mischief managed

Y/N read the letter over and over again, each time hoping her eyes were deceiving her. However, the words on the parchment never changed.

"There, there," comforted Myrtle.

Y/N should have been sad, or angry, or something. Instead, she felt nothing. Just numb. She couldn't understand how, if you cared for someone, you could decide to stay away from them.

She stuffed the note into the pocket of her jacket and rushed back to her dorm. There, she began to scribble her own note in response to Draco's.

Draco,

While I respect your decision, I will not pretend to understand what has driven you to make it. And I will not pretend that the idea of us not being friends doesn't break my heart.

I'm sorry you feel as though you don't belong with me. If it's any consolation, I feel the opposite. When I am with you (and we're actually getting along), nothing feels more right.

If this is to be our final correspondence, then I have a few things to say. Firstly, to me, you are so much more than the bad things you've done. Those things do not define you. Secondly, I have never been in love, but the way you make me feel is what I imagine love feels like. Finally, know that all of your secrets are safe with me, and I'll be here should you need me. You can tell me anything.

Forever yours, Y/N

Much like Draco had done, Y/N gave the parchment to Myrtle to pass on.  But Draco never came to collect it.

-

Every day for weeks, Y/N went to visit Myrtle in the hopes of some news. Not necessarily a reply, but at least to hear he'd received the note.

"He hasn't come to visit me," Myrtle would huff.

"Never mind," YN would say. Seeing Myrtle every day helped a bit. Myrtle knew about her and Draco, and for some reason, Y/N trusted her.

She would talk to Myrtle about Draco. How he seemed to be looking worse and worse every day. Tired, sad, lonely. Y/N shared her worries about him, whether he would be okay again.

In classes, Y/N would occasionally steal a glance at Draco, just to make sure he seemed okay. Apart from that, the two never spoke. If Draco stole glances at Y/N, she didn't notice.

-

Each morning Draco woke up, he wished he hadn't. Since he stopped talking to Y/N, he felt as though he had nothing to look forward to, nothing to live for. He wished every night that he wouldn't wake up the next morning.

Every day was the same. Go to class, try not to look at Y/N, look at Y/N anyway just to see if she's looking at him (she never is), avoid everyone, go to the Room and work on the Cabinet, sleep, repeat. He hated it.

He wouldn't even go and see Myrtle any more, afraid of what she might tell him about Y/N. He was entirely alone. And it was all his fault.

-

Eventually, Y/N gave up. She took her note back from Myrtle one morning, shoving it in her pocket before heading to class.

Class was the same as always. Pretending Draco didn't exist except for a small period of time just to check up on him. Only this time, when Y/N looked at Draco, he was already looking at her. Y/N's cheeks flushed and she quickly averted her eyes.

But curiosity got the better of her and when she glanced over again, Draco was still looking at her.

Draco hadn't looked at Y/N for this long in weeks. He had forgotten just how beautiful she was, and just how tempting that gap between the hem of her skirt and her knee socks was. He saw colour blush in her cheeks, and he revelled in the power he has over her by simply looking at her.

Y/N didn't dare look at Draco again during the rest of the lesson, although she couldn't think about anything other than him. When the lesson was finished, Draco shot up out of his seat and left the room as quickly as his feet would carry him.

Y/N looked over to his seat, noticing his textbook still on the desk. She went over and picked it up. She had an idea. Tucking her note between the pages of his book, she headed out after him.

Unable to find him in the corridors, Y/N called out to Pansy.

"Pansy!"

Pansy turned around and smiled at Y/N. "Hey, Y/N."

"Can you do me a favour?" Y/N asked. "Draco left this in class. I'd give it to him myself but..." She trailed off.

"No problem," Pansy said. "Can I ask what happened between you two? He hasn't been his usual self lately."

Y/N shrugged, unsure on what to say. "It's complicated. You'll make sure he gets it? There's something important in there for him."

"You bet."  

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"I have one thing to say," Y/N said after clearing her throat. "I understand if you hate me for telling Harry, but I want you to know that I'm fighting for a world where if we get married, it's because we love each other. Not because we have to."

"I don't hate you. I understand you're doing the right thing, and I'm sorry that I'm not as brave as you." Draco said.

Y/N shook her head. "It's not about bravery, Draco. It's that I have nothing left to lose. I lost my mother, my family, my freedom and myself."

