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'' Promise me that you'll come back to me.''

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Amelie stood in the doorway to Draco's room. She hadn't been in there for the days he was away — at least that was what she told Teddy, but in secret — she would sneak into his empty room and sleep on Draco's side of the bed.

It was hard for her, getting tangled — attached to someone who left her so easily. Amelie wasn't giving up on Draco. She could never do that.

No matter what the blonde boy did before they got to know each other wasn't relevant to her anymore, but the thing that kept lingering in her chest — was the truth where he'd been lying to her.

He could've told her that he was aware of Adrian's abuse. He didn't have to lie to her for the amount of time that he did. Amelie didn't quite understand why he trusted her enough when she didn't. She didn't know why she couldn't place the same faith in him — as he had done with her.

She didn't trust him, and that hurt. It pained her to a level where her heart merely suffered its beat because she believed that she did — Amelie truly thought that she indeed trusted the boy who made her life blossom.

'' What are you up to, huh?'' Theodore stepped up behind her, his hand on the ledge of the doorpost as he stared as blankly into the deserted room '' He'll be here any minute now, you know?''

Amelie's head tipped back and landed on his shoulder, '' I know.''

'' Then why are you here, let's—'' Theo rose, but her sigh hewed him off before he got the chance to say anything else.

'' What?'' His other arm wrapped around her, and he placed a kiss on the top of her head, '' You don't have to meet him, if you're not ready and if you feel like—''

'' I feel like I failed him, Teddy.'' Her head felt heavy on his chest, '' I don't trust him, and I feel like it's my fault.''

Theodore's jaws gritted, and his arm fell off the doorpost as he shifted her around in his arms, '' Don't ever say that. This isn't your fault. You have been through so much and you can't choose who you trust or not.''

" It's not that easy."

Her eyes fell over the messy locks on his head as his lips parted, '' This isn't on you. It's not on him either. You guys just have to figure it out, maybe if you hear him out and he listens to you—''

'' I don't know.'' She said, and her sight grounded, '' I don't think he wants to see me. I shut him out, Teddy. I promised that I wouldn't walk away from him, and I did.''

Theodore pulled her in. His head on top of hers as her hands snaked around his waist, '' You're really foolish sometimes, you know that, right?''

'' What do you—'' She mumbled into the soft fabric of his shirt before he cut her off.

'' He's in love with you, Amelie.''

Her heart once again — skipped a beat, and she could hear the pounding of it in her ears, '' No, Teddy,'' She sought to pull away, to avoid the statement he just dropped on her, '' I don't think he is—''

'' Are you serious?'' Theo took a step back, '' He searched for you, for a month—''

'' Because he asked me to leave—''

'' He stayed with us in the cabin without once pressuring you to give up your mother—''

'' Because he had no right to do so—''

'' He took us here, and he's been taking care of you for weeks, better than anyone has taken care of you before.''

'' Because he needs my memories—''

'' Stop.'' Theo frowned, his head shook at her, '' You're never the one to hide from things like this. Why is it so hard for you to just accept the fact that he's in love with you?''

'' Because I can't!'' Amelie nearly shouted, her hands combed through her hair in defeat, '' If I do that Teddy if I let those thoughts in—''

She held her breath as she took a stride back into Draco's room, '' If I do that, it becomes real, and if it becomes real, I'm vulnerable again, and I can't be, Teddy. I can't be anyone else's until I belong to myself first.''

Theo didn't say anything. He simply stared at her as her skin flushed.

'' Of course, I know that Draco is in love with me. I'm more than in love with him too, but he doesn't deserve this life, Theo. I'm not free. I'm chained to Adrian, and I don't want that for him. I don't want Draco to have to live through this too.''

'' Amelie,'' Theodore sought to reach out to her, '' Don't say that—''

'' Say what? The truth? That I want nothing more than to be happy with Draco, but I can't—'' She turned away from him, looking over the room she was standing in, '' I can't be with Draco, because he deserves better. I don't want to drag him into—''

'' That's not your choice to make.'' The voice shredding behind them made her freeze entirely in her position. Her breaths hitched, '' You can't make that decision for me.''

