This chapter contains the mention of drugs. Please read with caution. 

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Her eyelids flickered, her head pounded in hurt as she felt the soft fabric of the sheets rub against the tips of her fingers.

Navy sucked in a harsh breath through her nose, licking her lower lip at the dry taste in her mouth.

''She's awake.'' The soothing voice spoke from beside her. She tried to recollect where she had heard it before but to no use.

Her body felt numb. Her arms were weak as she sought to prop herself up on her elbows, but the instant she did — her limbs failed her, and she slipped down onto the mattress again.

''No, Navy—'' The voice called out for her, gently pushing her back against the bed, ''Don't do that, just rest. You need to rest.''

Navy's head bowed before falling back against the pillow again. Her head ached as her veins pounded, but she couldn't stay awake. All she craved to do was to sleep.

Navy wrestled between the world of reality and her unconscious state for days. Her body had no strength in working against the drugs she had ingested, and the amount of the pills she took knocked her out completely.

For days and days, her friends and her brother took turns in sitting next to her and to keep an eye on the girl who was unconscious.

She didn't know that this would happen. She didn't want it to.

All she wished for when she slapped the hand full of pills down her throat was an hour or two of relief, not to overwhelm herself with the substance — and that was, to her friends, a scary thing.

They had been talking to each other during the days of Navy absence, and they all agreed on the fact that Navy shouldn't be included when it comes to drugs. It was too dangerous for her. She was too new at this, and to take the amount she did — could've been her death.

As the days passed and her body slowly recovered, her mind leisurely crawled back to being. It took time and effort, but she was getting there.

''It's been five days, William. We should do something,'' Pansy whispered over the hospital bed, her hand placed on Navy's, ''I mean, she nearly woke up once, but then, nothing. Are you sure that we shouldn't contact your parents—''

''No.'' William shot back, stretching his spine in the wooden chair he was seated in, ''We agreed never to bring our parents into any of this.''

''That might have been a good idea when she wasn't lying on a fucking hospital bed—''

''Don't go there. This wasn't my fault. I have no idea where she could've gotten those drugs, alright? Stop with the fucking comments. She's my sister, and this is my decision.'' William spat at the brunette, making her brows furrow, ''If our parents find out... no. I say no, Pans.''

Pansy forced her chair back, shaking her head at the boy before stepping over the floor, ''Well — it's the wrong decision, Will, and I hope for your sake that she'll be waking up soon, or I'll be contacting your parents with or without you.''

Her steps echoed louder away as she kept on walking, ''Where the fuck are you going?''

''To get Malfoy. He can cover the next shift. I'm not spending another minute with you in here.'' Pansy hewed William off before she stormed out of the infirmary.

Will's eyes rolled. His breaths lightly fanned his sister's arm as he bent down, placing his chin on her hand. His eyes fell so gently over her, his hand stretched up to push a strand of hair away from her forehead.

''I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?'' He whispered, ''I'm doing the right thing. They can't know about this. Mom and dad can't know. We both know that. They would lose their minds over this, Naves.''

William's eyes pinched shut, and his insides wrenched in guilt, ''Why the fuck would you do that, Navy? Why would you take those pills?'' He kept on mumbling to his unconscious sister, ''I don't understand why you would do that. What was so bad that you couldn't have talked to me? We talk about everything, Naves.''

Huffing out, he shook his head, ''I know what he did, and I just wished—''

The black strands of hair fell over his eyebrows as his head shook once more, ''Damn it, Navy. Why didn't you come to me?''

The husky tones in his voice cracked at the misery he found himself in, and for minutes he stayed like that, by her side through it all, just like he had done her whole life.

A heavy breath trembled Navy's lips as her head fell unexpectedly to the side. The act made William jolt back in his seat, starring frightening at his sister.

Still nothing.

She yet remained deeply in her sleep.

He sighed, ''Just wake up. Please just wake up, damn it.'' His hands grasped at her arm, slightly shaking it, ''Don't do this to me, Naves. I need you to wake up. The nurse says you'll be fine, but I need you to wake up.''

''William.''

Draco's voice scored low from the entrance of the hospital wing, making her brother shift around and greet the blond one with a stern nod. ''Malfoy.''

Draco walked around the bed, slipping down onto the chair Pansy rested on before she marched out.

The two boys held in complete silence for several minutes, both of them watched Navy as her chest rose and fell gently.

''You know—'' Draco cleared his throat, ''If you need to go eat something or just take a walk, I can stay with her until you come back.''

William's eyes snapped to Draco's grey ones, and the look of concern in them made his tense shoulders drop.

''It looks like you need it.'' The blond one's head tilted towards Will, noticing the purple circles underneath his eyes, ''Just for a minute, mate. She'll still be here when you get back.''

William's mouth twitched, the corner of it dragged out in hesitation, ''I don't know, what if she wakes up—''

''Then you'll be the first person I'll send for, but you're not doing her any good by not eating. Just go, and I'll stay here with her.'' Draco muttered, his arms crossed over his chest as his legs held long in front of him. His white shirt tensed around his shoulders, nearly popping the seams.

