_____

'' Don't stop.''

_____

'' Stay still—'' Amelie muttered at the blond who repeatedly groaned at her doings, and every time the scissors in her hands clasped together, he flinched, '' Draco, I'll cut more than we both want if you don't stay still.''

He hated this — there wasn't a thing about Amelie cutting his hair that he enjoyed. He didn't want to tell her no because he saw how eager she was about it. Still, he loathed it. Going to a hairdresser was one of the things he dragged out on, simply because he loathed it.

'' Are you done soon?'' He mumbled as she combed through the long strands, '' It's not even that much to cut.''

'' Are you serious?'' Amelie stepped around the chair he was seated on in front of the bathroom mirror, '' Have you ever seen your hair—''

'' Yeah, yeah, just get it over with.'' He shot back as his eyes rolled, '' I'm cutting yours next, I hope you know that.''

Amelie's head tilted so that it leveled his, and she left a soft kiss on his cheek, '' I'm counting on it.'' She smiled back before drawing away to continue cutting it.

The blond pieces she chopped off fell messily over the black tile floor, and the look of it made Draco visibly uncomfortable. He wasn't much for messes either. If he got to choose, which he did most of the time — everything would be sparkling clean.

'' There you go,'' Amelie lit up behind him, lightly clapping her hands together at the excitement she felt, '' Good, right?''

Draco's head shook as he slipped his fingers through it, and with a deep breath — his eyes flickered to look at what she'd done,

'' Oh,'' He hushed himself, leaning closer to the mirror as he studied his new hairdo, '' Not bad, Amelie.''

Her face shifted from the slight concern into an amused grimace as he turned around to face her. His hands dug into her waist, and he closed the space between them.

'' I told you so,'' Amelie bit down onto her lower lip as his jaws clenched at the act, and he slowly dived down — her chin rose to meet him halfway, and just as their lips were meant to collide — Draco dragged to the side,

'' My turn,'' He whispered close to her ear, leaving her on the complete edge as he shifted them around, gently pushing her down onto the chair.

Amelie's eyes rolled as he grabbed the brush and stroked it over the brown strands of her hair.

'' Don't mess this up now,'' She warned him through mocking, and it caused the blond to become plainly nervous.

'' Stop—'' He grumbled, picking up the scissors, '' I'm not going to mess it up, but how much should I cut?''

'' As much as you want to,'' Amelie's sight gazed over him in the mirror, '' I trust you, so just cut it.''

'' Just cut it?'' He sarcastically mimicked her, '' Well, let me just cut it then,'' - and he did. He chopped pieces of her hair off — not too much. He loved the length of her hair.

Amelie hadn't cut it in over a year, and it had grown a lot during those months — it was spilling far down her back, but she didn't mind.

'' Not so much, Draco!'' She shouted as he winced back, scared to death by her sudden act, '' Oh God, Draco, what have you done?'' Her hands grasped at her hair as he stood petrified behind her,

'' You— you said that I could cut—'' He stammered. His voice shaky, '' I'm sorry—''

But Amelie couldn't keep her act together as she burst out in laughter at his reaction, her face buried in her hands as she kept on chuckling at the blond.

'' You—'' Draco's teeth gritted as he grabbed the backrest of her chair, pulling it to the side so she would face him, and in a quick movement — his hands closed around her waist as he threw her over his shoulder,

'' You are going to pay for that,'' Draco growled as she laughed even more. Her spine collided roughly with the mattress of their bed, '' You thought that was funny, didn't you?''

'' I did—'' She chuckled as he climbed on top of her, '' And what are you going to do about it?'' Her lips arched into a smile.

'' Oh, you'll see—'' Draco's head dropped to her ear, and he placed soft, tender kisses on her skin. His fingers were gentle upon her body.

'' Draco—'' Her hands grasped at his neck as she bent her head back, giving him more space to trail kisses down her throat.

'' Do you want me to stop?'' Draco mumbled against her skin, '' I'll stop if you want me to, you know that—''

'' Don't stop,'' Amelie breathed out as her fingers trailed over his toned back. She tugged at the end of his shirt and slowly dragged it off of him.

'' Amelie—'' Draco whispered as he kissed her jawline, brushing his nose against it after,

'' My Amelie."

Her heart skipped not one but two beats at that. She had never been so happy to be called someone else's before, because being Draco's meant pure happiness to her, not the vile abuse she was used to.

'' Son—'' Lucius gave the door a swift knock before he flung it open, and both Amelie and Draco jumped apart at the surprise.

The blond nearly panicked as he dragged a cover over his bare chest, breathing more than heavily, '' What?'' He snapped at his father, earning a frown from the man.

'' I'd like to have a word with the both of you about... your special guest in the basement.'' Lucius shot Amelie a daring glare, '' So both of you, get dressed and join me in my office after.''

_____

'' So—'' Lucius grinned as they sat down across from him, '' Adrian Pucey.''

Amelie's breaths hitched at the spoken name, but she sought not to show it — to not let on how much it deeply frightened her.

'' What about him?'' Draco snapped, raising a brow at his father, '' You are well aware of him being down there.''

'' Yes...'' Lucius stared evilly at his son, '' I am much aware, but what I can't seem to wrap my head around is why. Why is that poor boy locked up in our sellar?''

Draco didn't answer the question, but his blood began to boil. He felt furious at what his father was speaking — he wanted to talk against him, to drag Amelie out of the tense situation they were being held in, but he also understood that it could make things worse.

'' How about you, miss Avery?'' The man's sight shifted to her, '' Would you like to enlighten me as to why Mr. Pucey is being held hostage in my basement?''

