_____

''Everything.''

_____

Amelie's hands held in her lap, and she smiled towards Theodore as he poured water into a cup for her, stretching over the table to place it in front of her plate, ''There you go,'' He mumbled before resting back into his own chair.

Her spine stretched and her shoulders straight as she watched Narcissa slip down onto her seat, smiling broadly towards the two, ''I like this...'' She said, her eyes snapping between them, ''I enjoy the little things during these days.'' She meant the dinners and the times they took to simply be together.

It didn't happen too often. Theodore had begun traveling back and forth to the Manor, doing something she didn't understand and the same went for Draco. He was missing during the days before coming home, drained and haunted at the end of them.

''I do too—'' Theodore mumbled, sighing as he dragged a hand through his hair, ''It almost feels normal.''

''It does...'' Narcissa nodded towards him, brushing a curl off her shoulder, ''And that feels terribly nice if you ask me.''

Amelie bowed her head, agreeing in silence.

She didn't say much to anyone. Not that she didn't want to, but because she didn't quite know what to say.

In her head, she felt as if she was being a burden, someone that held all of them from the happiness they deserved, and she didn't want that.

She wanted them to be happy, joyful, and not devastated due to her and her lack of memories.

''My son should be back any minute now, and I think it's a good thing to tell him that you're planning to move out of your—'' Her eyes wide as she gasped at her own saying. She spared Theodore a swift look of uncertainty, ''—his room.''

Theo's sight slammed into the table not to give in, not to show her just how much it hurt. He knew how Draco valued their room, he'd seen it in her absence, and now she didn't want to sleep in it anymore.

''I don't—'' Amelie cleared her throat, her fingers nervously intertwining underneath the wood, ''I don't want to upset anyone, but he's been sleeping on the sofa for almost a week, and it's not fair—''

''I don't think he minds,'' Theodore tilted his head back, looking at her with glimmering hurt, ''I think he wants you to sleep in there, and now that I'm back in my room—'' He quieted, swallowing the lump in the back of his throat, ''I just think he wants you to sleep in there.''

''I don't think Adrian would appreciate—''

Narcissa dropped her fork to the table by the mentioned name, making Amelie flinch back in her chair even if she was looking at the lady — she was still scared by the unexpected. That was something the deprivation of her recollection did to her.

She was back onto square one.

''I'm sorry, dear, I didn't—'' Narcissa rose, her eyes pleaded Amelie's, but the girl merely shook her head, sending her a brave gaze.

''It's alright. I'm just—'' Her brows knitted for a second, ''Easily scared.''

''Here,'' Theodore bent over the table, grabbing a bowl with broccoli as he reached to place them onto her plate to lose the tension that had built. Amelie's jaws clenched, and she politely nodded.

She hated broccoli, but she never told Theo.

''She doesn't—'' Draco mumbled startingly from behind, snatching the spoon out of Theodore's hand, ''She hates broccoli.''

All of them failed to notice that he was back.

Amelie's face fell as her neck snapped to his, and she watched him, wide-eyed. He didn't look at her. He simply sighed, placing the vegetables onto his own plate that was prepared for him.

''What?'' Theodore questioned, confused as to why he, during a decade-long friendship, never once had heard of her hating broccoli, ''Since when? You never told me—''

''Since she was a child,'' Draco kept going, not clear on that she watched him, completely shocked by him knowing one of her secrets, ''Her mother mocked her once, so she doesn't like that the green things get stuck in her teeth.''

Theodore frowned, pouting almost as he rolled his eyes away from them, facing Narcissa instead, but the lady had caught onto what happened as well, and she couldn't help but smile. It was adorable to her, seeing Draco, without falter, take care of the girl.

''I never—'' She slightly swallowed, and Draco cocked his head, looking right at her before he hunched down to his own chair, ''I never told anyone that.''

''Apparently, you did,'' Theodore shot her a glare, making her lips push into a firm line not to laugh at the jealousy he was portraying before he dived into a conversation about the food with Narcissa.

''What else did I tell you?'' Amelie was looking down onto her plate, grabbing a fork as she pushed her potatoes around.

