Serpents.

twenty-three

"there you are."

Estella stood in the center of the dark and dreary room.

"Estella" i ran to her...wrapping my arms around her.

"i knew you'd come for me...i have to tell you something." her face lost her fragile smile.

"where are you?" i cried

"he captured me...for good reason too...i'm not who you think i am draco." she placed her palm against my cheek.

"i don't care who you are, i just...i need you here"

"can i read to you?" a single year from her face

"yes...please"

she stretched out her hand as i took it, she led me to a small fireplace across the dark room.

She picked up the hickory-leathered book with fragile, coffee stained pages; and aimlessly turned the page.

"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes..... you do." She sighed after the words slipped from her mouth.

"To Kill a Mocking Bird..nice choice" i let out a small chuckle.

i lifted her chin so i could daze into her glassy eyes, just like a movie...that's how it seems, too good to be true.

She was alluring, exquisite, beyond anything ever created in this world. And she was his...all his.

"My girl...my beautiful girl" i spoke softly, my thumb skimmed over her cheek.

"If only it could be like this" she sighed, standing from the couch

"Why?" i reached for her, asking as if i didn't actually know.

"Look at us...the world is crumbling  around us...you're fooling yourself if you think we could actually be more than a dream" she kissed my cheek gently.

"Wait please-" i stood from the chair, pleading

"You know I can't stay" she smiled weakly, and her body faded away.

...

i shot up from my bed, dripping of sweat and heavy breathing causing my chest to feel raw.

i wasn't sure what this dream actually meant...was she dead? is that why she left?

my stomach was sick just thinking about it.

what i would give to see her face to face, i would hold her...love her...cherish her presence. i took Estella for granted all these years and i never realized what was right in front of me.

i was in love with Estella Clarke, she was my existence alone. nothing made sense if it wasn't with her. i didn't just need her, at this point she was my survival and the very breath i breathed. if something were to happen to her this life would be pointless and unlivable.

...

estella's pov:

i woke up in the dark room again. i had dreamed about draco, it felt so real...seeing him alone gave me the desire to break out of this place. but i couldn't...he and the others needed to be protected and the only way is for me to be here.

i hope to see them one day.

maybe from a distance? watching them graduate, start careers, start families, live and laugh together....while i was here, withering behind these walls. it was worth it.

...

"sleep well?"

i just ignored him as usual, his voice was agonizing.

"i was talking to you" the dark lord sneered

"i slept..well enough i suppose" i sighed

"any memories?" his fork scratched against his plate

"no."

the room went silent until i felt a sharp pain shoot through my head and down my body.

legilimency.

"ahh, the malfoy boy." he scoffed

"how very...interesting, i assumed something would happen between you two"

"nothing happened...he's just a friend"

"that's not what it looks like, especially in his mind...he had quite the fantasies" he scoffed

"how would you know?"

"your inspections, before you were brought here and put into your rooms."

"what was the inspections for?"

"scan your brains, bodies. we were seeing if you had your memories return yet. we also didn't want you to be contaminated."

"what does that matter?"

"why so many questions? eat!" he snarled

"answer me. what would happen if we were contaminated?"

"we believe the malfoy boy has a piece of information as well...we seen it. we don't know how. i thought it could be your...connection."

our connection? there had to be another reason that Draco had the memories as well...this could be it.

"enough questions for today! my head will explode if i hear one more!"

"we could only hope" i said under my breath

***
draco's pov:

"anything?" pansy sat down next to me

"there was a dream. she said had to tell me something. that we didn't know her like we thought. i don't know what it meant, what if she was working with him..all along"

"she wouldn't do that...estella was a great girl"

"was. why would you say was? she's not dead!" i spat

"draco, that's not what i meant"

"you all think i'm insane! you think i should just let her go, she's not dead and i'm the only one that cares she's gone!"

"we all care for estella, but you have to consider...this is Voldemort we're talking about if he fought so hard to have her...if she's still alive, we need to find her because she won't be for long"

"i know."

"was there anything you recognized in the dream? anything in the background?" pansy asked

"...a book, i doubt we could find it here...it's in the library where they held us"

"do you think we could get in?"

"probably not...but it wouldn't hurt to try"

"i'll let the others know" pansy placed her hand on mine and smiled weakly

"we will find her" she stood from the couch and walked upstairs.