The Deeper you Dig, The Darker it Gets

33.

Trigger warning - Mentions of eating disorder.

Blaise's POV

      Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been staying at Grimmauld with Aary and I for a few weeks now. It honestly hasn't been that bad but I do miss alone time with Aary. Thankfully the three of them decided to visit the Weasley house and have left us alone.

             "What time do you think Malory will come back?" Aary asks me.

      I shrug my shoulders. "She said before supper but it's way past then. Probably just got caught up at the library."

     I can tell Aary is worried but she just nods her head anyway. This happens a lot though, Malory will say she's just going out for a little bit and ends up getting lost in a book. Although I have noticed she never comes home with anything in her hands.

        "Thanks for cooking again tonight," Aary says while getting up from the table. "I think I'm going to shower then head to bed."

         I stare down at the plate still full of food. "You hardly touched any of it."

             She sighs. "I lost my appetite when Mal didn't come home."

       That's a lie because I've made three meals today and two of them were before Mal even left. But Aary starts to exit the kitchen before I can argue with her more.

               "You know I think you're perfect, right?" I ask her.

     She freezes but I see her shoulders relax. Her head turns back towards me and even though I don't see a smile, I know there's a part of her that needed to hear that.

                           "Thank you." She whispers.

      While she's bathing I clean up the kitchen and put dishes away. Normally you'd never catch me dead cleaning but now it's one of the few things that can take my mind off of real life. None of us have really discussed it but it's clear things are going to change a lot this year.

        Right as I'm about to turn the lights off and head upstairs, I hear a sound coming from outside the house. I try to convince myself it's just a racoon but it definitely is not. And I know that because it opens the front door.

                     "Malory?" I say while turning the lights back on.

      I see blonde hair instead of brown and realize it's not Mal.

               "Malory, is she here?" Draco says aggressively.

             "Draco? It's almost midnight, what are you-"

              "Where is she?!" He shouts in my face.

       I raise my hands in defense. "Malory isn't here you tosser!"

      His eyes get big and when I look at them closely I see how red they are. The skin below them is soaked.

        "She didn't come home?" He starts searching each room. "Why wouldn't she? Where would she have gone? Are you sure she's not here?"

            "Draco!" I grab both of his shoulders. "What the fuck is going on?!"

        At first, he starts to rip my hands from his arms and gives me a pissed expression. But it's almost as if there's no strength left for him to put on an act. He looks completely drained.