This chapter contains violent actions. Please read with caution.

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'' You took everything from me.''

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Draco's face twisted in pure anger as he watched Adrian stand unbothered with the diary in his hands. Amelie gripped the blond's arm tighter, holding onto him for dear life.

She didn't dare to let go. She didn't want to — Amelie needed to feel him, to have him close, and somewhere in all the madness that kept on coming, so did Draco.

'' So you knew I was coming after all?'' Draco seethed, his wand firmly gripped in his hand. The grey eyes darted through Adrian, and his blood nearly fumed at the look of the vile boy.

All Draco could think about was Amelie and all of the marks he, for months, left on her body. How thin and fragile she portrayed out of his violence.

He wanted vengeance. He craved to hurt and to wound Adrian, similar to how he always tortured her, but he couldn't because she was right here. All his thoughts faded into saving her.

Amelie was always safe with him.

'' Of course, I did. Don't tell me that you take me for a fool, Malfoy?'' Adrian hissed back, striding closer over the polished floor, '' Let me tell you that I'm everything but a fool. Haven't noticed that yet, have you?''

They were standing in the dining hall, where his mother used to throw all her gatherings, but that was long gone. Now, Adrian's childhood home sored in death and broken promises. He had even slaughtered her, his own mother, within the walls of the house she built.

Adrian was merciless, and that was just another reason to fear him.

'' I haven't,'' Malfoy shot back, his arm bent out in the air to shove Amelie to stand behind him. He couldn't have her standing in harm's way. She was far too exposed to the devil in front of them.

But she didn't budge. Amelie stood solidly next to Draco.

She couldn't be scared anymore — she needed to use all the strength left in her to get out of the circle of death she was trapped in.

It was simply that to her. Either she lived a life in magical chains, bounded to a boy who'd never stop hurting her, or die to escape his insanity.

'' And you, darling?'' Adrian smirked. His eyes bored through her, viciously, '' Do you take me for a fool?''

The way he was looking at her made Draco furious within. He couldn't stand Adrian even placing an eye on her.

'' Don't you dare speak to her,'' Draco hissed recklessly, '' You don't get to speak to her anymore.''

'' I don't—'' Amelie breathed out, slightly putting more pressure upon the pillowcase that covered her wound and a painful grimace coated her face because of it, '' I don't, but you need to stop this, Adrian.''

His eyes narrowed before his sight traveled down her figure, landing precisely where he'd carved her skin apart.

'' I said don't fucking look at her—''

'' And why is that?'' Adrian gritted, ignoring the blond to his best capacity, '' Why do I have to stop? What about him?'' He hauled his wand out from his pocket, aiming it straight towards Draco, '' My life was all planned put for me before this prick came along.''

'' It's not—'' Amelie bent forward in torture, blood kept on slipping out of the cut, '' It's not his fault!'' Her tone split in desperation, '' It's your fault, Adrian. It has always been your fault.''

'' Has it now?'' He rolled his eyes away from them, too disgusted to see Draco's hand as he placed it on Amelie's back. Malfoy tried to comfort her, to ease that stinging pain of the open tear in her stomach.

'' Let her go, Pucey, and we can discuss this in a proper way,'' Malfoy snapped his neck to Adrian, pure hatred radiated off the blond, '' She doesn't need to get more hurt.''

'' I don't care if she gets hurt, Malfoy,'' Adrian spoke, honestly. His hoarse voice shredded throughout the room, '' I never did. For all I know, I'm the one who brought her most of her pain.''

Amelie's insides twisted. She knew it to be true.

It was always him, even years ago when he claimed to love her — he would hurt her even more.

'' You fucking—'' Draco raised his voice, trembling in anger, but Amelie's hand found his, and she tangled their fingers together.

Now it was her, easing his pain.

'' Don't,'' Her smile was fragile as she peered up at him, '' I know. It's okay. He can't hurt me anymore—''

'' Crucio!'' Adrian shouted, but the instant the green light meant to tear Amelie apart from the inside — Draco was quick to pull her to the side, making the magic crash against a wall behind them.

'' Adrian—'' Amelie gasped out, her eyes wide and her skin drained of color, '' Are you done now?'' Her temper failed her, and she looked startled, '' Do you want to hurt me even more? Is that it? Get it over with then. Hurt me, Adrian. Hurt me more, because my body can't take it and if I go down—''

'' I go down with you,'' He finished for her. Staring wickedly as he chuckled darkly, '' Perhaps that's a good idea, isn't it? We started out together, and maybe we should die together as well.''

