_____

'' It's your mother.''

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Amelie Avery.

'' Amelie,'' Theodore yelled as he stormed after her, rushed steps over the gravel-covered ground echoed throughout every tree on the Malfoy property, '' Amelie, wait!''

She stopped as her heart beat roughly within. The strikes of disbelief tore through every flush of blood in her vessels.

She didn't want to do this anymore.

No matter what she did or didn't do. She was always the one ending up with a heart shattered into an infinity of pieces, and now,

Now she stood outside his manor, where he had kept her locked up for nearly two weeks, in the beginning, against her will and still,

Still, her mind was tortured by him, Draco, and what he had spoken to her.

'' Leave Amelie.''

'' I don't want you here.''

'' I used you.''

'' I don't need you anymore.''

Amelie deserved more, so much more, but that seems to be the thing harder than anything else for a girl who had walked through most of her life in violence.

She didn't know. She had no clue of what she deserved or not.

To her, it was both a blessing and a curse to feel everything so deeply.

'' For gods sakes, Amelie. Just wait,'' Theodore yelled again as the chilly autumn breeze scored against her bare skin, shivers fled her spine in the collusion of tears prickling her eyes.

'' I don't want to—,'' She stuttered, the highest pitch in her voice cracked, '' Take me away from here.''

Amelie stopped, her eyes shut close in the attempt to fight the salty liquid.

'' Just take me away from here.'' She spoke again, almost beneath her breath as Theodore stepped in front of her.

His hands moved to her cheeks as his warm thumbs stroked over the tear-stained skin.

He looked at her with such compassion, nearly as if he could feel her pain. How her heart repeatedly crippled for people who could never deserve her.

Her eyes fluttered open as a tear, a perfect, clear, tear rolled down the pale skin, '' Please, Teddy,'' Amelie begged him again, quietly.

Theo's hands wrapped around her shaking self, pulling her straight into his chest as he gripped his wand.

'' Anything for you,'' He whispered, before raising the wood in between his fingers.

'' Apparate.''

_____

Draco Malfoy.

He stood frozen in time as he caught the sound of wind swirling in a rough act outside.

Draco recognized the sound, she left.

She left him, and even if he told her to, almost demanding her to leave.

It hurt.

It hurt that the one person who brought out that little ounce of good in his haunted mind, the person he had hoped to be his redemption, left.

And he was all to blame for it.

The wind whirled through the front door as the curtains hanging gracefully over the massive windows wavered at the act, in a way her hair always did in the summer air.

The stands off hair falling over her shoulders always danced in the warm gust.

Draco shook his head, trying to shake the image of her out of his mind.

'' That was a reckless thing of you to do, son,'' His mother spoke softly, calming from feet away, '' She would've stayed with you.''

His head rose, looking straight at her as he swallowed.

'' I know she would've stayed. That's exactly why she had to leave.'' Draco mumbled, still haunted by the frame of her glued to his mind.

'' Then why, Draco? Why would you push her—'' His mother sought to speak.

'' Because she's not safe here. I can't focus when she's around. I—'' He hewed himself off, shutting his eyes closed. '' It had to be done sooner or later. I was foolish for keeping her here for as long as I did.''

Narcissa let out a muffled huff, slightly nodding to the words spoken by her son, '' That was truly selfless of you then, Draco.''

Her hand scored warm on his shoulder, making him flinch back at the sudden touch, '' I'm proud of you, Draco.''

'' Don't be,'' He snapped, shrugging his mother's touch off as he marched towards the front door. Severe steps clicked over the tile floor.

'' You may be a lot of things, mother, but being proud of me shouldn't be one of them.''

Draco's hand slammed against the timber, shoving the door shut before his fists struck against it, over and over and over.

His breaths ragged, the air in his lungs tightened at the thought of what he had done. He crumbled within, the skin coating his body suddenly felt chained, as if he was trapped in his own mind.

'' Draco,'' His mother tried to call out for him, to make him stop hurting himself, '' Draco, please,'' She begged.

He sucked in a harsh breath, feeling the warm scent of Amelie still lingering around him as he turned to face Narcissa.

His fingers stroked over the blood-stained knuckles, but it didn't hurt. Nothing could hurt more than what he had done moments earlier.

