You did not fuck up." 

"I did-" I start, moving away. 

Her grip tightens as pulls me back. 

"You love him. Don't you?" Her eyes are wide open, expecting my answer. I nod.

"It's a gift Maeve, a one in a million."

She hugs me. I feel her hair, smell her. She feels like childhood, like happiness. Like good memories.

 Draco:

The sight of her everyday is a constant reminder of why I put up with all this. Why I haven't left already. There are times where I am tempted to leave all this behind. I remember her words from what seems like years ago.

"Let's go away. Let's just go away. Somewhere"

There are days where I am so close to just leave everything and take her away, to run away. The thought dies away quickly the realisation that there is nowhere to run.

I am stuck. Drowning in a world in which I don't know how to swim.

But being close to her, having her around me. Knowing she is alive, makes me calmer.

I look at her. I just look at her to soothe my rage. I look at her, but her growing sicker by the day is starting to weight on me. I know she's strong, but this is beyond anyone tolerance and to see her like this makes me sick.

I want to speak to her, I want to hold her.

As April comes to an end, the gloom of the somber doesn't lift. Spring won't come, the sky won't clear from the constant darkened clouds. It has been over a month since I've been with her, spoke to her, had her with me alone. My entire body is trying to stand it but it can't.

I walk to my room, eyes fixed on the floor. My body fighting against my impulse of just running to her. Take her in my arms and remind her of how I precious she is, how I love her, how everything won't not be okay, but remind her that we are going through this together.