MY FAKE BOYFRIEND ( draco malfoy! )

51| death eater

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
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"I fell, okay?!"

Y/N POV

My owl, Sky, propped herself up on the windowsill, her feathers ruffling in the cool breeze as she dropped a letter onto my head, awaking me from a deep, dreamless sleep. My eyes slowly opened, taking in the sight of the parchment now lying across my chest.

"What is it?" I muttered, groggily pulling myself upright.

For just a second, everything felt normal—simple even. The kind of simplicity where the world was quiet. But that calm shattered the moment I saw the letter's familiar handwriting.

My fingers trembled slightly as I opened the envelope. The words on the page were formal, but unmistakably my mother's.

Dear y/n,

I heard about you and Draco, and I have sent you this letter because I need to let you know something. As you know, your father and Mr. Malfoy have become particularly close throughout these years. We have recently found that Lucious is a Death Eater, and we ourselves have pondered on this thought. I don't want you to worry, but your father and I are now followers of the Dark Lord. He will protect us as long as we stay loyal. I know you may think differently, but this is what is best. We will discuss this later, when you return home.

P.S. Honey, please make up with Draco. We would not want the Dark Lord insulted by your childish actions.

Love, Mum.

My hands dropped, and the letter slipped from my grip, falling to the floor. My chest tightened, as if something was squeezing all the the air from my lungs. This can't be happening. They were better than this, weren't they?

I took a deep, shaky breath, pushing down the rising panic. No. I couldn't break down here. Not yet. I crumpled the letter into my pocket, burying it like a secret I wasn't ready to confront. For now, I needed to act normal. I had to keep myself together. At least for a little while longer.

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Breakfast in the Great Hall was busy with the usual noise of students and professors. With a sigh, I took a seat at the Gryffindor table, forcing myself to focus on anything but the letter burning a hole in my pocket.

"Mmm, breakfast of champions." Ron snarks, sitting down in the Great Hall along with Seamus and Dean following close behind.

Ron stretched his long arm across the table, grabbing a piece of toast. As he pulled it back, his gaze lingered on my face. His brow furrowed, and I could see his eyes widen as he noticed the ugly bruise marring my cheek. I quickly turned away, but it was too late.

"Hey—woah! What happened to your face?" Ron asked.

I froze, my mind scrambling for a response. If I appeared too nervous, they might think the worst. But if I brushed it off too quickly, they'd know I was hiding something. I tried to smile, hoping to deflect with humor.

"Gee, thanks, Ron. Am I that hideous?" I joked weakly, glancing down at my plate.

Ron didn't even crack a smile. "I meant the bruise. It looks bad. What happened?"

I felt the heat rise in my chest, my heart racing as I tried to think of an excuse. "I... fell," I lied, gently touching the bruise and wincing as pain shot through my face.

"You fell?" Seamus questioned, his voice rising as the suspicion grew.

"Yeah, that's what I said," I snapped, my patience wearing thin.

Hermione and Harry arrived a few moments later, but it didn't take long for them to notice the bruise either. I tried to subtly hide it, but Harry had already seen.

"Y/n, what happened to your—" Harry began, causing me to completely snap.

"I fell, okay?!" My voice rang out louder than I intended, echoing through the area.

Almost the entire Great Hall stopped and stared at me with confusion. It seemed like everyone went on pause, the tension growing unbearable as everyone waited for some sort of explanation. Before I could even think, even speak...I stood up, pushed past the students and rushed out of the giant double doors. A few tears seemed to slip, but I quickly brushed them aside.

"Y/n?" Luna's soft voice called as I passed.

"Not now, Luna, I'm sorry," I replied without looking.

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled down the hallways, twisting and turning, desperate to escape the suffocating feeling building inside me. My fists clenched at my sides, the frustration boiling over. I couldn't take it anymore.

I kept running, my feet carrying me to the Astronomy Tower. By the time I reached the top, my body was shaking, my breath coming in harsh gasps. I slammed into the railing, clutching it so hard my fingers went numb.

I crumpled to the cold floor, sobs tearing through me. Everything was unraveling. My parents, Draco—it all felt like too much. I had tried so hard to keep it together, to stay strong, but now I felt like I was falling apart piece by piece.

How could my parents become Death Eaters?

Draco's POV

"I fell, okay?!"

Y/N's voice rang through the Great Hall, and I looked up just in time to see her storm out, her face flushed with anger—and hurt. The bruise I gave her yesterday stood out against her skin, a sick reminder of my mistake. A mistake I would never forgive myself for.

I clenched my fists under the table, trying to suppress the urge to run after her. But I couldn't afford distractions now. Not when I was so close to proving myself to the Dark Lord. I watched her leave, my heart sinking.