Cat Whiskers- Draco Malfoy Fanfiction

13.

Dante's POV

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"Is she still not fucking awake?" A voice that sounded similar to Noir's sounded in my ear.

"Patience," a smoother, lower lilt sounded.

With that, I stretched open my heavy eyelids, blinking rapidly as the bright sunlight invaded my pupils. The last thing I remembered was talking to Tom's evil half, and then, a flash of scales before.....

I inhaled sharply, everything clicking into focus as I sat up. I felt a dull ringing in my ears, pressing my hand against my temple as I heard a reassuring voice telling me to calm down. When I summoned enough strength to look again, I saw Tom sitting next to me. His usually calm blue eyes were now turbulent with several emotions that flashed across his face too quickly for me to decipher. "Tom?" my voice came out as a croak, "what happened--"

"I saved the whole fucking world, that's what happened," Noir said bluntly, laying his head between his black paws, "honestly, no fucking 'thank you' to me?"

"Shut up," Tom told him.

"You shut up."

Their eyes met in a deadly contest of wills before I cleared my throat. "I saw the Basilisk," I murmured, "I was Petrified, wasn't I?"

"Glad to know that you have been keeping up in your studying," Tom said dryly, "oh and by the way, you have to make up all the work you have missed."

"Wonderful," I rolled my eyes.

I looked away for a brief moment, trying to recollect my memories. "I'm sorry," I finally said.

"For what?"

"For worrying you two."

"You shouldn't be," Tom said quietly, making me look up at him. His fists were clenched behind him, his eyes narrowed, "I was too stupid to find out the entire ploy behind the Basilisk and I let you get in harm's way. I should be the one who's s--"

He looked pained for a moment, the word catching in his throat.

Noir seemed amused. "Oh boy," he said gleefully, sitting on his haunches, "is the great Dark Lord actually going to say 'sorry'?"

I looked back at Tom. He still had that pained look on his face, as if that single word was going to cost him all of the agony in the world. "I'm--" he grit his teeth at Noir's words, "s--s-so--sorr,"

"You're doing great, sweetie!" Noir called out.

"-sorry," he finally forced out.

I couldn't help but stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from laughing while Noir just plain-on laughed. "That was easily the most pathetic thing I had ever seen in my life," Noir chortled as Tom gave him a Killing-Curse glare.

"Screw you," said the former Dark Lord, making us laugh even harder.

When the bubbling of laughter dissolved into the air, I stroked the top of Noir's head as he purred contently. All three of us sat in companionable silence as the birds chirped from outside. It was a false illusion of peace but it was one that I had needed all along.

"Tom?" I asked.

"Hmm?"

"I met Voldemort," I said quietly.

Tom's face did not snap up immediately. Slowly, his piercing blue eyes met mine as I ducked my head. "I'm sorry," I murmured, "I should have told you this as soon as I woke up, but--"

"Don't apologize."

I looked up.

"You, out of all people, have no right to apologize when you haven't done anything wrong," Tom said, folding his arms, "out of all the people in the world, you have the least cause to say sorry, Danté."