I Only Find Peace in Your Arms

Chapter 16

            Draco gently shook Aris, “Aris, wake up.”

            Aris could hear him but she couldn't stop the images that were filtering through her mind, especially the dark hooded figure and the glowing snake-like eyes. Aris had felt fear before but now she felt terror. She opened her eyes slowly, and begin rubbing them hoping to erase them.

            “Draco,” she cried out,and then realized she was in his arms. She started crying, clinging to him, and the tears wouldn't stop. He just held her, softly stroking her hair and back.

            “Why Draco?” she sobbed, “why you? Why is the dark lord using you?”

            “Aris, I told you not to do this,” he whispered, “you don't understand do you? I have no choice. You did, but I don't. If I don't do these things I'm afraid of what might happen to my family, me and now you,” he said angrily.

            Aris realized he was right. His family was to blame for what happened with him and they'd left him no choice but to do these terrible things she'd seen when she made the Unbreakable Vow. She couldn't help the despair that was starting to creep into her heart and she knew now how he must be feeling. There was nothing she could do about it without endangering both their lives because if she broke the vow they would both be dead. All she could do was hold him tight.

            “Come on,” he said standing up with her, “we've got to get you back to your common room.”

            They both started down the hallways, Aris holding Draco's hand tightly. When they were nearing the Gryffindor doorway he stopped.

            “I'm sorry Aris,” Draco said sadly.

            “Draco please, I know you feel helpless, like you have no other choice, but surely there is something we can do,” she whispered up at him.

            The look in her eyes scared him, he could tell she was terrified and still upset, “Aris, calm down. I need you to go in there, take a long hot bath and get some sleep okay? I'll feel better if I know you’re going to be all right.” he didn't like leaving her like this. He knew she wouldn't reveal the secrets she knew about him, but it tore him up thinking of how she was going to be tormented by it.

            “I don't think I will be okay Draco,” she whispered in a sad voice.

            “You have to be,” he said sternly.

            She couldn't look up at him but just walked away in a daze and whispered, “Okay,” and entered the common room leaving him behind. There were a few people sitting by the fire but Aris walked on past, even when they called out greetings to her. She made it to her room, stripped down, putting on her gown and crawled into bed bringing the covers up over her head, burying her face in her pillow so no one could hear her sobbing.  -------

            Aris was having a terrible dream. She was walking through a damp, foggy graveyard in the dark, she could barely see the tombstones surrounding her. She was lost. She desperately searched for anything or anyone that would help her know where she was. Her feet were bare and she was wearing only her night gown. Suddenly up ahead she saw the dark hooded figure, it's wand out.

            “Come forward,  Aris Donavon,” it hissed. Aris was so terrified she couldn't move, even though she tried with all her might to move her feet and run they wouldn't budge.

            “I said COME FORWARD,” it hissed harshly.

            And then her feet were moving forward against her will until she was very near the creature. She knew it was the dark lord. He had his wand pointed at someone on the ground.

            “Join us,” he hissed.

            “No,” she pleaded.

            “Join us or he dies,” he hissed angrily.

            Aris looked down and it was then she saw Draco, writhing in pain as the dark lord was hitting him with the Crucio curse. “Please stop,” she screamed, running toward Draco.

            Aris woke up in a cold sweat. She quickly got up out of bed and grabbed her robe. She didn't care, she just had to check on Draco. She took off at a run down the stairs, leaving the common room and beginning to run down near the dungeons. She didn't make it there because she ran into him.

            “Thank goodness,” she sighed, hugging him, bringing her hands up to take his face in her hands, “are you okay?”

            “No,” he said. Aris noticed he was sweating. “I was worried about you,” he said, his hands gripping her shoulders.

            “I had the worst nightmare,” she whispered, “it was horrible.”

            “So did I,” he whispered, “I was coming to see about you if I could. Aris, you shouldn't have done this. Now he's going to get to you, the same way he does me. I can't sleep, I don't want to sleep.”

            They held each other tight. Aris was getting over some of her fear and now she was getting angry. She was starting to understand how Draco was feeling and it made her angry that he was forced in to this torment.

