Dance Magic Dance **COMPLETE**

Chapter Sixteen

Nyx flicked her hand and moved the couch and coffee table out of the way. She then conjured a punch bag and gloves.

Draco was confused. "You want to make me happy by making me....work out?"

"No," Nyx rolled her eyes. "We are going to work on some of your inner fears."

"With a punch bag?" Draco smirked. This girl was crazy.

"Exactly." She held out the gloves. "Put your hands in." He did as asked, and she strapped them up and added a helmet which she placed on his head. "Chin up," she smiled as she stepped closer to him to seal the helmet under his chin.

Draco watched her as she worked. She had a sparkle in his eyes that he remembered, but he couldn't place. It was like trying to remember a dream after you woke up. The light blue in her irises seemed to move and dance as she studied what she was doing. Her scent was like Jasmine and parchment with a hint of peat? It was intoxicating, and he found himself wanting to lean in further.

But as he did, she stepped back. "OK, no one is getting a head injury tonight. Are you ready?" She smiled up at him, dazzling him.

"To work out?" He smirked as she glided her hand over his torso, changing his outfit from his usual suit and shoes to sweatpants, a t-shirt, and trainers.

She rolled her eyes. "No." She shook her head, her hair flying around in her ponytail. "I want you to think about your 6th year. Think about that pain, the loneliness, the isolation, the frustration, all of it. And when you are ready, you -"

Draco was picturing it... a little too hard, and his arm flew out of its own accord and hit the punch bag. Only problem was that Nyx was standing next to it and was thrown backwards over the back of the sofa and onto the cushioned seats.

"SHIT!" Draco said, but Nyx was up on her feet before he could even move.

"That was good!" She encouraged him. "Maybe wait to I am out of the way first, though," she laughed.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"I am fine. Couch broke my fall. Trust me, I once hit this thing so hard it came flying back and knocked me into the fireplace. I ended up in Diagon Alley." Draco chuckled as she stepped back. "Now focus. Think of all the things bugging you. Everything that frustrates you. Your past and your emotions. Then beat the shit out of the bag."

She stepped back as Draco closed his eyes. Again he pictured the pain he felt, the loneliness, the frustration, the fear....not being able to mend the cabinet, the pain of the cruciatus curse that Christmas when he wasn't finished and the Dark Lord punished him. The heartbreak at watching his father be cursed. Watching his mother fear for her life. The shame. The pain. The torture. The fear.

Nyx watched as he opened his eyes. They were almost black. Full of determination. She flicked her hand and added extra bolts to the ceiling. She knew they were needed. And they were. Draco lunged, punching the bag with all his might. Shouting and screaming as he went. He was saying words, but Addalie tried not to listen. This was his time and his healing, and she didn't want to interrupt.

The sweat was lashing off Draco as he worked out all that pent-up anger. All the things he had been pushing down for so long. All the things he thought made him weak and fragile, so he ignored them. These feelings were now bubbling to the surface as he allowed himself to feel them.

Draco felt better with each pound of his fist. He imagined the bag as his father, as aunt Bella, as Umbridge, as Voldemort, as his father again....then Voldemort for a solid twenty minutes and then finally himself. For each punch, he thought of all the things he did wrong during school. Not talking to Dumbledore as soon as he got to school and telling him about the plan and the Dark Mark. Not allowing Snape to help him. Not standing up for Potter and his gang of assholes sooner. Not taking a leaf out of Blaise's book and staying neutral during the war. For cursing Katie Bell and poisoning Weasley. For duelling Harry rather than talking to him and for not seeking help. Finally, for not meeting Nyx during school.