This chapter contains scenes of self-harm and emotional trauma. Please read with caution.

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" Mother?" Draco spoke, frightened; his hands dropped off my throat, making me gasp for air as I fell to the ground, striving to catch my breath.

Draco's eyes flickered down to my struggling body, and he immediately kneeled beside me, wrapping his hands around my figure — helping me stand straight,

" Draco? What on gods earth are you doing?" Narcissa snapped, marching towards the both of us. " Why would you speak such coarse language to her?''

''Are you out of your mind, son?"

Draco helped me inside my room again, and as soon as his mother closed the door behind us, I pushed him away from me, provoking him to flounder back, his furious stare bored through mine,

" Well?" Narcissa spoke again, " Will either of you explain to me what this is all about?" Her eyes caught to Draco's, sending him a severe look, " What are you doing here, Draco? It's after—,"

" It's my fault, " I uttered, cutting her words off, the both of them turned as I hunched down on my bed, " I played a stunt on Draco earlier and—,"

"Leiah, it's not acceptable to lie. I thought you better than to be dishonest with me." She lectured. My face twisted in embarrassment, feeling my veins wince as she caught me lying,

" Draco, do you care to tell me what you are doing here, in the middle of the night?''

The blonde boy's stare rushed between his mother's eyes and mine before he rolled his, sanctioning a loud huff, taking place next to me on my bed as my heart sped by his thigh brushing against mine,

" She was with Pucey," He sighed, my eyes grew wide in disbelief at his words, my entire frame turns to him,

" And the only reason Pucey was with her was to get back at me for spending time with Pansy."

My heart dropped to the floor as those words left his lips, my eyes pooled as I looked away from his sharp features,

I caught Narcissa and her son arguing, but I couldn't hear a word of what they yelled,

I knew Adrian was too good to be true,

He used me,

Just like everyone else did. 

And then, it hits me,

Adrian kissed me the first time, in front of Pansy.

He wanted to leave dinner, when he placed his eyes on her.

He later kissed me in the hallway, when she saw us.

And then, he told the whole quidditch team that we slept together because he knew that they would say it to her.

I clocked out of my thoughts the instant I sensed Draco's hand reaching mine; his cold grip shelters around my warm one. He braided our fingers together between our thighs, not for his mother to see.

And at this moment — I didn't care. I didn't try to force his hand away. I simply allowed him to hold my hand, to be here for me,

I wished to be mad at Draco. I wanted to shout and scream at him for not being honest about Adrian. I desired to push him away and keep pushing, shoving, hitting him to let Adrian grow close to me,

But I couldn't do that,

I couldn't be angry with him.

Because he did this for me, he didn't want to break me one more time. He tried saving me from the pain of finding out, and I can't hold that against him,

I would've done the same thing.

Once again, he sought to protect me. It made it more than challenging for me to hate him,

" Why would he try to use Leiah against you, Draco?" Narcissa asked, perching down on my chair as my sights locked up to hers. She's shaking her head at the both of us. Her brown hair strands collided with the blond ones, working to figure out how all of this happened,

" I could never in a hundred years understand why Adrian would do that, Draco. If he wanted to take revenge on you, why would he involve Leiah?"

I caught Draco gulping thickly, clearing his throat as his fingers tensed around mine, " Because I —, " He stuttered before his whole face shifted in attitude, blue eyes grew wide,

" Why does that matter, mother?" He seethed, missing his temper by his mother's questions,

" Why don't you tell me what you're doing in her dorm at this hour — does father know—,"

" Draco, " She hewed him off softly, learning how her son's temper is about to explode. She looked at me with pleading eyes, begging me not to reveal what she informed me of earlier.

I had always known that she didn't want to involve Draco with the dark lord, and I would do anything not to bring him into this,

" I was coming here to deliver a letter her mother sent, and I felt required to give it to her as soon as possible."

" Your father doesn't know, Draco. I would appreciate it if we keep it that way. Is that understood?"

Draco stiffly nodded his head at her — my sights catch down to the hand that isn't holding mine, his fingers fiddled with his rings, he's anxious,

I could tell.

Every time he felt pressured, or if something lived to be difficult for him, he starts fiddling with his rings — he always has,

''Leiah, please.'' She begged, rising from her seat to grant me the letter. I hesitatingly look at her, feeling Draco's hold slipping out of mine, peering over to him, jaws clenched, his blue eyes bolted to the ground.

'' She hurled it late last night, but because of—,'' She resisted, her sights widened when Draco glanced up at her with a doubtful stare, '' Because of certain events. I allowed all your mail to be addressed to me,''

I nodded as I strained myself off my bed, using slow steps towards her. She spun around with the letter in her hands, and by the sight of it, the way the blue envelope shone in the dimmed lights — my eyes started to water,

It really was my mother.

