Deliverance | Draco Malfoy

Twenty-Eight

tw: This chapter contains mentions of eating disorders and feelings of panic or anxiety. Read with caution.

We kept our distance as we strolled back towards the house through the gardens. The silence was peaceful, but the awkward tensions were starting to rise as my mind whirled with a bunch of different thoughts. I wasn't sure how to feel.

Why did my life always have to end up in shambles?

What could have possibly kept Draco from me for this long?

When will Blaise come back to me?

"Have you eaten today?" Draco was the first one to break the silence and speak. I looked at him sideways and kept my head down, kicking a few stones along our path.

"No," I mumbled. If I were good at honesty— which I fucking wasn't— I'd admit that I hadn't been properly eating for weeks.

Scratch that bullshit.

I haven't eaten properly in years. He knew that much, but I didn't see him putting much of a stop to it anytime soon. Old habits die hard.

"When was your last meal?" He kept his hands tucked behind his back and watched the Manor as it drew closer and closer. I gave a weak shrug and kept my answers to myself. "Will you at least have some toast?" His hollow voice asked next to me. "You look like shit." He told me bluntly.

"Thanks, Malfoy. I always appreciate your brutal honesty." I let out a long sigh and glanced at him. My lips curled into a smile that I tried to fight, but it was useless. He still looked like a stone as he focused on the house ahead.

He cared so much for me in the way he treated me with his actions that his lack of filter and poor communication skills didn't hurt my feelings.

It was the little things that stood out to me the most. The gestures he didn't intend to show off.

"I've told you before not to lie to me, and I won't lie to you." He shrugged, not meeting my stare.

"You just lied to me a few weeks ago about coming here with me-"

"You need to eat something. I can practically see all of your bones at this rate." His eyes traveled up the length of me before he looked straight ahead again. "I hate when you do that. Eat, don't eat, throw up... I wish we could get you on a decent diet for once."

My heart fluttered at the 'we' in his statement.

"It's not something I can help." I blew a harsh breath out. "Just like you can't control your mood swings." I pointed out.

"I do not have mood swings." He narrowed his eyes at me with a glare that was hard not to coward away from.

"And I had a meal today." I gave him a mocking smile that made him shake his head as he stalked up the back steps.

"Clever girl." He muttered under his breath just loud enough for me to hear. "Your sarcasm has always been one of your best attributes." He looked down at me as he opened the back door and waited for me to enter the house first. "Quite charming." He said mockingly.

"What can I say? Trauma builds character." I gave him another smile of satire before I walked into the cool room.

"Right..." He grumbled lowly before he came to a halt in the corridor.

Theo was laying upside down on one of the armchairs Narcissa had to help decorate the long stretch of hallway. His polished shoes were kicked up over the back of the chair as he stared at one of the portraits above him with a smirk. He flicked his eyes towards us as the door shut behind my back.