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'' Did I hurt you?''

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Amelie Avery.

Draco kissed her back, and his hands wrapped around her waist in the most protective — heartwarming way she had ever felt. It was as if his bones were made for hers. His arms fitted her perfectly.

'' Avery—'' He hummed into her parted lips as he slightly tended back. His eyes fell upon her, '' Are you alright?''

Her eyes peeled open as she looked at the blonde boy holding her — Draco looked so at peace, so gentle as if this was all he had wanted to do. He finally got to kiss her, to taste the purity on her lips, and there wasn't a thing in this world that could compare to that.

Amelie's fingers brushed against the sleek hair on the back of his neck, and it was soft — smoother than she remembered it to be, but not everywhere — not like the strands that fell over this forehead, they were much softer.

It felt like silk, and his scent of clean cotton tore through her senses,

'' I'm okay.'' She mumbled, and as that word escaped her lips, giving him the reassurance and the blessing that she was more than sufficient with what happened between them — his face still shifted in doubt, his eyes flickered all over her as if he was scared — worried that he'd hurt her again.

But he hadn't. He couldn't because her heart wouldn't stop fluttering. He cared for her — he told her that he cared for her, and she cared for him — in a heartbreaking way — in a way that lingered with pain, hurt, and memories that held nothing more than torture.

This, right here, was greater than any stain of the past had the possibility to be.

'' It's Amelie.'' She blurted out, her eyes fell dearly over him as she still rested in his lap, '' I want you to call me Amelie.''

He rose a brow. His jaws clenched and unclenched, '' Really?''

She smiled, and her heart once again tripped a beat, '' Really.''

Draco's hands moved down the length of her back, and he leaned in one more time — with her lips pushed against his — he smiled.

'' Then Amelie it is.'' He mumbled into her parted lips, and the tips of her fingers combed through his hair, '' Amelie, Amelie, Amelie.'' Draco kept on saying her name — he never wanted to stop speaking it.

It was just them, him and her — and not a problem in the world could touch them right now. His grip of her waist loosened for a slight moment before he pulled her inches closer again. The second he did that — the instant their lips parted and the cold air tickled at her lower lip,

Adrian.

Reality hit her — more severe than a train at high speed. Her hand forced into Draco's chest before she pushed herself off of him, and she ran out. Amelie stumbled her way back to her room, and she slammed the door shut behind her.

Draco called out for her — with every step that she took before she found shelter behind the door leading into her room, he shouted her name.

Amelie felt as if she couldn't do this. She was deemed to get married to a boy that she believed to love more than anything — still, she was unfaithful. She kissed someone else.

Even if Adrian had been faithless towards her — she wasn't this person. Amelie couldn't do this — maybe Adrian deserved it, perhaps he didn't, but one thing that seemed to be set in stone was that she didn't deserve to feel that way about herself.

Her spine collided with her door, and she slid down against the wood, with her knees dragged up to her chest — like she always did.

'' Amelie—'' Draco's voice caused her to flinch, and the tone in it broke at the taste of her name falling off his lips, '' Amelie, why did you—''

'' Draco, don't come in, please,'' She begged him as she stood up. Her palms against the timber, and she heard his heavy breaths.

'' Was it something I did, Amelie?'' She caught a light pound on the door as his fist struck against it, '' Did I hurt you?''

'' Did I fucking hurt you?''

Her entire body trembled as her head shook. She wanted to say no — to tell him that this was about her and not him.

She wanted to tell him just how perfect he was to her and how much he'd helped her by taking her to the manor, but not a word escaped her throat — she couldn't speak.

'' It's my fault,'' He sighed out, sounding worn, '' It's always my fault.'' And then — he walked away.

He left.

He left because she hurt him. After all, she wasn't strong enough to tell him otherwise. Amelie had been disappointed in herself many times before — but not like this — this was torture to her.

This was all about her, how she was to blame and not Malfoy — she was too insecure, too wounded by her life experiences to know what she truly deserved in this world.

She wanted Draco, he was good for her, but she didn't feel as if she was worthy of him.

