Bound By Honour (Lucius Malfoy) *COMPLETED*

CHAPTER 14 - TRUCE

I open the door, entering the room with caution after hearing yet another object smash to the floor. I see Draco in the corner, clenching his fists in anger as he looks up, quickly wiping his eyes as if he didn't want me to see he was crying.

"Get out," he says furiously but I stand my ground.

"Are you okay?" I ask softly and I watch as he picks up a nearby bottle of cologne, throwing it and it smashes against the wall, inches from my head.

But I don't flinch, or even blink. Not once.

I had noticed I had no fear now when it came to the Malfoys. I had simply endured enough within a week of me being here.

For a moment, I notice he looks shocked at my reaction. Or rather, lack of one before quickly recomposing himself, sniffling quietly as he turns away.

"Why do you care?" He asks in a hushed voice, and I can tell he doesn't expect me to answer.

I sigh, brushing my hand through my hair as I respond in a soft tone. "Of course I care, Draco."

He looks at me shortly before deciding he still hates me as he sits on his bed, his hands clasped tightly together. "I don't care what you say. I'm not falling for your act like my father did," he hisses and I wish so badly he could just know how untrue that was.

"And no matter what happens you will never replace my mother."

"Good," I joke, a little more cheerfully with a small smile. "That's the last thing I want."

He glares at me before looking away, down at his hands and I slowly walk over to him. I stand beside him and when he doesn't say anything, I figure it's safe enough for me to sit next to him on the bed.

He turns to look at me, pulling a face and I sigh again, feeling defeated. "Listen Draco, if we're ever going to become... not enemies... then you need to know the truth. Or at least understand my version of things," I say calmly and he looks at me, having no choice but to listen after tiring himself out with all his unnecessary anger. I can tell he is far too exhausted to even argue anymore.

I take a deep breath, trying to think about where to even start. It was still hard for me to believe all this had happened when not long ago I was in Hogwarts, engaged to the love of my life and now I'm married to a narcissistic millionaire with a teenage son who hates me.

"I never wanted this to happen," I begin and he looks at me curiously. "I didn't want any of it."

I look to him and he stays silent, so I take it as an opportunity to carry on.

"I was... forced into marrying your father."

His eyes suddenly grow a bit wider and instantly I can tell he knew just as much of the truth as the public did. It killed me to think Lucius could let his son live like this, without even telling him anything only for him to find out by reading the headlines on the morning paper.

"Two weeks ago, I was in Hogsmeade with my boyfriend and he proposed to me. I said yes and that weekend when I went home, excited to tell my parents about it, they told me I was already betrothed. To your dad."

He listens carefully, his face unreadable.

"I said no of course, but then I found out they had threatened my parents if I didn't cooperate." I pray he doesn't ask me about who 'they' were and thankfully, he doesn't.

Maybe telling him the truth was sort of exposing his father, but I wouldn't go as far as telling him anything about the whole death eater business.

That was for Lucius himself to deal with.

"So I married your dad and..." I shrug. "Here we are."

He stays silent for a good minute, thinking to himself.

"So, why didn't you just run away?" He asks and I internally panic - what was I supposed to say that didn't involve death eaters, Voldermort or any other secret he didn't know about?

"That would have brought shame to my family," I say slowly, thinking my words through as I say them.

"My dad is from one of the last reigning pureblood families in the wizard community," I  say, and to be honest I wasn't lying.

"If I ran away, he would never be able to escape from my mistakes."

Draco stares at me and I start to think he knows I'm lying before he nods, and I fight the urge to sigh in relief.

"I could never do that," he says and I look at him curiously.

"Do what?"

He debates on it for a second, wondering if he should say it or not. After a moment, he finally speaks.

"Give up my happiness for my father," he says in a quiet voice and I feel my heart instantly drop as the realisation dawns on me.

He already has, I think but I don't dare to say it out loud.

Every thing this boy did, his father controlled or orchestrated.

"I understand," I say softly and he nods before we fall into another period of silence.

After a few minutes I look at him, offering my hand. "Truce?" I ask, with a smile and he smirks, making me notice just how much he looked like his father.

And yet, he was so different.

"Promise you won't be the wicked stepmother and take my fathers side over everything?" He says with a small chuckle and I raise my eyebrow.

"Honey, I don't agree with anything he says, what makes you think I will when it comes to you?"

He laughs, and I smile proudly, happy that he was much calmer now he understood.

"Well?" I ask. "Don't leave me hanging."

He smiles, taking my hand and shaking it.

"Truce," he says before pulling his hand away.

"Good, now that's sorted, you can start to make  some changes," I say. "Starting by cleaning this room," I look around at the smashed pieces of things he had thrown in anger.

"Oh, yeah," he gets up and starts to pick up the broken things and I watch him, a small smile on my face.

Maybe living here wouldn't be so lonely after all.