Pawns | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Camp

Finally the pressure released and I stumbled as my feet hit the ground, the sound of sticks and leaves crunching underneath us. I opened my eyes to see us standing in a dark forest.

I released my grasp from him and stepped back. "You'll be in trouble for this," I said.

"I deserve it anyway, for getting you in this mess to begin with," he said.

"Maybe you do," I said, feeling myself become upset.

I didn't know how I was supposed to act. I was still mad at him - for everything.

But I was also free now.

I wanted to slap him, and maybe even hug him. I let out a shaky, frustrated breath as I scanned my surroundings.

"Bella, I'm so sorry about what you went through," he said, softly. "And I'm sorry that I couldn't help you when you faced You Know Who. But trust me, it was better for you that I didn't step in - as bad as that sounds.

"You promised, didn't you?" I said, snapping my head back at him accusingly. "'I won't let anyone hurt you.' That's what you said, didn't you?" I said, throwing his words back in his face just in spite.

In honesty, I knew he couldn't have helped. He was right, stepping in would have only made it worse for the both of us. He made a judgment call that I accepted as the right one, but I just didn't feel like thanking him anymore. I didn't feel like letting him off the hook.

"Arabella he may have lashed out on you further and I couldn't risk it," he said, speaking my mind. "You know I'd have taken your place in a heart beat if I could," he said seriously.

I averted my eyes and let out an anxious sigh, remembering how it felt that day.

I suddenly felt the urge to explain what Voldemort saw in my mind, and how I'd forced him out. Despite the vulnerability associated with it, I felt it necessary to tell him that it was the scattered images and scenes of the two of us that somehow forced the Dark lord out.

"Volde-" I began to say.

But before I could even finish my first word, his hand had clasped my mouth aggressively, looking alarmed.

"No!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the quiet forest.

My mouth snapped shut under his fingers. I was wide eyed and confused and it took him a few seconds before he removed his hand.

"What?" I hissed, wiping my face at his release.

"Don't say the name," he answered.

"I'm not scared of the name!" I said, upset at being uninterrupted over some cowardly fear of using the name.

"No, it's not that," he said, shaking his head. "They can track you with the name now, it's something new. They'll show up and you'll be caught all over again and I don't know if I could pull off your escape a second time."

He rubbed his forehead and closed his mouth, looking as if he had more to say.

"What?" I asked, looking at his hesitation.

He clenched his jaw and looked away, the corners of his mouth turned down.

"For God's sake, Draco. Just spit it out," I said, annoyed that he was tiptoeing around me and withholding information.

"The taboo, it's...,"he began, letting out a frustrated sigh. "It's because the only people that aren't afraid to use it are those that oppose him. The Dark Lord got it after realizing that only people from the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's arm-" but he cut himself off, hesitating again.