Bonded by Evil [COMPLETED STORY]

chapter forty

August 30th, 1997
Alora Slater POV

   Everyone sat around the massive table like usual. This was our second and final meeting of the summer before Draco and I were off to school for our final year. A year which would be hell for everyone. Neither of us wanted to go, and many of the Death Eaters thought it was a bad idea, but our parents insisted.

Snape was the new headmaster given Dumbledore's tragic death last year. Amycus and Alecto Carrow were also going to be professors at Hogwarts and in charge of discipline. They were some of the most terrifying Death Eaters I've ever met. Luckily I never had to work with them, but they've tried to start conversations with me about people they've tortured.

   The Dark Lord sat silently at the head of the table, we all waited anxiously for someone to start talking. Draco sat tensely beside me with more than excellent posture, staring at the wall behind the man sitting across from him. He was terrified of these people, it was sad. I was as well, but they had a shred more respect for me than they did him. I've used the Cruciatus Curse a few times, he couldn't do his first and only task (though his was much more difficult.).

   "Draco and Alora, you're heading off to school very soon?"

   "Yes, my Lord," Draco responded quickly.

   "Good. We'll have plenty of coverage within the castle then. Two students, two professors and a headmaster. Interesting."

   We both stared at him intently, waiting to see what the downfall of going to school was. Besides everyone hating us, of course, there had to be something else to make our last year hell. Clearly, he wasn't done talking, but the Dark Lord had a flair for the dramatic and took ridiculously long pauses. I didn't want to hear anything else about me though.

   "I do respect your wishes in regards to your... identities."

   "And we greatly appreciate that," I said.

   "Your seventh year is important. I'm not going to have you patrolling the school, however, I would like you to keep your ears to the ground. Any news regarding Harry Potter comes straight back here, no exceptions."

   "Understood," Draco and I said simultaneously.

   "Amycus and Alecto, I expect you'll take care of our  young ones?"

   "Depends on what you mean by take care of, my Lord," the girl said.

   "Alecto."

   "We will watch them, my Lord," Amycus said.

   "And Severus?" The Dark Lord asked.

   "I'll make sure they remain... relatively unharmed," Snape said in his usual monotone voice.

   "I'll hold you all to that."

   The Dark Lord looked at Draco and I once more before changing the subject and started talking to Yaxley and Dolohov. I took a deep breath when he looked away, he was done with us. I looked down at my hands and my knee almost hit the table. I felt Draco's hand gently grip my thigh and his thumb stroked it slowly. There could not be a worse time than now, what was he playing at?

   It was more of a comforting thigh grab rather than a sensual one, I didn't know it was possible for him. We spent the summer back and fourth at each other's houses, it was actually very nice. I never thought spending two months with a Malfoy would be bearable, let alone enjoyable. It's incredible how much we've grown this year, we're finally mature enough to see past our childish rivalry.

   Before I knew it, he was gone. The cloud of black smoke disappeared through the window and we were all free to go. Draco and I got up but hung near the back, waiting for everyone else to leave before we snuck out our familiar side door. He grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door, up to the corridor where our bedrooms resided.

   Yes, I did say our bedrooms. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy thought it would be fitting for me to officially move into the guest room, to make it my own. I stayed here more often than not, so they told me the room was mine. I had decorated it to my liking, not changing much, the Malfoy family and I had similar tastes.

   He pulled me in to his room and closed the door behind us. The second he closed the door, I jumped into is arms and we stood there in each other's embrace for who knows how long. This was scary for both of us, we had everyone hating us now. There was no one real in our corner anymore. Our parents were the only people we had left, and they didn't even love us the same way they did when we were children.

   "Are you alright?" I whispered into his shoulder.

   "Are you?"

   "No."

   "Me neither."

   "We'll be okay, nobody can touch us. We're protected."

   "Everyone is going to hate us, Draco."

   "Everyone has been hating us for years, this is no different."

   He hugged me tighter before letting go and twirling me around like we were dancing. A small smile appeared across my face despite how much it hurt. Deep down, Draco had a big heart. He was my best friend right now, and it was excellent. We made it official last month and so far, it's been smooth sailing. Draco was a little difficult sometimes, but so was I. I also couldn't blame him for being so closed off, he had every reason to be.

It was really sweet though, especially for him. He took me back down to the bench in the garden and when I turned my back, he pulled out a single bloody rose. It was just like the one from the party that he gave me. It was hard for him to be cute about it, but I'll never forget what he said that morning.

"Alright, Slater. I never thought in a million years that I would actually feel something other than hatred for you, but I do. You know I care about you... and I... I like you."

"What is this, third year? You like me?"

"Oh shut up, I'm trying here. We're probably terrible for one another, but I want to give us a try, and was wondering if you did too?"

"If you can say the actual word without gagging, then yes."

"Alora Charlotte Slater, will you be my... girlfriend?"

"I can't believe you actually did it. Yes, Malfoy, it's about time."
-

   We were doing very well together, I was just praying the two of us would be alright at school, out of our bubble and in the real world once again.