Of Doves and Dragons

Chapter Twenty-two: The Bitter Pill

"I never knew that everything was falling through. That everyone I knew was waiting on a cue to turn and run when all I needed was the truth."

-The Fray, Over My Head (Cable Car)

He couldn't find his wand.

He had been searching for twenty blasted minutes and couldn't find the one thing that allowed him some sense of control and he was spiraling down so fucking fast that he felt like his heart was about to explode.

Ember picked that perfect moment to walk out of the washroom in only her bath robe. Her skin was still pink from the heat of the shower and her hair was damp around her shoulders. He couldn't help but remember tracing his lips and tongue over the exposed skin of her neck just the night before.

She gave him a curious look and he realized he had been staring for far too long. "What?" She asked.

"Have you seen my wand? I can't find it anywhere."

"Oh! I have it. I picked it up off the floor in that bathroom."

Draco visibly deflated as he sighed with relief, "Thank Merlin."

"Wait. Why do you need it?" She looked at him skeptically.

He looked at her incredulously, "I got work to do, Em."

She pouted stubbornly. "But you're supposed to be resting today."

"Oh fuck that. I don't have time to rest Ember. I don't even have time to be having this conversation."

His words came out with a frustrated bite that he had not intended and caused Ember to looked down at the floor and curl her arms around herself.

"Shit Em, I didn't mean it like that. I just can't sleep another day away. Time is running out."

She nodded, placing her mask of aloofness on. "I know. I'm sorry. It's in my cloak pocket."

She crossed the room to her abandoned cloak and brought out the comforting piece of wood, handing it to Draco without a word.

"Thank you," He breathed with relief to have it back in his hand, before getting a curious thought. "Perhaps you should try it out."

She looked at him doubtingly, "I don't think it would do anything."

He shrugged, "Nonsense. Have you ever tried it?" He pushed the wand back into her hand.

She bit her lip before reluctantly tightening her hold on Draco's wand and thinking about what spell she would even try to perform.

"Lumos!" She exclaimed, just a tad over ambitiously.

The tip of the wand illuminated brightly before abruptly exploding the whole room in overwhelming blinding light. Both Draco and Ember shut their eyes tightly as Ember shouted, "Nox! Nox!"

All light escaped the room, before the enchanted fireplace flickered slowly back to life. Draco looked at her stunned as she shoved the wand back in his hand and backed away.

"We need to get you a wand."

She blinked at him as if he was crazy. "No! Did you not just see that?"

He shook his head, "It would be better with your own wand and you could practice control with it."

"No." She responded resolutely. "Just drop it."

He studied her annoyed face for a moment before sighing out, "Fine."

He pocketed his wand and made for their door. "I'm leaving. I'll be back late tonight."