            “I don't want to sleep without you,” Aris told Draco.

            “Come on,” he took her hand. As they were walking he noticed her feet. They were bare, “Where are your slippers? Your feet have got to be freezing.”

            Aris shrugged it off, “It's okay, I was in a hurry.” he shocked her when he reached down, picking her up. “Thanks,” she whispered into his neck, wrapping her arms around him. He was still her Slytherin Prince, despite all she knew he had done and what he was supposed to do, she knew he wasn't bad. She still felt safe in Draco's arms. They arrived at the Slytherin door and Draco stood her up as he said the password and started through the door taking her hand.

            “Draco, I can't,” she said not moving.

            “Yes you can. Don't worry, I have a room to myself, thanks to my parents, and you'll be gone in the morning before anyone can know.”

            She followed him into the Slytherin house, looking around curiously. It wasn't so bad she thought. He took her hand and they quietly went up the stairs until they came to the uppermost door. There was a fire burning in the fireplace with a soft comfy chair nearby. His room was very masculine, done in the green of Slytherin. He had a large bed to one side and a dresser and mirror to the other. It was a very nice bedroom.

            “Here, sit down,” he said pulling her over to the chair. He pulled an extra blanket off the bed and put it over her and sat down on the carpet below her feet. He took both of her feet into his lap and gently started rubbing them. She started to pull them away, “You don't have to do that.”

            He grabbed her feet back, they were still cold, “No I don't, but I want to,” he said looking at her with those beautiful silver-blue eyes. Aris watched him. It felt so good she could feel her eyes getting heavy.   -----

            Draco looked up at Aris. She had fallen asleep. He gently tucked her feet into the blanket and just watched her. She was so beautiful and so caring, even knowing all that she did about him she had come for him. It made him sick knowing that she would now be tortured as he was. She must reallly care for him, like no one else had. He couldn't imagine not having Aris Donavon in his life now. She was the only bright, beautiful thing he had to look forward to, and deep down he had been really tired of pushing her away.

            He gently picked her up, trying not to wake her. She barely moved. He lay her down on his bed tucking the covers around her and lay down beside her. Immediately she rolled over, her hand on his chest, and snuggled up to him. Draco kissed her softly on top of her head, “Goodnight angel,” he whispered. He was daring to hope that she might love him, but his thoughts turned dark. How can you love me, knowing all that you do about me?

            Aris felt someone shaking her in her sleep, but she didn't want to wake up, she was too warm and toasty next to Draco. That woke her up quickly.

            “What time is it?” she asked sitting up quickly.

            “It's okay, it's not dawn yet,” Draco whispered.

            Aris looked down at Draco. He had to be the sexiest guy in the world, even with his hair messed up from sleep and his eyes heavy, he looked so good. She couldn't stop herself but leaned down and pressed her lips to his. And he returned her kiss, pulling her on top of him, holding her tight .

            “Thank you for letting me stay here with you tonight,” she whispered against his neck, her breath giving him shivers.

            “I'm glad you stayed with me. I only find peace in your arms” he said running his down down her back and slowly pulling her gown up until his hands were softly caressing her bottom, “somebody doesn't believe in panties I see,” he laughed, and it was true, Aris had never been one to wear them to bed. “I sleep better when you are with me,” he said against her face.

            “Well, we will have to fix that, won't we,” she began kissing his neck and running her hands through his hair. He brought her face back to his and kissed her deeply.

            “I want you Aris,” he moaned, breaking the kiss, “but we've got to get you back to your room before the castle starts stirring.”

            They both got up disappointed. Draco put his robe on over his PJ's and then went to his drawer taking out a pair of wool socks and then made her sit down while he slipped them on her feet, “that should keep your feet warm,” he said rubbing them.

            He got his wand and then took her hand and they both quietly left the Slytherin common. Draco led her all the way back to the Gryffindor house and they stopped near the door. They both decided to meet that night near the Slytherin house after everyone was asleep. Draco gave Aris one final kiss and then headed back down to his room.

            Aris entered the Gryffindor common and quietly made her way up to the room she shared with four others. No one was awake yet so she went ahead and showered and got ready for classes.

