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'' I wanted to see you.''

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Amelie was scared — terrified to face the grey eyes that constantly haunted her worn mind.

Because they did, every time her soul craved an ounce of peace, she thought of those grey eyes.

His grey eyes.

Amelie's knees felt more than weak beneath her. She could barely stand straight on her feet as she watched him step closer. It felt as if she was dreaming.

The air in her lungs tightened as she held her breath. She couldn't decide whether to believe if this was real or not — if he really was here, standing in front of her.

But it was. This was real. Draco was here, and just as he closed in on her — she could feel the drips of nature gently pouring down onto her fragile skin.

It scented like rain.

He always brought the rain, and god, how she had missed it.

Draco held only inches away from her. It was as if he was frightened to take another step — as if he didn't want to invade her privacy and her own space more than he had done already,

'' Amelie.'' His voice stern, '' Tell me about your favorite book.''

Her head shook, her fingers clasped together. She couldn't believe what she was looking at.

He was here.

He stood tall right next to her, and her breath left airy, '' I don't—'' She whispered, keeping her eyes locked in his,

She couldn't help but notice how much he'd changed. How his hair was longer — the blonde strands fell sleekly over his forehead and the mauve circles underneath his eyes shredded into the pale skin,

He seemed exhausted, nearly beaten within the walls of his mind.

'' What are you doing here?'' Her head snapped, looking over her shoulder, only to see Theodore still standing in the kitchen. It gave her a soothing sense, knowing that he was close by.

Draco's head tipped, he released a deep breath as he looked at her — he had almost forgotten just how beautiful she was, how her hair wrapped around her face, how her skin looked soft as silk — how calm she seemed.

The last time he has seen her, and every time before that — she was haunted by the memory of her past, and she still was, but this wasn't the same.

She looked at peace.

His hands shoved into his coat pocket as he kept his eyes in hers, '' I wanted to see you.'' Draco mumbled. He felt his veins aching — because she was so close to him, yet so far away.

'' You wanted to see me?'' Her brows raised, her arms crossed over her chest, '' It's been a—''

'' Month.'' He finished for her, a look of guilt rose upon him, ''I know exactly how long it's been.''

Amelie felt herself swallow, '' Then why now?''

Draco didn't know if he should tell her the truth — that he had been looking for her everywhere for all that time.

He didn't want to expose himself like that. He didn't want her to know just how desperate he had been to find her.

She watched as his eyes dragged over the cabin and how his mind looked to be elsewhere.

'' Draco, are you alright?'' Amelie spoke up, slowly bending her head to catch his eyes again, '' Draco, why are you really here?''

'' I told you.'' He clocked back out of his head, '' I wanted to see you.''

Amelie didn't believe him — how could she?

He had betrayed her in ways that broke her more than any type of abuse ever could.

He lied to her, and he pushed her away when she needed him the most — even if she held the truth of Draco doing this for her own good, it still upset her.

She was doing better. Theodore had been helping her be better, to accept her place in this world, and to see her worth in all the things she did.

She was worthy. She had always been worthy, and none of this was her fault.

She didn't choose this life — just like Draco had told her a night in the Malfoy Manor. She didn't decide the life fated for her.

Her eyes fell over him as the drops of rain kept dripping over them.

'' Did something happen?'' She asked again, her lower lips slightly shook out of the cold weather, '' Is there any reason for you coming here now—''

'' I. wanted. to. see. you.'' The notes falling off his tongue scored severe as his eyes narrowed in hers,

'' I wanted to see you, Amelie. There is no other reason for me being here.''

Amelie's lips parted to speak, but not a word could escape her throat. She merely looked at him. The boy she had missed so badly,

'' I wanted to see you too.'' She whispered. Draco's neck arched — his head held high, and he felt the warmth rushing through him at the words she spoke, '' I wanted to see you weeks ago.''

'' Then why didn't you?'' Draco asked and looked down on her as she hugged herself. The lively wind toyed gracefully with the brown strands of her hair,

'' Why didn't you come to see me?''

Her face shifted in disbelief, but the glimpse of hope still burning in her eyes brightened.