Deep down, Draco knew she was right. If it weren't for the safety of his family, he wouldn't hesitate to join Y/N. But he couldn't, if they got caught, Draco's punishment would be to watch his mother and father suffer and die. He would likely be left alive, it would be more painful than death.

"So what happens for us?" Draco asked, although he could already guess the answer.

Y/N shrugged. "I don't know, really. As if things weren't already complicated enough. I'd like to be friends, but I suppose that's out of the question."

"Why?"

"We're on different sides now, Draco."

When Y/N put it like that, Draco realised just how right she was.

"Well, not necessarily," Draco explained. "It's not my fault if I don't know your allegiance has changed and still pass on information like, I don't know, when the Death-Eaters plan to enter Hogwarts."

"I wouldn't ask you to do that, Draco. That's a massive risk, Voldemort could find out."

"Like I said, I don't know your allegiance has changed." Draco felt it was the least he could do. It was his way of helping Y/N without risking his family. "Look, I'm sorry about the other night. I didn't mean any of it, I was just angry and sometimes I lose control."

"I know, Draco, it's okay," Y/N reassured. "Look, I have a lot to think about, and so do you. Let's just go to bad and we'll figure this out later."

-

Harry sat across the room from Y/N, watching her paying attention to the professor addressing the class. Despite Draco's behaviour the other day, he had yet to see Y/N interact with Draco in any way. So far, not so much as a glance in his direction.

Knowing Y/N, whose father is a Death-Eater, is now one too, it was highly likely that Draco was as well. Which means they would know each other, at the very least. But there was no acknowledgement on Y/N's part.

However, when Harry decided to swallow his pride and look at Draco, he saw a different story. Draco watched Y/N from the corner of his eye, so subtle that Harry might not have noticed if he wasn't looking for it. Draco looked at Y/N the way Harry looked at Ginny, the way you look at someone you love but can't have.

But there was no way. No way that Draco was in love with Y/N. Someone like Draco surely wasn't capable of love.

When the class was over, Harry darted off after Draco, leaving Ron and Hermione behind. He followed behind Draco through the corridors, not bothering to be subtle.

Draco, aware he was being followed, led them to a secluded alcove, away from prying eyes.

"Why are you following me, Potter?" Draco hissed, his hatred for Harry had never been higher after he and Y/N had been getting closer.

The two boys stood with a good distance between them facing each other. The alcove was cold and damp, but at least here no one would see or hear them.

"I wanted to talk," Harry said.

Draco gave Harry a look as if to say he doesn't believe him.

"Does Y/N know you're in love with her?" Harry asked.

Draco showed no emotion externally, but internally his stomach dropped. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do." Harry insisted. "I've seen the way you look at her. I couldn't help but notice she doesn't look at you the same way. Or, at all, actually."

Rage flared up inside Draco, but he was determined to control his emotions, to prove he could be a good person. "You don't know as much as you think you do, Potter. I suggest you keep your nose out of where it doesn't belong."

"Maybe I don't know as much as I think I do, but I'll tell you something I do know," Harry challenged. "You're not good for her. She's trying to do the right thing, and you're always going to be the bad guy. I suggest, if you really care about her, that you leave her alone. Or you will be the death of her."

Harry walked away, leaving his words in the alcove with Draco.

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"Is that why you've figured it out, Weasley?" Draco fired off.

"So it's true? You are one," said Hermione.

Draco scowled at her. "None of your business, mudblood."

Hermione, used to Draco's horrible remarks, was not at all bothered. Instead, she found it somewhat amusing that he thought that word would still upset her as it had the first time she'd been called it.

"Where's Y/N, Malfoy? We need to talk to her," Harry said.

"In the dormitory I assume," Draco replied nonchalantly. "If I see her, I'll be sure to pass on the message."

-

Y/N hadn't been able to muster up the energy to get out of bed that morning. Following her argument with Draco, she spent the rest of the night crying and hadn't fallen asleep until she was supposed to have gotten up for lessons.

She let herself have a few hours rest, promising to attend the afternoon's classes. However, her sleep was fitful, interrupted by flashes of a nightmare. Not wanting to ruin her sleep schedule, she dragged herself out of bed after lunch.

She threw on her uniform and went to her lesson. Tired and distracted, she barely took any notes or understood a thing the professor was on about. Y/N could feel Draco's eyes watching her from across the classroom, but she was too tired to care.

