daughter of wands (d.m)

XXXV

I stumble out of the room, my body heaving as I crumple to the floor. I'm quickly picked up by Draco who wipes the sweaty hair from my forehead as he lifts me up.

"Everett," He shouts, his voice more urgent than I've ever heard it before. "Everett! Wake up, please."

I try to respond but I'm so weak I can't get my mouth to open. I can see the agony in his eyes as they brim with tears, the two of us laying on the floor as his brow furrows in worry.

"Come on stay with me," He says as he rests me in his arms.

My mind begs me to call out to him, tell him that I'm here and I'm alive, but my body refuses. His gaze lowers as he cries silently, hugging me to his chest.

I hear the door behind us shut, Draco's eyes peeking up as he sniffles hard and wipes his fallen tears away.

"Calm down boy," The familiar voice coos from above us. "She'll be fine... She's already doing better than you did."

Lucius sulks away quickly, his cane echoing down the hall as Draco resumes his relentless attempt to bring me back. He rests my head on his chest, my cheek pressed gently to his shirt as I listen to his heart beat.

I muster up every ounce of strength I have left in me and raise my hand, my fingers grabbing onto his crisp button down.

He sucks in a deep breath and he meets my eyes, his mouth hangs open in disbelief.

"Everett?" He questions. "Are you okay?"

I huff, coughing violently before nodding. He presses me closer to him, cradling me like a baby as he effortlessly lifts us off the ground.

I watch as the hallway turns into the sitting room, his mother perched on a velvet armchair. She must notice my lifeless frame because she jumps to her feet and rests a cool palm on my forehead.

"She's burning up," Narcissa says urgently. "Take her to your room and lay her in bed, I'll be up as soon as I can."

Draco nods and rushes towards the winding staircase, my arms wrapping around his neck as he carries me delicately. We're almost to his room when I hear him suck in a harsh breath, his fingers slipping from under my knees, his hands scrambling to grip me.

He kicks the door open with his foot, rushing to the bed and laying me down as gently as he can. As soon as I'm on top of the covers he falls to the floor, an agonizing groan escaping his lips.

I peak at his crumpled body lying on the wooden floor, his arms wrapped around his chest as his face contorts in pain.

"Draco?" I question, almost silently.

He looks up to me, his eyes wide with pain as he stands slowly. He lets go of his chest, his arms falling to his sides as he exhales deeply.

I gasp as I notice the blisters bubbling beneath the surface of his bright red skin. He winces as he goes to touch one softly, his fingers running over the burned flesh.

"Oh god, did I...?" I ask, tears beginning to pool at the corners of my eyes as I realize I'm the source of his pain.

He's about to speak when his mother enters through the door, her tone calm but thick with an emotion I can't place. "How is she doing? Can she speak yet?"

He shakes his head furiously, "Not really, she can only get out a few words."

I watch through foggy eyes as Narcissa rolls her eyes lightly, "You're awfully concerned Draco, this is a fairly normal reaction for this kind of treatment. Her fever is quite high but that's nothing to worry about."

He pays no mind to her words, rushing to my side and lightly brushing the sweaty hair out of my face. "You're alright... This will all pass soon..."

I tilt the corners of my mouth up just enough to appear like I'm smiling, more to reassure him than anything else.

I wince in pain as she removes some broken glass from the gashes on my cheek, the feeling being replaced by stinging as she cleans them out with an antiseptic.

Narcissa reaches into a small bag on the floor next her and produces a few different potions. She places her palm across my forehead as she takes my temperature, a vacant look behind her eyes like she's done this a million times.

But almost as soon as she places it there, she retreats with a gasp, her hand shaking like she touched the top of a stove.

"Draco she's incredibly hot," She says worriedly, turning to him, her eyes widening as she takes in his arms. "Merlin Draco, your arms. Is that from carrying her?"

He nods as she reaches down, rummaging through the bottles she brought, now looking for tonics for both of us. After a few seconds she settles on a brown round tube for me, popping it open and forcing me to drink it.

She tosses a black bottle to Draco who splashes it on his hands, rubbing it all over his body and sighing in relief.

I swallow my potion reluctantly but after a few seconds I cough it up, the liquid tasting like acid on my tongue.

She tries a few more times with different bottles but all of them have the same effect. I can hear her breath picking up as she shuffles through what's left of what she has.

I can tell I'm sweating, the bed sheets underneath me getting damp as I attempt to shift, my limbs weakening. I cough again, starting to feel the heat fan across my skin.

Suddenly I'm overtaken with fatigue, my eyes drooping shut as my breathing slows down. Draco jumps to the empty space next to me, taking my hand in his before letting it go in pain.

"Everett? Can you hear me?" He shouts frantically. I will myself to speak but nothing happens, begging my body not to give up. "Mother, please... I don't understand what's happening to her?"

Narcissa doesn't say anything, her response nothing but the sound of bottles clinking.

"Everett come on, you have to stay with us." He begs. "You have to keep your eyes open."

I try to listen to his words but with each passing second they seem to come from farther away, his voice getting fainter and fainter. My vision goes blurry, black spots appearing and fogging up my field of view as my head pounds in agony.

"Draco," Narcissa says so quietly I don't even know if she said it. "I need you to get your father."

****