Narcissa's palm stroked my cheek for a spare moment, heeding the look on my face. I met her kind eyes, and she smiles, the way only she smiles, causing the warmth to spread through every nerve in my body as she folds her arms around me, holding me close,

'' You know how powerful you are, love. Don't let anyone take that away from you.'' She whispered into my head before she pulled back, walking past me to hold her son goodbye,

'' I will be back soon, my dear.'' She told, granting me the most gracious of looks before she let Draco go, quickly opening my door, and with that, she left.

I turned to Draco. He let out a muffled huff before throwing himself onto my bed again, letting his hands rest underneath his head — staring up at the ceiling,

'' Why are you behaving like this? I thought your mother was safe?'' His face twisted in confusion as I gaze over at him with an astonished look,

'' I—,''

''She's—,'' I stuttered before lowering my sights to the envelope in my hands, thinking about my mother's safety,

I'm not supposed to tell him.

I knew that,

'' She is, she's just—,''- and the instant I said those words - he sucked in a sharp breath, noticing the beat I'm untruthful,

'' Don't lie to me,'' He growled,

'' I thought mother told you not to lie,''

He pushed himself off my bed, taking long strides up to me, '' Tell me, right now. I know you've been hiding things from me, ''

For every step he takes towards me — I catch one back, terrified to tell him that my mother isn't safe, that she's still in hiding, and that his own mother doesn't trust him, but I can't.

I can't do that to him,

I don't want to.

'' Draco, please, trust me with this.'' I begged, still taking traces back from him, faltering into my desk behind me, '' Draco—,''

He mounted over me, his tensed chest panting heavily out of violence, nostrils flaring, '' Trust you?'' He yells with his eyes narrowed,

'' How the fuck am I supposed to trust you?'' He seethed, placing a hand on each side of me, his fists clenched around the corners of the counter.

'' You want me to trust you?''

He favored even closer, his cologne filled the space between us, making me shove myself up on the desk, as he strides in between my legs,

" Then stop lying, every fucking chance you get,"

His breaths fanned my pale skin, allowing my gaze to study his looks, his eyes are burning in rage, lips squeezed into a firm line,

" I'm—, I'm not lying, " I lied, holding on to my letter,

" You're not? " His eyes widened, raising a brow at me, " Then read the fucking letter, "

I froze, in complete disbelief of what to do — he snatched my wrist, bending it up between us, the letter glued to my hand as he stared at it, before looking back at me, '' Well, go on—,''

I shook my head, swallowing the sinking feeling that kept washing over me, '' I can't do that, Draco—,''

He scoffed at my words, his hands moved to my cheeks, cupping them roughly to bend my head back. His face held an intense gaze, filled with anger — but his eyes were soft, empathy shattering through the concrete surface,

'' Tell me, you can trust me with this. You know you can.''

His words scored straight through my soul,

He usually spoke to me with hatred and spite, but this — this was calm and truthful,

He meant it.

'' My mother, she's—,''

'' She's still—,'' I breathed out, knowing that I one day was going to regret this,

'' She's still in hiding, and I couldn't tell you, because your father—,'' I spoke, fast, blurring everything out,

'' My father? He knows about this?'' He bites back harshly without giving me the possibility to conclude, blue eyes narrowed in mine as I nodded, not wanting to betray Narcissa's trust more than I already had,

'' That explains it,''

His face fell, so did his demeanor; he impatiently started pacing through my room, his hands towed his sleek blond hair back even more by every strode.

'' This is my fault—, ''

'' This is my fault—,''

'' This is my fault—,''

I caught the panic breaking through his slight voice, '' This is my fucking fault—,''

'' Draco, what are you talking about?'' I tried to get to him, leaping off the desk to make my way over to his panicking figure, but as soon as I laid my hands on his shaking frame, he pushes me away,

'' Don't fucking touch me,''

I flinch back, '' Draco, stop, please—,'' I pleaded,

His breaths grew more massive each second, his hands still hauling his hair, and his sights are bored to the ground,

'' Draco, stop, this isn't your fault,'' I shouted, making his eyes snap to mine before he shoves me back,

My back collided with the door behind me, '' This is my fucking fault, you filthy—,'' He scowled into my shocked figure, brows furrowed at his words,

'' Then fucking tell me, Draco, tell me what you did—,''

He gawked at me in silence, his hands planted on each side of me, trapping me in.

'' I did this—, '' He gasped, '' I fucking did this,''

The blonde boy held his breath for several seconds before letting his head fall to the crook of my neck; his body is quivering and without knowledge of what I was doing,

I wrapped my arms around his figure, allowing him to be vulnerable for me, letting him let it all out, and he does,

He cried into my skin, causing me to flinch, with him glued in my grip. His voice broke, his lungs missed air as he lets his hands off the wall, sneaking their way around my waist, drawing me even closer,

I felt his fanning breaths on my neck as he holds on to me tightly.

My heart shattered for him,

If there's anything Draco knows much of — it's how complicated family can be. His father never loved him, not the way his mother did,

Not in the way he wished for him to do,

We stand there, both of us petrified by what's passing, and after a while, he stepped back, too ashamed to meet my stare,

" Read the letter, " He demanded, hunching down on my bed again, burying his head into his hands,

And without hesitation,

I do,

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