TRAINING WHEELS

DRACO'S TREE

19th November 1997

After three days of constant downpour, the English weather finally decided to give its land a break. Draco woke up to the sound of birds twittering about outside and footsteps in the corridor. He pushed himself up from his bed, running a hand through his hair as he headed for it, lazily pulling it open. The hushed murmurs stopped as Narcissa and Bellatrix snapped their necks to look at him.

"Good morning," Draco muttered sarcastically. "Is there a reason you are making so much noise outside my bedroom at seven in the morning?"

Narcissa sent her son a small glare. "Watch your tone, Draco. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Bella and I were just about to ask if you would like to come shopping with us. It would be good for you to leave this house."

Draco's nose scrunched up a little bit. "I'm fine, thank you," he said. "I'll be sure to get some fresh air later, though."

He moved to close the bedroom door when Bellatrix stuck her foot in the way, prying it open with her hands and a twisted  grin on her face. She cackled loudly.

"How is Potter's bitch?" Bellatrix practically squealed, tone dripping with eagerness. "I'd be more than happy to help you take care of her, Draco."

Draco tensed ever so slightly. "She's... fine. I can deal with her, thanks, Aunt Bella."

"Just remember!" Bellatrix called as Draco began to shut the door for a second time. "Five seconds of the Cruciatus Curse rarely ever does irreversible damage and it's very effective!"

"Noted," Draco muttered as the door closed. It wasn't Amora he would be using it on, though.

He was happy to hear their footsteps retreat as he made his way over to his bathroom and got ready for the day. With everybody out today, and the weather finally having cleared up, Draco knew today would be the day he could take Amora outside. He knew she would enjoy it.

He got dressed and headed down to the kitchens, moving past the house elves who were starting to tidy away their mess from making others' breakfasts. Draco decided that today Amora would be having an almond croissant and some fruit. He accompanied it with some sort of cinnamon coffee and placed it on a tray to take up with him.

Draco found her sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair wet as she pulled up her knee socks. They must have been a part of her school uniform because he hadn't given them to her. She also wore a black skirt and that same jumper. He made a mental note to find some more so she didn't get depressed with the routine.

Draco was trying to figure a way to get her out - he really was. So long as Harry was out of sight though, Amora was safe. And Draco couldn't risk setting Amora free and getting his mother hurt as a consequence. He'd do it in a heartbeat if it meant only he would suffer the consequences, but his mother was a different story.

"A croissant." Amora perked up.

"It's almond flavoured," Draco said, placing it beside her as he took out his wand and wordlessly dried her hair. "And the coffee has cinnamon inside of it. It's too sweet for me, but I know how you like everything like that."

Amora smiled slightly. "Thank you, Draco."

She finished it up quickly and then Draco was dragging her back out of the room. He led her to some wide doors downstairs that overlooked a huge garden. As soon as he opened it, Amora shivered. It was only morning and the air was still bitter.

"Wait here," Draco muttered and moved further back into the house.

He came back a few seconds later with a coat. It was quite large and as soon as she put it on she realised that it definitely belonged to him. Draco wore a different one, the same black colour of course, and then they left the house. The patio was home to a fountain as well as other statues, and had a pathway that stretched so far down Amora couldn't see the end.

Amora was about to say it was like one of those gardens that rich manors had, and then she realised that was exactly what it was like. They walked past rose gardens and benches and koi ponds and passed white peacocks minding their own business. Draco led her to the bottom of the garden, revealing a large field.

"Muggles can't see any of this," Draco said, and then pointed to the back of the field where there were trees and bushes. "There are wards about there that stop people coming in. When I was younger, I could never leave either. Father was always worried I'd go exploring too far and end up with the Muggles."

"Is this close to a town, then?" Amora asked him, her breath creating white wisps in the cool air.

"I think so. I've never been. I know there's a long road back there, and I think some more woods," Draco explained, "But there must be something nearby."

"And this is where you'd play Quidditch?" Amora asked, glancing around the huge area.

