WHEN GODS SLEEP - DRACO M.

SIX.

WHEN GODS SLEEP
Chapter Six

Her satin-like lips had parted in the slightest, and the sheer anger radiating from the blond did not subdue at her lack of response. She blinked, rather abruptly, as if disrupted.

          'Engaged?' She repeated after a pause. Surely, she couldn't have heard him right.

           He ran his slender fingers through his hair, yet it seemed to barely affect its immaculate shape. 'Are you actually playing dumb?'

          Venom, there was definitely something quite poisonous in his voice.

          It took another deep breath to collect herself, and she still shivered as such hollow eyes glazed over her. 'I was under the impression your fiancé would be Asteria. You must've misheard.'

          With a malicious snicker, he extended his wand to cast a silent spell, and a letter was conjured from deep within the mysterious room. It lingered provocative in front of her, and she took it with trembling hands.

          It was Narcissa's, the first thing she noted when she undid the gold seal. She skimmed through it quickly at first, eager, but found herself having to re-read it, word by word, as if searching for something hidden within the thick parchment.

          Epione knew that eventually, her mother would find a marriage partner for her, and that she wouldn't be in a place to protest. She had been made aware of such from a young age. As long as the Dark Lord was alive, she could not risk going against her mother's wishes, much less after her father's death. She had never imagined, however, that when the time came, the predicament would make her feel this awful.

          She loved Draco Malfoy - a fact the entire school was aware of by now. She had dreamt of being in the place of Asteria, allowed to remain by his side. Yet, it wasn't happiness that first crossed her as she skimmed yet again through the pompous handwriting. Her love was being manipulated into a twisted, power-hungry deal.

          Epione remained silent, and made no move to admit her supposed wrongdoings, yet neither to deny them. She stared at it, the cursive, immaculate font and words that would haunt her life from that point forward.

          The lack of response seemed to be unsettling Draco, because he had begun tapping his foot. She at last looked up from the paper and into his eyes, her own threatening to spill aged tears. There was something about that silent place, his distressed expression, her beating heart - something that gave room for vulnerability and not a shred of the Slytherin pride she carried.

          His eyes didn't soften at the image of her trembling self, and it broke her heart further when, unwavering, he whispered: 'Even if I chose you, I wanted to make the choice myself.'

          The air seemed to tighten around her throat, her voice long gone. Of course, of course he would want to chose his wife. She, too, had always wished for the same, and so, having him believe she'd been the one to incite this abrupt end of their freedom hurt like hell. Whatever she said, she was certain he wouldn't believe.

          After moments of unperturbed silence, Draco was the first to make way for the door. Before he could reach it, however, he found waves of black hair resting against his shoulder as small hands made their way around his waist. She pressed herself against his back, an inexplicable warmth flowing through her core and painting her cheeks a deep shade of crimson.

          Epione could've sworn that, for a breath or two, he gave in to her embrace, but soon after his hands harshly unclasped hers and he left the room with quick steps.