Pawns | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Avenged

"Your mother's been avenged," she said.

I gasped and stepped back, trying to hide the fear in my face, stepping once more behind Draco. I saw his back flex and he went rigid, not moving a muscle.

Bellatrix turned away, smiling at her company and laughing wildly. She strode out of the room beckoning the others to follow and they did, like little lap dogs.

I stayed behind Draco, unmoving except for my hand that rose up to my mouth, covering it in worry. My eyes were wide and I took quick shallow breaths, trying to comprehend his aunt's meaning.

I suddenly found the strength to move my legs and I walked around him, facing him in panic. My heart sunk further at look of worry in his eyes. Almost like he was defeated. His shoulders slumped and I caught a glimpse of his shaky breath.

"Arabella," he started in a low whisper, not not meeting my eyes.

But I didn't let him speak.

I started to beg to go back to my dad's house. "Please, Draco! Please!" I pulled on his collar, practically hyperventilating.

"You have the trace Arabella, they'll know we've left," he said in a normal speaking voice, his eyes darting to the exits of the room, like he was scared someone would come back and see the scene I was making over something I should have been happy about.

"I DON'T CARE! NOW! PLEASE!" I screamed. He panicked at my emotion, looking over his shoulder more obviously now to make sure no one could hear. He looked physically sick, his skin turning a pale sort of yellow.

I started to frantically describe the location to him, questing how the others knew what my home address was. Maybe they didn't. Maybe they got it wrong...

He sighed while I spoke, and opened his mouth a few times like wanted to tell me once more that we couldn't leave. But I spoke over him, my voice shaking while I tried to regain composure.

When I finished, he nodded at my description and grabbed my hands. They felt cold and I could sense the slight tremble. He held them tightly and I closed my eyes. We spun out of control but I couldn't possibly feel any more ill at the sensation than I did already.

We landed roughly on the path at the side of my home. It was lined with interlocking bricks that led from the driveway to the backyard. Plants that my father liked to grew lined the fence along it and they were damp from the day's rain. He wasn't out here but I called out for him.

I ran down the path, yelling into the backyard incase he was there. I looked for him behind the large apple tree and scanned the area past our lawn chairs.

But he wasn't back here either.

I ran back up the path where Draco stayed standing, looking grim. He flexed his jaw, just watching me run.

"DAD!" I screamed.

He must be inside, I thought.

The outside of the house looked fine, nothing broken or any other sign of invasion. One of the windows, the one in the kitchen, was opened to let some air in. He must be there cooking, I reasoned.

I rammed myself into the side door, expecting it to be locked. But it opened easily and I fell forward as it swung, almost crashing into the stairs that climbed up to the next floor.

The side door led to two different staircases - the one on the left which led to the main floor, and one on the right which went down to the basement.

"DAD!" I yelled, calling down the staircase on the right just incase he was there and not in the kitchen. There was no reply.

"DAD, IT'S BELLA!" I screamed as I clambered up the left stairs. I turned down the hall, still calling and I ran into the kitchen.

The light curtains were blowing from the breeze that came in through the open window. But my dad wasn't there either.

I turned around and ran back down the hall, ready to check the other rooms. Draco trailed behind me, looking around. He had a sullen look on his face. He looked at me almost with pity as I ran past him. I tried to ignore it.

I kept calling for him and waiting for him to call my name in reply. Maybe he was in the basement after all? Or he was in the upstairs rooms? Maybe I couldn't hear him answering me since I was yelling the whole time?

I stopped moving and I tried to listen.

I expected to hear his voice during my pause from screaming. I thought I'd hear his call coming from the upstairs floors. I waited to hear him sound relieved that I was home, and then angry for never coming back after the school year finished.

He had probably waited for me at King's Cross, but I never showed. He was probably worried sick, waiting for me for hours. I wondered if he'd talked to Harry or the others when he was looking for me. I wondered if they told him that I'd turned to the other side. I hoped he hadn't believed them if they did.

I waited for his voice, thinking all these things, but I heard nothing. There was no movement in the house from anyone except me and Draco.

I started to get angry.

How could he make me this stressed, I thought. I was shaking from the anxiety, my body couldn't handle it. Couldn't he just answer? I knew he was in here.

I started to feel sick and dizzy. My throat started to hurt from my yelling and I swallowed back down the metallic taste that was now in mouth. I continued yelling for him, my voice cracking now and my legs trembling as I ran around again.

I sprinted into the living room and that's when I stopped dead in my tracks.

I let out a horrified scream and fell to my knees immediately, clutching my stomach.

I needed to shut my eyes. I couldn't look at this. But I was transfixed, too horrified to blink.

There was my dad, lying on the living room carpet, motionless. His eyes were open and blank, staring at the ceiling.

It scared me beyond words, and I rocked back and forth on my knees, too scared to move closer to him. Tears streams down my face in a matter of seconds, wetting the carpet I knelt on. I managed to peel my eyes away, unable look anymore, gasping for breaths as I let out one pained scream after the next.

Draco rushed over to me. He crouched over me and hugged me from behind. Somewhere in my mind I could hear him repeatedly whispering apologies into my ear, but I could hardly listen over the sound of my grief.

My dad was dead.