Bulletproof Heart | A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction | Sequel to Desolation Row

Chapter 15

Staying with Elisa again had been lovely. This time when we stayed Elisa wasn't phased by much at all and Draco and I were worrying much less about her in general. With Axel staying as well it also meant that we were able to relax a little knowing that if we weren't with Elisa then he would be. Elisa seemed happier overall. She was happier in the mornings when she woke up and she would rarely have moments of dread or worry throughout the day. She went to bed happy too. There was one time that we caught her on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor and once sat on the kitchen worktop as she cleaned the cupboards but she'd pawned this off as her nesting phase - I let her have that. The morning after we had returned back from Lyla's, I wandered into the living room to find Elisa lying on her back on the sofa, two of the kittens on her chest.
"Morning, Lee," she grinned and I smiled at her as she gestured to the kittens. "I want these ones!"
I chuckled and nodded.
"We-well you can h-ha-have them, j-just not yet. Th-th-thought of any n-na-names?" I asked as I sat down beside my best friends and the kittens.
She nodded. "I was thinking Hercules for him and Belle for her!"
I grinned. Those names were so cute.

Four days of staying with Elisa, the two of us were sat talking about the babies while we reluctantly let Draco and Axel cook lunch. To say we were a little apprehensive would probably be an understatement.
"Ugh, I just want to hold them," frowned Elisa, stroking her bump softly. "just so I wouldn't be worrying about their development. And because I wanna cuddle them."
I smiled softly at my best friend's words. "I ca-can't wait to m-me-meet th-them either."
"They are going to adore you two, I couldn't think of better people to be like another set of parents for Juliet," she grinned and I smiled gratefully back. I still hadn't quite got over the shock of being made Juliet's godparents.
Just as we smiled at each other, Axel and Draco came into the room, each holding a plate of carbonara and balancing one on their head. What in the fuck did we let them do?
"Y-You sure ab-about tha-that?" I teased, quickly rushing to take the plates off of Axel and Draco's heads.
"The fuck are you two doing?" Elisa asked, taking one of the plates from me. "And where are the forks?"
"We dared each other to serve our lovely ladies' lunches on our heads," Axel said innocently, passing Elisa a fork.
I shook my head at Draco with a laugh as he handed me a fork and Elisa continued to press Axel on their crazy antics.
"And what would you have done if they fell off? Do we have more in the kitchen?"
Axel didn't answer and I laughed as Elisa shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth. I followed suit and made a soft noise of delight. It was surprisingly delicious. As the four of us laughed and joked as we ate our lunch, I saw Elisa begin to grimace in pain. Her Braxton Hicks had been awful recently.

After finishing our lunch, Elisa gathered up the plates and made her way to the kitchen. I had attempted to argue with her but she was having none of it. Watching Elisa head into the kitchen, I was surprised when a knock thudded against the door. I stood up to answer it but Elisa turned on her heel and shook her head, placing the plates down and heading towards the door. Above Elisa's head I could see a shock of ginger hair and my heart stopped for a second. Could it be?
"Hey, Fred. What are you doing here?"
Well, right family, wrong brother.
"Elisa... I need to tell you something," he began and I continued to watch them in confusion. They stayed in the doorway.
"Is it Ron?" I heard Elisa breathe anxiously.
He shook his head. "No. No, I, uh..."
Then, all in ne second, he shattered any ounce of respect Elisa held for him. He kissed her. I gasped and threw myself off of the sofa.
"What the fuck?!" Elisa screamed after roughly pushing Fred off of her. "Why the hell did you do that?"
I was by her side in an instant, taking hold of her shoulders to steady her as she began to yell again. Fred flinched.
"I-I... Elisa, I'm in love with you. I thought... I thought you felt the same way."
My grip on Elisa tightened as the full severity of what the Weasley twin had just said sunk in.
"Get the fuck out," I hissed venomously, my stutter evaporating and being replaced entirely by the incessant anger that coursed through me.
"I'll go if Elisa wants me to go," he replied defiantly and I scowled at him.
"Well, seeing as she pushed you away and didn't jump into your arms when you confessed your love for her--" Axel began, standing up.
"She doesn't share the same feelings," Draco said pointedly as the two of them formed a protective wall around me and Elisa.
Fred stared at Elisa and I saw her rest her hand on her belly, most likely to subconsciously protect her babies from their uncle.
"Who gave you that right?" Elisa seethed through gritted teeth. "It's bad enough that I'm dating Ron, Fred. I would've understood then at the very least. But I'm fucking pregnant with his children! You don't just come to my flat, kiss me and fucking assume that I'm in love with you just because I fucking looked at you!"
"But... The way you were looking at me the other day and when you stayed at Christmas... I thought..."
Fred wasn't even able to finish his sentence as Elisa screamed at him to get out and pushed him as forcefully as she could out of the doorway, slamming the door behind him. I began to fuss over my best friend, Draco and Axel joining me in doing so. We needed to know she was okay.
"I just need to be alone," snapped Elisa and I breathed in sharply.
"El--" I started but Elisa cut me off.
"Please, Lee," she whimpered. "I just need to be alone, I need to cry about not seeing Ron and then I'll feel better."
I nodded and allowed her past, watching Elisa in silence as she stumbled to her bedroom. Shit.

Draco and I were in the kitchen when Elisa re-emerged. I had been in to check on her and upon realising she had fallen asleep I had drawn a blanket over her, just to make sure she wasn't cold. She had been clutching a photograph of Ron when I had checked on her.
"Hey, Ella," greeted Draco softly.
I smiled at my best friend as I put something into the freezer and watched her rub her eyes tiredly.
"Axel at work?" Elisa yawned as she spoke and Draco and I both nodded.
"He f-fini-finishes at t-t-ten," I elaborated.
"Guys, I... I'm so sorry about earlier, I sho--"
Neither of us let her finish. Draco shook his head as I pulled Draco into a hug.
"He-Hey, i-i-it's ok. W-We di-didn't take it perso-personally," I tried to soothe her as I rubbed her back.
Elisa smiled but I thought it looked a little fake. I wasn't going to push it.
"I feel a bit gross, I'm just going to take a bath."
I grinned as Elisa turned and shuffled off towards the bathroom. Turning back around, I listened to the sounds of her preparing for the bath, the sounds of the taps squeaking and the water pouring into the bath. Expecting to hear Elisa lower herself into the bath, I was a little confused when everything in the bathroom fell silent. Oh shit. Something was wrong.

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