_____

''Draco?''

_____

Amelie Avery.

They had been trying for days and days to find a way for them to break through the barrier of her memories, but nothing.

Nothing happened, nothing caved in, nothing.

Theodore mixed every fusion of potions and herbs he had and could find — in the utter hope that with a bit of magic, varied into the mess of different elements, he could succeed.

But he didn't.

No one did.

Not Theodore, and not Amelie, no one.

No one but Draco.

He was the one they knew had the possibility to search her mind. He was the one who knew how to, yet Amelie refused to let Theodore bring him to them.

'' I think you're acting petty about this,'' Theodore mumbled from the kitchen table. He seated himself across from where Amelie used to sit,

'' I mean if you just let me—''

''No.'' She snapped, her head tilted to the side as her hand clenched around the ladle, '' I don't want you to bring him here.''

With Theodore's hands thrown out in the air, his eyes narrowed at her, '' That's what I mean with petty. There is no reason for you to act like this. He could help us. He can find your mother, and you just refuse? I don't understand—''

'' There is nothing to understand, Teddy. I don't want to. I don't want to disturb him. I'm sure that he has much more important matters to attend to than to help me find my mother.'' Amelie huffed as she kept stirring the pot,

She was making him his favorite soup — a recipe Theo's mother taught her as a kid, but even if that bundle of ingredients was to be one of the most leisurely meals to cook, Theodore never caught on to it,

And refused to eat it if Amelie wasn't the one making it for him.

'' But...'' Theo rose, his legs stretched long in front of him as he leaned back in his chair, '' Wasn't he the one who wanted to find her in the first place?''

Amelie froze in her actions. Her eyes squeezed shut for a mere second before flying wide open again. In the attempt to gather her thought,

It wasn't that she didn't want to — she wanted to see the blonde boy her mind couldn't spare a moment of rest from, more than anything.

Her skin craved his, her soul ached for the safety he brought her — her mind longed for his comfort,

But he didn't look for her.

That's the only thing that kept haunting the pleasurable memory of Draco. He didn't come for her — and now, almost a month had passed, without him trying to find her,

If she only knew that the boy her thoughts always managed to touch — looked for her everywhere.

'' He was,'' Amelie spoke, shortly, before picking up the knife. She started cutting up the carrots, one after one,

'' So what is the problem, Amelie. I know there is something you're hiding from me. What is it? Did you do something? Did you see something? ''

She stayed quiet, and Theodore, as the boy he tended to be — he took her silence as a clear yes.

'' You saw something, didn't you?'' His face fell into confusion, '' But what... What could you have seen that was so horrible—''

He hewed himself off, staring blankly at her back, '' He searched your mind, what if you saw his?''

'' Ouch—'' Amelie muttered, airy, almost underneath her breath as she dropped the knife; blood oozed from her finger,

Theodore flew up from his chair, stretching his arms around her from behind as he grabbed her hand, bending it up for him to look at,

''See... This is why you should've let me—'' Theo smiled, rolling his eyes as he spun her around in his arms,

'' Here—''

His hand in his back pocket brought his wand out, aiming it at her bleeding finger,

'' Ferula.'' He whispered, and as the light trail of light scored her skin — the wound tightened, and it healed.

She felt a smile on her lips as she looked up at Theo. Her eyes fell over his angelic features. He was beautiful. Her lovely best friend,

'' Thank you,'' Amelie whispered, drawing her hand back from his touch, and he wrapped his arms around her.

He held her close as the soup on the stove simmered, and the scent of it made it all easier. It felt safe here, just like it had done while they were kids.

'' What did you see, Amelie?'' Theodore mumbled into the soft strands of her hair, '' Tell me what you saw.''

She hesitated. She didn't want to break Draco's trust. In her mind, he wasn't aware of what she saw — to her, he had no idea that she nearly watched as he took the life of another person.

'' It was nothing.''

Theodore leaned back, gazing into her eyes in the complete wonder of what she was keeping from him. He could read her like an open book, and when something was to be wrong — he could sense it from a mile away.

But he didn't push her further, whatever it was that kept haunting her — she audibly needed to deal with it on her own terms before she could confide in him, and that was okay, more than it. He knew that when she was to be ready — she would tell him.

'' Do you need any help with that?'' He gestured towards the stove, looking over it as the fume of spices reached the ceiling.

