S N A K E || HARRY POTTER

• I've missed you •

AVALON ROSEWOOD

The Rosewood Estate was just as the Malfoy Estate. 

Empty, quiet, dangerous. 

no one should ever be here, not by choice. 

I read the headline of the daily prophet.  Bridge collapse: death toll rises. 

i read carefully, not missing any letter or word. the bridge had collapsed a day ago or so and so far it is was not known if any muggles died during the collapse that the death eaters caused. I read through the rest of the prophet and as far as it goes-- it only gets darker. 

Draco's father and his comrades were imprisoned in Azkaban after they failed at getting the prophecy that is now destroyed and there is literally a whole article about it. Draco hasn't visited these last few weeks. I think he thinks I am at fault of his father's imprisonment since I helped Harry and the others fight the death eaters but he wasn't there to see just who I was really helping. 

I didn't blast his father, I didn't blast Bellatrix, in fact, i didn't blast anyone with my magic. A slight mistake i might've made was to blast Sirius to his death. Oh well, it had to be done. Bellatrix covered for me and without anyone noticing, we veiled it to look like it was Bellatrix who had killed him, not me. Don't get me wrong, I loved having conversations with Sirius but i could not afford to side with the weak. I can't afford to be weak in any way and being sentimental is just so out of my league, I couldn't stand it anymore. 

"he's just a boy." a voice called out in the rain and my eyes created images that weren't there.

Narcissa was seated in a living room and Bellatrix was walking around, touching everything in the place. " i can't change the dark lord's mind." professor Snape spoke, with indifference and no emtion at all. Narcissa was ready to leave but Snape spoke again. "but it might be possible for me to help Draco."

her eyes watered, with heartfelt emotion. she rose to her feet. "severus,"

"Swear to it." bellatrix broke in, leaving them both dumfounded by the interruption. "Make the Unbreakable Vow."

Snape was hesitant and Bellatrix took a step, her words taunting him. "it's just empty words." she walked nearer to him and walked from behind him. "he'll give it his best effort. . . but when it matter most. . ." she spoke in his ear with delicacy. "he'll just slither back into his hole." she walked away, feeling confident of her words. "coward." 

her words were enough to make him want to prove himself. He turned to her and said, "take out your wand." narcissa and Snape gribbed their arms and Bellatrix took her wand out. gold strands flew out her wand, bonding them. Bellatrix spoke. "will you, Severus Snape, watch over Draco Malfoy as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?" 

the words flowed out his mouth. "I will."

bellatrix continued. "And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"

"I will," 

"and if Draco should fail, will you yourself carry out the deed the dark lord has ordered Draco to perform." narcissa didn't break eye contact, burning her soul and letting him see just how desperate she was for him to protect his only son, her joy, her life. 

"I will." narcissa's chest let it out, as the strands disappeared, leaving the promise very clear to everyone.

the picture disappeared and I snapped back to the loud booming of the thunder strinking outside. Was this recent or was this from days ago? I could never be sure if it was live visions or of something that was going to happen or ever something from days ago.

I closed my  eyes, seeing pitch black and a hand reaching out to attack. my eyes shot open and i found myself standing in the middle of the rain, soaking wet and facing a familiar face in the distance. Draco. 

he carried and umbrella and rushed to me to cover me from the rain. "what's wrong with you?" 

I ran to hug him. "What is wrong with you? You didn't visit these last few weeks." He embraced me while keeping a grip on the umbrella and punched his chest, being slightly mad at his absence. "At this point I thought you hated me." 

"I've been--I've been busy." He looked down, burying his face in my shoulder. He was only and inch or so taller than me but he always loved doing that and it made me feel like at least I had control of something. 

"i know." I knew exactly what type of busy he was dealing with because so was I.

"were supposed to meet at Borgin and Burkes." He explained. "Your father asked that I come to pick you up." 

"Right, let me get my brother--" 

"He apparated, i got notice that he's there as well as your mother." No wonder the house had been so quiet-- quieter than usual. 

"ok." I was dressed decently in a leather jacket, a pair of jeans, and a pair of black platform pumps. When had i even gotten dressed? I chose not to question my lack of memory  and  went into the car as Draco followed, closing the door behind me. "You know I've missed you right?"

I smiled at him, feeling the flattery he always demonstrated to me. "I know you did." 

We sat silent and then, "I missed you too." The words of sentiment, ran straight out of my mouth without me being alerted. "But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll kill you." I did a knife slicing through his throat gesture and he laughed.

 "Got it, Av." He nudged me, mimicking the words that i had said. 

I laughed at his expressions that were supposed to represent me. "You said it first, remember that?" 

As the car drove to Knockturn alley, I wondered why he came to pick me up in a car that had no magic involved whatsoever and I realized that he was trying to enjoy the moments the same way I wished I could. He was always the more emotional one and sometimes I couldn't help but wish I could afford to be like him. 

He truly was lucky to afford emotions when he had someone like his mother protecting him but I knew no one would protect me if I were to fail.