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'' I was feeling a bit lonely.''

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'' How did you sleep?'' Amelie was standing in the doorway to the living room in a nightshirt, almost twice her size,

Draco rushed a hand through his hair, groaning as he sat up on the couch,

'' Fine.'' He mumbled, '' I slept just fine.''

Her feet scored cold against the wooden boards coating the floor of the cabin — shivers soared at her bare legs by the brisk morning air.

Amelie always woke up long before Theodore did, and she cherished the moment she had alone as the sun rose between the mountains.

It had turned colder outside, she noticed by the stains of freeze, crackling its way up the windows in the morning and the leaves coated in verglas.

'' How did you sleep?'' Draco caught her attention again, and her head tilted to look at him. His blonde hair fell dowdily over his ashen skin,

Amelie couldn't help but smile at the tired boy in front of her. His spine rested against the backrest of the sofa as the sheets covered half of his body.

Her eyes dragged across him, studying him before they landed on the scars carved into his chest. It looked painful — even if most of them were healed and only the outlines of the torture still showed, it seemed like it still hurt.

'' I slept just fine.'' Amelie tried to smile, '' I was feeling a bit lonely.''

Draco huffed, his hands stroked over his face to brush the fatigue out of his eyes.

'' Me too.'' He whispered, letting his arms fall beside him as he looked back at her again.

He studied her too. He watched as her toes twitched over the cold floor, her knees slightly shook out of the chilly room, and her fingers grasped at the edges of her sleeves.

In reality, she looked ridiculous, standing in that oversized shirt — it seemed like she could drown in it, with her hair tangled by the deep sleep, but to him — to him, she was more than perfect.

Draco adored the small details about her, of how she did not really care about how she looked in front of him. She was confident with him and that he valued.

''May I read you something?'' Amelie whispered from across the room, her lower lip sucked in between her teeth in hesitation.

Draco's face softened as he nodded towards her, folding the edge of the bed linen to the side for her to slip underneath it on the sofa next to him.

Her face brightened, and her eyes glistened with hope as she stepped up to the furniture, dropping down beside him. Draco tucked the sheet around her, making sure that the freezing air wouldn't bother her.

'' Read me what?'' He mumbled, peering down over his shoulder at her, '' It didn't end that well when you read me something last time.''

Amelie swallowed, feeling the shyness waver her at what he spoke.

'' I'm sorry.'' She breathed out, reaching over her legs to grab the book resting on the living room table.

Draco's eyes widened, '' What could you possibly be sorry for?''

Amelie's chin rose, and she saw the corner of his eyes twitch. He looked exhausted.

Even if he had been sleeping on that couch for three days, he was still tired beyond explanation. He had been on edge for over a month as he looked for her — as he haunted every clue of her down, and now, it all came crashing over him.

'' I don't know. I'm just sorry—''

'' Don't.'' Draco snapped, twisting his body to fully face her, '' We talked about this. Don't apologize for something you didn't do. Don't apologize for existing.''

The tips of her fingers clenched around the spine of the book she was holding. Her eyes fell to look at it — she tried to avoid his honest stare.

'' I'm not apologizing for existing.''

'' Good.'' Draco replied, looking down at the book in her hands, '' I'm glad that you're here, never apologize for that.''

Amelie smiled, feeling as her head gently leaned against his shoulder and her legs crossed underneath the cover.

'' I don't mind what happened last time,'' Draco spoke. The corner of his lip dragged out as he thought about it — how he had kissed her.

Her cheeks flushed in color as her head felt heavy against his arm, '' I don't either.''

'' Really?'' Draco leaned his chin against the top of her head.

''Really.''

They sat there for moments — those moments felt like hours, but none of them minded. It felt pleasant, sitting there, next to each other in silence as nature started to patter on the window glass.

It was raining again. It always rained when it came to him.

Amelie felt how Draco's breaths shifted heavier, and his skin warmed up against hers. She couldn't help but shove herself away from him on the couch as he settled his head on her lap.

'' You owe me so much sleep, Amelie,'' Draco mumbled, dozing off as his arm snaked around her legs,

Her fingers softly stroked the blonde strands of his hair, '' And why is that?''

He groaned something back to her — inaudible for her to hear, but she knew what he meant.

He had probably been just as worried and burdened by her lack of presence as she was of his.

'' Just sleep, Draco.'' Her tone felt soothing to him, '' Sleep, and I'll be here when you wake up.''

His hands gripped her thigh harder, '' Really?''

'' Really.'' She whispered back. Draco fell asleep. His breathing calmed her as she picked up her book and started reading.