''Fine, but don't you dare take your eyes off her,'' William grumbled, forcing his chair back to stand up. He rose a dangerous finger up to the door, ''And don't let that bloody Nott in here, or I swear to God—''

''For fucks sake,'' Draco rolled his eyes, '' Of course, I won't.''

He wouldn't. Draco hadn't been able to give his mind an ounce of rest since Pansy found Navy in that intoxicated state on her bed. All they came to do was to check up on her after she found Theodore and Clara together, only to find her lost in the remedy she had been taking.

He felt guilty. Draco could've done more to stop her from finding them, but some part of him wanted her to catch them.

He wanted Navy to see what he knew her boyfriend was up to. He didn't want to do that to her, but he couldn't stand lying to her anymore.

That's why every time Draco and Navy had been intimate with each other. He didn't feel at fault. He didn't feel as he betrayed Theodore by doing so because he knew that Theo had done worse to her.

It still didn't make it right. He knew that.

None of this was right. He'd treated her horribly, and he never wished for this.

He never believed that Navy would actually harm herself in the process. He felt so at fault for everything.

As he always made sure to tell her, he didn't care, but these weeks, these short months of him getting to know her, getting to know her body, had been more than breathtaking to him.

He enjoyed the hunt for someone who wasn't his, but he would change it all to avoid this outcome.

He did care. He did care for the girl whose body he desired, for the girl whose mind was so beautifully untouched.

He cared, and he would never admit to it.

Draco's head shook, trying to distance himself from the disgust he left growing within.

He felt sick with himself because he always treated her as an object, as a piece of property belonging to him, rather than serving her as the adorable, kind girl he knew she was.

He swallowed the remorse, looking up at her brother, who still stood on the other side of the bed, debating whether he should leave or not.

William hesitated again, delaying as he peered down at his sister's resting figure.

''For fucks sake, William, just go.'' Draco rose a hand towards him, gesturing towards the door, ''She'll be fine with me, I promise.''

''Oh?'' William bit his own tongue, but that didn't stop him from speaking what he wished to, ''She'll be fine with you now? Weren't you the one who let her—''

''Enough.'' Draco shot up from his chair. Anger flicked his grey eyes, ''Just go.''

William narrowed his eyes at the boy before flinging around, and just like Pansy had done, he stormed out of the hospital wing.

Draco flopped back down, dragging his seat closer to the edge of her bed, and he did something he usually wouldn't do — he shyly took her hand in his.

His thumb rubbed circles over the spine of it gently and carefully. He didn't want to disturb her in any way. He just wanted to comfort her, even if she was asleep.

''You know—'' Draco whispered, leaning so close that he could smell the sweet scent of her, ''You're more than just your body, White. I didn't... I didn't mean to ruin you like this.''

He made sure to talk as low as he possibly could, in case someone could've heard him, ''You are so much more than just your body. I know I said... mean things. I know I act fucking stupid sometimes, but you are so much more than just sex to me.''

Draco kept stroking her hand, looking up at her calmly resting features, ''And it would be good if you could wake up, so you can tell me what you want me to do about that filthy boyfriend of yours.''

He let out a dark chuckle from the back of his throat. He sounded nervous, almost, ''Or if you could just wake up so that I can kiss you properly.''

Draco felt a flush of color on his cheeks as he said that, nearly becoming shy, ''I didn't get the chance to kiss you properly, and I'd like to do that... If you'll let me.''

He regretted it. The fact that he never kissed her in the way she deserved to be kissed. The fact that he barely even addressed her by her first name.

''I'd like to do a lot of things with you, White... I'd like you to break up with that fucking bastard so I can take you out on a proper date, and I'd like us to do more than what we've done... I want to do more... With you.''

He looked down at her hand for so a second, and as he looked back up, Draco flew back.

He flinched as his eyes grew wide at the look of her lashes battling her sleep, her hand shifting in his grip to hold him like he'd been holding hers.

''White?'' He breathed, staring confusingly at her, ''White, say something—''

She coughed with her eyes slightly peeling open, and she turned her head to face him. His heart pounded roughly within at the look of her. Even now, she was so breathtaking to him.

Her words left her tongue airy, weak, ''You'd like a lot—'' Another cough hushed her talking before she stilled, looking at him, ''You'd like a lot of things, Malfoy.''

He tried not to show it. He tried to push his lips tight and roll his eyes at her, but he couldn't. He couldn't hide the arch forming on his lips, ''You heard that, yeah?''

She smiled so weakly, and her gaze flickered to their tangled fingers, ''I did.''

Draco still couldn't understand that she was awake. It took him moments to let it sink in as he bent forward, his hand refusing to let go of hers, ''I'm happy you did.''

Navy closed her eyes, smiling a little broader despite the pain coursing through her, ''I'm happy I did too.''

He smiled as he looked away, and that feverish color was back on his cheeks. 

Navy woke up, and he'd never take his eyes off of her now. 

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