This chapter contains violent actions. Please read with caution.

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''Teddy?''

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They traveled a long way this time. It wasn't just to the far end of London or some abandoned house hidden in the massive forests.

Draco and Theodore stood in a backyard of a vast mansion. Malfoy knew to come here after searching for properties belonging to his family. He understood that his father was more tangled into the darkness than he was known to be, and this Manor struck Draco's mind.

They spent much time out here when he was a little boy — when life was far from complicated and when he enjoyed the life he was living.

That seemed to be all gone now, and his father had, during the past year, used this as a safe house for Death Eaters, far away from the safety of their home.

Theodore peered around, nervously fiddling with the wand in his fist, ''Are you sure about this? It seems a bit...suspicious, doesn't it?'' His tone low as he looked back at Draco, ''I mean, why would they keep her mother somewhere your father might be? He knows about Amelie and your mother and—''

''Shut up,'' Draco warned, frowning as he began to move slowly towards the house.

''Perhaps I should wait here? I don't want to mess things up again.'' Theodore stumbled behind him. His feet slightly sunk into the damp grass, and drops of nature soaked his shoes, ''And it will be safer for you, not worrying about me—''

Draco halted, turning around stiffly to face the feared boy, ''If you want to stay out here in the dark, then stay out here. I don't care, just keep yourself out of harm's way.'' His eyes rolled off Theo as he rose to walk closer to the house again.

Theodore stood in stillness, hearing how the night breeze scored through the trees around him, and an owl sang into the gloominess. His skin shivered, and his head snapped back and forth. Fear wavered as he quickly stormed after Draco.

''Wait!'' He yelled in a whisper but was simply ignored by Malfoy, ''Just—'' He groaned, hurrying his way after the blond.

''What?'' Draco spun around again, nearly causing Theodore to stumble back by the swift action, ''What is it now? Too scary to be out here by yourself too? Make up your mind, Nott.''

Theodore nodded hastily as he breathed out the shaking breath he'd been holding in, ''I'm coming with you.''

''Then come with me, but stop stalling. I don't have time for this.'' Draco marched forward, quickly stepping up the stairs to the empty balcony. Lights flickered from inside, and shadows of moving bodies were shown.

Draco hunched underneath a window, poking his head up to peer through the glass as Theodore followed the act, doing the exact same thing.

''What is this place?'' He whispered, ''I mean, who owns it? It looks a lot like the Malfoy—''

''My father,'' Draco hissed, feeling as his veins bolted in anger and his heartbeat rose to pound in his ears, ''It was something dear to us, many years ago but he—'' Malfoy swallowed the confession, and he stood tall on his feet, ''It doesn't matter, let's get this over with.''

Theodore nodded, and he noticed how much pain flashed through Draco's darkened pupils. How he pushed his lips together and how his head slightly shook to free himself of the haunting thoughts regarding his childhood.

''If I take this side, you can take the other one, and we'll meet in the foyer,'' Draco mumbled, turning to stroll away from the brunet, ''They have their meetings upstairs, so there shouldn't be a soul down here.''

Theodore gulped as he walked over to his side of the balcony, cracking a window open. He jumped inside. He squealed as he got trapped in a curtain, his leg wrapped in the fabric, and he nearly fell over.

''For fucks sake—'' Draco growled, marching over to him, gripping him roughly by his arm as he got rid of the material holding him back, ''I gave you one thing to do, one bloody thing, Nott, and you couldn't even—''

Theodore's eyes flickered. His sight grounded, embarrassed to what he'd done and that he wasn't capable of clearing a task as simple as the one Draco granted him, ''I'm sorry.''

Malfoy exhaled, his cold mantle softened slightly as he dropped his arm to the side, ''Just don't— don't do anything. Stay behind me, and be quiet.''

They marched carefully across the main floor, up the spiral stairs to where Draco believed the Death Eaters to be. He shoved Theodore in front of him, pushing a finger up to his lips as he signaled for the boy to be quiet.

He strode against the two wooden doors. One held a slight crack for him to see inside. He didn't falter, and he looked within the enormous room.

Masked men were seated around the table, but he failed to see both Amelie's mother and the Dark Lord, only meaningless Death Eaters held in silence before a chair scratched against the floor and a man with a cane and a hefty robe stood up.

His wand shifted before his face, and in the following seconds — Draco lost the air in his lungs. It felt as if he'd been robbed of it. He didn't know where to look or where to focus as the blond hair upon the man fell over his shoulders.