'' Shut that filthy mouth of yours, right now,'' Draco warned him. He couldn't take Adrian mocking her anymore, '' What do you want, Pucey? What can you possibly want that you haven't taken from her already?''

Amelie stood breathless next to him again, attempting to stretch her spine. To focus on the fact that Draco is standing next to her and that he came for her. That he once again saved her, but it all turned too overwhelming.

Something clicked in her head. As if she came to the realization of what she could do.

'' You don't want anything else, do you?'' Amelie's eyes met Adrian's, '' You just want control. You want it all to be as it always has been, don't you? You want to live your life, and then come home to strangle me—''

Her throat burnt as she took a step forward. Her legs shook out of exhaustion.

'' You want to punch me, to hit me so hard that I pass out, and then you want to force yourself on me, don't you?''

Her eyes narrowed in his as his face voided emotion.

'' You want to lock me up in a room, just like you have for months now, and you want to keep me there. You want to be able to hurt me without anyone hearing or seeing it. That's what makes it all better, isn't it? To do it all in secret, to seem like a powerful person only to be the weakest one behind closed doors?''

Adrian swallowed thickly as she took another step closer. She was pushing him — she knew that, but she had to.

'' Amelie—'' Draco growled behind her, worry slipped his hoarse tone, but she merely ignored his call for her.

'' You want to be in control, Adrian. You always have.'' Her fingers clenched around the pillowcase, pushing it tighter to her belly, '' This was never about me. This was about you and your need to be on top of everyone and everything. This has always been about you. I just failed to notice.''

Adrian's teeth gritted dangerously. Never once did he drag his eyes off her. His jaws sharp, his head held high.

She halted, right in front of him — inches apart as her eyes battled the tears.

Even if she despised him and everything he'd ever put her through, she couldn't help but seek that boy she fell in love with. That version of Adrian that once, years ago — loved her back.

'' You always wanted this to be about me, that I was the one in the wrong, that I pushed you away, that I was the one to upset you so much that you had no other choice than to hurt me, and I believed you, Adrian.''

'' Amelie—'' Draco seethed again, more violent this time. He loathed the sight of her being that close to Pucey. He couldn't even bet the chance of her getting more hurt, '' If you don't step away from him, right now, I'll march over there and I'll—''

'' I always believed it was my fault,'' She whispered, the tips of her fingers unexpectedly stroked over his forehead, brushing a strand of hair out of his eyes, '' I trusted you so much, and I loved you, Adrian. I would've given my life for yours, and you blamed me for it.''

The corner of her mouth arched, and she smiled bravingly, '' You called it weakness, that I loved you so much that I could've died for you.''

Adrian swallowed, and just for a slight second, by that truthful look in her eyes — that glimmer of honesty — he let his guard down, ''I would've done anything for you.'' She said lowly.

Her words circled his head, and just as his shoulders eased and his lips parted to say something back to her, to actually address what she was saying. Not to apologize, he'd never, but to say something. To, in his own ways, take a tiny bit responsibility for what he'd done.

Amelie watched as his eyes brightened from the clouding darkness that always seized them, and she took the opportunity to do what she meant to do all along.

The pillowcase dropped to the ground, and her fingers clenched around the handle of the blade Draco had brought her — without even a second thought, she mightily pushed it into his stomach.

'' But I don't anymore,'' She whimpered, feeling his muscles tense around the sharp blade, '' You took everything from me.''

A loud screech fled Adrian's throat by her unlawful deeds, and she pulled it out forcefully as she stumbled back.

It took the last of her. Every piece of power she had gathered drained out of what she'd done.

She hurt him, just enough for her and Draco to make it out of there, but she didn't hurt him enough to kill him. Amelie knew better than that because if she did — she would die too.

'' You fucking—'' Adrian tripped back, his chest rose and fell heavily, so did hers, '' You ungrateful witch.'' He spat, clutching his hands over his stomach. Blood slipped in between his fingers.

'' Amelie!'' Draco yelled, rushing up to her trembling self before his arms folded around her body. He lifted her, quickly and her hands grasped at his neck as he sought to take her away from this now.