''That you'd rather eat with a spoon,'' Draco's fingers gripped around the collar of his shirt, straightening it before he brought his wand out, whispering underneath his breath and before she even had the possibility to blink, a spoon laid in front of her, ''Because you don't like the sound of the fork against the plate.''

She nodded slowly. Taking in the fact that she had to be the one to tell him those things, even if she didn't remember one bit about it.

''Thank you,'' Amelie put her fork down, picking up the spoon instead, ''I can't stand that sound.''

''I know,'' Draco leaned against the backrest of his chair, studying her thoughtfully from a distance as she turned quiet again, and she didn't speak a word for the rest of dinner.

Instead, as soon as she helped Narcissa with the dishes — she snuck out, through the kitchen doorway, back to the garden she heard the lady talk about constantly.

She had failed to see it for herself, and when everyone inside the Manor seemed to be busy with their own doings — she took the opportunity.

Amelie adored gardens, especially those with high bushes and flower-covered trees. The ones that you could walk lost into. She once had her own garden similar to this one.

It was her mother's, and she loved that lawn, perhaps equally as much as she cherished her daughter. Amelie remembered it so well — the pink roses, the blushing peonies, the tiny waterfall she'd installed in the middle of it, just because she liked the sound of pouring water.

Her heart seeped in ache as her mind traveled to the woman she lost all those years ago. Even if her friend claimed that she wasn't dead — that her mother was indeed still alive, it was a brutal thing, letting herself fall into that hole of ruin, for something she didn't know to be true or false.

Her bare feet soothed over the newly cut grass, and it smelled just like summer. The hot, evening air scored around her as she let the top she was wearing over her dress fall to the ground.

What the girl, strolling around all the greenery, failed to notice was that a certain blond-haired boy noticed her absence and walked out to look for her.

She still scented like flowers, flourishing, freshly cut ones, and he couldn't look away from her as she stood in the garden, surrounded by roses.

The petals of them shun in the evening sunlight, but not more than her. She would always be brightest to him.

He took another step forward, making her flinch as she turned around. Fright clocked her features before she, in a heartbeat — softened by the look of him, standing in front of her with his white shirt and his black suit pants.

He was always so handsome. That she indeed remembered. How his blond hair framed his face perfectly and how the contrast of the grey eyes fixed his dark lashes.

She stared right back at him, blushing slightly as her fingers grasped at the clean-cut edges of her dress. It was white, with thin straps, and her bruised shoulders couldn't take the attention away from her in it.

Hell, she was beautiful. Even more for every day that passed. He loved looking at her, seeing the small changes in her expression as she studied him.

The wind tricked around them, and she breathed it in. Summer was on the horizon — she could feel it.

''What are you doing out here?'' He asked sternly as his head dived a bit, gazing at her from beneath his lashes, ''It's late.''

''The sun is still up,'' She smiled back, her eyes flickered to face the dimmed beams still glowing across the yards ''And it's not that late, Malfoy.''

He huffed at her, suppressing the curve he felt growing on his lips, ''You like the sunset.'' He confessed, knowing that she did.

''And I hate broccoli,'' Her eyes snapped back to watch him. He'd taken another step closer, ''You seem to know everything about me.''

''I do,'' He said again, hurtful almost, ''I know most of you.''

Amelie frowned, ''Tell me more,'' She whispered, her sight lowering as she let go of the ends of her dress, taking a step back from him.

She turned around, walking a bit further down the path surrounded by flowers and bushes, and the instant she noticed he didn't walk next to her, she shifted, facing him again.

Her hair spilled heavenly across her shoulders as she looked puzzled at him, ''Are you coming, or are you going to stand there?''

Malfoy's head shook, shaking it leisurely as he tracked behind her, strolling next to her still with a piece of distance. He didn't want to intrude on her more than he had.

''I love summer,'' She stated, her breaths airy and her hair blew through the warm strokes of wind, ''I love when it's warm outside.''

''I know you do,'' He stated right back, shoving his hands into his pockets, ''You love warm things because everything else in your life is cold.''