He hadn't seen his father for weeks, nevertheless talked to him the past months. Not that he regretted that decision. Lucius played an essential role in taking Amelie away from him, and he toyed with her life — that didn't go unnoticed with Malfoy.

To Draco — even if his father helped them at last, even if he gave them clues to find her — to save both of their lives, he was still worthless. Someone not trustworthy since he failed them so tremendously to begin with.

It hurt, even if his father made his choice and picked his side — it stung in Draco's chest to see him, to hear his voice, and to come to the understanding that if it ever came down to it — he had to kill his father too.

That wasn't a choice for him — nothing to be uncertain about. He would, in fact, slaughter his father as mercilessly as he'd done to others.

He bent back, finding his way back to Theodore, and with a deep breath, the two decided to stay put, waiting in case there was a way they could follow Lucius and find her mother through him.

''Do we actually know if they have her?'' Theodore muttered, his knees dragged up to his chest as he rested on the floor, ''Do you know if she was captured, or if it was just something they said to make it—''

He gasped, stretching his arm out as the ink embedded in his skin began to poison. Theodore rubbed in circles over his wound, doing what he could to ease the pain.

''I don't know that, no,'' Draco stared down at him, jaws gritted at the hurt Theodore had to go through. He'd been experiencing the same torture when he was the one with a fresh mark, and it wasn't to play with.

''But I need to know. I can't just sit around and wait for something magical to happen,'' He continued, attempting to gain Theodore's attention again, to take his focus off the mark, ''Either they have her, or they don't, but either way, I need to find her before—''

''Yes. I am well aware, but my son has yet failed to show himself. I don't think he will be here tonight.''

Draco hunched, keeping his breaths shallow.

''That is truly a shame. The Dark Lord still wants him captured. He's too much of a risk to everyone right now.''

''That's not an offer I'm willing to take. He may have done things, but he's still my son, and I am not trading him to please the Dark Lord. My wife would never agree to such a thing, and neither will I.''

Malfoy's eyes squeezed shut, and it hurt to hear his father talk about him.

''I understand that, Lucius. I'm not as certain that the Dark Lord will.''

''That is nothing I fear. I am staying loyal to him, and that should be more than enough for our Lord to leave my son alone.''

''You can't disagree that he's been doing questionable things, Lucius.''

''I can, and I will. My son did what he had to do.''

''He murdered—''

''Yes. He did, but we took the girl away from him and not to mention the Dark Lord, making him the loyal servant he wished for Draco to be.''

''I see. I will inform the Dark Lord that he failed to attend the meeting, and I will try to talk him out of seeking the vengeance he craves, but Lucius—''

''Yes?''

''He will come for your son one day, and he will come for the girl. All I can give you is time.''

It was a slight second of hesitation from Lucius.

''That is all I'm asking for.''

It turned silent again as Malfoy caught one set of steps as echoed down the stairs while the other marched back into the hall. He didn't think clearly. The reality of his father protecting both him and Amelie was too much for him to handle.

''What does this mean, Malfoy?'' Theodore whispered behind him, ''What does he mean by that? He has her mother, why can't Voldemort just leave you alone—''

''Leave,'' Draco gritted, standing flat on his feet, ''I need to have a word with my father, and you need to go back to Amelie.''

Theodore's face shifted into a look of agony. He shook his head, ''Absolutely not,'' He pushed himself off the floor as well, ''I'm not leaving you here. You said—''

''I managed before, Nott. Just go home, make sure that Amelie and my mother are fine, and I'll be right there.''

''Malfoy—''

''Do as I say, Nott.'' Draco yelled out, his arms thrown in the air before he gripped the ends of his roots, tugging the blond hair back, ''Just for once, do as I say. This is something I need to do alone.''

Theo knew that he shouldn't. He shouldn't leave Draco, not like this, but he didn't have a choice.

This seemed to be more than he knew about, and it wasn't his place. Malfoy had taken on a dozen Death Eaters at one time and made it out in one piece.

With a loud sigh, he nodded, agreeing with the blond. He gripped his wand firmly, ''Be careful.'' He mumbled as Draco stepped further away.

''Take care of them for me, and I'll be right back.''

Theodore did as asked, and he landed safely on the Malfoy property. He didn't fear traveling through magic anymore. Draco had taught him how to pull through without the sickness and the intimidating feeling of being ripped apart.

Draco felt the breeze of Theodore leaving as he shifted around, and he stalked his way back to the hall. He slid the doors open with the wind stuck in his throat. He was so nervous.

''Took you long enough,'' Lucius muttered, his palms upon the massive table as his spine faced his son, ''I knew you'd be here, that this place wouldn't go unnoticed to you.''

