Fierce Consequences [a main character x Snape/Malfoy fan-fiction]

Chapter 17: Out of Options

Songs for this chapter:
Cherry Flavoured - The Neighbourhood

Early the next morning, Elora woke as light poured into the room from the hall. She squinted as she sat up, keeping the duvet close to her naked chest to cover herself. She held a hand up to shield her sensitive eyes from the brightness as she tried to make out the figure in the doorway. She was praying it wasn't Snape or Lucius, needing a break from the men that had seemingly taken over her life.

"Oh shit" the figure said, turning towards one end of the hallway. Elora recognized the voice as Blaise's and knit her brows in confusion. Glancing at the clock, se noticed how early it was.

"Draco!" he yelled. Soon after, a set of footsteps rushed down the hallway. Blaise rushed into the room with Draco following closely behind him. With her eyes finally adjusting to the light, she gasped. The bed looked like a murder scene, dried blood covered the white duvet. There were still pools of blood on the floor near the chair as well. Elora was covered in it, looking as if she had fought off a gang of vampires during the night.

"Elora, are you okay? What the hell happened? We wanted to check on you last night after the meeting but your door was locked." Blaise explained, his voice filled with anxiety at her appearance. Her brain searched for any explanation, but there was no sufficient way to lie about how the blood had gotten everywhere. She bit her lip as she searched her brain, but Draco interrupted her thoughts, sounding angry.

"Don't lie, Elora. I know my father was here!" he spat. Blaise turned around to face and shot him a look of warning, not wanting to push anything.

Shit, he thought. Elora felt a pang of guilt remembering Draco storming out of the room.  Sighing, she decided to  explain everything, not leaving out any important details. Blaise let his jaw drop as she continued to explain. Rage continuously filled Draco's eyes. When she finished her confessions, the severity of the situation hit her.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I know Voldemort is going to test me eventually. I can't live this life, but if I don't...he'll kill me" Elora said, tears threatening to fall as her brain finally let the rational thoughts spill to the front. Blaise grabbed her hand in reassurance.

"You have time, Elora. We'll figure something out. Draco and I will protect you" he replied. Draco scoffed and rolled his eyes at Blaise's words. She looked down, not wanting to meet his eyes. She sat there for a while, enjoying the comfort that their presence was bringing.

After a while, they headed down for breakfast, leaving Elora to shower and pull herself together. She stepped into the shower, letting the warm water engulf her. The amount of blood washing away from her skin and hair was alarming and made her feel queasy. She finished and stepped out, putting on a comfortable outfit to head to breakfast and meet the others.

Elora had decided to apparate back to Hogwarts after breakfast, not wanting to spend any more time in the manor. She spent the rest of the weekend locked in her room as she completed assignments and tried not to think about the fate of her future.

-

A few uneventful weeks had passed since Draco's birthday weekend. She was thankful for the cool air as the fall months dragged by, as she exclusively wore long sleeves to hide her arm. The mark had begun to heal, but it was still very much visible. Elora felt herself becoming reclusive, isolating herself in the chance she would be killed during the loyalty test.

Draco hadn't even looked at her since she had left the manor. He kept his focus on Pansy, which only amplified Elora's loneliness. Blaise kept a close eye on her, checking in to make sure she was still taking care of herself. She confided in him, not knowing who else to turn to. She swore to him to keep Aurelia out of it, but the pain of lying to her best friend was becoming unbearable. He gifted Elora a seemingly never ending stash of weed, knowing the drug was the easiest way for her to escape her thoughts.

Her breaks from classes were now spent alone on the astronomy tower. It had become her  secret getaway. The smoke filled her lungs, washing out all of the thoughts of  Voldemort, Draco, and Lucius as she exhaled. Snape had caught her the second time she had escaped to the tower, but instead of scolding her, he only gave her pity. After that, he let her be.

One Friday afternoon, Elora was dangling her legs over the edge of the tower and resting her forehead against the cool metal of the rails when she heard footsteps. Throwing the blunt to the side so as to not get in trouble, she turned to see Draco. Her heavy eyes masked her surprise. Without a word, he sat next to her.

After a few minutes of silence, he finally spoke. "I'm sorry, Elora..." he confessed. She looked at him, noticing the bags that had formed under his eyes. He looked tired. She didn't reply as she awaited further explanation.

"I can't get you out of this. I have no say in what happens to you. My father will be at the quidditch championships tonight He's going to find you after and tell you what has to happen. I wanted to tell you beforehand so you could prepare yourself. He's not going to give you a choice" he finished. Elora's anxiety grew, but she didn't let it show.

"Why now? Why after all these weeks do you suddenly want to help me?" She asked as her anger bubbled over.

"Because I know you don't want this, but you have no options, Elora. This is the way it is. You can't fix your stupid mistakes now. At the end of the day, I have no attachment to you. You did this to yourself" he confessed. A lump formed in her throat at his words. Years. Years she had spent by his side, supporting him through all of his questionable choices and alliances! And now she makes one mistake and he leaves her to drown?

"I didn't ask you to save me, Draco. I made my choices and I'm living with them. I appreciate your concern and warning, but I am perfectly capable of handling your father, in case you didn't get the memo" she spat back. Regret instantly filled her heart at her own words.

Draco scoffed in response, catching her off guard. "Fine. Don't expect me to help you when you're forced to carry out his dirty work" he fumed. Lifting himself off of the ground, he stomped away, leaving Elora once again alone on the astronomy tower.