Amelie stopped, her eyes wide at how right he was. She did love the heated weather, everything that was warm and scored comforting around her, even the temperature.

''You call Teddy warm,'' Draco pushed a bit further, ''And you called me amid. You said that I'm as frozen as ice on the outside but warmer than the fireplace at night on the inside.''

She couldn't keep her shocked expression under control anymore. Her entire face glinted in doubt because this was something she'd say. She knew that and the thoughts of her, distancing herself from Malfoy, slipped her mind entirely.

''Are you?'' She asked, looking over the garden in front of her as she began taking steps again, ''Are you warm?''

Draco's jaws tensed, and his eyes flickered, hesitant to what he was supposed to speak,  ''You made me warm.''

She smiled at that, bending her spine to let the tips of her fingers brush against the flowers she strolled past, ''But I don't anymore?'' Her feet stumbled nervously as they reached the far end of the property.

''You do,'' He spoke, lowly, feeling a swirl of pain as it flushed through his veins, ''You always made me warm even when you didn't.''

''That doesn't make sense—'' Amelie chuckled, halting on the grass as her feet slightly sunk, ''But I'm happy I did. You seem like someone who needs a little warmth.''

A stinging feeling in his chest at her fail of realization of how right she was, but he didn't need warmth. He needed her.

''What else did I tell you?'' Her dress fluttered in the wind. Curiosity cupped her face as she turned to him, facing each other in the last strokes of the sun.

''A lot,'' Draco grinned, stopping in front of her, ''You hate my hair when it's longer, but you just don't dare to say it. You sleep with your whole body underneath the cover of the bed even if it's so hot that I think you're on fire because you're still a bit scared of the dark.''

She blinked quickly.

''You don't like pancakes, because your mother used to make them for you and then your father tried, but it wasn't the same. You always wanted a cat, but you're allergic. You sleep with your hair in braids because Theodore once read in a paper that doing so makes your hair healthier.''

Amelie huffed, the corners of her mouth dragged out.

''You don't like socks. You said that you feel like your toes are trapped and that gives you anxiety. When you can't find paper to write on, you write on napkins.''

His eyes locked in hers. He didn't look away from her once.

''You are afraid of touch, even if it's your way of speaking.''

He hushed after that, seeing the tiny change in her. It struck her a bit more than the other things — no one had ever said that out loud to her before, and she was sure that she hadn't either. It had to be Draco, noticing that.

''What about you?'' She said, blankly, out of the blue, ''Did you tell me anything?''

His eyes squinted and, for the first time in minutes, he looked away from her. The biting feeling pushed through him again, ''I didn't have to,'' He admitted, ''You saw it without me having to tell you.''

''Saw what?'' She questioned again, prying to know.

''Everything.'' He whispered. His eyes dragged across the horizon in front of them, and they both quieted, not a word spoken as they stood close, side to side, next to each other, watching as the sun lowered and the night arose.

She breathed calmly. Her skin shivered by his closeness. Amelie wanted to turn to him and ask him to tell her everything she'd missed out on, but she couldn't.

It wouldn't be to use, and she didn't want to betray the feelings she believed to have for Adrian.

Adrian.

There it was again, that haunting sensation of someone watching her again, and it welled over from the inside — she loathed it.

Feeling as if she couldn't say what she wished and do as she pleased because she was bounded to someone else, but at the same time — she didn't feel that duty anymore. That obligation she'd always held for Adrian faded, more and more, and she didn't know why.

It had never happened before. Perhaps something had passed him as she was away, or he didn't love her anymore. She couldn't begin to understand what was happening to her, and it all was more than confusing.

Everything was doubtful, and everything she believed to be true, wasn't.

''I'm sorry, but I—'' Amelie breathed, breaking the tranquil tension, ''I can't be here.''

''Don't—'' Draco turned around, his hand around her wrist as he so desperately needed her to stay.

It was the first time in days he felt as if he could breathe properly with her close. He dragged her in slowly, crossing every wish he had to not overwhelm her.