Instead of going to the Great Hall for dinner, Y/N headed straight to the Common room. Although her stomach was growling (she hadn't eaten all day), she had no energy to do anything except crawl into bed.

"Y/N?" A voice whispered as someone gently shook her awake.

It was Pansy Parkinson, one of Draco's friends. Y/N sat up and rubbed her eyes. It was dark outside now, and everyone seemed to be back from dinner. Y/N hadn't even realised she had fallen asleep.

"Hm?"

"Are you okay?" Pansy asked. Y/N nodded. "Um, Draco's asking for you. I said I'd see if you wanted to talk to him."

Y/N didn't want to talk to Draco, but Pansy had gone out of her way to ask. "Er, I'm quite tired."

Pansy nodded. "Alright, I'll tell him to bugger off then," she winked.

Y/N chuckled. "Tell him I'll talk to him later."

"Will do."

-

It had taken Draco less than a day to go from being mad at Y/N to feeling guilty for causing their argument. Y/N had come back and been perfectly nice to Draco, even offering to help him with the Cabinet and he had gone off on one.

Draco couldn't handle Y/N not speaking to him. He hadn't meant the horrible things he'd said the previous night. All he wanted to do was apologise and fix everything.

"Sorry, Draco," Pansy said as she came down from the girls' dorms. "She's asleep, and I'm not waking her just so you can piss her off again."

Draco sighed. "She doesn't want to talk to me, does she?"

He flopped onto one of the Common room sofas, and Pansy sat beside him. "I don't know what you did, but she seems really upset."

"She has every right to be, I was awful, Pans." Draco buried his face in his hands and let out a muffled: "She hates me."

Pansy rubbed Draco's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure that's not true. Just give her some time, and when she's ready to talk to you again, tell her how sorry you are."

"Don't tell the boys about this, please." Draco had sat back up straight now.

"I don't tell the boys anything, Draco."

-

Y/N woke around midnight. She cursed herself for messing up her sleep schedule but decided to drag herself out of bed, still dressed in her now crumpled uniform.

She slunk down the dark hallways to the Room of Requirement. It wasn't that she hoped to see Draco, necessarily, but that she needed a distraction.

In the Room, she decided to explore a bit. Heading in the opposite direction to the Cabinet, she wandered aimlessly around, fingers picking up dust from the things she touched.

She stumbled on an over-stuffed armchair. On it, rested a leather-bound book that wasn't caked in dust. She picked up the book and looked on the back.

D.M

It was the journal that Draco had told her about. She wondered how it's contents came to be known by Voldemort. She wanted to read it, to know what He knew.

Just a few pages, she told herself.

20th Sept

For the first time since I saw her this summer at the meeting, we spoke. I wanted so badly to hate her, to push her away. But I couldn't. Up close, she's even more beautiful than I had thought. Worse still, she's kind. Too kind. I don't deserve her kindness.

3rd Oct

Today I showed her what I've been up to in the Room of Requirement. I think I can trust her. She's like me, she doesn't want this. We have stuff in common, and it makes it harder for me not to feel this way about her.

21st Dec

We went to Hogsmeade together tonight. I stupidly kissed her. I'm not sure what came over me, usually, I have better self-control. Hopefully, she'll be too drunk to remember and I won't have made everything awkward.

14th Jan

I'm in the hospital wing. Hurts to write. Stupid fucking Potter. I haven't seen her in a few days. I miss her. I need to talk to her.

I can't do this anymore.

19th Jan

She saved my life. She held my hand and pulled me away from the edge of the tower. She's offered to help me with my task from the Dark Lord. I suggested that when all this is over, we run away. She wasn't sure. I had the perfect opportunity to tell her how I feel and I didn't. I hate myself.

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Y/N rolled her eyes, testing Draco's self-control. "I didn't mention you, okay? I lied and told Harry it was me who was given the task of killing Dumbledore. I didn't mention you."

Draco was seething. "How's Potter supposed to trust you when you're lying to him?" He spat.

"I thought you'd be glad I didn't mention you." Y/N admitted.

"What would've been better is if you hadn't told him anything at all."

"I said I was gonna help him, how can I do that if I don't tell him what I know?" Y/N asked.

Draco ignored her question. "I don't need your help any more. I can't trust you. Just forget about everything that's happened between us."