Theodore gasped, and his eyes flickered to the blonde who took steps past him into the room,

'' Well...'' Theo scratched the back of his head as he slowly backed away, '' I think my work here is done.''

Draco slammed the door shut behind the brunette as he went, and Amelie still didn't shift around to face him. It was as if she didn't dare to — she didn't know how much he'd heard of what she said.

'' You weren't downstairs,'' Draco mumbled, and she could hear how his footsteps echoed closer, and the instant she felt his hands gripping around her upper arms — and his chest pushed up against the length of her spine, she shut her eyes closed.

Amelie breathed him in, feeling how his lips placed a kiss on the back of her head.

'' Why weren't you downstairs? '' He asked her as he pulled away, '' Even Granger—''

'' I didn't think you wanted to see me.'' Amelie finally let out in a whisper, and she held the courage to turn around to face him, '' I walked out on you, and I didn't think—''

'' I missed you.'' Draco hewed her off, with a tear of hurt ripping through his hoarse vocals, '' And not a day goes by where I don't want to see you, so don't say that.''

His jaws clenched and unclenched before he carefully let a hand up to her cheek, and the tips of his fingers brushed against her skin, '' You had all right to walk out on me. I was stupid to ask you to stay when you weren't in the right—''

'' But you left.'' Amelie stated, and her eyes locked in his, '' You left, and you didn't tell me why.''

Draco nodded as his chin rose. He signed his hand off of her jaw as he stepped around her, dropping down in the armchair in the corner of his room. The blonde's elbows were placed on his knees as his head fell to rest in the palms of his hands.

'' I know.'' He mumbled, and she could see how his entire body tensed, '' I had matters to attend to, but I told Nott that I was coming back in a few days.''

Draco sighed as he leaned back, staring directly at her, '' I had to leave, and I didn't want you to have to see me after our...''

'' Disagreement.''

Amelie nodded slowly, '' You didn't —'' Her face held an agonizing look, '' You didn't have to leave for that. I wasn't mad at you, Draco, I was just... shocked.''

'' I know.'' He said, and his ankle rested on his knee as his hands sped through his hair, '' I just wanted to give you some space.''

It turned quiet, and Amelie slipped down onto the edge of his bed. Her sight fell to watch her fingers tangle and untangle as she waited for either of them to say something — but she didn't know what to say — to ask.

She wanted to ask him about Adrian, but she didn't know how to — he would be furious with her if he knew that she'd been down there again, without him even being home, and she didn't want to set him off.

All Amelie wanted to know was his side of things — his version of what Adrian told her. She knew that Draco had fooled her — that he had been using her at the beginning of things, but she didn't know that he was aware of what Adrian was doing to her.

Draco cleared his throat, '' What have you been up to?'' His eyes gazed over her, and the look of the girl he missed so terribly when he was away caused his veins to flush in warmth.

'' Not much,'' Amelie said, shortly — nearly too sharp because the second those two words trailed off her tongue, his eyes snapped away from her.

'' Amelie,'' Draco placed his palms onto the armrests before he forced himself up, '' What did you do?''

She gulped, and she shifted uncomfortably on the edge of his bed, '' I didn't—'' Her feet flat on the floor as she stood up in front of him, '' Just nothing. It's snowing, and I didn't go outside I was just—''

Draco's tongue rolled on the inside of his cheek as he studied her, how her words almost shredded in stutters.

'' You went to see him, didn't you?''

Amelie's teeth clasped together, and she took a deep breath — she knew that it wasn't an option to lie. He would most likely see right through her — he usually did.

Sometimes it felt as if Draco knew her better than she knew herself.

'' Yes.''

He groaned as he threw his head back, '' Why? Why would you do that? I specifically told you, never to—''

'' Because you left, and I needed answers.'' The desperate note in her voice caught his attention, '' You left me with so many questions, Draco and I knew that Adrian had—''

The blonde's features stoned, and the coldest of looks rose upon him, '' What did he tell you?''