Malfoy's eyes flickered across the room, making it certain to himself that this wasn't a trap. That his father didn't fool him yet again, but this looked nothing like it.

This didn't feel like a trap to him.

''I wasn't sure I'd come,'' Draco cleared his throat, narrowing his eyes at his father. The insecurity flushed within, and the doubt of what to do lingered, ''But I need something from you.''

''Don't you always?'' Lucius sighed, pushing himself off the timber as he turned around. The blond, sleek hair fell over his shoulders. His brows furrowed, and his lips sealed, ''What do you want?''

Draco swallowed the hesitation and his fingers clenched around his wand, ''I want to know where her mother is,'' His teeth gritted slightly. It was an infuriating thought — his father, keeping Amelie's mother hidden.

''And how do you know I have her?'' Lucius rose a brow, the cane in his hand repeatedly struck the floor, ''What if the Dark Lord has her? Or perhaps—''

''Don't lie to me,'' Draco hewed him off, ''Don't you dare lie to me when it comes to her. You've taken enough from us.''

''So have you, son. Don't you understand what you've done?'' Lucius raised his voice, slamming the cane to the ground entirely, ''You have put us all at risk, your mother, yourself, miss Avery, Nott—''

His skin reddened in fury, and the veins on his father's neck popped out, ''The things you have done embarrassed all of us!''

It flicked within Draco's doubtful mind, and he couldn't hold back his anger anymore.

''What about you?'' He frowned, ''Why did I have to do the things I did? Did that ever cross your mind? It's because of you!'' His chest began to heave, ''You took her away from me. You let Adrian off his leash and now—''

He was divided. Not definite if he had the courage to speak his mind.

''She's alive. I'm well aware.''

Draco's face fell, his brows knitted, ''She's not—''

''Don't lie to me, son. If you ask for honesty, you must give it back.'' His father's head shook as he turned around to the table yet again, ''I wasn't clear if they knew about it, but I think they do.''

''How?'' Malfoy breathed, shakingly, ''How can they know? We haven't—''

''Because you don't quit it, Draco,'' His father's words caused him to feel more than guilty, ''Why would you keep on searching for people? Why would you bring Theodore to that complex last week? Because she's still alive. You're still protecting her.''

Draco's mind battled. He couldn't wrap his head around it — he was careful. He was always wary when it came to her. He made sure never to speak the wrong terms or to give up any information, but it never scored his mind that him — searching for her mother after he'd told that she was dead, would risk anything.

It never came clear to him, and it wrenched inside. He put her in harm's way, once again, without even thinking about it.

''I didn't—'' He mumbled, still in awe within his own skin, ''I never meant—''

''I know, son, but things are changing and the way the Dark Lord...'' Lucius paused, shutting his eyes closed, ''She's not safe, neither are you or your mother, and I can't do much more than I already have to end this.''

''I'm not asking you to,'' Draco stated, stretching his spine and ignoring the pain he felt, ''I never asked you to protect us, especially not after you were the one taking her from me. All I want to know is where her mother—''

''We don't—'' Lucius yelled back, ''Everything isn't what it looks like, Draco. Nothing is at it seems, but you need to leave before they come back.''

''I don't—''

''I will help you. You have my word, son, but I can't have you here at this time. The Dark Lord will return any minute.'' Lucius strode toward his son as he placed a hand on his back, ''I will contact you soon. Until then, stop this madness before you make it worse.''

He knew that his father was right, correct to say at least. He couldn't stay here without being caught. It ached through his veins as he met his father's eyes and the drowning torture glinting in them.

He didn't look human anymore. His hair tousled, his beard had grown out, and mauve circles shredded beneath his eyes. The cloak around his body hung. His jaws held scrawnily.

''I will help you, Draco, but there isn't time—''

Yelling and muffled voices heard from downstairs as fright coated his father's otherwise careless facade.

''I'll find you, now go.'' He urged, making Draco's breaths stressed. His pulse quickened before he raised his wand, and he whispered ''apparate'' underneath his breath.

_____

''Narcissa,'' Theodore called out for her as he walked through the front door after leaving Draco behind, ''Narcissa, where—''

He hushed as he caught sobs echoing throughout the main floor. His heart began to pound immediately, ''Narcissa, what are you—''

Theo stepped inside the kitchen. His eyes fell upon the lady sitting bent over the kitchen island. Her head was buried in her palms. Her body shook violently as she cried.

He marched over to her without questions asked, ''Narcissa, what—''

It struck him like a storm on a clear sky. Amelie.