'' No. I got this—'' Her hand sought to grab the knife one again, in the continuance of chopping the vegetables, but Theodore seemed to be faster — he snatched the knife from in front of her,

'' I think I'll be doing that now,'' He chuckled, sending her an amused smile,

Her eyes rolled as she huffed, '' Fine. I'll set the table then.''

_____

Theo slurped on his spoon, licking it clean of all the soup before he dropped it to his bowl, '' I still can't understand how you make it just like my mother did.'' He mumbled,

'' Well — I guess I just have the talent for it.'' Amelie held her smile, wiping her mouth clean with the napkin,

His elbows placed on the table as he shoved his bowl away, '' What do you want to do tonight? We could maybe go for a walk, or read?''

'' I think we have done everything we can do, Teddy.'' Her mouth slightly fell,

His brows furrowed, '' What do you mean?''

Amelie held her breath, biting down on her lower lip as she thought about it.

They had been here for a month, and each day slowly faded together, every hour turned the same, and the restlessness in her body couldn't take it anymore.

She was grateful, more than it — that they held this beautiful place as a safe haven. That they could come here and rest from all the craziness that has surrounded her, but somewhere along all of that stillness — her mind snapped.

She thought about Adrian a lot. She was angry — furious, because this was the first time in years she was able to distance herself from him in the way she did now, and that made her realize, more and more, for every day that passed,

What he had done to her. What he had put her through in all those years of violence.

Amelie knew she wasn't anywhere safe from him — and she would never be because he had her life chained in magic. Still, she had been studying ways out of it.

When Theo had fallen asleep at night — when she heard those small noises he made as he dreamt, she would sneak up with a candle and read.

She read, and read, and read. She studied. She educated herself on what the vow meant and what she could do to break it.

She even studied the darkness. The darkest types of magic, to find an escape — to maybe, somewhere in her doomed life, finally reach the true peace she deserved, to be able to feel something more for the blonde boy her heart continually skipped a beat for,

But nothing — the only way out of it, was for her to die.

And she had thought about that too.

To die.

To let her body and her innocent mind rest for internity and to hopefully wake up somewhere else.

Somewhere she didn't have to be scared anymore. Somewhere she could live freely — chainless.

It was an intriguing thought. To escape this life, and to start over, to do it right.

To love herself.

Flashback to a night in the Malfoy Manor.

Her body shook violently in the late hours of twilight.

She had woken up again, out of breath — terrified for the dreams that kept haunting her, over and over.

Amelie held her breath. She turned over to her side as she hugged herself underneath the covers. The darkness swallowed her as she sought to calm herself down.

It was always at night, every time she believed herself to be safe — it all came crashing down on her, over and over.

Every memory, every beating, every cruel word that her biggest nightmare had burnt into her mind came back.

She was exhausted — tired of all of it.

'' Amelie.''

She flinched, her hands grasped around herself denser as she didn't hear anyone enter her room.

She stayed still for a brief moment, thinking whether she should pretend to be asleep or if she should face the boy standing in the doorway.

Eventually, she peered out from underneath the sheets, looking directly at the blonde.

He stood, partly hidden behind the door — covering his bare chest with the wood.

'' Amelie, is everything alright?'' Draco asked her in a whisper, '' I heard you—''

'' I'm okay.''

His face twisted, the blonde strands of hair fell over his eyebrows as he shook his head,

'' You're not okay. I just heard—''

'' It was a bad dream, that's all.'' She mumbled, pushing her hands into the mattress to prop herself up, '' It's nothing to worry about, Draco. I promise you don't have to—''

'' But I want to.'' He took a step inside, sliding the door closed behind him. '' I need to know that you are safe.''

Her breath turned airy as the moonlight shunned on his naked chest. She tried to tear her eyes off him, but she couldn't.

It was like porcelain. His skin was ashen, beautiful, just like she remembered it.

'' I am safe. I just... I couldn't sleep. That's all.''

Draco took another step closer to her bed, his arms dropped to his sides as her eyes dragged over his body — the toned muscles of his chest made her heart flutter.

'' What did you dream about?'' He kept his tone low as his eyes stayed on her, watching as the tips of her fingers played with her sheets,

'' Nothing—''

'' Don't lie to me, Amelie.'' Draco hewed her off, raising a brow as he did, '' Tell me what you dreamed about.''

Amelie sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth, slightly chewing on it in the battle of her thoughts.

She didn't want to lie to him. She tried to be honest — but it scared her. Even if Draco searched her mind, it still frightened her to speak about it, to actually tell someone about her bad dreams.

'' Why are you up?'' She asked him instead as he leaned against the frame of her bed, '' It's the middle of the night, why are you—''

'' Bad dream.''