'' He didn't—''

'' What did he tell you, Amelie?'' He said again, harsher.

She swallowed, '' He said that you knew. He said that you knew about him hurting me and that you still told him things because—''

'' That's a lie.'' Draco halted inches away from her, '' Yes, I heard rumors that he was hurting you, but I didn't know if they were true, Amelie and I need you to understand—''

The way she was looking at him now, the heartbreak her chest felt, and the constant flashes of torture in her eyes made his veins ache.

He was standing so close to her, yet it felt as if they were holding miles apart.

'' You weren't a person to me, back then— all those months ago.'' His voice shredded, '' You were nothing more than someone who stood in the way of my family being whole again.''

She could actually feel her heart as it split in two.

'' You were a task, just like any other that had to be done. I had to make you trust me, and then...'' His head shook as he tore his eyes from her. It hurt him too much to admit it, '' And then I watched your mind in that bloody library that night and I—''

'' Draco...'' Amelie whispered, and her forehead fell against his chest. Even if she hadn't done anything — even if all she had done was to stand in front of him as she listened to the words he spoke — she felt exhausted.

'' I couldn't do it anymore, Amelie. I couldn't hurt you like that, so I stopped until the Dark Lord put even more pressure upon us, and I had to bring you here.''

With his hands around her body in minutes of quietness — she realized that she didn't want to be mad, angry — sad even.

'' Just don't let me lose you,'' He whispered into her skull, '' I heard what you said before, and Amelie, don't push me away. I understand if you need time to be by yourself after this, but just promise me that you'll come back to me—''

Draco swallowed the lump he felt growing in the back of his throat, '' Promise me that — that you'll always come back to me.''

Amelie's head nodded against his suit jacket as his hands tensed around her, '' I will.'' She said before she leaned back, '' But only if you promise me to do the same.''

It was as if he could breathe again, watching that tiny — nearly invisible twitch in the corner of her mouth.

'' This hurts, Draco, and I want you to know that what you did was far from okay, but Theodore said that—'' She huffed slightly, '' He said that I should give you the benefit of the doubt and if we're honest with each other...''

She smiled, '' Who would I be if I stayed mad at you?''

'' Oh—'' Draco still stared at her, his breaths felt hot on her lips and he couldn't understand how a person was capable of holding so much forgiveness, '' So you were mad at me?''

'' I was.'' She smiled again, her eyebrows knitted together in an attempt to look severe, '' And I still am.''

His eyes rolled, but Draco hesitated, still not pleased with himself even if she chose to not be angry with him — something didn't sit right about all of this, and as she watched that his eyes stung in pain — her face fell,

'' Draco, what's—''

'' I'm sorry, Amelie.'' He said, '' I'm sorry about your father, and that I lied to you, and damn it—'' He couldn't speak properly.

To him — it felt as if his world crumbled because no matter how much he seemed to mess things up — she still forgave him for everything.

'' Draco, don't—''

'' Just—'' He gripped her by her shoulders, '' Just listen to me.''

She nodded, as her neck arched to look at him, '' I am sorry, Amelie, and that's nothing that comes easily for me. Malfoy men don't care, they are cared for as my father used to put it, but I can't think clearly around you anymore...''

Amelie's eyes widened, and her finger pushed up against his lips to hush him down, '' Don't.'' She whispered, almost scared to hear the rest of it, '' I know, Draco, me too.''

His hands cupped her cheeks, and he bent her head back further, '' Really?''

'' Really.''

They stood there for moments, only holding each other after being apart for days, and even if the world seemed to be held on the far edge of being alright again — neither of them had any idea of the chaos that was about to come.

'' Draco—'' His father flung the door open, and his brows rose as he stared them both down, '' Well, well, your mother said that things were distracting you, but this...''

A vicious smirk climbed Lucius's lips, '' This was more than I had expected.''

'' Father,'' Draco stepped in front of Amelie, '' What can we—''

'' I'd like to have a word with miss Avery,'' Lucius slammed his cane into the floor, '' Alone.''

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