"Everyday I could," Draco nodded. "It's where I spent a lot of my time. You see that tree back there? I'd go read in the shade when I was tired or wanted to eat lunch, and then I was off again."

Amora smiled at the thought of a young Draco sitting back there, his nose buried in a book. He grasped her hand without warning and started to lead her over. Their feet crunched on the grass which was frosty from the cold weather. Any long strands seemed to brush her ankles and make them damp.

They made it over and Draco's hand moved to the trunk of the tree. His thumb skimmed something.

"I did this right before I left for Hogwarts," he said. "So nobody else could sit here. So it would be mine forever."

Carved into the tree were his initials. D.M. It was slightly ragged, but obvious.

"You've never told me about this place," Amora said with an absent-minded frown.

"It's not important to me anymore," Draco admitted, "It was more... a selfish thing. Something I wanted to possess. Not necessarily a place I loved."

"I see," Amora hummed and inhaled deeply, appreciating how fresh everything felt.

"If you stay right here, I can get us a blanket to sit on," Draco said, scratching the back of his neck as he peered down at her. "I'll bring the book on your bedside table. We'll read together."

Amora gave a small nod. "Okay. I'll be here."Draco went to leave when she grabbed his wrist. "You promise nobody is home? Nobody will come out and see me here?"

"I swear," Draco reassured her. "You're safe."

Amora nearly scoffed at his words as he left. Safe was a bit of a strange word to use when she was being held captive at Malfoy Manor by the darkest wizard to come from Britain. Draco's hurried footsteps took him past the rose bushes and out of Amora's line of vision. She turned and placed her hand where he had carved his initials as a child.

He must have been about the height it was carved at. It was around her shoulders. Amora's heart skipped a beat as she, again, imagined young Draco. A Draco she had yet to meet, and one she certainly wouldn't have gotten along with. And now he was a man - a six foot three, broad-shouldered, smirking man - and she just wanted to grab him and make little Dracos and little Amoras with him.

In her head, she imagined them in a home like Buckley Cottage - but bigger and less cold. Their bedroom would be a combination of both their tastes, just like the rest of their home. Thanks to Draco's money, their children could have whatever their hearts desired. She imagined Draco wanting to spoil them whilst Amora wanted to keep them humble. She thought of sleeping curled up in Draco's arms peacefully only for the pitter patter of small feet waking them up as their child slipped in between them.

Amora shook the thought out of her head. She'd never had that one before. Children had never been something Amora thought about too much, but Narcissa's comment seemed to stir something inside of her. Months ago, Amora thought they'd had all the time in the world to love each other, but she couldn't have been more wrong.

"Deep in thought?"

Amora jumped, clutching her chest and sending Draco a small glare. He sent her a teasing grin, that flash of white teeth that had her practically melting, as he placed the blanket on the ground beside the tree.

"Let me know if you get too cold," Draco said, settling down on top of it and patting the space near him. "We can go back inside."

"Okay," Amora murmured, taking a seat.

Her legs crossed as she accepted the book from Draco and started to read. For a little bit, all she could do was blush and steal glances at the blond boy as she thought of her daydream, but she soon got immersed into her fictional universe. It didn't last too long though, for her body began to involuntarily shiver in the cold later - even if she was wrapped up in one of Draco's coats.

"You're cold," Draco acknowledged as he began to get up.

"No," Amora denied, grasping the sleeve of his coat and pulling him back down. "I'm fine. Seriously. Sun's just gone behind the clouds."

"The sky is one big cloud, in case you haven't noticed," Draco chuckled, glancing up at the sea of grey. It was true - it looked like the world had been painted that colour.

"Well, I want to stay," Amora complained. "Even if it's a bit chilly. Please?"

"You're shaking," he pointed out.

A sudden thought popped into Amora's head. It would be violating Narcissa's wishes completely, but wasn't this whole ordeal not platonic? She was sure Draco wouldn't go through all of this trouble for Theo or the others, no matter how much he loved them. He wouldn't sit on blankets and read books under the tree he loved as a child after serving them breakfast food he had personally made.