He had to forget about Amelie. That was the only way he could serve the dark lord properly, but how could he ever do that.

Forget someone so enchanting, mesmerizing, trapping,

Draco was never the one to be in contact with his feelings, to the emotions another human being would be, but he was with her.

The tears pooling in Narcissa's eyes brought him back to presence; her cheeks drained of color as she watched her son quietly fall apart in front of her.

'' No, mother,'' He sighed before taking urgent shoes up to her, " I'm sorry."

His arms placed around her utterly, hugging her trembling body straight into his chest. Draco held her, similar to how she used to hold him when he was the one in need of comfort.

'' I didn't mean to upset you,'' He mumbled into the colliding strands of blonde and brown hair, a cold hand swept over her back, soothingly stroking the soft fabric of her shirt.

'' Please don't be upset,'' He continued, holding her tightly for minutes. He felt her heart pounding, her breaths hitching with every sharp inhale, not to give in to her emotion.

'' I need to take care of our...'' Draco quieted down, rolling his tongue in the inside of his cheek before he tended away from her, '' Our guest.''

The grey eyes flickered up the stairs to the second floor, remembering how the boy who had been intruding their home still laid unconscious on the floor of his room.

'' Be careful, please.'' Narcissa pleaded as he withdraws from her touch completely, brushing a messy strand of hair off his forehead.

'' I will,'' He muttered as he stormed up the stairs, in the complete understanding that he just lied to his mother.

If anything — Draco would never be gentle with the boy who had hurt the girl he cared for so deeply.

_____

Amelie Avery.

With her knees drawn up to her chest, her arms hugging around them — she rested entirely still on the sofa. Her eyes held plastered on the flames sparkling in the fireplace in front of her.

Theodore had brought her to his family cabin, deeply buried in a forest not many souls knew about.

It was safe here; no one could bother them as they rested in the quiet peace of birds singing in the early dawn and the leaves shrugging against each other as the dusk settled.

She was safe here. She knew that, yet she couldn't help but flinch every time her best friend closed in on her, every time a fork dropped to the wooden floor, every time he mumbled something underneath his breath.

Her mind held restless, worn, nearly defeated by Draco's tries to work inside it, and he did.

He searched her mind to a point where she couldn't possibly reach on her own still it wasn't enough.

Still, she never found that hidden place she knew he sought to find. Amelie still had no grasp of what it was he needed from her or if he found it on his own.

She shouldn't care. She shouldn't bother.

She was safe here, with Theodore. The one person who had never once failed her in the years she spent on this earth.

'' A penny for your thoughts?'' Theodore's voice smoothly broke through the numb trance she found herself in.

Her head arched to gaze at the boy standing in the doorway with two cups of blue porcelain in his hands.

She didn't answer. She merely nodded as he stepped inside the living room, his neck lightly bent not to hit his head in the roof,

That was one of the many things she adored about this cabin — the structure of it.

Nearly something you could read about in the old dusty children's books.

Her hands reached in the air as she gently took the cup from her friend before falling back against the furniture, '' Thank you, Teddy.'' Amelie spoke, sending him a smile they both knew not to be a real one.

'' My pleasure,'' He smiled back. The dimples in his cheeks showed as her heart melted.

She had missed him so much, more than she ever believed in doing.

It was strange to her to be attached to another human being in a way that ached the second you weren't close to them.

The scent of honey her best friend brought was the one thing she always found comfort in, and now — here he was, sitting next to her, both of them a little more broken than the last time they saw each other.

Not that it mattered. The two best friends had a record of always gluing another back together.

Her head clocked towards the bright flames scoring low between the bricks; the scent of burnt wood soothed her senses as she stretched the porcelain up to her mouth, taking a sip of the tea.

'' It's supposed to rain tomorrow,'' Theodore broke the calming quietness, making her look at him as he sweetly chuckled.

'' I mean, we can go for a walk, maybe? Like we used to do?''

She smiled, huffing to herself as she shoved closer to him.

Her head on his shoulder, '' I'd love that,'' Amelie whispered, her fingers nervously twitched around the heated ceramics in her hands.

She wanted to ask him something. She needed to know why he was so upset with her back at the Malfoy manor, why he acted in a way he had never done before.

But she didn't want to ruin anything. She was scared to set him off, to make him leave just like every other person had left her before.