'' You told me to leave.'' Amelie said, quietly, '' You said that you were done with me and that you got what you needed.''

Draco's jaws clenched, the tiny muscles in them ticked to what she was saying. His tongue rolled on the inside of his cheek,

Draco was aware that she knew about the things he spoke that night — was as far from the truth as you could get.

She had watched his mind. He knew that now. She had seen all the things he felt for her while staying with her in the manor.

'' You know I didn't mean them. You know that I had to say that, to make you leave.'' Draco kept his tone harsh, '' I needed you to leave because it wasn't safe...''

He held his breath, '' You were safer with Nott than you could ever be with me back then.''

Amelie's brows furrowed, '' But why didn't you tell me this, Draco? Why did you do—''

'' I am not going to apologize for keeping you safe.'' He shoed another inch closer, '' There is a lot of things I could apologize for, but keeping you safe — will never be one of them. No matter how I do it.''

Amelie was quiet. She didn't say anything because she knew how right he was — he was trying to keep her safe, and she could never be mad at that.

Except for Theodore, no one had ever tried to protect her before, and that was a strange feeling to her, someone breaking their own heart to keep hers in pieces.

'' I can leave if you want me to.'' Draco's eyes flashed in guilt because he saw just how much she struggled with his words, '' I don't have to be here. I can keep you safe from far away.''

" Because I know where you are now."

She couldn't help it. It was as if her body craved his, and the boot she took closer made a smile arch in the corner of his mouth,

'' I just had to see you.'' Draco's hand-stretched up, slowly, almost as if he wanted to make sure that she was okay with him touching her,

'' I just had to see you for myself. I need to know that you are okay.''

Her skin shivered as his cold touch made it to her cheek, gently stroking a few raindrops away. The second his hand got to feel her again, all the problems — all the torture of being apart from her, faded.

'' Are you, Amelie?'' He kept his large hand on her jaw, feeling how her hands settled on his chest, '' Are you alright?''

Amelie gulped, terrified to answer the question he had asked her — she didn't want to admit how everything eased the instant she heard his voice.

The voice that has calmed her in her most desperate times.

'' I am.'' She whispered, as his teeth clenched, '' I'm okay.''

Draco nodded, slowly and he felt relieved. She was okay — he knew when she was lying to him because she had done it so many times before, but she didn't lie now.

'' I'm glad.'' He whispered back as her hands pushed harder into his chest, her fingertips brushed against the wool material of his coat.

But she panicked — she froze in his grip as she felt him pull away from her, and the words he spoke just minutes earlier scored right through her, '' I don't have to be here. I can keep you safe from far away.''

She didn't want him to leave. She couldn't let him.

Amelie had begged and begged for this moment for weeks, and now when she finally had it — when she finally had him here — he believed that she wanted him to leave.

It was as always — her heart on the line.

The beating, pulsating sense inside of the fragile cage of her chest was once again exposed to the blonde boy standing before her.

'' Draco.'' Her voice muffled by the heavy drops of rain diving around them, '' Don't go.''

Her neck bent, and she looked up at him, falling lost in the grey eyes that still consumed her whole being,

'' Please don't go.''

He stared back at her, softly, emotionally as he stopped drawing away. Instead — he wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her in entirely, right to where she's supposed to be.

She was meant to be here — in his arms, where she always would be safe.

Draco held her, as close as he had dreamed of the month they lived apart, and even if she were to ask him to leave — even if there were a chance that she didn't want him near her anymore — he would never leave her.

He would always be close to her, no matter if she wanted him to or not.

'' I won't.'' He whispered, placing his head on hers as the rain slammed to the ground. He sheltered her body with his,

'' Promise never to push me away again.'' Her breaths against his chest fumed around them as he smiled, without her seeing it,

'' I promise.'' He mumbled,

Amelie felt her lips stretching, and her heart fluttered — it was freezing outside, but she wasn't cold.

She felt the melody of warmth rush throughout her as her nose filled with the scent of him,

The scent of rain.

It would always be the scent of rain to her.

'' Now—'' Draco leaned back, his hand reached to push a few strands of wet hair from her eyes,

'' Tell me about your favorite book.''

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