She could feel her heart ache at his words. She knew all about his bad dreams — she heard them a lot when she wasn't the one sleeping.

'' What did you dream about?'' She pushed as she shoved herself to the edge of the bed, her feet scored cold on the chilly floor.

'' Nothing.'' Draco smiled shyly.

The corner of her mouth arched, '' Don't lie to me, Draco.''

He didn't say anything else. His eyes locked in hers as he moved towards her in the darkness.

'' Come here.'' He whispered, reaching a hand out for her to take, and she did.

He pulled her up, making her stand on her feet as she wrapped her hands around his body.

Amelie shivered at the touch — at the feeling of his bare skin against hers. She had never felt him this close before, this vulnerable.

She didn't know about the times he had snuck into her room at night to comfort her when she was screaming in her sleep. To her, this was the first time she had felt his skin on hers.

Draco stroked the thin material of her nightdress. His hands moved in gentle circles over her back,

'' Tell me what you dreamed about.'' His chin on the top of her head as her nose brushed against his skin,

'' I just—'' She quieted down, holding her breath for a second, '' I'm just scared, of everything.''

He nodded gently, '' Tell me something you're scared of.''

'' The future, for what is going to happen to me once I leave here. Teddy, where he is, how he's doing. My father, Adrian.''

Draco's body tensed at the two names spoken, trying to tame his temper by holding her tighter.

'' I feel like bad things are following me. No matter how hard I try to do good or how hard I try to fix things. I mess them up. I complicate everything and I—.'' Her face fell as she believed every word she spoke about herself.

'' Never—'' Draco leaned back, his hands flew to her face as he cupped her cheeks, arching her neck to look at him,

'' Never say those things about yourself, Amelie.'' He stared right through her, he watched her lower lip quiver, '' How you love yourself is the way you teach others how to love you.''

His thumbs traced circles, '' Never think that badly about yourself. You didn't choose this life.''

The moonlight touched their bodies.

'' Promise me never to think about yourself in that way again.''

She smiled, even in a time as heartbreaking as this one — he made her smile.

Her hands dropped from around him, moving over the scars in his chest, '' I won't.'' She held, the tips of her fingers stroked every mark of torture carved into his pale skin,

'' But only if you promise me to do the same.''

_____

Every time a bad thought had circled her mind — she strived to remember what he told her, and it soothed her.

Every time she reached a memory of him, she turned calm.

'' So...'' Theodore cleared his throat, '' Is that a no, for the walk then?''

Her eyes rolled as she scoffed at her best friend, '' I think I want to read, outside.''

Theodore nodded, giving her an encouraging smile before he forced his chair back, '' Then go and read love. I'll clean up in here.''

_____

The wind soared her cheeks as her spine felt heavy against the tree.

Amelie loved sitting next to this tree. It was massive and majestic. It felt safe, resting underneath the hanging branches.

She fiddled with the pages of her book, her fingers grasped around the sheets as she slightly shook by the cold air.

Her hand tugged her hair out of her eyes as her legs crossed in front of her.

Every now and then, she looked up from her book, peering over her shoulder to watch Theodore do the dishes through the kitchen window — it was as if she was checking that he was still there — that he hadn't left her,

And every time she looked, he was. He was always there.

'' Teddy, Teddy, Teddy.'' She whispered to herself, smiling at the silence of birds chirping from far away.

She continued reading about Romeo and Juliet. She never finished that book — she said she did whenever Theodore asked her about it, but she lied.

She couldn't. It ached, reading about a love so strong and powerful — when she was sure that she'll never experience that herself.

But she wanted to give it a try. She wanted to finish it, so she kept on struggling with the words that struck her soul and heart.

'' I have a favorite book, you know.''

Amelie flinched. Her breath hitched in the back of her throat at the voice speaking unexpectedly from behind her.

She recognized it. She could place that voice in a room of hundreds without falter.

'' But I'm curious...'' The voice kept going as she stayed frozen in time, '' What is yours?''

She couldn't turn around. She couldn't move.

It was as if her mind played her, as if her whole being toyed with her head.

Her hands fell to the ground as her fingers dug into the hardened soil, pushing herself off the grass.

Amelie hesitated, her eyes shut closed as she took the deepest of breaths.

'' What is your favorite book?''

She turned around. Her cheeks drained of all their color the second her eyelids peeled open.

Her heart stopped as her sight fell upon the boy standing in front of her.

'' Draco?''

_____