"Whatever, Draco. We'll talk about this tomorrow when you've calmed down. I'm going to bed."

Y/N had had enough of Draco's foul mood, deciding it would be better to leave him be until he was over his initial anger. She turned away from him and began to walk away.

"Don't walk away from me, Y/N!" Draco raised his voice. "We're not done here!"

Y/N whirled back around, losing her temper too. "I'm not talking to you when you're like this. And keep your voice down," she hissed. "I am trying to help you! That's all I've been doing, and you just - God, you just won't let me. Every time I feel like I'm finally getting somewhere with you, you lose your temper, and it's back to square one."

"Don't pretend like you're looking out for me!" Draco shouted. "You're only looking out for yourself."

This pissed Y/N off. "Who saved your fucking life, huh? Twice! And I did that for me, did I? Alright, Draco, you're right. You think you know fucking everything."

"You did that because if I die, you know the Dark Lord will kill you too!" Draco yelled.

"Not everyone's as selfish as you are. I saved your life because I fucking care about you, for fuck sake! Not that you'd know what that means."

Y/N wondered how they had gotten here. Last night, she felt like they had made real progress. Draco had let Y/N see a new side of him, and Y/N had opened up to Draco. But today, it was as though the previous night had never happened

"You don't think I care about you?" Draco asked incredulously. "I think about you all the fucking time! I was the one who suggested we run away together, but you weren't interested!"

"I don't want to run, Draco. We'll be running forever!" Y/N cried. "I want him gone. I want him dead, my dad too. That's what I'm fighting for, our freedom! You're just blindly doing as you've been told because you're too afraid to fight back!"

"If I fight back, I'll die."

"You think I won't?" Y/N asked. "You think my dad won't hesitate to kill me the second he finds out I've betrayed the Dark Lord? The difference is, I'd rather die than live like this."

"So I was just standing on the edge of the Astronomy tower for fun? For the view? I don't want to live like this either, but I do for you!"

Draco's words hung in the space between them, both of them breathing heavily. Y/N hadn't meant to get so angry. She hated herself for losing her temper, so much like her father. Hot-headed and impulsive. She wondered if she got her compassion from her mother.

"I'm going to bed." Y/N's voice was small, quiet. "Good night, Draco."

Draco watched as Y/N disappeared up the stairs to the girl's dormitory. He stood there alone for a while until he headed to the Room of Requirement.

-

"Tell me you're joking," Ron said, bewildered.

Harry shook his head. "She showed me her Dark Mark."

"Seriously, Ronald, why on Earth would she lie about something like that?" Hermione chided.

Harry had relayed all of what Y/N had told him to his closest friends. They, of course, were just as shocked as he was.

"Shouldn't we tell Dumbledore?" Ron asked.

The trio all exchanged looks. "If it's true, and Snape really is on our side, Dumbledore may already know." Hermione reasoned.

"Question is, do we let Y/N in on Order information? Do you think we can trust her?" Harry suggested.

Ron chimed in: "We should talk to Sirius, see what he says."

"If she's telling the truth, she took a big risk. We should at least protect her secret, even if we don't let her into the Order," said Hermione.

The two boys nodded in agreement.

The next morning, they headed to the Owlery, with a note scribbled to Sirius ready to be delivered. In this note, there was a date and time for a fire meeting. The trio agreed to pass on the information but withhold where it came from to protect Y/N.

Perhaps with Y/N's help, they could defeat Voldemort once and for all.

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"Marriage."

Y/N was stunned into silence. Of course, the Malfoy's were a very prestigious pure-blood family, as was Y/N's family. It would make sense that they would want to keep the bloodlines pure. But arranged marriage? They were only seventeen.

"What's the deal?" Y/N asked.

"When we're both 18, we're to be married," Draco admitted. "It's why I was so awful to you at first. I wanted to hate you. But..."

"Just...hang on," Y/N interrupted. "I need a minute."

Draco nodded and stepped away from Y/N, giving her silence and space to think. He knew it was a lot to take in, and so far she was taking it very well. If he were in her position, he'd have a much different reaction.

Y/N paced back and forth slowly, mulling over the information in her head. "Okay, my turn." She stood facing away from Draco as if she couldn't bear to face him. "This summer, after my father tortured me into becoming a Death-Eater, he decided to punish me even more."

