A Long Way Down| Draco X Reader

Chapter 25: The Cabin (Year 3)

TW: I'd like to start this chapter with a trigger warning for eating disorder mentions and domestic abuse so if either of those trigger you I recommend you skip this chapter and I'll leave a summary of the important bits at the end. Please stay safe and know that you are enough.

Christmas was just around the corner and this year my family was vacationing with Draco's family. I was excited to spend the holidays with Draco but nervous about how my parents would get on. We haven't been on a vacation together in years because lately they couldn't stand each other.

The Malfoys had rented a lavish cabin in the woods for the Holidays and so graciously invited us to visit with them. I packed my things from school and made my way downstairs to meet Draco in the common room. His face lit up as he saw me and quickly came over to help me with my bags. We took the Hogwarts express back to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters where we were then greeted by our mothers.  

We were escorted to the cabin by our mothers to be greeted by our fathers' fake smiles. Lucius Malfoy looked tired and withered, more so than my own father. It seemed like work had been stressful at the ministry so it was probably a good thing that they could take a short break.

My mother showed me to my room while Draco's mother showed him to his. They were just across the hall from one another. 

I began to unpack when in the next room I could vaguely hear my parents fighting, again... I tried my best to ignore it like I usually do but this time was different, only because I could pretty clearly hear what awful things my father was saying.

"You are so stupid! How can I even be married to such a fool!" My father screamed at my mother who responded calmly in return.

"I'm sorry dear, but it was an accident." I could almost hear the desperation in her voice.

They went silent for a few seconds before I heard him hit her. Tears began to stream down my face as I continued to unpack my things. Just as I finish I hear a knock on my door, it was Draco. 

"Y/N?" He questioned through the door. "Are you done unpacking?"

"Y-yes. I just finished." I tried to keep my voice steady but I couldn't stop it from shaking. He opened the door abruptly giving me no time to wipe the tears from my face.

"I thought something was wrong." He said softly. "What is it? You can tell me."

I began explaining to the boy about how my parents' fighting has clearly gotten worse. I told him what my father had done. Draco stood in front of me in awe. He didn't say anything, he just wrapped his arms around me tightly. 

"I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard it must be to hear something like that." 

I just cried into his shoulder as he hugged me tighter. We stood there in each other's arms for a while before he broke it off. He took my hand and dragged me out onto the porch of the cabin. It had been snowing before we got there, but besides it being cold it was quiet in a pleasant way. 

"Just listen for a while." He said.

I followed his directions and closed my eyes focusing on my surrounding noises. I heard birds chirping, snow falling from trees, and I felt the cool breeze on my skin as well as hearing it blow through the trees. I felt myself growing calmer the more I listened. 

A couple hours had passed after my parent's  argument and it was now dinner time. Narcissa and my mother were just finishing dinner for everyone. Draco and I set the table while our fathers chatted about stuff at the ministry.

We all sat around the dinner table as our mothers set the dishes along the middle of the large table. Once my mother found her seat between my father and me, I looked at her and my heart sank. She had a bruise right under her eye that was visible through her makeup. As everyone began eating their food I just stared at my plate. The parents all made polite conversations while I stayed silent. I could feel Draco's eyes burning hole into the top of my head. I looked up slowly noticing how concerned he looked. 

"I'm not feeling well." I interrupted before standing up from my seat and storming up to my room. I stared into the mirror that sat in the corner. I looked sickly, I hadn't noticed much but ever since my parents fighting got worse I began to skip more and more meals. I slowly lifted up my shirt revealing my boney figure. My ribs jutted out far more than they had just a year ago.

"Oh my god, Y/N" Draco interjected my thoughts.  The boy looks me up and down in shock. I quickly pulled my shirt back down to cover my ribcage. 

"I-I can explain." I say frantically. Hoping he wouldn't be disgusted by me if I could just explain myself to him. He began walking over to me and grabbed my wrist gently, he could fit his entire hand around it and it still left a gap. I let my eyes drop down to the floor, too ashamed of myself to look him in the eyes. He still didn't say anything but simply pulled me into a soft hug. I could feel myself losing my composure then seconds later I was sobbing into the boys arms.

"You don't have to explain yourself. I know you've been going through a lot lately. But please, Y/N. You have to eat." He stroked my hair as he spoke. I nodded between my sobs. He held me tight until I was able to calm down.

"I-I didn't mean to. I swear. I just-" I began explaining myself before he stopped me. 

"I know. It'll be okay." He cooed at me.

I gave him a weak smile and he gave my hand a soft peck, before asking if I could be alone or if I wanted to join him in his room for the night. I hesitated not wanting to ask much of the boy but he read my mind and invited me to join him.

I followed him to his room. His room was slightly bigger than my own, the bed was the same size making the room difference more apparent. He began scavenging through the closet for any type of extra bedding. It only took him a short minute to find a sleeping bag and a couple extra pillows.

"I can sleep on the floor, you can-"

"No. I'm gonna sleep on the floor. You take the bed so you can be comfortable." Draco interrupted my sentence before I could finish, insisting that I be the one to take the comfort of the bed. He took the sleeping bag out of the bag it was in and sprawled it out on the floor. Then he set down the pillows at the top of the sleeping bag. I crawled into his bed feeling guilty but I was too tired to care. My eyes hurt so much from crying, they were red and puffy at this point surely. 

As my eyes were opening and closing slowly as I was dozing off to sleep, Draco took the sheets and pulled them up to my neck. He then kissed me on the forehead softly before I heard him climb into the sleeping bag.

"Thank you, Draco. Goodnight." I said to the boy groggily.

"Anytime, Y/N. Goodnight." He said back just in time for me to fall asleep right after.

A/N: So nothing much happened in the chapter... I'll make next chapter a bit happier but this is just introducing some of the angst that's gonna play a part in the later years. But basically all that happened in the chapter for those of you who needed to skip. Was that Draco comforted the mc after a fight between her parents and then at dinner the mc left due to the emotions about the fighting from before. Then she realises that she hasn't been eating properly and Draco finds this out too and doesn't say much but just comforts her as best he can. That is it basically. Sorry if you couldn't read this weeks update :( Please get the help you need you deserve to be happy and safe <3 (Also its my birthday now!!! I'm getting old lol)