"We could do our penguin thing," Amora blurted.

Draco froze. His lanky hand paused from where it was about to pull up one corner of the blanket and he pursed his lips for a moment and then turned to face her, his eyes incredibly soft, his jaw slightly clenched.

"Are you suggesting we huddle together?" Draco repeated the very words he had uttered when they were fourteen, and Amora felt her heart skip a beat.

"Yes. Well, I'm insisting on it, actually," Amora replied confidently, leaning her back against the trunk of the tree and budging up to make room for him. "Please, Draco."

The Malfoy boy ditched what he had been doing and moved over to her. He sat so close that their bodies touched, his arm moving to wrap around her. Amora's head was brought onto his chest as he locked around her, and she swore to Merlin that she hadn't felt so... completed in such a long time. Draco exhaled loudly from above her.

"Is this okay?" Amora murmured.

"This is..." Draco hesitated. "This is perfect."

D.M + A.B

29th November 1997

Every time the manor was empty, Draco took Amora to the tree. In his head, he always referred to it as their tree rather than just his tree now. He always brought blankets and coats and scarfs and a book each, and they continued to do their penguin thing. They didn't even have to say anything - they just gravitated towards each other like magnets.

Soon, it would be too cold for them to go out anymore, so they made the most of it. Amora enjoyed the fresh air and the break of routine, and Draco liked to see some colour on her skin which had paled incredibly since being kept inside for just over a month now. He adored the way her nose and cheeks went pink, borderline red, and how her eyes looked so glossy.

Today, Draco had taken her down their tree with a small knife in his hands. Amora had raised her eyebrows at it but trusted that he wasn't taking her down there to brutally murder her or anything and followed.

"I want you to carve your initials," Draco said, handing the knife over to her.

Amora furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at the weapon in her hands. "Huh?"

"With mine," he said. "I want both of our initials to be here. This is our tree now."

Her breath hitched and she glanced up at him. "Really? What if someone sees it?"

"Nobody but my mother really comes down here," he told her. "And even if she was to see it... well, she likes you, Amora. She wouldn't tell anyone either."

Amora thought of Narcissa's words and knew she shouldn't. However, that didn't stop her. When Draco Malfoy hands you a knife and asks you to carve your initials next to his in the tree he sat under as a child, you just do it.

"Is it going to be Buckley or Diggory?" Draco asked her as she placed the tip of the blade against the trunk.

Amora froze for a moment. "I think..." She said, "There is nothing in a name. I've been Amora Buckley my entire life - I'm not going to let anyone take that away from me."

It took her a moment to adjust herself to really dig the knife in, but once she had, she managed to slowly, but surely, add her initials to Draco's. He smiled slightly as he took the knife off of her, ducking down to add a '+' in between them.

"Look at that," Draco whistled. "Perfect."

D.M + A.B

"What do you think the others are up to right now?" Amora asked when they sat beside each other later, holding their books as well as each other.

Draco scoffed a little. "Probably arguing and tearing each other apart."

"I don't know. They seemed to be getting along much better this year," Amora hummed. "I hope Kathy is okay, though. Her and Pansy still weren't talking when I... left. And now Leon's, er, gone too."

There was a sad look on her face and Draco reached across to smooth his thumb against her frown lines.

"I'm sure Redsoft is doing fine. And as for Holloway..." Draco sighed heavily. "He... Well, I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted to leave this world any other way, Amora. He cared about you so much, even if he had a funny way of showing it sometimes."

Amora frowned to herself, her grip tightening ever so slightly on her book. "It's just not fair. He took the blame for me and now he's dead. And... I told him we could work on mending our friendship, and I never got to tell him that... I don't know. That he meant a lot to me."

Draco shifted a little. It was obvious that he was uncomfortable. Like he didn't want to say the wrong thing, or he didn't even know where to begin. Amora knew that Draco still didn't like Leon at all, but she appreciated that he was keeping quiet to preserve her feelings.