"Punish you for what?" Draco asked.

"For what my mother did."

"But that makes no-"

"I know it makes no sense," Y/N interrupted. "Just bear with me. My father's friends, other Death-Eaters, would come over and they would pay him. Then he'd lock me in a room with them."

Draco felt sick. He couldn't bear to say anything, in case he lost his temper.

"One day, it was your father."

"Did he..?" Draco began to ask, stopping himself when he realised he didn't really want to know the answer.

"No," Y/N explained. "Instead, he examined me. I didn't understand at the time, but I do now, I guess."

The two of them stood there, Y/N still facing away from Draco. Moving towards her, he gently reaching out to caress her arm. He made sure to keep his movements soft and kind.

"I won't let anyone hurt you like that again." He whispered.

Y/N took ahold of his hand, brought it to her mouth and kissed the back of it lightly. "I know."

She turned around slowly, tilting her head back as she pushed up on her toes to kiss him. Just a delicate, gentle kiss.

"What have you done to me, Y/N?" Draco's deep voice whispered, his breath hot on Y/N's lips.

Y/N pulled away from Draco, looking into his eyes. "I mean what I said. I'm going to help Harry, and I'm asking you to join me."

Draco shook his head. "We can't, love. It's too risky. I don't want you to put yourself in danger."

"We're already in so much danger Draco, what's a little more? I want to fight for the right thing."

"I know you do," Draco said, stroking her cheek. "I can't stop you. But, Y/N, I'm not like you. They won't accept me. You're good and I'm bad."

Y/N was disappointed, even borderline irritated. "We already talked about this! You are not bad."

"But I'm not good though, am I?"

"You are, but I'm the only one you let see that. This is your chance to show everyone else." Y/N was desperate at this point.

"Baby, I can't," Draco said, eyes widening when he realised what he said.

Baby. The word replayed in Y/N's head a couple of times. He was trying to be nice and stay calm, but she was pushing her luck now. She got the message; it was a 'no', and nothing she could say would change that.

"Alright," Y/N sighed. She hated giving up.

-

"Harry." Y/N cleared her throat as she approached Harry Potter, standing in a corridor with Ron and Hermione. "Could I...talk to you? It's important."

Harry exchanged a glance with his friends. "Uh, sure." He replied, clearly confused as to why Y/N, a Slytherin who had never spoken to him before, suddenly wanted to tell him something important.

"Not now." Y/N explained. "Tonight, when everyone is in the Great Hall. Meet me outside the Hall and we'll walk."

Harry nodded. "Yeah, okay."

-

Draco was sat in his usual spot in the Great Hall, doing his usual routine of looking for Y/N. She wasn't at the table yet, which meant he got to watch her walk across the hall and take a seat. He could barely take his eyes off the entrance to the Great Hall. He didn't want to miss her but he also didn't want to be too obvious.

When his eyes briefly flitted to the entrance and there she was. Lingering in the entryway, peering into the Hall and scanning the sea of students. She was looking for someone, but it wasn't Draco. His stomach tightened.

After a minute or two, Y/N was joined by Harry Potter. The two were talking. Draco had never seen them speak before, seeing Y/N talk to the boy he hates made him so angry. At least, he thought, it would be over when they came into the Hall and went to separate tables.

Much to Draco's dismay, the two never came into the Hall. Instead, they walked away, out of sight, and Draco didn't see them for the rest of the feast. He had lost his appetite.

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"I-I have a journal. It's been missing for a few days now. I thought I left it in the Room of Requirement, but..."

Y/N took a deep breath to calm herself. She told herself it wasn't Draco's fault. "Okay, alright."

"I'm sorry, Y/N-"

"No, it's okay." Y/N interrupted. "It's done now. We made it out alive. But please, be more careful. I'll see you tomorrow, I'm going to bed."

"Y/N-" Draco called out.

"Midnight in the Room of Requirement. You're telling me everything. No more secrets." And with that, Y/N headed to bed, leaving Draco alone in the dark corridor.

-

All day, Draco had tried to get Y/N's attention, to catch her eye. And all day, Y/N had ignored him. In class, she looked only at the professor and her notes. In the Great Hall, she practically sat at the opposite end of the table to Draco. In between classes, Draco would try to catch up with Y/N, but she was too nimble.