He was just about to shift around and rush his way up the stairs when Draco's mother gripped his arm, and her head rose from the hidden position. Her skin ashen, stains of tears smudged underneath her eyes.

It felt as if his heart was being clenched in a strong fist, ''Where is she—'' He choked on his own words, nervously as his eyes pleaded hers, ''Tell me what happened, where—''

''I can't—'' Narcissa whispered, shaking her head in devastation, ''Where is my son?'' Her hand flew up to her cheek, wiping the tears as best as she could, ''Why isn't Draco with you?''

''Your husband...'' Theodore said quietly, ''Lucius was there, and Draco asked me to come home in the meantime but—'' The waver of uncertainty nearly ached within, ''Where is Amelie, what happened?''

Narcissa's eyes widened. The hurtful loops circling them blew out in total agony as her sight lowered. She breathed in, harshly to gather the strength she knew she'd need for this, ''You have to see it for yourself, but I think we should wait for my son—''

''What happened?'' Theodore spoke up, louder this time. He didn't have the patience to wait for Malfoy to return. It was his best friend and his right to know what was wrong too, ''Tell me what happened, or I'll walk—''

''Follow me,'' Narcissa mumbled, brushing the fabric of her black dress off before she stood on her heels, walking past Theodore. He followed her up to Draco's room. Not a word shared on their way up there.

It was a feeling, a weight that held heavy in his chest as she halted right outside the door, ''I don't know what to do, Theodore.'' Her eyes caught his, and the desperation increased in them, ''You need to fix this.''

Theodore gulped, nodding hesitantly before her hand closed around the doorknob, and she shoved the wood wide.

The fist around his heart eased with a breath, and he couldn't believe what he was looking at.

It was her. Amelie, his best friend and the person he'd always wait for, sitting up against the headboard in Draco's bed. She smiled bravingly at him, and her eyes brightened.

''She's awake?'' He breathed out in relief, taking a step inside, ''She's awake—''

''Just wait...'' Narcissa quieted, still standing in the doorway as Theodore ran his way up to the bed. Tears prickled in his eyes as he, without thinking twice — threw himself over her.

''Amelie,'' He nearly cried, ''You're awake—''

He didn't waste a second, and for the first time, also an incredibly long time at that, he didn't cry out of the misery anymore. This was happy tears — his eyelids filled with the salty liquid.

''You're awake,'' He said again as he dropped his arms from around her and his hands moved to cup her cheeks, ''You're here,''

''Teddy—'' Amelie squinted at his closeness, feeling as he pushed his lips against her forehead, ''Teddy, what are you doing here?''

His veins iced.

Theodore felt an instant rush of skepticism as he leaned back from her. His palms still rested on her jaws, and his eyes matched hers.

Amelie blinked quickly, ''Why are you here too? Did something happen?'' She said, and it wrenched within to hear her voice. He hadn't heard it for months.

''Where is Adrian?''

Theodore's whole existence faded as if his soul fled his body and only an empty shell remained.

''Teddy,'' Amelie whispered, slightly peering over at Narcissa, ''Why are we here? Where is Adrian? I don't—''

His eyes shut. His hands fell off her skin, ''How long?'' He mumbled.

''She woke up two hours ago.'' Narcissa crossed her arms, ''She has been trying to leave ever since, but I told her to wait for you.''

His eyes flickered to meet hers again, ''How far back?'' He questioned, trying to keep himself sane.

''At least the past year.''

Theodore nodded slowly, and Amelie frowned, ''What is this? Why all these questions? I don't—''

''What is the last thing you remember?'' He didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked them himself.

Her head shook as she dragged her knees up, ''I don't remember—''

''Draco Malfoy.'' Theodore said, studying her every expression and the snatch in her eyes as the name of him was brought up, ''Who is Draco Malfoy to you?''

''Why would you—'' She swallowed the dry taste in her mouth nervously, tucking a curl behind her ear, ''Why would you ask me that? Malfoy has nothing to do—''

Malfoy.

His heartbeat missed him because she called him Malfoy.

Amelie only called him by his last name before they got to know each other. She referred to him as Malfoy because Adrian did.

''Would you mind if I—?'' He reached for his wand, holding it up between them as an eased look fell upon her, ''I just want to look at something.''

Amelie nodded, her eyes hooded before she sealed them, allowing Theodore to do as he wanted. He started mumbling, inaudible spells again, and the azure strains of light edged off his wand.

He hummed at what he could feel and read before he gently burnt the light out.

