Phoenix

Chapter Five

"How is she?"

"She hasn't let go of my shirt all night. She kept crying in her sleep."

"She's going to need you, mate. Maybe pull the stick out of your arse and be the guy she needs."

I laid there holding my eyes shut as I listened to Atlas and Draco go back and forth. I had Draco's t-shirt balled in my fists, keeping his body as close to me as I could get him. Every time I woke up in the middle of the night I begged for it all to be a dream, but the lingering burn on my left forearm reminded me that it was real. I was a Death Eater.

"I'm not the right guy for her," Draco sighed, wrapping his arm around me.

"Mate, you both have loved each other since you were like babies. I don't think I've ever seen two people more right for each other than you two." I could tell by the tone of his voice that Atlas was smirking and probably waving his hands around as he spoke. "Both of you are so damn stubborn though that you refuse to acknowledge it and be there completely for each other."

"I'm here aren't I?" Draco snapped and I felt his hand run up and down my side. "I will fight every single fuckin' day to keep this girl safe, At, but I come from a shit family. I don't know how to be that guy that you're talking about."

"Yes you do," Atlas argued. "You already are that guy. You just maybe don't hold her hand in public or kiss her for everyone to see, but you let her sleep with you every night. You protect her. You made an unbreakable vow with her mother, Draco! For Christ sake even I wasn't willing to do all of that," he chuckled darkly. "I love that girl more than life itself, but an unbreakable vow is serious. You step up and be everything that your father never was for your mother."

"Well I meant it when I said I would do anything to keep her safe."

My heart was beating so hard in my chest I was positive it was going to come right out of my body. Draco had said he didn't make an unbreakable vow when he had. If you broke an unbreakable vow, I didn't even want to think of what would happen to him.

There was a mixture of anger and happiness swirling inside of me. On one hand it made my heart swell with love that he was that set on keeping me safe that he was willing to risk his own life. On the other hand how stupid could he be to put his own life on the line like that?

There was an internal battle I was having with myself. I knew I had feelings for Draco. I think I had had them since I laid eyes on that five year old, blue eyed boy and he told me he liked the sparkles on my shirt. I wanted to sit up, kick Atlas out of the room, grab Draco's face and kiss him like I've never kissed anyone before and at the same time I wanted to lay here and pretend like I hadn't heard their conversation and act like everything was completely normal.

The door to Draco's dorm closed and I took that as a sign that Atlas had left. I felt Draco adjust himself and wrap both of his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. The rhythm of his heartbeat matched with mine; quick and hard. I slowly allowed my eyes to flutter open and was met with his blue ones staring down at me.

"How much of that did you hear?" he smirked, knowing me so well that he knew I was listening. I sighed, a small smile spreading across my lips. I wiggled my arms free from his hold and brought my cold hands up to rest on his warm cheeks. My thumbs brushed across his skin lightly as my eyes held his.

Without giving it another thought I pulled his face down to mine and met his lips with a soft kiss. I hummed in satisfaction as his own lips moved gently with mine, his tongue slipping into my mouth and swirling around with my own. What started off as slow and sweet quickly turned to rough and passionate.

"Draco," I sighed as his lips trailed my jawline and down my neck. His hands ran along my sides and gripped my hands, pulling them above my head where he pinned them down with his own. His lips found mine again and I melted into him as he tugged gently on my bottom lip with his teeth.