He knew he had to come clean tonight. About everything. His task, his parents, his feelings. He had planned to do it the night before, but everything that could possibly have gone wrong went wrong. He kicked himself for not telling her everything sooner.

If Y/N hadn't come up with her quick lie, they'd both be dead. She had saved his life again. And not to mention there was the situation with Snape, lying to the Dark Lord and giving him a decoy Veritaserum. Whose side was Snape on?

Much like usual when you dread something, midnight came around quickly. So quickly, Draco realised he hadn't even planned out what he was going to say. And at this rate, he wasn't even sure if Y/N would turn up. Nevertheless, on his way to the Room, he went over in his head just how he would tell her everything.

"Over here." Draco heard when he'd entered the Room.

Y/N was standing between a broken old desk and a pile of discarded chairs, some with legs missing, others missing their backs. She was wearing her uniform still.

"Hey," Draco said, not sure what else to say. "I wasn't sure if you would actually be here."

"I'm here," she said softly. "I need to know everything, Draco. I can't have any more secrets between us."

Draco nodded. "I know. I'll tell you anything. Just ask."

Y/N hopped up on top of the old desk. Draco stood opposite her in front of the stacked chairs. She seemed to be thinking about what to ask first, and Draco couldn't blame her. There was a lot she didn't know.

"What's your task from Voldemort?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"He wants me to...to kill someone."

"Who, Draco? You can tell me anything, you can trust me."

He couldn't avoid it anymore, Y/N had to know the truth. She deserved it after all the had done for him.

"Dumbledore."

Y/N was silent for a minute. The seconds dragged on as if for eternity. Draco could hear the sound of his heart pounding in his chest over the silence.

"So, that's..." Y/N thought aloud. "That's why the necklace...and the poison..."

Draco nodded, ashamed of his actions.

"Oh, Draco." Y/N spoke in a whisper. "You really are in deep."

"I don't want your sympathy!" Draco burst out, temporarily losing control of his emotions.

Y/N, however, did not look fazed. "Don't give me that, Draco, we're past all that shit. I pulled you back from the edge of a tower and held you while you cried."

Draco didn't want to admit that Y/N was right, so he stayed quiet. He hadn't meant to get angry, sometimes he just can't control it.

"I've been thinking," Y/N said. "About Snape."

"What about him?" Draco asked.

"If you'd let me finish." Y/N shot Draco a look. "I'm not sure what side he's on, but if he were truly loyal to Voldemort, he wouldn't have helped us. What if he's a double agent?"

Draco looked confused. "Double agent for who?"

"The Order." Y/N explained, which told Draco nothing. "Of the Phoenix. Dumbledore's version of the Death-Eaters, except no one's there against their will."

"Where do I sign up?" Draco joked.

"I know you're just joking, but I'm not. We can help Harry defeat Voldemort. They won't send us to Azkaban because we helped them win. We'll be free."

Draco could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Who's proposing crazy ideas now, huh?"

"I've already decided, Draco. I'm doing it. And I think you should too."

"Why?"

Y/N scooted off the desk and stood up. "Because I care about you and want to-"

"But why?" Draco demanded, losing control again. "Why on Earth do you care about me? I'm a fucking terrible person! I've just told you that I've been ordered to assassinate the fucking headmaster and you still refuse to see how bad I am."

"You aren't bad!" Y/N shouted back. She hadn't meant to raise her voice but she couldn't help it. "You do what you have to do to survive, Draco. Just like me! If you're bad then so am I."

Y/N wasn't sure why her voice had cracked, but when tears blurred her vision, she realised. Quickly, she turned away from Draco. She couldn't let him see her cry.

"Hey," Draco whispered. "You're not bad, okay? Don't ever think that. I'm sorry that I yelled at you, I shouldn't have done that. Come here."

He took Y/N is his arms, holding her close to his chest. He could feel her warmth and the shaking of her shoulders as she cried. He tucked her head under his chin, stroking her hair gently.

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-

Y/N and Snape arrived at the Manor. When they entered the drawing-room, it already had occupants. Draco, like Snape had said, Draco's mother and father, Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback, Y/N's father and of course, Voldemort himself.

"Ah, Y/N." Voldemort greeted. "Thank you for joining us. Take a seat."

It wasn't an offer, it was an order. Y/N's heart pounded as she took a seat in a chair pressed up against the wall. On either side of her stood her father and Greyback, as though on guard.