He needed to be selfish. He needed her back.

Amelie's eyes fell over him, staring softly into the grey eyes she thought to recognize, ''I can't, Malfoy—'' She whispered, ''I have Adrian.''

The palms of her hands struck his chest as an arm wrapped around her waist. His skin brushed against the soft material of her dress, and he breathed her in, ''I know.''

It was a moment of peace between them, where she let him hold her and where she needed it. Both of them knew that they shouldn't, yet they did it anyway — as a force of two magnets. Neither could stay away.

His chin settled on the top of her head, and her nose buried into his chest, just like before. A fist dug into him and ripped his heart right out — that's how it felt to Draco. Having her this way, the same way he had her every time he comforted her.

''I know too,'' She mumbled, and her head shook as she — without even looking at him, shoved herself back, and she walked away.

Leaving him standing in the garden he once loved so dearly, without her.

_____

Amelie felt bad for leaving Draco out in the yard earlier, but she couldn't bear the thought of betraying Adrian more than she already had.

She was different, she could feel it, yet she felt terrible. Her mind once again battled her heart as she tried to sort it out. To understand what could've happened that caused all of this — that caused her life to shift so abruptly without her knowing why.

Amelie saw herself as a sane human, someone who grasped the line between right and wrong but in the state she woke up in, the years of her life that had gone missing from her mind — she wasn't the same person that she was the night she sacrificed herself for the good of this world.

The night she dedicated herself to save everyone from Adrian's cruel ruling.

She huffed, turning the page of the book she was reading, and her gaze leveled the letters, but she couldn't focus at all.

Her head was spinning wildly as one of her hands scratched at her shoulder, and she squeezed her eyes shut by the stinging pain of one of the mauve bruises covering her skin.

Her eyes flickered to the bathroom as she stood up from the bed, walking into the dimmed room, turning the lamp on to see her own reflection. Amelie allowed the straps of her dress to slip off her shoulders, leaving her chest exposed with nothing but the lace-covered bra she was wearing.

She gasped at her own skin coated in marks and cuts — she'd seen it before, many times but not in the way she did now. It was noticeably more brutal. Scars she'd never come across carved into the soft skin of her chest.

The tips of her fingers trailed over it, the old marks from her father's abuse to the new ones she owned, no clue to how they got there.

She studied them, how her skin had healed but the rosy wounds still attached to her. Her head shook as her sight flickered, snapping off herself not to cry.

It was a never-ending nightmare — not remembering how it all got there, how she could have new scars, burns, marks without knowing.

Perhaps it was like the two boys had told her — maybe Malfoy did save her from the devils and shielded her with his life, maybe not — but she could tell, just by the brutality of the ruptures in her skin, that he wasn't responsible for a single one.

A knock on her door caused her to flinch as she turned around hastily, dragging her dress back up, ''Amelie, are you in there?'' Theodore called out for her, and she nodded to herself, swallowing the hurtful thoughts she so courageously carried.

''I am—'' She mumbled, taking long strides up to the door leading into Draco's room before she flung it wide open for her best friend, ''What are you—''

''I have something for you,'' He marched past her, turning around in the middle of the room, ''I don't know how I forgot about this, but I did, and I'm sorry but—'' He was stuttering the words, not owning an ounce of self-control, ''Here—''

Amelie closed the door, her spine pressed against it as she watched with her mouth hung open, a bracelet in the mid of his palm. It glinted in her pupils. Theodore noticed a slight piece of recollection before it burnt out, and she frowned.

''I don't—'' She held, taking a step forward, ''That's not mine.''

''It is,'' He arched towards her, reaching for her wrist, but she pulled away, instantly, making the brunet look at her puzzled, ''What are you—''

''I can't do this anymore,'' She whispered, tipping her head back, ''I can't do this anymore, Teddy. I don't—'' A sigh fled her parted lips, and she stunned in exhaustion, ''I know that you'll say he gave it to me. That Malfoy gave me that bracelet when we were in love. Whatever happened between us and I can't—''

She felt like a monster, an even bigger one than Adrian and her father combined. It was either breaking her heart and cave into Malfoy or break his heart by not giving in at all.

