Emerson Wilmore was an exemplary Ravenclaw student, known for her unwavering dedication to academics and an unyielding moral compass. However, things took a twisted and deviated turn in her life after her boyfriend, Cedric Diggory, was murdered by L...
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A month and a half.
That's how long it was since Mattheo last saw Emerson.
Mattheo now stood in one of the colder drawing rooms of Malfoy Manor, facing the dark windows that overlooked the vast garden outside. His breath fogged in front of him in the dim light, and his hands, scarred and calloused now from countless missions and duels, were jammed deep into the pockets of his black coat. His wand weighed heavy against his spine, tucked into the back of his belt like a brand he couldn't shake.
His mind, though was thousands of miles away. It was for weeks.
Emerson.
He hadn't seen her since that night.
A month and a half.
Forty-one days of silence.
Forty-one days of keeping his head bowed in Voldemort's presence and muttering affirmatives through clenched teeth while rage churned beneath the surface. The entire time, he maintained his Occlumency so fiercely it felt like his skull might shatter just to hold back the flood of her name in his thoughts.
It didn't matter though. She haunted him.
He could almost feel her touch in the spaces between breaths and hear her voice echo through the Manor's long hallways like a ghost he refused to banish.
"Are you one of them?"
"You lied to me."
"I don't care what reason you think you had. I don't care if you were scared. If you were forced. If you thought you didn't have a choice. You made this choice."
And then, her forgiveness.
"I'm forgiving you because I know you."
"I know you're more than the mark on your skin."
He closed his eyes, jaw clenching.
After learning about the Dark Mark, Emerson stood in front of him and still chose to see him for who he really was. She chose not to see what Voldemort made him. She ignored the boy forced to brand himself with a lie to protect the only people he had left. She saw him.
And what did he do in return?
He left her behind at Hogwarts. It wasn't his choice, but he did it anyway.
When he followed Enzo and Theo and Apparated from Hogwarts, they arrived straight at Malfoy Manor, as per their orders. Draco was already waiting for them. Without even speaking, they knew what was waiting for them. The entire atmosphere of the Manor was more tense than ever. As they entered the front doors, the walls seemed to flinch and portraits turned blank. No one spoke. No one breathed wrong. The hush of collective fear was deafening, as they waited for what was about to come.