"I'm sure he knew, darling," Draco said, the pet name slipping out as naturally as her first name. "And I'm sure you were his best friend in the entire world."

Amora smiled sadly before her eyes slightly widened. She realised what he had called her and she couldn't stop the warmth creeping up her neck and spreading all the way past her cheeks to her ears. Narcissa would not be happy with what was going on, but Amora certainly was.

Selfishly too. She knew how dangerous it was for them to get close again like this. She should say something, but Draco knew exactly what he was doing. Draco wasn't stupid - he knew this wasn't safe as much as she did.

"Draco... There's another thing that's been playing on my mind a lot recently."

The blond boy sat up slightly, his back straighter, his face more concerned and yet his eyes more eager.

"Yes?"

"It's about my mother," Amora admitted and she saw his lips purse together. "I keep thinking about how much she lied to me. You know, about my dad. It makes me so incredibly angry and frustrated, but... do you think it's wrong for me to feel that way? I mean, she's dead. Whenever I feel mad at her, I also end up feeling incredibly guilty, because... well, she's my mum and I miss her."

Draco thought for a moment. "I think it's okay to still be angry at her. Anybody would be. I'm sure though that there are things she planned on telling you that she never got round to doing. So maybe learning to be at peace with it is best."

Amora released a loud sigh. "Merlin, Draco. When did you become so wise? It's like everything you said has come from some sort of self-help book."

"I've had a lot of reflection time over the past few months," Draco replied, his face straining as if he was trying to add a smile to ease the tension. "The truth is, Amora, you can't help how you feel. You're allowed to be mad and I'm pretty sure your mother would have expected that from you."

"Yeah," Amora mumbled, playing with the sleeve of her own jumper. "I just..."

Draco watched her try to think for a few moments, her brain wracking for the right words. "Wish things had been different?" He finished.

"Exactly."

"If you're feeling a bit down we can go back inside," Draco suggested. "We don't have to sit out here in the cold."

Truthfully, Amora was feeling a bit down. She missed being free and using her magic and spending time with her friends. She wished she could go back to before all of this happened. She took her old life for granted. Amora swore to Merlin that if she ever got out of Malfoy Manor alive then she would never complain about things like homework or arguments with friends again. All of those things were temporary and could be fixed.

Every night Amora went to sleep not knowing if the next day would be her last, or if she would be woken in the night by Voldemort telling her that they had found Harry.

"No, I'm fine," Amora brushed him off. "I just... Maybe we could make hot chocolates or something? We could drink them out here and... I don't know. It's stupid."

"No, it's not stupid." Draco shook his head. "I get it. It will be fun and... normality is probably key right now. You wait here and I'll go get us some hot chocolates."

He began to climb up when Amora grasped his hand, or more so his fingers. "Wait. Can I come and make them with you?"

Draco frowned a little, his brows furrowing. "Er... I'm not sure, Amora. The kitchens are full of our oldest house elves who are incredibly loyal to my father, some that have been in the Black family or Malfoy family for so many years that -"

"I get it," Amora cut him off. "That's okay. You go and get the hot chocolates, then. I'll wait here. And I expect as many marshmallows as will fit in one mug."

"Why of course," Draco agreed. "The best for the best."

Amora rolled her eyes and shoved him. "Hurry up before you make me sick."

Draco chuckled and shook his head before he headed in the direction of the house. She watched his figure disappear all the way past the rose bushes and then turned to look up at the tree. She stood, skimming her fingers over the new markings. D.M + A.B. Amora loved it.

Looking past the tree, there were more woods. She remembered Draco talking about not really knowing too much about what was on the other side, and curiosity got the better of her.

The brunette began to move through the trees and bushes, stepping over a fallen log until she made it towards a metal fence. It was high - to keep people in, not to keep people out. There were wards to keep people out, Draco had told her that. If she wanted to, with some effort, she could probably get out of this fence somehow.

Dig a hole underneath it. Get one of the poles loose enough so she could squeeze through the gap. Prop something up against it and climb the thing.