He laid there, on top of her, his chin against her clothed stomach — nothing had felt this safe to him before. He never fell asleep that easily. Not once had he been able to rest so deeply without being on edge.

Amelie's eyes flickered over the pages of her book with her fingers tangled into his hair.

This wasn't only comforting for Draco — but for her too. She never let anyone but Theodore close to her, and when she did — she never felt safe.

But she was safe here, underneath his protecting body, dragging her fingers down the silky strands of the blonde hair, all the way over his exposed back, and then up again — over and over.

'' Goodmorning—'' Theodore finally opened his door, his locks in a complete mess over his head as he shot them a curious look.

'' Shhhh...'' Amelie lowered the book from her hold, feeling how Draco slightly flinched in her hold by Teddy's loud welcoming.

'' Oh, sorry.'' Theo quieted down, raising his hands up in defeat, '' I'll just—'' He nodded towards the kitchen before sneaking into it.

Draco's toned muscles clenched against hers, and his nose sunk into her largened T-shirt.

'' It's alright, Draco.'' Amelie sought to ease him, reaching over his exposed back to pull the bedsheet over them, '' You're safe here.''

As they laid there, on the soft fabric of the sofa, and she looked at him — how this chest rose and fell gently against her, how his eyelashes twitched as he entered the world of dreams.

She couldn't believe the cruel, heartless things people told about him and his haunted past.

They said he was menacing, dangerous.

But he was her safe.

______

Days had passed since Draco found them, and the calmness of being somewhere no one could ever discover them — felt nice to all three of them.

They got along well together. Theodore spent his nights teaching Draco how to make simple spells within healing, to heal a cut or a bruise, and the blonde returned that favor by showing Theo how to easily defend himself.

Amelie got her wand back for the first time since Draco had brought her to the manor — both of the boys helped her manage the power of it again.

They cooked together — they read, played, and enjoyed each other during the days they were seeking comfort in Theodore's family cabin.

But as the days went on — Draco held the truth, that reality was sneaking upon them, and that there was only a limited time they could be here.

He had a task to complete. His mother couldn't stay in charge of Adrian for much longer, and the meeting with the dark lord held only weeks away.

He still hadn't located the bravery to talk to Amelie about it — about what he had to ask of her. That he needed her to let him search her head again. That they needed to leave this place, she felt so safe in.

Draco loathed himself for it — for being the one to drag her away from everything she held so dearly once more, but he had been thinking about it, and just before he left to find her,

He asked Hermione and Pansy to join him in the manor. He believed it might be easier for Amelie to feel safe and happy when people she cherished — were there too.

Amelie had invited him to take a walk with her to a place she wanted to show him, and he knew that he had to talk to her during that. They didn't possess enough time to stall this any longer.

Her feet stumbled over the branches as they walked down the small path. Amelie was taking him to the shoreline, to the beach she and Teddy always loved to visit.

She wanted him to see it too before they left.

Amelie understood that he needed something from her. The agonizing way he had looked at her and the sensitive — careful way he barely touched her the last couple of days made her realize that something was about to happen.

Draco's face twisted in a grimace as she peered up at him — he didn't seem to enjoy the little adventure she was taking him on as much as she did.

'' And how far do we have to go?'' Draco muttered, shoving a branch out of her way, '' I mean, we have been walking in these bloody woods for almost twenty minutes.''

Amelie rolled her eyes at him, her fingers clasped together in the warm gloves she wore, and her chin tucked deeper into the collar of her jacket,

'' Just wait, a little patience hasn't hurt anybody, has it?'' She mocked him back, making his lips push into a straight line, '' We're almost there.''

'' Where is there?'' Draco annoyingly huffed at her, tucking his hand into the pocket of his robe, '' What can possibly be worth walking twenty minutes into nowhere—''

'' This,'' She cut him off, her shoulder nudged his for him to look up, '' Look.''

Draco stopped in his tracks, looking out over the beach in front of him and the glint of happiness shredded his eyes for a brief moment.

'' Not so bad for a twenty-minute walk in the woods, right?'' Amelie taunted him before walking past him over the treeline.

Her shoes sunk into the sand and grass-covered ground, and the late autumn sun glimmered at the blue water.

She couldn't help but smile, taking a deep breath as she let go of everything that had been bothering her. It felt easy here. There was no place for evil thoughts or haunting minds — this was her happy place.

She thought about it a lot — just like she and Teddy had been talking about, she wanted them to renovate the cabin that held majestic on this beach and use this as their cabin for their future kids when they grew up.

