_____

'' Let's get to work.'' 

_____

Amelie Avery.

With her knees drawn up to her chest, her hat pulled down over her forehead — she hugged herself on the porch like she always does when her mind is somewhere else.

She was thinking about everything she had been trying to escape, her mind clouded by every thought she did anything possible to flee.

Her head tilted, watching the forest in front of her, and she couldn't help but shyly smile at herself, how calm — easy everything had been these last few weeks.

She was held in the dark. She knew that.

She knew that Theodore was keeping things from her, and she didn't want to bother him with it, even if it was bothering her.

Amelie didn't want to cause trouble, to be a burden to her best friend.

So she remained there, on the porch in the complete depth of her thoughts.

'' May I join you?'' Theodore caught her attention, making her head snap to where he was standing.

She smiled, a courageous, kind smile as she nodded, '' Of course.''

He forced himself off the doorway he was leaning against, taking long strides up to her before he slipped down to the bench next to her.

Theo stared out over the yard, over the trees and the mountains showing behind them, just like she had done a minute ago,

She looked at him, at the kind-hearted boy she had loved for most of her life. The chilly strokes of wind made his cheeks flush in color, spreading light-pink stains of warmth upon his skin,

Amelie always looked at him like this. She still noted the tiny details of him when he didn't notice — she used to peer up at him, smiling for herself how tender he looked and was.

'' I was thinking about something.'' Theodore broke the silence. His head tipped to the side to face her,

'' You were thinking about what?'' She shoved herself closer to him; her shoulder pressed to his,

Theo huffed, almost as if he was hesitating before he nervously began to fiddle with his fingers,'' I was thinking about your mother.''

Her eyes fell from his. Her head dipped down as she stared at her hands.

She didn't say anything back; for moments, she remained quiet to his question — but still stayed close to him.

'' And I was thinking about Adrian...''

Her head shot up, her brows furrowed as she eyed her friend down, '' Why are you thinking about Adrian?''

Her question made him nervous. His eyes flickered all over her features before catching her eyes again, '' I wasn't—''

'' It's just that we need to do something, Amelie. We have been here for weeks, and we haven't done anything to try—''

'' To try what?'' She hewed him off with a frown. '' What can we do, Teddy? With Adrian — there is nothing to be done. You can't break the unbreakable vow. You just can't, and you of all people know this; why are you bringing this up?''

She didn't mean to be rude to him, and the fallen look on his temples made her heart ache.

'' I wasn't trying to—'' He quieted down, sighing loudly, '' You didn't even let me finish. May I speak, and when I'm done — then you can yell at me?''

Even in a conflict like this one, where she was supposed to be annoyed — frustrated with the way he was acting, she couldn't help but to playfully roll her eyes at her best friend.

'' Then speak,'' Amelie muttered, her arms crossed over her chest.

Theodore sighed again, '' I was just thinking about what we can do — what we can try. I just feel so useless. It's like I can't do anything for you. All I do is keep you here when I really want to help you.''

Amelie swallowed at that because he did. He always helped her, even when she wasn't in need to — he always rescued her.

And the truth that he didn't think he did, made her eyes pool, small drips of liquid stung the corner of her eyes,

'' But you do, Teddy. You do help me.''

His head shook, nearly as if he was disappointed with himself — angry, '' But I don't, Amelie. I feel like this is all my fault. If I just hadn't made you choose, maybe we could've—''

'' Stop,'' Amelie whispered,

'' Then maybe we could've figured this out, then perhaps Malfoy had been able to search your mind, and—''

'' Stop it,'' She whispered again,

'' And all of this would've been easier. I mean if we had stayed with Draco—''

'' If we had stayed with him, he would've made me leave in one way or another.'' She finally called out. The seriousness in her tone scored thunderously through the crowns of the trees,

'' I know you want to help me, Teddy, and I adore you for that — I really do. But he asked us to leave. He told me to go with you, and I know he did that to keep me safe — I know...'' Her tongue halted as her chin rose,

'' But it's been three weeks, Teddy, and he hasn't come looking for me. I just thought—''

The bravery she held within missed her as she stared out over the autumn elements and the worn leaves falling off the crowns of the trees caught her attention,

'' I thought he would, that's all. I hoped he would look for me.''

The valiant curl on her lips fell into a grievous line, '' I wished he would've come looking for me.''

Her tells left in an airy, slightly breaking note, '' He used to look for me, Teddy, every time I was in need — he would find me. Why didn't he do that now?''

Theodore's insides crumbled at her words. His heart suffered its beat for a brief moment because he watched the sun stroke against her skin, revealing the tears prickling in the quarter of her eyes,

'' You don't know that, besides, no one knows about this place, even if he was out there, looking for you. I highly doubt that he would find us here.'' Theo sought to comfort her as he placed a warm arm around her shoulders.