The wind in her lungs ragged, and all she wanted to do was to sleep — she was exhausted.

_____

Day 12.

Draco hasn't been here for days, just like the last time he got mad at me, but I believe he left home altogether this time. I couldn't hear his screams in the early morning or his steps hovering outside at dusk,

He simply left, and I was all to blame.

Narcissa kindly took after his act to bring me meals and new books to read, she even asked me if I wanted to join her for dinner downstairs last night, and I did.

I believe that she's lonely, that the absence of her husband and the continuance of Draco needing to serve the dark lord leaves her behind, nearly forgotten,

I enjoy her very much. She has always been so kind to me, even before all of this happened before Draco brought me here.

She told me more about him. She filled in some of the blank spots of knowing when it comes to him, her blonde-haired son.

But even if she tried to open up as much as she knew how it wasn't enough.

I know it will never be enough, and I know that I may never know him in the way I wish to do, but for now, it has to do.

If anything, I know how hard it is to let someone in, to let someone have a piece of you, to allow another soul to search yours, and I let him,

I did.

And now, I just hope that he will let me in as I let him in.

_____

Amelie's body jolted off the mattress as she searched to turn the lamp on her nightstand, on. She usually slept with the light on because the dark had always scared her — it was when the dim circled that her demons paid her a visit, but not the past few nights — these nights she had been getting used to the darkness and the smoothness it brought her.

Until she heard him again — his scream, how his shouts shredded, how he sought to suffocate the heartbreaking sounds with his pillows.

Draco was home.

The panic flushed through her veins, and the constant ache of knowing that she could help him — that she could take all that hurt and pain away if he'd just let her, scored heavier than it had ever done before.

Her feet stumbled across the floor as she kneeled down, and her fingers scratched underneath the bottom of the door, gripping the wood as she put her other hand up, placing pressure on the timber just at the right time — and it clicked open.

Amelie knew that Narcissa refused to lock her door with magic, and with a few tries the night Draco was nowhere to be found — she learned how to open it without a handle.

Her eyes fled down the hallway to make sure that no one else was awake before she caught onto his sobs again. The harsh, painful voice broke into a trail of cries as she rushed down the hall in nothing but her nightdress.

Her hands placed on his door as she slightly shoved it open — and there he was, in the middle of the night. Draco sat up, leaning against the headboard of his bed with his head in his hands. Amelie could almost see his body as it shook violently.

She didn't say anything, not a single word, as she struggled up the mattress, and he flinched. Draco winced back as she looked at him. His eyes were hooded, his skin ashen and stained in tears.

'' Amelie,'' Draco breathed out, and he watched her climb on top of him — one knee on each side of the boy as she straddled him in the darkness.

She stayed quiet, and her hands wrapped around his head, her fingers tangled into the blonde strands as he — for once, was the one to bury his head in her chest.

'' I'm here, Draco,'' Amelie whispered, as his arms sheeted around her waist, and he sought to drain her of all the comfort he knew she could bring him.

'' You're safe when I am here, Draco,'' She kept on whispering, giving him the exact words that he always granted her with when she was the one in need, '' You're always safe with me, Draco.''

His head fell to the crook of her neck, and she could feel his heart as it beat in bearing with hers again, '' Do you feel that, Draco?'' Amelie hummed into his head, '' Do you feel your heart beating with mine?''

'' I do.'' His heated breaths fanned the tender skin of her shoulder, '' I can feel it.''

She smiled, even if her heart ached — she smiled, and she had no thought about the boy she was deemed to marry. All that mattered to her right now was Draco.

'' What did you dream about?'' Amelie asked him quietly as she leaned back, '' I have nightmares too, you can tell me if you want.''

Draco's head tilted, and he avoided her stare, yet he looked straight back at her — as if he couldn't tear eyes from how she looked in the strokes of moonlight, '' Who said I was having nightmares?''

Amelie's brows knitted together at his smug yet shy act, '' Well, do you know what I dreamed of?'' She forced a smile as her fingers trailed over his exposed chest.

