Little Miss Mudblood

Chapter 22: Answers

He doesn't hesitate, he closes the distance, pressing his lips to mine. Our hands end up in each other's hair pulling the other closer. The kiss deepens, our tongues exploring the other like this would be the first and last time.

With more force than I mean to, I push him up against the wall, feeling the heat radiate from our bodies. Our hands explore each other and I can feel what we both want to happen, but I also know we can't yet. Draco starts to slow things down and ends with his hands on my face.

Finally, I break the kiss and wrap my arms around him to pull him into a fierce embrace. I feel a teardrop lane on my cheek. I'm not sure who it came from. We stay in that embrace for what seems like an eternity. Our labored breathing the only remnant of sound. I breath in his scent: green apples.

I lift my head, "You are the one who sent me this ring and bracelet." I don't ask, because I already know. He nods. "Why?"

He leads me to the chairs before he answers me. Contemplating as he always does to say just the right thing, never wanting to say too much.

"I just thought they suited you." I wait for him to continue. "I think, no, I know. I have fancied you for years. Jealous over how you made friends with so many, even Crabbe and Goyle. I only know how to be rude really, nonchalant with people. My parents had an arranged marriage. They weren't the best at teaching love or even expressing how you feel."

He takes my hand and rubs his hand up my arm, inside my sleeve. He freezes once he feels the raised words on my forearm. He pushes my sleeve up and reads the scarred words: Little Miss Mudblood.

He groans, "Why would you do that?"

I chuckle, diffusing the tension, "It never bothered me. It's just a word. And I needed to have some fun with Umbridge."

He smirks. I run my fingers through his hair and land it on his cheek. He leans against it, I assume to enjoy the warmth. We sit in peaceful silence, enjoying being close to one another.

Draco clears his throat to speak, "I wanted to write to you. My father found out who you are, I'm assuming now it was from the letters you sent, but at the time I thought it was Blaise. He forbidden me to speak to you. That's when he told me that the Dark Lord had a special plan for me. I've been assigned an unthinkable task."

He stops. I get out of the chair and sit on the floor in front of him. I go to roll up his sleeve, I know what I'm going to find, but my hands are still shaking. The Dark Mark seems to stare back at me. He goes to pull his arm away, but I hold it tight. I let my finger trace the mark. I look up at his face, which look younger as they fill with tears. In this moment, I realize he never has made his own choices.

I'm scared for him. "Whatever it is you can say no. We can leave. We can go far away where they can't find us. America maybe?" It rushes out in a nervous blurb. "I'm not sure how it would work, us both being underage and the Ministry being able to track us, but we could learn to live without magic."

Draco stops me by rubbing his thumb across my lips, "I'm to kill Dumbledore. The Dark Lord's followers are everywhere, we wouldn't make it, as nice as a life of simplicity with you sounds. And if we got caught, even like this... they would torture you in front of me. I wouldn't be able to take it."

I nod knowing he is right. We agree to keep whatever it is between us a secret, and to meet in the Room at random times to avoid suspicion.