''I don't know what to do if Adrian catches me—'' She swallowed thickly, and her arms dropped to her sides helplessly, ''Can I please see him? Can I please see Adrian? I know he'll tell me what to—''

''Love,'' Theodore muttered, his arms stretched out as he wrapped them around her crumbling self. It hurt so much to see her trapped in Adrian's manipulation, ''He's not here, Amelie,'' He sighed into her hair, ''He's not here, but we are, Draco and I, and it will be alright.''

She nodded, quickly with her face against his chest, and his lips marked the top of her head, ''We're here, and you're not alone. I know it hurts that you can't see Adrian, but you will see it all soon. It will make sense with time. I promise.''

Her breaths shaking, ''I know, I just—'' She gulped, feeling how her skin vibrated, ''I don't know what to do anymore...''

Theodore placed yet another kiss on her head, holding her trembling body steady in his grip, ''I know. I know that it feels hard now, but we'll scan your body again tomorrow when I come back, and we'll see—''

Her brows knitted against his shirt as she leaned back, ''Where are you going?''

Theodore smiled warmly, ''I can't—''

''Tell me,'' Amelie exhaled, finishing the words for him as the feeling of disappointment wavered, ''I know.''

Theodore saw as her chin sunk, and her bravery missed her. He settled his hand underneath her cheek, bringing her face up to meet his caring glance, ''I will tell you, soon. It all will be explained soon, but I have to go—''

"When..." Amelie felt her lungs tightening, "When will you tell me, Teddy? When will this be fixed?" Her voice leveled higher.

"Fix what—"

"Me!" She was begging him now, desperately, "When will we fix me? I can't live with this loss any longer!"

Tears stung in her eyes as he stayed silent, allowing her to let all her emotions out, "I don't understand a thing, Teddy and it's killing me. I can't remember Malfoy and all the things he's telling me and I—"

It was so painful to speak, "It's the middle of the night, and I can't sleep, I can't breathe because of this. All I do is think and think about everything I'm missing out on, and it's not—" A pause of breathing cleared her throat, "It's been days, and I'm not even close to remembering him."

"I know, love, but it's not easily fixed. This has nothing to do with magic, and I can't do much—"

"I know, I'm sorry." She apologized for losing her temper, "I didn't mean to yell at you."

Theodore nodded, "You're allowed to be angry and confused. You're only human, Amelie. It's alright to lose it sometimes."

Her arms clung around him fully, breathing the safety of her best friend in, and Theo wished with everything he had that he didn't have to leave her like this, but he needed to.

He shot the clock on her nightstand a quick look, ''I need to leave for the night, but Malfoy is still sleeping downstairs, and Narcissa is down the hall.''

''Please,'' He sought to take her wrist again, ''Keep this on, I believe you'll find it more comforting than you think.''

He let the silver hug around her skin, beautiful as it always had been. A piece of grace just for her.

Even Amelie's breath was taken because of it, and her eyes smeared the glimmering jewelry now sheeting her wrist, ''Thank you,'' She whispered as he, for the last time, kissed her head, and he marched past her out in the hallway again.

''I'll be back tomorrow,'' He gave her a thin smile, holding onto that last look of her before he vanished into the shadows, and she stood a bit more confident behind.

Theodore had that effect on her, making her more her and less Adrian's. It was something she'd always wish for, being her own person before ever being anyone else's, but to her memory — that was still it.

She was still bounded and chained, not free and untied.

Amelie did belong to herself. Her body was hers to carry, but her heart missed the beat of Draco every time it scored, and she couldn't help but be curious about him what he was doing downstairs at this hour.

She shouldn't be awake, that was certain — it was far too late again, but she couldn't fight it.

It was similar to something addicting, a part of her nightly routine now — to go downstairs as the moonlight shifted into morning and put a blanket over Malfoy's exposed chest.

Her feet stumbled over the floors, down the stairs as she stopped in the kitchen, pouring her usual glass of water, and she gazed over the world in front of her. It was alleviating, knowing that the earth still looked the same, even if she couldn't feel it.