She swallowed, thickly — trying to suppress the doubt she felt growing within.

'' Adrian tried to—'' Her breath airy, '' He tried to kidnap me, so your son—'' She flinched again, but this time, out of the hand Draco placed on her thigh,

'' So Draco locked him up downstairs, to not let him take me away.''

Lucius nodded slowly, in an attempt to wrap his head around it, '' But didn't you and Mr. Pucey have a relationship prior to—'' The grey eyes flickered between his son and Amelie as his hand wavered towards them '' This?''

'' They did." Draco mumbled, his fingers around her thigh gripped the flesh harder, " But not anymore."

'' I'm not speaking to you, Draco. Be quiet, please.'' He rolled his eyes away from his son to narrow them back at Amelie, '' Continue, dear.''

'' We were a couple, yes.'' Amelie stated as Draco sighed, '' But we... it's complicated.''

'' Well, then it's a good thing we have time, miss Avery.'' Lucius nearly snarled at her, his hands settled on the desk as he shoved a quill back at its place, '' Go on, tell me why your lover—''

'' Ex lover,'' Draco muttered beside her.

'' Ex lover—'' Lucius took after, '' Why he felt the need to kidnap you.''

Amelie's fingers twitched against her palms. She didn't know if she was ready to say it out loud to yet another person, but in some strange way — she felt as if she needed to be honest with Draco's father.

'' Because we're bounded.''

'' Bounded?'' Lucius rose a brow, '' Bounded how?''

She settled her hand upon Draco's to seek the comfort she needed, '' My life is bounded with his, through the unbreakable vow.''

The man nodded again, his fingers scratched at his chin, '' I see, and he wanted to take you away from Draco? I suppose?''

'' Yes.'' Amelie inhaled sharply, '' Because if my life is at risk, so is his, and he was scared that Draco would hurt me by searching my memories.''

'' Have you been visiting him? Is he aware that you're staying here?'' Lucius kept the eager questions coming, '' Has he been let out at some point?''

'' No.'' Draco hissed, '' What is it with these questions? Yes, Amelie has been down there twice without my knowledge, and no, he hasn't been let out, now was there anything else? Because we have things to do.''

It was as if something came to his mind when he shifted around in his position as if a bad idea clocked his wicked head.

'' I see,'' His father uttered again, '' Well, then I see no reason to keeping you here anymore, miss Avery, but I'd like to have a word with my son, alone.''

'' Of course, Sir.'' Amelie stood up as Draco's hand slipped off her thigh, and she gave him a soft smile before she walked out — striving not to let out how much that conversation bothered her.

Amelie immediately felt as if something was terribly wrong — the way Lucius had looked at her after her confession about Adrian caused shivers to spread down her spine. It was something with that man — and how he reacted when she told her truth made her more than suspicious.

She had seen a mind, just as sinful as Lucius before — in both Adrian and her father, and the instinct she had developed to try and hold one step ahead of them nagged within now. But she also prized how much Draco cherished his father, and she didn't want to suspect him before she had valid proof of doing so.

Amelie liked it here — she loved her moments with Hermione and Pansy at breakfast, how they talked about Aimee and how she was granted to feel the kicks of the baby held in her stomach.

She adored helping Narcissa with lunch in the kitchen while the lady questioned her about different spells and potions to keep her mind active with the months she spent away from school. Narcissa was one the funniest humans she had ever held the chance to be around.

The evenings with Teddy in front of the fireplace, and the walks they took out in the snow at dawn as they watched the sunset — she could never grow tired of. It was one of the many moments that held her in pieces.

And every single moment in between — she spent with Draco, which seemed to be her favorite part of the day. To be able to sleep next to the blond or teach him how to bake the cookies her mother always made for her. She filled her days with things that made her smile — with doings that caused her happiness.

Even if the feeling of the unknown sometimes got to her, and it made her crumble — she had all of the people she cherished near.

'' You need to continue, Draco, we have a week—''

'' I know that, don't you think I know that? We have been trying.''

'' But not enough! Do I have to take all your precious little memories of her away from you? Is that what it will take—''

'' Don't you dare. I have been doing my task. I have been trying, but I can't make her remember. I can't force her to trust me, and if you do that — if you take my memories of her, away. I'll be just as cold and heartless as I was before, and then she would most definitely not trust me.''

'' Don't you think I see what you're doing, son? That you are stalling? You even brought that filthy mudblood into my house!''

'' It makes her safe, father. She was away for weeks, with just her and Nott. She needs her friends.''

'' But a muggle-born in my house, Draco. That is something I can't accept from you. This girl has changed you for the worst, if I may say it myself. You used to impress the Dark Lord, and now you have a Death Eater in chains in my basement, and you are fooling around with a girl who belongs—''

'' She belongs to no one but herself, don't you say those things about her. She's well aware of what the Dark Lord will do if I can't locate her memories, and she is still willing to try. Believe me when I say that she's doing it for our sake.''

'' Does she know what our Lord has planned for her mother, son?''

'' No.''

'' Keep it that way.''

'' I intend to do so.''

'' And for the boy in the cellar, Draco. There isn't a way to break the vow, so for your sake — I hope you have a plan for him, because in a week when we have the meeting with the Dark Lord, he will ask questions.''

'' I'm well aware.''

'' I truly hope you are, son, and try to distance yourself a bit from her. We have no clue to what the Dark Lord is planning to do with miss Avery when we're through with her.''

'' He won't touch her. No one touches her."

" And how come you—"

" Because she's mine, and no one touches her."

'' Are you absolutely certain about that, my boy?''

____