𝐔𝐍𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐇𝐘; Draco Malfoy

XXVI

"Draco?"

Draco woke up to this soft call of his name. Now that he was regaining his consciousness, he could feel her fingers brushing up and down over his cheek. "Goodmorning, love.." He whispered, finding her body with his hands and pulling her closer. "It's not morning." She said grimly, so he rubbed his eyes, fluttering them open. Elena was right, it was still dark in the room, and outside of their window.

"What's wrong?" He asked in a low voice, turning on his side so he could take a better look at her. There had to be something wrong, he thought. When he focused and looked into her eyes, he could see the glossiness of tears in them.

"I don't feel so well," She mumbled, pressing her lips together to hide the tremble in them. "You were in such a deep sleep that I didn't want to wake you at first. I'm sorry."

"Are you mad? You can always wake me up for anything, love. Especially if you're feeling unwell," Draco said sternly, placing a kiss on her forehead. "What's the matter then? Why do you feel unwell?" He put his hand on her belly, intuitively guessing that that's where the hurt was.

She nodded. "Yes, it hurts there," Draco pulls the sheets off her body, leaning down and placing a kiss on her belly. "It's been aching a little for over two weeks every now and then, but it's especially bad tonight." She said, lowering her eyes.

"I believe it's stress, darling. Much has been going on lately, it's understandable for your body to have a reaction to what's going on in your head." Draco said, kissing her belly two more times before he moved back up to her face.

"Is that all of it?" He asked, raising his eyebrows curiously. She looked at him, and couldn't stop her eyes from tearing up a little. To hide it, she turned around and got out of bed, running a hand through her hair. "You know me too well." She said.

"So?" He said worriedly. "What is it, El?"

"I'm just scared," She whispered hoarsely, wiping a tear away. "Especially now. I—I can't lose you.."

Draco got up from the bed, a line appearing between his brows. "Lose me? Whatever do you mean?" His heart dropped into his stomach from the tone in her voice, the seriousness of it. And the 'especially now', what on earth was that supposed to mean?

"You heard what Harry said," She said fiercely, rubbing her fingers over her lips. Draco shook his head, walking towards her. "I won't let that happen. Nothing will happen to us. Your hands are clean." Draco said, trying to smile a little to reassure her. "But yours aren't." She muttered.

Draco tucked a few strands of her hair behind her ear. "And you think that I haven't got a cover-up story? I've had one for ages. A person ill prepared is a person set up for failure— I've told you that one before. It'll be okay." He said.

He leaned down, taking her face into his hands. "And if they try to fight, for you—I will bring them a war. That's a promise."

She didn't doubt his words, they at least brought some comfort to her. "Anyone who tries to take you from me is either very foolish or very clueless about what I'm capable of," Draco told her, the beats of his heart getting slower. "I'd rip this world apart with my bare hands for you."

She laughed through her sobs, nodding because she knew that already. "What made you stop caring about what I did and who I am?" Draco asked curiously. She crossed her arms over each other, wincing a little when she touched her breast too hard. Draco frowned.

"I realized that I'm just as bad. I imagine myself in your place all the time and realize that I'd do the same for you," She whispered. "And I'm not saying that I'm happy about what you did, but I love you too much to hate you for it."