The cup struck the counter again as the bracelet on her wrist caught her attention. It truly was beautiful — Amelie wasn't too fond of jewelry, but this — this she could stand.

It fitted her better than anything ever had, and she couldn't even begin to understand that Malfoy was the one who'd given it to her.

She walked out of the kitchen again, towards the living room, and just as she did — she coiled back, in a fusion of fright and surprise.

It was Draco, sitting up, his chest heaved lightly in the glimpse of the fireplace sparkling, and she froze, entirely. She didn't carry what to do next if she should leave before he caught her or if she was meant to talk to him.

Amelie felt her head shaking before she began to slowly back away, and the second she did, ''Amelie,'' Draco mumbled, not turning around to look at her this time.

She parted with the hallway, stepping inside the living room instead. The warm light of fire lit everything up softly as she nervously halted at the end of the sofa. Her eyes danced over the room, not knowing where to look as his bare chest flexed.

''What are you doing up?'' He yawned, his knuckles scratched against his sealed eyes, ''I thought you went to bed.''

''I did,'' She slipped down to the sofa, with a longing space between them, ''But I got lost in this book I found in your room—''

''What book?'' He snapped, flaying his eyelids wide as his pupils widened at the look of her, still in that dress, sitting next to him, ''It wasn't a dark—''

The silver hugging her wrist trapped his attention, and he did everything he could not smile at it, but the warmth within rushed through him.

Amelie was wearing the bracelet.

Their bracelet. 

''Some love story from your bookshelf,'' Amelie answered, her features in a confusing shade, ''I didn't mean to—''

''No,'' He breathed with a relieved expression, sinking back further into the couch, ''What's mine is yours.''

Draco was so tired. He failed to sleep properly for days. All he did was worrying about her even when he knew that he didn't have to. He couldn't rest for as much as a second without her sleeping next to him.

It was hell to try and sleep without her when Adrian had taken her away, but to know that she rested a floor above him, in their bed — and he wasn't permitted to sleep next to her, ached.

''Why aren't you sleeping?'' She asked. Her gaze dragged across him, watching as he combed a hand through his hair, scratching his neck after.

''I'm not tired.''

''Lies.''

His eyes widened at that. The crease in his chin trapped her attention. She failed to notice it until now, the scar ripping through the pale skin.

''Why can't you sleep?'' She questioned again, almost sounding worried, ''If you want, you can have your old room back—''

''Our,'' He leveled her sight, meeting the eyes he'd never grow tired off. Her brows knitted, ''Our room.''

Amelie nodded, ''Our room then.''

Malfoy groaned, tilting his head back. He let out a shaky breath, ''It's not the room, but what's in it, that makes it difficult sleeping without.''

First, she made a face. A bewildered look mounted her as her fingers tangled together in her lap before she slowly came to the realization of what he meant — her.

''I'm—'' Amelie lowered, not owning a thought to what she should say, ''I—''

''Just go back to sleep, Amelie,'' He huffed, turning his face away from hers as his jaws gritted, ''I'm fine, and I'll see—''

''What if I stay here?''

Draco's head snapped back to hers and his mantle held in seriousness. She didn't look as if she was toying with him. She was as severe as he was — still, doubt flooded through him.

''Don't—'' Draco's teeth clamped together by the sensitive subject, ''Don't say things you don't mean.''

Amelie looked bothered by his reaction, ''I mean it. I'll stay if that means you'll sleep.'' She didn't waste a second before she lifted her feet up from the floor, shifting around in her seat, and she stretched her legs out over the smooth fabric.

Her head dropped to his lap, and Draco blinked quickly, ''Amelie, you don't have to—''

''What if I want to?'' She whispered, her eyes meeting his as she thinly smiled. Draco's tongue rolled on the inside of his cheek as he leaned back against the armrest, and he placed an arm over her, protectingly.

''Then stay.''

_____

The art for this chapter is illustrated by @ dar.a_art (on Instagram and Tumblr)