'' I just miss the scent of rain, grass, trees, all of it bound together, you know?'' Theodore kept going as he gently rested his head on hers, his arm settled over her legs.

'' Teddy—'' Amelie nearly choked up out of doubt,

His head rose as he tilted it, looking curios at her, '' Yes?''

Even her breaths were to be hesitant; the slight hitch as she sought to exhale made his brows furrow, his face twisted in a grimace.

'' What's wrong, Amelie?'' He asked her, shifting around in his seat to face her fully,

Amelie anxiously tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, looking down at her cup, '' Do you know something I don't?'' She asked, '' I mean, about me?''

Theodore's face fell into confusion as she looked up at him, her sight matched his, and the glint of guilt flashed through the green, honest eyes she always sought the truth in.

'' Such as?'' Theodore shot back, his tone slightly harsher, '' I don't know what you—''

'' I think you do,'' She cut him off, still staring straight at him, '' I think you do know, Teddy, and I think you're lying to me.''

His pink lips pushed into a firm line as he reached over to the coffee table, putting his cup down before leveling her again.

'' And I'm so tired of people lying to me, so please, Teddy. Please just be honest with me.''

He swallowed thickly at that, knowing that the words fleeing her throat were nothing more than reality.

Everyone always kept the girl in front of him, in the dark.

'' What do you want to know?'' He grumbled, '' I'll tell you anything you want to know.''

Amelie slowly nodded, '' Adrian,'' She spoke up, '' Did he tell you why he didn't want me to go with Draco? Before we left?''

Her hands tightened around the drink, she knew that something was suspicious about Adrian's actions that day, but Draco never answered her questions about that.

He did what he did best. He ignored it, every time she attempted to speak to the blonde boy about the other boy she had promised to marry.

He shut her out.

'' He did,'' Theo nodded, sending her a doubtful look.

'' Was it because he cared?'' Amelie questioned, feeling the restless feeling of wanting to know the truth, fume within, '' Or was it something else?''

Theodore hesitated. He tore his eyes from hers, staring down at the floor as he thought about what to say, how to put it.

Because he knew why Adrian wanted to protect her that day, but he also knew why Draco took her away.

He knew what he wanted from her. Adrian had told him, one night in the common room as he got in after a late-night walk — he found Adrian resting on one of the couches, with a glass of moonshine in his hand.

And that drink turned into two, three, five, seven.

Until Adrian was dizzy enough to open up and tell him everything he wished, he didn't know.

'' Something else,'' Theodore blurted out, still avoiding to face his best friend as he felt her eyes burn right through him.

'' What?'' She breathed out, her hand gripped his, '' Tell me what it is, Theodore.''

He knew that she deserved to know. It was her life, her future that was on the line, yet he held the understanding that his best friend had a heart, more fragile than any other, and what he was about to tell her,

Would break it, more than anything else had ever done.

'' He didn't care, Amelie,'' Theo sighed, his hands placed on his elbows, his head buried in his palms.

'' He wanted to protect you because of the vow. If something were to happen to you, or if you got hurt, or even worse—''

'' He does too,'' She finished for him, her vocals left in stutters, her voice airy, '' He wanted to save himself.''

'' Yes, he did,'' Theo confirmed what she feard so severely, '' He wanted to protect himself.''

Amelie didn't think the ache in her heart, the scoring pain pushing throughout her blood, could hurt any graver, but it did.

At this moment, it did.

Tears formed in her eyes as she blinked quickly to hide them. Her breaths fluttered, '' And Draco? Do you know what Draco wanted, which memory he was looking for?''

Theodore swallowed once again, his head shifted to look at her, '' I do, but I don't think it's a good idea—''

Her eyes grew wide, her skin ashen, '' Tell me.'' She nearly demanded, '' Tell me right now.''

He halted as his lips parted. He wanted to save her from this, and apparently — so did Draco; otherwise, he would've told her weeks ago.

But he didn't. He knew, just as Theodore knew, that this could live to be the end of her.

'' Please,'' Amelie begged, " Just tell me, please."

Her eyes shun in liquid as his jaws clenched. The battle he felt within nearly tore him in two,

He softly nodded, placing a hand on top of her shaking one.

''It's your mother, Amelie.''

''She's alive.''

_____