Amora's small hands wrapped around the bars as she looked out to more woods. If she ever made it out, Draco and his family would be severely punished. Leaving wasn't an option - she couldn't do that to him. Besides, Draco had probably already considered it and come up with flaws like that.

Even if this was some sort of reality where she didn't care for Draco, she most likely wouldn't survive out there. Amora had barely explored Muggle England; she didn't understand their money or transport, and Death Eaters would be after her.

The only way she was ever getting out of here was in a casket (if she was lucky enough to have one) or with the help of Draco. And he'd have to come with her.

"Amora?" A familiar voice called worriedly. "Amora, where are you?"

She could kill herself.

It was a very sudden and terrifying thought, one that may or may not have crossed her mind more and more recently, but she had never really taken it seriously. After losing her whole family, she fought for the Order and to win the war. Here, she was just awaiting death. Maybe she had Draco, but this was temporary. She'd be murdered and he'd be married off to someone more respectable. Pansy, Blaise, Theo, and Kathy would move on...

Amora shook her head. What was it with these intrusive thoughts? One moment she was imagining having children with Draco, and the next she was thinking about how it would be more dignifying for her to end herself before someone else could.

But she couldn't stop thinking about what he said - about normality being key. However, none of this was normal. They weren't supposed to be acting like normal. Maybe Draco could, but Amora couldn't. Not when Leon had died for her, not when her dad wasn't actually her dad and her mother was dead, or when she was being held captive by the Dark Lord, to be killed at any moment.

Draco kept her around knowing that Voldemort could turn up at any moment and murder her. She wondered if push come to shove, if he would get her away from here to avoid her fate. Or if he was too scared to do it. If he was making this so nice for her because he knew this could end at any moment.

Amora had no idea. He kept her in the dark for all of these plans and it was so frustrating. She wished that there were no implications and that they could just run away together -

"Amora!" Draco snapped, marching up to her. She hadn't even heard his heavy boots on the stick-infested floor below, nor had she heard his heavy breaths as he tried to keep calm. "Amora, I told you to stay where you were. What part of that do you not understand?"

Amora's hand slipped off of the bar and she swallowed. "I was just looking around."

"You can't do that without me," Draco growled, "It's dangerous and insane. You can't - you can't just wander off."

"I'm fine," Amora shrugged his hand off when he went to grasp her wrist. "See? Nothing happened."

Draco's face was scary when it was angry - especially when it was directed at her. She wasn't used to it being at her anymore. His expression seemed to slip slightly when he glanced towards the fencing, realising what she had been thinking.

"I'm working on it, okay?" Draco said, his voice a little calmer now. "We'll both be out of here soon."

Amora glanced away. "I can tell that even you don't believe your words, Draco. You don't know if you'll get me out of here. If you do, you realise what it will cost."

Draco swallowed thickly. "I'll find a way that will keep the both of you safe."

"It's not fair for me to ask you to - to have to pick, but we both know there's no way. I know that's why you've been making whatever time we have left as enjoyable as possible," Amora said sternly, avoiding his eyes at all costs.

"Of course there's a way," Draco said, grabbing her jaw and forcing her to look him in the eye. "There is always a way."

"Oh, stop, Draco." Amora shoved his hand off properly this time. "Don't give me stupid false hope. You would never risk the safety of your mother. And trust me, I understand that. If mine was still alive, I'd have a hard time too, but -"

"So what you're saying is that you want me to get you out of here now? To leave her behind to deal with the mess I have made?" Draco snapped furiously.

"No!" Amora cried. "Would you not put words in my mouth? What I am saying is that there's never going to be a right time for you to risk your mother. You're never going to do it. Stop - just stop lying to me and yourself and admit that I'm stuck here. Someone could catch Harry tomorrow and I'm dead, Draco. Stop lying to me about some sort of happy future."

"You are my number one priority, Amora," Draco hissed. "But that woman - my mother - she raised me and loved me and -"

"I know!" Amora cut him off. "Merlin's sake, Draco, I know! And that's why I'm telling you that it's okay to not get me out of here. But I'm also saying that you need to stop with this bullshit." She turned to face the bars. "Because look at this. If you wanted to, you could get me over this fence." She turned back to him, tears burning in her eyes. "But you won't."