'' What is this place?'' Draco called out, using long strides over the sand to catch up with her,

Amelie peered back at him, shuddering a bit for herself by the iced wind flooding in over the water,

'' It's our safe haven.''

'' Our?'' Draco rose a brow, strolling close to her.

'' Yes, mine and Teddy's.''

" But it can be yours too if you like?"

He nodded, looking forward over the mile-long shoreline. His jaws tensed, and he knew that it was now or never — he needed to speak with her.

'' May I talk to you about something?'' He asked her, shoving both of his hands into his pockets,

Her head tipped as her eyes caught his, '' Of course.''

Draco's heart pounded. His insides wrenched because of where they were — he didn't want to upset her in a place she felt peace at.

'' You know how you asked about your mother and Adrian the other night?'' He tore his sights from her, clocking them ahead of himself instead.

'' I do. You avoided the question and made me go to bed.'' She replied, feeling a bit anxious about where he was going with this, '' What about it?"

Draco halted, his hand wrapped around her upper arm to stop her from walking, '' We need to go back.''

Amelie swallowed, giving him a soft gaze, '' I know.''

His brows furrowed, '' You know—''

'' I do. You are really easy to read sometimes, Draco.'' The corner of her mouth arched, and the panic flushing through him stilled.

'' But tell me, why? Why do we need to go back?''

The blonde cleared his throat, his eyes fled over the lake behind her, '' I need to ask something of you, and it's alright for you to say no if you're not ready for it, either way — I want you to come back with me to the manor. Nott too.''

Her eyes searched his, noticing the flicker of truth in them.

'' If you don't want to do this, that's more than fine with me. I just want you to come with me.''

'' You know I will,'' Amelie spoke. She pulled one of her gloves off and stretched a hand up in between them — her fingers brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes.

'' But tell me. What do you need from me, Draco?''

He doubted himself. The way she was so incredibly selfless in this made him feel like a monster. He didn't want to use her kindness, yet he needed her to help him.

'' I need your memories. I need to find your mother, Amelie.''

She stayed quiet. Her mind wrestled the thought of going through all of that pain and torture again, but it was for a good cause. It would save his father's life, and she would be able to find her mother again.

Draco felt scared by her silence. Every time she didn't respond to him — he got fearful. He was afraid that she wouldn't come with him now and that he would lose her all over again.

It was a scary thing — the thought of losing the person he found shelter in.

'' But if you don't want to do this — I'm certain that I can find some other way. I just need you to come with me. That's all that I want, and —''

'' I want to.''

Her words clocked him off as he stared at her.

'' I want to help you, Draco. I want to find my mother too.''

Draco could sense the warmth of her gentleness again. She was too good for him — he knew that. He didn't deserve a soul that selfless in his life, especially not when he had been feeding off of it before.

'' Are you sure? You don't have to do this—''

'' Draco.'' Her hand placed on his arm, '' I want to help you.''

Amelie knew this wasn't smart. She would once again drain herself to help someone else — someone that had been fooling her in the past — someone that broke her heart by asking her to leave, and even if she forgave him for doing so, there is nothing that goes against him doing it, all over again.

But Amelie wouldn't be Amelie if she didn't. She lived to help other people. To be there for whoever may need her and to do everything in her power to make everyone around her — happy.

Treat other's the way you want to be treated, as her mother used to say.

She would continuously break her own heart if that meant that she could keep his in one piece.

'' Adrian is there.'' Draco's jaws gritted even tighter, '' I want you to know that he can't hurt you anymore. I would never allow it, but I still need you to understand that he's there.''

Her eyes fluttered close as she felt the ache of her past pound throughout her every nerve.

It was heartbreaking, going back to something she felt as if she was rescued from — but she needed to do this.

She was strong enough.

'' I know.'' Her voice slightly cracked as he noticed.

Draco slipped his hand out of his pocket, placing his fingers underneath her chin for her to look up at him,

'' You are safe with me, Amelie.'' He looked serious. The grey eyes bored through hers, '' You will always be safe with me, and I will never stop telling you that.''

'' I know.'' Her hold dropped from his arm, and her forehead fell against his coated chest. '' I know, Draco.''

'' When do we have to leave?'' Amelie's breaths fanned the wool fabric of his jacket.

Draco's gazed out over the world in front of him, but even if it was beautiful here,

He already had his whole world, right here, wrapped in his arms, leaning against his chest — even if he'd never come to admit it.

The brown-haired, kind-hearted girl he was hugging — would mean more than all of it to him.

'' We have to leave tonight.''

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