CURSED [D.M]

-(68) deserving to know

DRACO sits beside Zilliah, holding her hand, breathing into it, praying to whatever greater power that is out there to just wake her up. He cannot see her like this- cold, pale, unmoving. It tears at his already shattered mind, flooding his veins with regrets and guilt.

He should've brought her back here himself. He shouldn't have ever trusted another person with her life. He told him. He fucking told him to take her straight back here. Yet, Theseus played around and agreed to Zilliah's uncalculated wishes, almost getting her killed. If Ivan hadn't shown up at the right time, both of them were doomed.

And that's exactly why Draco keeps his eyes solely fixed on Zilliah. He knows Theseus is standing there, by the door, watching. He has been standing there and watching for a very long time. Draco knows if he looks back at him or even dares to acknowledge his presence, his rage would consume him and the violence he'd be forced to inflict would know no bounds. So he just focuses on his breaths and lets his eyes rest on Zilliah, and only Zilliah.

He moves the chair closer to the bed and moves his hand up to her face. He strokes her cold cheeks gently, thinking of how she always used to lean into it. It's not something she did on purpose. He hadn't even realised she used to do that until he had gone back in time, analysing every single one of his caresses, freezing each frame of her face in his mind as if he wants to savour that moment because he can't have that right now.

"She'll be alright, Malfoy", Ivan walks upto them, dropping a packet of food onto the table. "I know she's out cold but she'll be back, I promise you that. Go take a walk or something. Free up your mind."

"No", Draco says in an instant, not even considering that as an option right now.

"You could use some fresh air."

"I'm fine."

Ivan sighs and picks up a water bottle from the table, handing it to Draco. He takes it and leans back into his chair, nodding as a thank you. Ivan lays down on the other side of the bed, facing Zilliah. He runs his fingers through her hair, looking at her with an unreadable set of emotions in his eyes. "She used to steal my chocolates", he says, a smile appearing on his lips as he reminisces about the old days. Draco listens patiently to it, eager to get even the slightest glimpse into that time of her life he hadn't been a part of. "She thought she was being sly by just taking one. But I always knew." He brings his thumb down to her jaw and caresses it gently. "So to save her the trouble, one night, I just dropped all the ten chocolates I had at the time outside her room. And the next morning when I opened my door, nine of them were there."

Draco smiles for the first time since he's woken up this morning. He smiles because he knows the kind heart that is beating inside her despite anything she claims herself to be.

"That's when I realised she took one not to be sly. Dumb kid, always thinking she deserves less", Ivan sighs, moving closer and leaving a small kiss on her forehead. "But Gods, does she deserve the world."

"I know", Draco mumbles out, grabbing hold of her hand again. He meets her closed eyelids, desperately needing to see the brown in them again.

Ivan sits up in bed and rests his hands on his knees, watching Draco. "Don't you dare try to give her anything short of what she deserves."

Draco shakes his head, pressing his lips down on her knuckles, willing her with his mind to just wake up and feel it. And almost as if she hears his thoughts, her head moves just that little. But it's more than enough for the three others in that room to exhale a sigh of relief.

•

Draco gives in to her wish to take a walk around the grounds but he accompanies her on it. He knows she loves it all the more as he silently treads beside her, holding her hand. His breaths are much calmer now knowing that she's alright. The way she hops a little in her steps- the way her eyes crinkle as she shields herself from the sun- the way her single dimple pops out when she looks at him and smiles- they all bring him this immense joy that nothing else ever could. He could almost forgets about every horrible thing in his life when he gazes into those brown orbs sparkling in the sun.