Monsters

twenty six

After class I ran to the room of requirements, fighting the tears that are trying so hard to get out. The pain just keeps getting worse and worse. It's like my skin is on fire and there isn't anything I can do to make it stop. It was the most painful thing ever and it won't stop.

I push open the door to the room and crash right into Draco. He wraps his arms around me tightly and pulls me further into the room.

"Maya, can you please just tell me what the fuck is going on? You're scaring me." He asks. I couldn't answer. I just allowed myself to cry against his chest as he gently rubbed my back. The pain kept on getting worse and worse. I kept crying into his chest to the point where I'm basically screaming. He lets me stay there until I'm done. I can feel my arm start pulsing and continued burning. The pain was too much and I start screaming.

"Maya.. what the fuck?" He asks as I scream into his chest. When I don't stop screaming, he continues asking me what's wrong until he just stops. He pushes me off of his chest so I'm standing in front of him with tears rushing down my face.

"Show me your arm." He demands.

How the fuck did he know...? I shake my head and step back away from him.

"Show me your fucking arm, Maya." He demands again and steps closer.

I give in because he clearly already knows. I roll up my sleeve and continue crying again. He shakes his head when he looks down at the ugly mark on my arm. His eyes dart from the mark to my face and back to the mark as he shakes his head.

"Maya.. what the fuck?" He asks as he looks at the mark. It's red and bumpy all around it and the burning isn't stopping.

"I- I can explain. Let me explain." I cry as he keeps looking at my arm.

"Okay explain." He says as he sits down on the couch. I make my way to sit beside him but he pulls me on to his lap and wraps his arms around me.

"Love, I can tell by the look of it that you didn't get it by your choice so don't worry about me being mad... okay?" He whispers in my ear as he presses his lip to my cheek. I nod slowly and then explain to him what happened last night. I can see the anger rising in his eyes as I tell him everything.

"This is my fucking fault. I told you I'm not safe to be around and now you have that fucking mark on your arm."

"No... Draco you warned me but I'm stubborn and decided that I want to risk it."

He shakes his head but I continue.

"It's not your fault, okay?"

He shakes his head again and drops his head on my chest. There was a few moments of silence as both of us were trying to figure out what happens next. My mind was racing about a million things, and the pain wasn't helping.

"I'm not going to let him hurt you." Malfoy says after a long pause. "And I'm not going to let anyone who finds out about it, say anything to you."

I nod.

I never really thought about what happens if other kids find out about me.

"Try not to let anyone see it." He reminds me.

I nod again.

"And don't forget that I have the mark too... so talk to me. We're in this together."

"No secrets." I say and he smiles. Then the smile fades.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"I'm a bit better now that you know." I admit. "But every time I close my eyes... I see him."

He nods to say he understands.

"Do you want me to stay with you at night?" He asks and I nod. At least then I won't be alone. I'm scared to be alone in case he comes back.

"Did you tell anyone else?"

"No."

"Why didn't you just tell me..?" He asks.

"I- I was embarrassed and scared..." I admit.

"You didn't judge me when you found about it." He reminds me, "why would I do that to you?" He reaches over to my arm and gently rubs my mark.

"It hurts bad?" He asks and I nod, wiping some tears away.

"Yeah it hurt me bad in the beginning and it sometimes still does hurt."

"How did you get it to stop?"

"There's a few spells you can use... let me do one for you."

I nod and he takes out his wand and says a healing charm. The burning feeling fades slightly and now it's just tingling.

"Did that help?"

"Yes." I say, "thank you..."

We cuddled for a little while and then I forced him to work on the cabinet for a bit. He says that he's getting closer to being done that. I lay on the couch while he works, trying to get my mind off of the events of last night. After my worries of Theo finding out or even Harry.

An hour later Draco sits down beside me for a break. I lay my head on his chest.

"You said someone we both know told him?" Draco asks.

"Yes."

"Who would that be...?"

"Someone who clearly hates me."

"... I only know one person who seems to really hate you." Malfoy points out. I see the anger grow on his face as he stands up and races out of the room.

What the fuck?