the girl who lost it all [d.m]

forty five: ira

ira: rage, wrath, anger

———

DRACO was furious.

It hit him as soon as he woke up the next morning in one of Orion's spare bedrooms and immediately wished he hadn't.

He felt like he'd been set on fire and then dumped off the edge of a cliff before being dragged out, beaten to a pulp, set on fire again and then been trampled by a herd of Abraxans.

It took him a moment to realise where he was—and then another moment to realise Orion was slumped on the armchair beside the bed, dozing.

Draco blinked, still disoriented as he rose up onto his elbows, groaning at the ache that laced his muscles. The sound awoke Orion who bolted upright, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"You're awake," he said, unhelpfully.

"It would seem so." Draco winced as he sat up, gingerly. "Fuck, I feel like shit."

Orion shot him a sympathetic look. "You've been out for nearly a day, mate. Give yourself some time."

But Draco was already swinging his legs off the bed, clutching one throbbing shoulder and rolling the muscles in his neck. He locked eyes with Orion who seemed to realise what he was asking within the second.

"She's fine," he answered and something eased in Draco's chest. "She's downstairs right now."

Draco did a double take. "You brought her back?"

"She wouldn't stop getting her friends to send Patronuses to me until I went and brought her back!" Orion protested, rubbing his palms up and down the material of his trousers. "Do you know how fucking annoying it is to see an otter peering into the shower while I'm in there?"

"It probably wasn't impressed, don't worry," Draco retorted dryly, rising to his feet and steadying himself with a hand to the bedpost.

His friend only rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well, the bloody thing kept showing up everywhere. It watched me while I slept last night. Followed me down the street when I went to get groceries. Showed up at the breakfast table this morning—and I'd just about had enough. I had to."

Draco let out an exasperated sigh, still leaning heavily on the bed post. "I don't think we'll ever be able to say no to her."

Orion snorted. "We've said no to her plenty of times. She just doesn't seem to consider it an answer."

Draco would've smiled if it all hadn't come rushing back to him. The torture he'd endured at the hands of Voldemort, how he'd barely been able to Apparate to Paisley before the loss of blood made him pass out. Coming out of his daze and thinking he'd definitely died and gone to heaven because there was no way he was hearing Elara's voice, commanding him to beg.