Doe (#Wattys2016)

Chapter Forty-Two

                 

Draco hurried towards his room, trying to keep his emotions in check but a smirk kept creeping into his lips. He was climbing the stone staircase when he heard singing overhead; he paused and listened. At first it made him even more certain but then he caught the words as he climbed closer. Francis was singing a song from The Lab, a song of mourning. She was in the room below his, which he found strange, and his inflated emotions began to fall. She was by the window watching the rain as he entered and she stopped singing instantly.

"You haven't sung for awhile," he said.

She shrugged.

"Is something wrong?"

She went over to him and hugged him, pulling him tightly to her. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling slightly annoyed at her timing.

"Tell me what's happened," he said.

"You first."

He smiled but shook his head.

"I need some good news," she put her head under his chin.

"Me and Darlin are finished," and he allowed himself a small laugh.

He felt her go weak in his arms and held her tighter.

"Draco."

Maybe he had expected her to cry, but she seemed to be dissolving in front of him, there was none of the laughter he'd imagined. He remained silent, steeling himself, his arms dropped by his sides and she swayed. She held onto his shirt and began to sob.

"I don't understand," he disengaged her fingers from his shirt, holding her hands aloft, trying to look at her face.

She couldn't speak, she couldn't breath and there were no words to tell him just how unfortunate they were. He was looking at her like she was mad; his burning eyes boring into hers. His mouth was a harsh line as he watched her disintegrate. She knew he must hate it and the thought made her stumble away from him. She crouched down by the windowsill, trying to hold herself together, to not embarrass him.

"I will come back," he told her with a sigh.

She nodded, her nose and eyes streaming as she stuffed her fist into her mouth.

When he was gone. She succumbed to it, crying so hard she felt she was tearing herself apart, and the act was silent, expect for her gasping breaths. She acted and exhausted herself within fifteen minutes, lying on the bed she stared up at the ceiling with burning eyes and she wanted to scream.

Draco came back into the room and sat on the edge of her bed. His voice was kinder when he spoke.

"Doe has no idea, why you would be upset. Your mother is perfectly well and so are Harri and the rest. So what do you know that you haven't told your sister yet?"

"Today I went to see my father."

"Why?"

"To discuss the terms of my engagement, he is coming here tomorrow in order to settle it with your father. Dechuange is very particular in what he wants and..."

She felt, rather than heard, Draco's breath stop; it was if someone had suddenly smothered him. She rolled over and buried her own head into the pillows.

"You've been forced to marry Dechuange?" he finally said.

She sat up, her head feeling heavy and she found herself unable to meet his gaze, "I agreed to it. That is what I will say tomorrow. I will say yes."