entanglements | d.m.

41.pale&slate

December '98 | H I M

If someone were to put a bet on who is more nervous, Draco wouldn't know who to put his money on. And he is one of the objects of betting.

Devyn is shivering beside him, and that, he can bet is not so much due to the cold. They stand staring at the tudor style manor looming before them in the darkness of winter nightfall.

"Why did I not expect this type of... residence?" Devyn's head turns before her body in a full circle, gawking at the woods, lush everygreens coated in clumps of snow surrounding them and the house. "That's a thick forest, here. Gives you all the peace in the world to murder."

He allows a small smile. "No ulterior motive here. We had to choose something secluded. A place no one would expect or at least find with great difficulty."

"You sure succeeded."

"Not quite. We had to put up anti-apparition wards except for family. Anyone out of range will only see a spread of boring woods where we live." Her gaze turns on him, curiosity narrowing her eyes. "There have been incidents..."

"What-assassins?" she jokes.

"Something like that."

Her smile stills, and falls. He imagines it must be a drastic difference from how she lives, always with her backdoor open.

Draco clears his throat. "I'll admit this is not my style of a preferred home, much less my parents, but it's a temporary solution only. The manor is being renovated after what happened during his stay." He almost stumbles over his mention. It'll never get easier, he fears. "My mother thinks a fresh coat of paint can make the blood and memories vanish, but I don't see himself ever setting foot in that house again." The thought alone could drive him into near panic. "And I wouldn't have brought you to it."

To his great surprise, Devyn reaches out for his hand and squeezes once, her small smile appreciative. It's not that he needs it, but he won't brush off her showing any warmth toward him.

The unease that starts to creep into her eyes is what moves him to offer, genuinely, "We can go back, if you don't feel comfortable."

"No." She shakes her head, not letting herself consider as much. "No, no, we spent five days with my family, now it's your turn. I wouldn't want to deprive you of time with them."

He decides not to mention that he'd rather keep staying with her family. But he can't be putting shame on his family like that, and his mother expressed how excited she is to see him and meet his partner in multiple letters.

It's long overdue.

Devyn turns to view the mostly dark manor, which, against the dark background and with the little light spilling from the windows, comes off as more eerie than Draco ever noticed.

"What should I expect going in?"

Evidently not as much of a warm welcome as she received when coming home for christmas. Draco stares at the front door with a special kind of resignation. He'll have to open it himself.

"My mother will have dinner ready," he replies. "I told her a roast is fine-you eat that, don't you?"

He has seen her eat it at many Hogwarts dinners-hell, just some days ago at Christmas Eve, but what if she suddenly changed her mind? What is she doesn't feel like it toni-

"A roast is good." She smiles faintly at the panic in his eyes before worrying her lower lip. "Though I don't know if I can stomach much."

Devyn is not easily intimidated. She is a very heads-on kind of person. But facing his parents shakes her more than seeing Julia again did Draco.