"I want you to be safe more than anything," Draco swallowed.

"You want your mother and I both to be safe more than anything," Amora corrected him. "But you can't have us both. Not in the long run, not in this world."

He stared at her. Just stared. Amora thought he looked eerily calm for a second and then his whole demeanour changed. Draco snapped, reaching forward and grabbing her arm with a bruising grip. Amora cried out as he pulled her behind him and pointed his wand at the fence.

"Diffindo."

  Amora watched as two of the bars sliced, coming apart from the rest of the fence to leave a reasonable gap. Her eyes were wide as she watched the blond breathe heavily.

"Go," Draco yelled, "Go, then. Leave. But make sure you make it worth it. If you get caught, this was for fucking nothing."

Her heart was pounding as he shoved her towards the fence. Her tears were starting to pool over, and for the first time ever, Amora was actually scared of Draco.

"What are you doing?" She cried. "What the fuck, Draco?"

He pulled at his own hair. "I try to make this place as good as I can for you without us getting caught and whilst I think of a permanent solution, but if you really think I have no plan to ever really set you free, then you can take this one. You can go now."

"Don't be so fucking stupid," Amora seethed at him, shoving him by the chest. "What is wrong with you?"

"You're right. I was being selfish but I choose you. So just go. Go, Amora. Right now," Draco spat.

Something inside of her burned at the I choose you.

"Draco —"

"Go!" He yelled, so loud and violently that it rattled through her. "Fucking go."

Amora sniffled and watched as he turned his back on her. Draco didn't move. He listened out for her. Heard her feet turn to face the new hole in the fence.

Amora contemplated it. She seriously did. She could run now and leave Draco and his family for dead, but she loved him far too fucking much for that.

She headed towards the fence and heard the small exhale come from Draco. However, she did not pass through it but merely picked up the broken bars. She heard him turn around.

"What are you doing?" Draco demanded, his voice weaker before — like he was at his breaking point. "Amora, I'm not fucking about right now, you need to —"

"You fucking promised me," Amora spat as she tried to push the bars back to how they had been before. "You promised we would leave this place together. Unless you're coming with me, I'm staying."

"Don't be —"

"Finishing that sentence with 'stupid' would be quite ironic right now, coming from you," Amora replied angrily. "Now help me get these bars back together."

"No."

"Are you really going to send me out there with no wand? Just the clothes on my back and nothing else? You're practically sentencing me to a new death, Draco," Amora argued.

There was a moment of silence.

"Reparo."

The bars shifted back into place and moulded with the rest of the fencing. Neither of them spoke for a bit and then Draco held his hands to his face, pressing his palms against his eyes.

"Fuck," he muttered weakly.

"Draco..." Amora moved closer.

"I wasn't even thinking. I wasn't — I didn't even think," Draco mumbled.

"It's okay," Amora said. "Just calm down." She moved to grab his arms.

Draco peeled his hands to push her off of him, as if he couldn't stand her touch right now. "That was not okay. Come on. We're going back inside."

The Malfoy boy stomped ahead, not checking to make sure Amora followed. Though she did, a few steps behind. He was incredibly tense, his broad shoulders hunched and his head held low as if he was ashamed of himself. Amora was also embarrassed at her own outburst.

It seemed they had all of a sudden reached the breaking point of how long they could pretend that this situation was normal.

...

hey guys!! i got a new laptop which i am super happy about and also it's starting to get REALLY cold in england, so chances are i will be staying in and writing a lot more soon (which i am very excited about). i think this book will definitely be done around christmas time and i'm really not ready for it to finish :(( when it's done i'll probably write a marauders fic, but i'm literally going to miss draco and amora SO much.

anyways, thank you guys sooo much for reading!! i really hope that you enjoyed this chapter - it was quite fun for me to write!! <333

word count: 5.1k

dyiansobrien.