Malfoy walked quickly towards the dining room entrance, with her tightly hugged to his chest. His eyes caught hers, and his head shook, '' You're fucking crazy. You know that, right?'' He mumbled, pushing his lips against the side of her head.

'' You make me crazy,'' She bitterly smiled back, her eyes snapped over his shoulder, only to see Adrian, struggling to stand tall on his feet again, '' Draco, move—''

Amelie pushed herself off his chest, making them fall apart as a spell struck the hallway wall right outside the dining room.

Draco was quick upon his feet again, and his wand leveled Adrian's, '' Crucio!'' Malfoy cursed, but Adrian simply protected himself, '' Sectumsempra,'' Draco kept on delivering torturous spells.

If anything, Malfoy knew how to fight.

'' Incendio—''

Amelie crawled up from the floor. Her wound hurt terribly by the fall she just took, but she wasn't the one to lay helpless or to cave when Draco needed her.

Still, she couldn't help but understand that all of this could end terribly wrong. That her, or even worse — Draco could get hurt.

Amelie didn't want him to leave without her, but to her, it seemed like the proper way to go. He found her once, and hopefully — he would do so again.

She couldn't risk it.

She couldn't risk her Draco.

''Draco—'' She whimpered, her eyes swollen red out of the prickling tears, ''Please, just go, Draco. Leave, and we'll find each other again, I promise—''

''I'm not—'' His wand slammed over his head, making sure that Adrian's spells wouldn't touch him, or her,

''I'm not leaving you.''

Magic was thrown between the two boys to the left and right, glass shattered, walls exploded, the curtains next to the massive windows burnt up in flames. Shades of bright light scored evilly through the dimmed room.

Both Adrian and Draco were completely out of breath as they kept on trying to hurt each other.

Draco made sure that every spell that was directed against Amelie — he caught and aimed it right back at Adrian.

He would never let Adrian touch another hair on her head. Malfoy would rather die than her getting another bruise.

''Enough, Malfoy!'' Adrian growled out. His forehead shunned in sweat and his clothes stained by the bleeding cut in his stomach, '' She belongs to me. Her life belongs to me. She's bounded—''

''The hell she does,'' Draco fired another dangerous spell against him before his eyes flickered to see that Amelie was standing behind him, '' Amelie,'' Malfoy whispered, '' Leave, just go outside and hide, and I'll find—''

''Draco—'' She trembled, her voice shaky, '' You need to go. He won't stop, he will never stop, and he will continue to hunt me down—''

''I'm not leaving you,'' Draco said, harshly and she stepped up to him, her eyes hooded, her mind haunted by the images of how all of this could turn out, ''I would—''

''Stupefy!'' Draco's magic struck Adrian like lightning from a clear sky as the boy flew weakly into a wall across the room.

Malfoy was quick to turn to Amelie. His hands rested on her jaws as he kissed her. He kissed her softly in the heat of the moment. It was as if he needed to push his lips against hers.

To feel her innocence, to gather all the purity she possessed. Like Amelie was his source of strength. He kissed her one more time before leaning his forehead against hers.

His eyes matched hers, and he looked at her gently. His cold features softened at the gaze of her. She always had that effect on him, ''I would rather die than to live without you again.''

'' I know, Draco.'' Amelie's fingers grasped at the collar of his suit jacket, standing on her toes to be closer to him, '' I know, and I love you for that, but I need to you promise me something.''

'' What?'' His eyes glistened, and it was as if they didn't pay Adrian any attention anymore, ''Anything. I will promise you—''

'' That if it ever comes to that, to choosing between yourself and me—'' She paused. Hesitant to if she could say what she wanted to, '' If it ever comes to that. I need you to promise me that you'll kill me.''

Draco's jaws clenched, but his eyes stayed on her. He didn't want to miss a second of looking at her, even if she was speaking the way she was, ''If I die, Adrian dies too, and that's the only way to end this, so I need you to promise me—''

Draco's fingers traveled to her neck, bending it back slightly as he enjoyed how her heated breaths tasted sweet on his lips.

He had missed her so much.

Amelie's arms dropped to his shoulders as he held her face steadily, '' I love you, Amelie, but nothing is going to happen to—''

'' Sectumsempra!''

Adrian was aiming for Amelie.

His wand was edging towards her from across the room, but the instant Draco mastered the words fleeing Adrian's throat, he pushed her back.

'' No!''

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