Chemistry ; draco malfoy

t w e n t y s e v e n

draco has a hat pulled down low over his face, covering his silver eyes. his arms are wrapped around my body, pulling me in close. our legs are tangled up in one another, his foot moving in small circles on the bare skin of my ankle.

it's friday night, dracos going home for the weekend. dumbledore's given him access to the floo on saturday and sunday, allowing for him to go home and visit the manor. i try to push the thought of this away, not wanting to think about him leaving. i'm not sure what awaits for him at home, but whatever it is it mustn't be good.

there's a slight glow to his cheeks as he leans down to press a fleeting kiss to my forehead.

"i think my eyes are sweating, this fucking hat is so hot," he grumbles, rubbing the hat with his palm. i chuckle at him.

"that's called crying, draco." he sticks his tongue out at me, scrunching up his nose— or at least what i can see of it. he flicks my ear gently, grumbling nonsense into the crown of my head.

"malfoy's don't cry," he mumbles. i want to think that he's joking, but underneath i know that there's a sense of truth to it. he's afraid of emotions, afraid of the power that they hold over him.

"alright," i let him win this, not wanting to say anything would be incriminating if bellatrix were to look through his memories. i feel him softly exhale from under me, nuzzling his nose against my hair as he does so.

"you know who does cry?" he asks, sounding almost serious for once.

"hm?"

"hufflepuffs." i scoff and smack his chest before freezing. fuck. what happened to nothing incriminating. that's just one hint toward my identity, she has a piece of the puzzle now.

"i think you should go," his voice is soft, but there's an underlying edge to it. i nod gently, pressing a small kiss against his lips.

"bye, draco."

it's barely even a full day without draco at hogwarts, yet somehow it feels like a lifetime. jules spends almost every waking moment with theo, so it's almost as though she's gone too. i do well though, i don't crack under the pressure. i don't lay in bed at night overthinking.

that's a lie.

i totally spend the night overthinking. almost all of my thoughts consist of draco. i worry about him, about his health and his family.

i overthink every aspect of bellatrix's escape. where is she staying? why can't they find her?

obviously the ministry must be looking for her, is she disguising herself? azkaban would have confiscated her wand, so there's no way that this was a one man plan. dracos father.

from what little i know about dracos family, i know that he despises his father. he's always called him a coward, said that he was a follower. lucius could never form a thought of his own, let alone an opinion. he could be it. he could very well be bellatrix's accomplice.

but what can i do with that information? this is dracos family that i'm talking about, his very own flesh and blood. i can't do anything with it, instead i have to hope that the aurors are connecting the dots themselves.

draco arrives around noon on sunday. there's a slight limp to his step as he walks out of dumbledore's office. i watch from around a corner, he walks the other way. his pale skin is almost transluscent, there's barely any colour to it at all. i know that whatever transpired this weekend couldn't have been good.

the short glimpse i was able to get of him made my heart sink. i could see the shimmering affect of a glamour being used, most likely to cover bruises. his hands were shaky by his side, seemingly vibrating. his walk was sluggish, he stumbled out of dumbledore's office as if he were injured.

i follow him, keeping a safe distance in between the two of us. he's slow, his limp obviously slowing him down. his breathing is rugged, his shoulders rise and fall unevenly. occasionally he winces while breathing, as if it pains him too much.

i stop dead in my tracks as i put all the pieces together. he's been crucio'd. i cover my mouth with my palm, stifling the gasp that threatens to spill out. draco went home, and he came back in indescribable pain. the bruises that scatter themselves across his skin, the slight tremble to his hands. everything makes sense.

i feel my legs shake beneath me, i need to sit down. i lower myself down gently, not wanting to make too much noise as draco rounds the corner. ones he's finally out of sight i let it out. i keep my hand over my mouth, muffling the loud sobs that rack my body.

they tortured him.

he went home, and they tortured him.