''Well?'' Narcissa asked from behind them, ''What do we—''

''I'll be right back, alright, love?'' Theodore arched forward, pushing his lips against her head again, ''I just have to talk to Mrs. Malfoy for a bit, and then I'll be right back.''

''Can we go home?'' She replied, her note airy by the lack of speech the past weeks, ''When you come back, I mean. Can we go home? I miss Adrian and all of this—''

''I'll come back in a minute, alright?'' He stated again, making her bow her head before her spine rested against the headboard again.

Theodore nodded for Narcissa to join him outside the room, and he closed the door behind them. His hand grasped at his mouth, letting out the emotion he needed to keep in chains before Amelie, but he couldn't hold it in anymore.

He sobbed out, heartbreakingly and Narcissa's eyes widened. Her arms wrapped around him as she held his trembling body.

''It's—'' He gulped, trying to tame the missing breaths. A hand combed through his hair in defeat, ''She's—''

''What did you see, Theodore?'' Narcissa whispered, still holding him, ''What did you see?''

He took in a deep breath, filling his lungs with all that lost oxygen before he bent back, collecting the pieces of himself.

''It's not magical. It's not something we did, it's her—'' He tried to stand steadily on his two feet, ''It's her body. Imagine it. She saw Draco die after months of being abused, and then she killed herself—''

His sleeve tugged over his fingers as he brought it up to his face, drying the fallen tears, ''Her mind is shutting him out, I believe. She can't handle recovering from this and remember everything that's happened at the same time, and it's—''

Narcissa nodded, her hair spilled over her shoulders.

''It's up to her. I can't do anything, but I don't think it's a good idea for Draco to—''

''Mother!''

Both Narcissa and Theodore flinched, staring blankly at each other as they caught the steps running up the stairs.

''Narcissa, he can't handle—''

''I know,'' She cut him short, forcing a smile as Draco rounded the corner, marching towards them, ''Hi, dear—''

''What are you doing out here?'' Draco's brows dragged together. The scar across his cheek still sored red, ''Why aren't you in there with her?''

Narcissa and Theo looked at each other, in a swift movement before they both walked towards Draco, ''Why don't we go downstairs, and we can talk about your father—''

Malfoy's hand raised in the air, gesturing for the two to stop what they were doing, ''What happened?'' He snapped, his eyes crossing both of them. His pupils darkened at the shortfall of answer.

''I asked, what happened—''

''Nothing,'' Theodore blurted out, his cheeks rosy in shame, ''Nothing happened, we just have somethings to talk to you about—''

''Teddy?''

Draco's jaws gritted before his entire face fell, his breaths instantly stressed, ''What was that?'' His head shook, ''What—''

"What was that, Nott?"

''Malfoy...'' Theodore took a step closer, ''We need to talk—''

Draco's eyes glinted in tears, '' No,''

''No,''

''No,''

''No,''

He swallowed all the hurt and pain he felt for the past months, ''She's not awake,'' He whispered to himself, ''She can't be, can she?''

Theodore sucked in a trembling breath, doing everything he could not to break right there and then. It wasn't human. None of this was.

Draco thought that he finally had her again, that he, after all of this heartbreak, finally at the end of it all, after everything they went through — got his Amelie back.

That he'd worked hard and that he'd done everything to earn his way back into her life, only to be greeted by her, not having one single memory of their time together.

''Draco—''

''Don't—'' He inhaled, shaking his head quickly before he shoved his way past them and his fingers squeezed the doorknob.

He had such high hopes.

It was them now, he believed.

He would lastly have the life he wanted, alongside her.

His Amelie.

It wasn't real. Nothing felt faithful to him at this point. His heartbeat hammered inside the cage of his chest. He felt complete again. Amelie was everything to him, the reason for it all, and he could finally rest now.

Draco pushed the door open, and he felt tears pooling in his eyes. His body flushed in warmth by her — she was actually awake.

She was alive.

They had made it.

''Amelie?'' He whispered, in the total loss of any other words. Not a letter, a vocal, anything, could measure up to her, but that rush of heaven he felt slowly faded as her smile did.

He slightly frowned at the way she was watching him before he recognized it.

He could concede that flash of fear in her eyes from miles away. It was the way she'd been looking at him before.

Before she got to know him, before he got to know her, before she fell in love and dragged him right with her, before she learned her worth and before she made him human, before he got to kiss her, before his heart beat with hers, before everything, before them, before she became his Amelie.

His heart didn't fell — it broke.

''Malfoy?'' Amelie whispered, her features held in utter confusion, ''Why are you calling me Amelie?''

Draco's eyes fell shut, and his whole world shattered.

_____