'' I'm sure he's waiting for you, Amelie. I mean, as you said — he wanted to keep you safe, why would he do that if he didn't—''

'' I don't know.'' She whispered, nearly holding her breath, not to let out the whimper she felt growing in the back of her throat, '' I really don't know.''

Theodore kept his eyes on her, holding her tightly in the bitter wind, '' Don't you worry, love. I'm sure he's looking for you.''

All she wanted to believe was that it was true. That he was looking for her, that he was searching to find her — even if she was safe, she needed him.

She needed the calm safety he brought.

'' I do.'' Theodore smiled as he peered down at her, '' I do know that he's looking for you. I truly think he is, love.''

And maybe he was, perhaps he wasn't.

It didn't matter to her because it didn't change how she felt.

Her heart still fluttered at the mere thought of Draco. Her blood flushed in warmth as she remembered how he treated her.

How he was gentle — kind.

Flashback to a night in the Malfoy Manor,

She was seated in the chair he had put out for her in the deserted room, and she was ready for another session of him searching the memories he believed she kept hidden from him.

" Are you ready?" Draco mumbled with his wand firmly hugged in his hand,

Amelie nodded. She wished to do anything she could to help him — even if this was draining her of everything,

" And you remember your safe word?" He asked her as he took a shoe closer.

" Blue."

Draco bowed his head, his shoulders tensed underneath the black suit jacket, " Then remember to use it if you have to."

She nodded again, and she kept her breath steady to gather the strength for what she knew would come.

The tips of her fingers tensed around the wood of the armrests, her nails dug into it.

'' Legilimens'' Draco spoke, making the bright light fume around her,

Amelie closed her eyes as her whole body tightened,

'' Does it feel right?'' Draco questioned her as he kept her eyes on her trembling figure,

'' It does.''

Her head clouded as he tried to break the walls around her haunted memories down, but what Draco didn't know was the fact that when he searched her mind — she could watch his.

And that tended to be the most painful part of this — not that he searched her head, but that she was allowed a piece of his.

Amelie sought to focus on the echoes in her own mind. The calling of her mother and father, the cursed relationship she had with Adrian, but nothing.

All she was able to see was his.

She watched as he raised his wand towards people before shouting the most unforgivable spell. She looked as he used the darkest of magic to harm other souls, all to prove himself to his father and the dark lord.

'' Amelie—'' Draco said, soothingly, in need to give her comfort, '' Think about your mother, Amelie.''

And she tried to. She truly did.

But all she could see was his mother — as he hugged her, as he held his mother close.

His mother meant the world to him. She lived to be the only person he honestly trusted more than anyone.

Her eyes flickered behind her eyelids as she spun around in the darkened room her mind was kept in.

She watched as Draco lowered his wand, away from a man seated in a chair,

Amelie flinched back at the voices she heard in her head, at the image of Voldemort approaching Draco.

'' Draco—'' Amelie whispered, all consumed in the memory she was seeing,

Voldemort patted his shoulder before giving it a gentle squeeze. He told Draco how good he had been doing, how talented he was interrogating people.

But as she watched Draco's memory, she could also see how terrified he was — how extremely frightened and scared he was of the dark lord.

'' Amelie, please.'' Draco mumbled from in front of her, '' Think about your mother.''

She nodded, but her mind stayed in the memory. She couldn't let it go — it kept her chained.

Voldemort stepped up to the man bounded in the chair before he gestured for Draco to join him, and he did. He walked up to them while holding his breath,

The dark lord whispered into Draco's ear, something Amelie couldn't hear, and with those words — Draco rose his wand towards the faceless man still tied to his seat,

Amelie felt her blood ice, her eyes squeezing shut harder, '' Draco. I don't want to do this anymore.'' She whispered, clenching her fingers around the wood,

'' Amelie, focus on your mother. Focus on her and let me in.'' Draco said again,

But she had no strength to do so. She still looked at the image of Draco holding his wand up against the man,

Amelie knew what she was about to witness, even if it was just a memory in Draco's head — her body shook, her breaths hitched — she was scared.

'' Draco, no, no, no.'' Amelie whimpered, and she tried to force her eyes open. She wanted to end this. She didn't want to see what he was about to do.

'' The safe word, Amelie,'' Draco grumbled, and she felt his hand on hers — yet her mind refused to let her go.

She still watched as Draco's wand was held close to the man, his fingers shakingly grasped around the timber,

'' Draco, stop!'' She screamed out as her hand grabbed his, '' Draco, please, please stop.''

'' The safe word, Amelie.'' His voice almost cracked in desperation.

He needed her to say it. He couldn't break the magic he held her in if she didn't utter the word they had agreed on.