She was studying his marks and his scars that were carved into the pale skin.

His head shook. His lips pushed into a firm line at her question.

'' I dreamed about a boy.'' Her head tilted along with her hair, and the brown strands kissed her shoulders, '' It was about this boy and me, and we had a special moment together...''

Draco's grey eyes widened, and it sounded like his heavy breaths ragged.

'' And when we had this moment, I got scared, and I ran out.'' Amelie swallowed thickly.

Her knees on each side of him felt soft against his skin, '' And I wanted to apologize to this boy because it wasn't my intention to run away, but when I wished to say sorry — he had left, and...''

Her eyes blinked quickly as the hands on her waist dug deeper, '' I couldn't say anything then, but I can now, and I just wanted to say that— ''

Draco nodded slowly at her words as his chest rose and fell.

'' I'm not a bad person, Draco. I'm really not, but I am a fragile one and doing what we did in the library after you said that you care about me...''

Amelie's bit down on her lower lip as she realized her own words, '' It was stupid of me because you blamed yourself, and you left, and that wasn't my—''

'' Don't ever say that,'' Draco snapped as he pulled her just an inch closer in between the sheets, '' Don't ever call yourself stupid.''

The flash of sudden anger flickered in his eyes, '' I never want to hear you say that about yourself, ever again.''

Amelie instantly nodded, and she could feel the warmth as it flushed through her, '' I won't.''

'' Good,'' He said, and he looked at her, more intensely than ever, '' This boy...'' Malfoy smirked, '' May I ask why you're pushing him away if you don't want to?''

His minty breaths tasted sweet on her lips of how close they were to each other, '' I don't know, but isn't it always like this?'' Her eyes landed on his chest again, and the marks in his toned muscles,

'' That our hearts run from the people who give us pulse?''

The tiny muscle in his jaws twitched, and without speaking a word — the grey eyes flickered down to her lip before he gently connected them. He kissed her again, kindly, emotionally.

Draco's cold hands wrapped around her as he shifted them around in the covers, and her spine collided with the downy mattress.

'' Don't run away again,'' Draco whispered into her lips, '' Promise me you'll never run away from me again.''

He pulled back, leaving her lips parted as his sight studied hers for a brief moment — before she dragged him back down, and she allowed him to kiss her again.

His freezing touch caressed her cheek as he lowered himself closer to her, '' I promise, Draco.''

A shy smile rose upon him as he leaned back down, pressing his lips against hers, and he loosened them to let his tongue battle hers.

'' I want to do things to you, Amelie,'' He whispered into her mouth, and she smiled, '' I would never do anything until you're ready, but God—''

Her hands fell gently over his back as she felt his soft skin on hers, '' You drive me crazy, Amelie. I just want to take care of you. I want to take such good care of you.''

'' No—''

'' You can't be here!''

The shouting from downstairs caused them both to jump apart. Her breaths hitched as his eyes snapped to the door.

'' She's not here!''

'' It's the middle of the night! You can't be here.''

Draco forced himself off the mattress with his wand tightly gripped in his hand, '' Wait here,'' He mumbled as he dangerously stormed towards the door.

'' Draco, wait,'' She called out for him as she pushed herself off the bed, taking strides up to him — a startled look mantled her face as he turned around, '' Don't leave me, please.''

Draco watched as the shocked look upon her fell into a terrified one. Her hands grasped at his arm as she tugged herself closer to him. The furious gaze he held softened at the look of her, a cold hand cupped her cheek as he pulled her face closer to his,

'' I will never let anything bad happen to you. You need to trust me—''

'' Where is she?''

'' She's not here, now leave or I will—''

The sound of glass shattering as it crashed to the floor made her whole body flinch, and he held her closer — tighter,

'' I will hurt anyone who tries to take you away from me. I promise you that, now go back to bed,'' Draco's shoved her to the side, his exposed muscles flexed by the heavy breathing, '' I'll be right back.''

Amelie's feet scored cold against the floor, and she stumbled back in the dark — the anger in his eyes darkened as the door flung wide open,

'' There you are.''

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