𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍

❃ the paintings under my bed

❃

𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆

"Astoria wants us to go on a fucking Easter egg hunt. Can you fucking believe that? She's bloody fourteen years old," Daphne scoffed from across the table, the thawing grasses passing us by as we sat on the train.

"I wouldn't mind an egg hunt. Sounds a bit fun actually," Naevah smiled, flipping through a magazine, her legs hugged to her chest with a bright yellow blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

"An egg hunt at Malfoy Manor? We'd be bloody murdered," Blaise chuckled, "we've got too many meetings to do something so childish. I'm with Daph on this one."

"Oh please, you know you want to," Naevah elbowed him gently, shaking her head as she returned to her browsing.

"Hey, you okay?" Draco whispered, gently squeezing my thigh. I'd begun sitting on his lap during train rides instead of Pansy's. She found it annoying at first, but seemed to enjoy the extra legroom.

"Mhm," I gave him a small nod and smile.

"Are you sure?" he mumbled, holding my waist as we went over a bump.

"I'm fine, Draco."

He huffed.

"We'll talk about it later, okay?" he kissed my cheek, going silent as I lay my head on his chest.

Per usual, Narcissa picked us up at the platform, apparating us back to Malfoy Manor where everyone was waiting for our arrival.

Including him.

Draco squeezed my hand as we entered, my Father eyeing my school skirt as we walked through the doors.

"Welcome back," Mrs. Nott gave us all hugs.

"Where's Bella?" I asked Narcissa, who looked at me with saddened eyes.

"On vacation," heavy boots clunked on the floor, headed in my direction, "I guess you're stuck with me now," he smirked evilly, reaching out a hand to grab my wrist.

"Touch her and I'll kill you," Draco growled, pulling me behind him.

"Silly boy. Overprotective, I see. Last time I remember, you couldn't save her," he chuckled, "all you did was stand and watch. You're weak."

"I may have been then but not anymore, I won't let you hurt her, not again-"

"Draco," Lucius hit his shoulder, "Shut. Your. Mouth."

"You're all fucking evil," Draco seethed, taking me and the rest of the group upstairs, away from the adults.

"You shouldn't fight them, Draco, it'll only make him angrier," I whispered to him as we all sat in a circle on Pansy's bedroom floor, taking a couple of unrolled blunts from Naevah's backpack.

"It's a matter of your safety. I'm gonna argue," he answered dryly, rolling a blunt with his fingers, licking his tongue along the side before lighting it, putting it to his lips with a deep inhale.

He passed it to me, knowing it might take away some of the pain.

We spent the rest of our night smoking.

It helped us forget.

Narcissa had done our door's protective enchantments that evening.

When I awoke early in the morning to get a glass of water from the kitchen, I caught her and Lucius arguing. He hit her. I flinched so hard at the sound I'd nearly dropped my glass on the floor, a water spill now soaking through the rug in the hallway. I pattered back up to Draco's room without a sound.