Draco wasn't aware of what Amelie saw. He simply believed that she was thinking about her mother, that all of the memories of her was too much,

But in reality, Amelie watched Draco's haunted mind — the form of Draco in her head took a step back, aiming his wand entirely at the man, and just as he was about to shout the deadliest of spells,

'' BLUE,'' Amelie heaved, breaking free of the thought she was kept in, '' Blue, blue, blue,''

'' Finite,'' Draco shouted, allowing the bright swirl of light off her as she completely collapsed into the chair,

Her body trembled as her skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her eyelids felt more than heavy, and that simple memory of Draco harming someone almost took her out,

She didn't even wince by Draco's hands wrapping around her, lifting her up before placing himself in the chair, with her on his lap.

He held her closely, hugging her into his chest to calm her down — to give her exhausted mind some ease.

'' Sweetheart,'' Draco whispered into her hair, moving a large hand to stroke the tear rolling down her cheek — away, '' You're safe now, Amelie.''

Her breaths were ragged, her heart was beating out of control within the cage of her chest,

'' Draco—''

'' Shhh...'' He whispered again, '' It's alright, just breathe.''

" You're always safe with me, Amelie."

And she was. Her head fell against his chest as she dragged her knees up, fully giving herself to the boy holding her.

This was a painful moment for her as she realized what Draco had done in his past. That cruel, vicious act that he was capable of should be the cue for a sane person to leave — to not get more involved in the darkness she knew surrounded him,

But not for Amelie.

She felt his pain. She felt the weight of his heavy heart, and all she wanted to do — was to fix it.

_____

Her head shook at the remembrance of that night and how she missed being held in his protective arms. Even if she knew that it was real — that she was allowed to enter his mind when he searched hers,

It didn't feel real. It felt more than far away to her.

It felt to her as if she was falling in love with a memory.

She tried to keep her mind in check, to not let it flee to the blonde boy her skin craved, but it hurt.

It truly did.

Because it was always her, waiting for him.

Amelie forced herself off the bench, taking strides over the wooden deck, '' Let's not talk about him anymore." She smiled, heroically,

'' But what about my mother?'' Amelie kept her smile as she jumped down the stairs, strolling over the gravel-covered ground,

'' You said that you were thinking about my mother?''

She bent down as she picked the book she had left on the dried-up grass before walking closer to her best friend again.

'' I did—'' Theodore said, placing his hand in his lap as he fiddled with the edge of his shirt, '' I mean, I wanted to ask you how you were doing with that.''

'' With what?'' She stepped up the stairs again, looking curiously at Theo, '' With my mother?''

'' Yes—'' He held, watching as she slipped down next to him again, '' You haven't said anything about your mother.''

With the book firmly hugged to her chest, she looked up at him, '' What is there to say? She's alive. She's alive, and she left me when she knew what my father was capable of.''

Amelie was never the one to hold a grudge. She wasn't the one to be angry — to keep hate towards another soul, but she did now.

She couldn't in a million years understand why her mother had left her in the way she did; why she would leave her daughter with the monster, her father tended to be.

And Amelie was livid with that — that her mother had abandoned her in her gravest time in need.

But as the faithful, humane soul Amelie lived to be, there was still a glimpse of hope burning within.

A little dream that she had a reason for leaving, that her mother didn't abandon her without cause.

'' But Amelie—'' Theo called out for her, sinking down in his position to rest his head on her shoulder, '' I know this is hard for you, but I think we need to find out why she left. I think we need to figure all of this out before we jump to any conclusions.''

And how right he was. He was more than right.

She should be able to give her mother the benefit of the doubt and not level her with the thoughts of loath she held.

'' How are we supposed to do that?'' Amelie asked her friend, '' How are we supposed to find anything — I can't search minds, and neither can you. Only Draco was able to do that.''

A timid smile grew upon his lips as he jolted off his chair, '' No, but I have my herbs, and we have magic, Amelie.''

'' But I don't have my wand. Draco still has it.'' Amelie's sight fell over his best friend before hitting the ground, and once again, she felt hopeless in such a doing,

'' You don't need your wand, love. Take mine.'' Theodore stretched his hand for her to take, sending her a trustful look as he almost started to chuckle at the sight of her hat — how it nearly hung in her eyes at this point,

'' Are you sure about this?'' She asked him again, holding her breath as the evening sun lowered between the mountain tops, '' I mean — do you think this might work?''

'' We need to find your mother before anyone else does, Amelie.''

He was more than happy to finally being able to use his talent within healing to try and help the girl before him, as she looked at him with a glance of hope in her eyes.

This was the first time she had looked hopeful in days,

'' We need to at least try, don't you think?'' Theodore mumbled, still with his hand reaching out in the air,

'' We do.'' Amelie nodded, taking his hand as he pulled her after him — into the warmth safety of the cabin,

'' Then let's get to work.''

_____