Y/N Potter?

Chapter 20: Too Many Secrets

The morning after was heavy with silence. The warmth from last night's kiss still lingered on my lips, a secret I clung to, but the reality of what we were—what I had become—sank in like cold water, suffocating and inescapable.

Draco and I had barely spoken after we finally pulled away from each other. We didn't need to. The kiss had said everything, but now the aftermath left me wondering what came next. The Dark Mark on my arm was a constant reminder, searing into my mind that the world outside that kiss was still very much alive and dark.

I couldn't stay in my room forever. Eventually, the day would start, and with it came responsibilities—classes, people, and pretending that I hadn't crossed a line that couldn't be uncrossed. I wasn't the same anymore, and that terrified me.

Draco was already awake when I came downstairs to the Slytherin common room. He stood by the window, staring out at the grounds, his posture tense. His face, usually so guarded, was softer now, conflicted, like he too was trapped between the night we shared and the reality that now weighed on us both.

"Morning," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.

He turned slowly, his eyes searching mine as though looking for something he wasn't sure he'd find. "Morning," he replied, his voice low. He paused for a moment, and the air between us felt thick with unspoken words.

I wanted to say something—to acknowledge what had happened, to make sense of it—but I didn't know how. The memory of his lips on mine was too fresh, too raw, and everything that came with it was too complicated to untangle right now. Instead, I simply walked over to where he was standing, close enough that I could feel his presence beside me.

We stood there for a moment in silence, staring out the window at the world outside, both of us lost in our own thoughts. The morning sun was rising slowly, casting long shadows over the grounds. It looked peaceful out there, like nothing had changed, but inside, everything was different.

"I don't regret it," Draco said suddenly, his voice breaking the stillness. He didn't look at me, but I could hear the intensity behind his words. "Last night. I don't regret any of it."

I swallowed hard, my heart thudding in my chest. "I don't either."

Draco finally turned to face me, his eyes serious but filled with something softer, something that made my chest ache. "I meant what I said. We're in this together now."

"I know," I whispered, but the truth was, I didn't know what that meant. We were both marked—bound to something neither of us could control—and yet, here we were, trying to hold onto whatever hope we had left.

But how long could that hope last?

"I don't want to lose you, Y/N," Draco continued, his voice soft but firm. "But we can't pretend like everything's normal. You know what's coming."

I nodded, the weight of his words sinking in. I knew all too well. The initiation was only the beginning. Now, I would be expected to fall in line with the Death Eaters' plans, to do whatever they asked of me, no matter how dark or twisted. And Draco... he was in the same position.

We were both trapped.

"What if there's no way out?" I asked, my voice barely audible. "What if this is it for us?"

Draco's jaw tightened, and for a moment, I saw the fear in his eyes. "We'll figure something out," he said, but even he didn't sound convinced. "We have to."

A knock on the door startled us both. We exchanged a glance, knowing who it might be. It was too early for random visitors, and only a few people would come looking for us at this hour.

It was Blaise, standing in the doorway with his usual cool demeanor. "You two coming to breakfast, or are you planning on hiding out here all day?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah, we're coming."

As we made our way to the Great Hall, the world felt different. I couldn't shake the weight of what had happened, of what was coming next. Every step I took felt heavier, like the shadows that clung to me were growing darker.

We entered the Great Hall, the familiar chatter of students filling the air, but I felt disconnected from it all. It was strange to think how normal everything looked on the surface, while underneath, my world had been turned upside down.

As we sat down at the Slytherin table, I felt eyes on me. Some of the other students glanced at the mark on my arm with a mixture of awe and fear, as if I was now one of them but also somehow different. I was marked, and that changed everything.

Draco sat beside me, close but not too close. The tension between us was palpable, but we both knew we had to keep up appearances. No one could know how deeply our lives were intertwined now—not just because of the mark, but because of what we had shared.

Across the hall, I caught sight of Harry, Ron, and Hermione sitting at the Gryffindor table. Harry's gaze lingered on me for a moment, and I quickly looked away. I couldn't face him—not like this. Not when I was part of the very thing he was fighting against.

Breakfast passed in a blur, the food tasting like ash in my mouth. The conversations around me felt distant, like I was underwater, unable to break through the surface. Draco and I exchanged few words, but I could feel his presence beside me like a lifeline, keeping me from sinking too deep.

After breakfast, as we walked out of the Great Hall, I felt a hand on my arm. I turned to see Pansy, her eyes narrowing as she looked at the mark on my arm. "So, it's true then," she said, her voice low. "You've been initiated."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. Pansy's gaze flicked to Draco, who stood just behind me, his expression unreadable. "I suppose it was only a matter of time," she muttered, more to herself than to me.

Pansy turned and walked away, leaving me standing there with Draco by my side. It was clear now—the mark wasn't just on my arm. It was on my soul. Everyone knew what I had become, and there was no going back.

As the day wore on, the weight of everything became harder to bear. The whispers, the looks, the expectations—it was suffocating. I couldn't escape it, no matter where I went.

And yet, through it all, Draco was there. Silent but steady, his presence a constant reminder that I wasn't alone in this nightmare. But even that wasn't enough to shake the feeling that something terrible was coming—something I couldn't stop.

That night, as I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling, I couldn't help but wonder if Draco and I would ever truly escape the shadows that had taken hold of us.

Or if we were doomed to be swallowed by them forever.