            Aris had a hard time facing her classmates that day, especially her friend Lanie. The things she'd found out about what Draco was supposed to do haunted her all that day and when she looked at her friends and classmates it made her want to cry out because she knew something terrible might happen at Hogwarts but she could do nothing about stopping it. So she kept to herself and avoided everyone. When she saw Lanie or someone else coming her way she would go in the opposite direction. She didn't go to lunch or dinner that day, so she'd only had a small breakfast all day, which she'd hardly touched. She knew they would start questioning her if she didn't snap out of it, but she just couldn't face anyone right now.

            Aris met Draco near the Slytherin common room, just like they had planned. They made sure the coast was clear and quickly went up to his room. Aris sat in the large chair by the fire and Draco went to his dresser and came back with a covered tray that he sat on her lap. “Here,” he said, taking the lid off, there was an assortment of foods and even a small jug of pumpkin juice, “I know you haven't eaten anything, you need to eat.”

            “How do you know?” she asked, but her growling stomach gave her away.

            “I have my ways, besides I know how it feels to not have an appetite,” he said sadly.

            “I'll eat if you will,” Aris said handing him a sandwich off the tray. Draco took it from her and took a huge bite and then sat down on the rug in front of her. They both started eating.

            “Draco,” she said, not sure how to question him, “Do you really have the dark mark?”

            He didn't know how to answer her. So he didn't, he started taking off his PJ shirt and then murmured something, holding the inside of his arm out for her to see. Suddenly his arm had an outline and then it became clearer. It was the dark mark, the serpent weaving around on his arm like something alive. Aris sat the tray down on the floor and sat down in front of him taking his arm in her hands, she rubbed on it as if she could make it go away. “I saw when the dark lord did this to you,” she whispered painfully, “it hurt. Why Draco? Why would you do it?”

            “I thought I was doing what my father wanted and I guess I was. But I didn't realize what it would cost me. Aris, I feel like I'm losing my soul.”

            Aris couldn't speak, so she didn't say anything, instead she leaned up and kissed him softly and he brought his hands up into the back of her hair bringing her closer, kissing her deeply. Aris felt something cold around his neck and lifted it up in her hand, it was the valentines present she'd given him the night they had first been together in the RR. It was the gold medallion that had the Slytherin snake symbol with two emerald eyes on the front and her name engraved on the back. She'd spent just about all the money she had saved for the past 6 years on it, money she had been going to use on a place to live when she graduated Hogwarts and hopefully became an auror like her uncle, but those plans had changed with Draco in her life. “Thank you for the gift,” he kissed her lips sweetly, “I’ll never take it off.”

            Aris stood up taking Draco's hand and walked over to the bed. Draco watched as she took off her robe, his eyes shining silver-blue fire. He used his wand to make sure the door was locked. When he turned back Aris was standing in front of him completely nude. Draco went to her taking her in his arms, kissing her as he laid her across the bed. He began kissing her all over, her breast, stomach and even lower making Aris moan with desire and call his name. Draco pulled away from her, looking down at Aris as he removed the rest of his PJ's. He wanted her badly, even more than he had the first time. She was so beautiful laying there on his bed and he could imagine himself married to her, with her always, and how wonderful it would be. He could even imagine their children, a beautiful little golden skinned daughter with cinnamon curls and green eyes or silver-blue, but she would be beautiful like her mother.

            Aris brought her arms up, reaching out for him and Draco lowered himself between her, kissing her deeply, caressing her breast and waist. “Please Draco,” she pleaded with him, her body raising up to meet him, and he entered her, moaning her name. It wasn't long until after several rythmic strokes Aris screamed Draco's name, and her orgasm triggered his own and he put his mouth over hers in a deep kiss to drown out the sound as he too moaned his own release.

            Aris had never felt such bliss as she did making love with Draco. The first time they had been together in the RR had been special, but tonight was different. They were both now open with each other and there were no more secrets coming between them, keeping them apart. While she was terrified for herself and him, she also felt free.

            They both lay in his bed in each other’s arms and Aris felt content for now, her head laying on his chest, his hand gently rubbing her back. It wasn't long until sleep claimed both of them.