Across the room stood Draco, beside his parents. He looked equally as terrified as Y/N, but only for a split second, after which he looked ahead stoically, avoiding Y/N's gaze.

"Thank you all for coming tonight," Voldemort said. No one dared to say anything. "We're all here to check on young Draco and Y/N. To make sure they are getting on with their respective tasks."

Voldemort moved towards Draco. Y/N saw Draco's mother squeeze his hand in reassurance. Draco bowed his head in respect to the Dark Lord.

"Draco," Voldemort leered. "How have you been finding your task?"

Draco kept his eyes averted, staring at the floor instead. "Challenging, my Lord. I've been working to repair a Vanishing Cabinet in the Room of Requirement. It's difficult, but every day I make progress."

"And how does this Cabinet help with your task?"

Draco swallowed. "It has a sister, at Borgin and Burkes. It means, once I've fixed it, you can enter Hogwarts without apparating."

Bellatrix gasped and laughed menacingly. Draco's father, Lucius, looked proud of his son for once. Voldemort looked pleased. He nodded, moving away from Draco.

"Y/N," said the Dark Lord, turning to look at her. "I trust he is telling the truth."

Y/N nodded. Then her father jabbed her with his elbow, prompting her to speak up. "Yes, my Lord." She replied.

"Tell me, Y/N, does Draco know of your task?"

Y/N's shoulders tensed. Something wasn't quite right. "Yes." She admitted, knowing the consequences if she lied.

"And, do you know of Draco's?"

"No, my Lord."

This answer did not seem to please the Dark Lord. He thought she was lying. A looked to Fenrir Greyback.

A large pair of hands grabbed Y/N's shoulders, pulling her up. She flinched at the shock and the dull pain from Greyback's claws grazing her skin. Y/N willed herself to not show her fear or look to Draco for help. He wouldn't help her here.

"Severus," Voldemort commanded. "The Veritiserum."

Snape pulled a vial of Veritaserum out of his robes, placing it in Voldemort's outstretched hand. Y/N's father took the vial, unstoppered it and forced the liquid down Y/N's throat while Greyback restrained her.

Y/N's heart pounded and she could barely keep her breathing under control. She had known something wasn't right, but she didn't know what.

"I hope you don't mind, Y/N," Voldemort sneered. "I just want to ask you a few questions."

Y/N knew she couldn't lie, so she kept her mouth shut. She had no choice but to answer the questions.

"Would you say you and Draco are friends?" Voldemort asked.

The less Y/N said, the better. "Yes, my Lord."

"Perhaps more than friends?" Voldemort persisted.

"Getting involved in teenager's love lives, are we?"

Y/N was struck across the face. The sound of her slap echoed through the drawing-room. She'd been hit enough times to know exactly who hit her. The only person whose ever hit her was her father.

"Don't you dare talk back to the Dark Lord!" Her father bellowed.

Y/N's cheek stung, filling her eyes with tears that she fought to keep down.

"Volkan," Voldemort warned. "I'll make this quick, shall I? Have you and Draco talked about running away together?"

At the mention of his name, Draco looked up from the floor for the first time since Y/N had arrived. Y/N had no idea how Voldemort knew this. But Draco did.

"Yes," Y/N said.

"Is that so?" asked Voldemort.

Lucius glowered at Y/N. It was clear to him that she was tainting his precious son. Y/N ignored his glare.

"We talked about running away from Hogwarts. To join you permanently, my Lord." Y/N blurted. "We are afraid that after we have completed the task, we will no longer be of use to you and therefore left behind."

Voldemort stepped towards Y/N. "My dear Y/N, we would never leave you behind. Did we not welcome you with open arms when you joined us this summer?"

"Of course, my Lord. But we worry that. because we're just children, we aren't of as much use to you as others."

"I can assure you, that is not the case. But you will not be running from Hogwarts. That is the only place where you are more powerful than I."

Snape stepped forward. "My Lord, if you are finished, may I return to Hogwarts with Malfoy and Y/L/N before someone notices they are missing?"

The Dark Lord signalled to Greyback to release Y/N. "Very well, Severus. Draco, keep us updated on your progress with the Cabinet."

With her face throbbing and her shoulders aching, Y/N obediently bowed before the Dark Lord and followed behind Snape who was leading the way back to Hogwarts.

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