Unplanned Liars • Draco Malfoy

69. He's back

There was a few seconds' silence, in which I was staring on the ground and not sure what to say, but fortunately he spoke first.

"Will you let me in, then?" he asked quietly.

I opened the door more widely and stepped aside so he could enter, then closed it behind him, still not looking up at him. I didn't really know what to say. I wanted to shout, cry, jump and hug him at the same time - so I ended up not moving at all, leaning against the door and looking down at the ground. He was standing in front of me, two meters away, only barely lit by some light from behind the window in all this darkness.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Alright," he finally said, sighing and breaking this awful silence. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"Me too," I muttered, eyes focused on my feet.

"What do you mean?" he asked, his voice very surprised.

"Three months is plenty of time to think. I regret what I've said, too," I confessed.

I sensed movement and soon he was centimeters away from me. He sighed again. I felt his hand under my chin and then he forced me to look at him.

"Why did you do it?" I whispered. "This is the thing I want to know most. Why? I've been asking myself since that night."

His eyes were piercing me; my skin burnt where he touched, my heart wasn't beating normally again. He was inches away and even though - of course - it wasn't the first time he was this close to me, I felt a rush of excitement like never before.

"I know, let me explain it," he said softly and put a hand on my collarbone, as though trying to calm my heavy breathing he could surely hear. "My father made it clear to me. He said I should cut off my contact with anyone I care about, because apparently he was getting angry and we were in danger. I didn't reply to his letters, so Snape took me home one night, you didn't know. Then father said I couldn't tell you so much, since you don't have any obligations and... Bellatrix protested, of course, but when father reminded her that she took responsibility for you, she immediately seconded him. She didn't want me to stop talking to you, though... Then my mother and Snape added themselves to the conversation, it was quite a..." he stopped for a moment and swallowed hard, then continued, "In the end, my father won and I... I put off telling you this as much as I could, but he went mad, he forced me through Snape. I regretted saying everything right after I did it, I regretted not telling you the truth. When you said you were leaving, I just hoped you'd be safe. I would've come back for you a long time ago... But school and father and you know... Oh, and I've seen the Galleon. Yes, I meant it."

I slowly took in everything he said, looking at him. I gulped. I expected it was about his father and boom - I was right.

"I don't even have the power to shout at you for not telling me and not contacting me," I said, letting out an unhappy laugh as he wiped my tears that had been streaming down my cheeks. "I hate you, Malfoy," I laughed pathetically again, hitting his chest with my fists.

"I know you do, I know," he laughed as well, "hit harder."

I stopped and grabbed him by the collar.

"One more stunt like this and I swear I'll never talk to you again. Understood?"

He nodded with a feeble smile and I let go of him.

"Does it mean you forgive me?"

"And I don't know even why," I shook my head and he pulled me into a hug, then rested his chin on my head. It felt unbelievable after all this time.

"How come you're even here?" I asked, remaining where I was.

"My mother told me to come back for you and Bellatrix agreed. My father doesn't know, he's away from home for a while now," he explained and pulled back a bit to see my face. "Where are your parents?" he asked suddenly.

"Ministry," I replied simply. "They're... They're under the Imperius Curse..." and my voice started breaking again. He hugged me again, tighter this time.

"Has anything happened? Anything with anyone we know?" it was my turn to ask. I almost had no idea what was happening, I was too scared to read the newspapers.

"I was just about to tell you," he pulled back again and my heart sank when he said it. "Remember that weird girl from Ravenclaw? Potter's friend?"

"Luna Lovegood?"

"Yes, that's her," he nodded. "She... Well, her father writes the Quibbler and they've been seconding Potter all this time... So they kidnapped her on the train. She's in our basement now and they're keeping her hostage."

I stared at him in shock for a moment, then buried my face in his chest.

"Is this ever going to end?" I whispered.

He said nothing for a moment. I guess he was as afraid of the answer as me.

"Will you come back to the Manor with me?" he asked eventually and I stepped back to see his face.

"What about your fa...?"

"Don't worry about him for now," he cut me off, "Bellatrix is determined to have you back."

"I don't know, Draco..." I muttered. "What about my parents? I can't just leave them, they... The curse..."

"They will be alright, they're pure-bloods after all," he said quietly, stroking my head.

We were still in each other's arms, as though trying to make up for these three months.

Seems like Christmas miracles do happen.

"Alright, let's go out now," he said out of sudden, causing me to remove my arms and recoil in pure shock.

"What?"

"Both of us could do with some more cheerful environment," he explained, smiling genuinely. "Just wear something warmer, it's freezing."

I stood motionless, my eyes wide.

"You want to go into Muggle London? Now?" I repeated to make sure he was serious.

"I know you perfectly, I'm more than sure you spent the last three months in this room, sulking. Your skin got a shade brighter. You could do with getting out of here," he crossed his arms and had this confident expression of his, knowing he was right.

I sighed. He did know me perfectly.

I walked up to my wardrobe and took a coat, gloves and my Slytherin scarf out of it, then put them all on.

"Ready?" he said as I adjusted my left glove and offered me his hand.

"Ready," I replied, grabbing it and we Disapparated.