captive | d.m.

chapter 21

-Terra-

Call it a sixth sense possibly, or maybe it was his scent, or possibly the aura he carried with him. I'd just known of his presence the moment I opened my eyes and shot up.

"Draco?" I whispered in the dark.

He seemed almost equally as surprised. And then he grabbed my wrist and Apparated us outside so my feet sunk into the wet grass with the Black Lake nearby. He immediately conjured a pair of slippers for me but I simply stared up at him under the moonlight, blinking the sleep from my eyes.

"Put them on."

"What are you doing?"

"Put them on."

I huffed and did as told, absentmindedly placing my hands around my stomach and steadying myself as I slipped my bare feet into the slippers. It was too dark so I could only make out the silhouette of his figure looming over me, watching. He looked dangerous like this. Cold stance, tousled hair with his hands in his pockets. I wasn't used to it. The way he tilted away from me, like we were strangers.
Only months ago, the last time I'd seen him we'd been angry with each other. And now here we were in the middle of night, alone together. What could possibly go wrong?

"What are we doing out here?" I shifted my cloak closer to my swollen breasts. I wished I could see his face.

Silence. And then a quiet, "Happy Birthday."

I raised a brow. Was he okay? It was literally the middle of the night. "It's September 6th now."

"Well happy late birthday." He thrusted a small box towards me.

I didn't take it. "Thank you, but why now? What are we doing here at this hour you could've given it to me during the day." Although it seems like he was forced to even bring himself here.

"Lumos." And then I saw his face, the shadows under his eyes and his lips that were bent low with what appeared to be fatigue. "I've been busy."

"With the Mind Healer?" I whispered, pulling the cloak over my shoulders again. With the memory I gave you?

His expression didn't change except for a few more blinks. So he'd been practicing his Occlumency again. Splendid. "Yes, that too." He waved the box. "Take it, it's from Mother, not me." An emphasis on the 'me'...he was still angry.

A sudden flashback to the Great Hall and a pleading stare shook me before I was snapped back to reality. I took it, brushing my fingers against his and noticing his breath hitch.

I looked down on it. "What is it?"

"Something about a serpent necklace...it appears you lost the one you had before...according to Aunt Dromeda and Mother." He dug his dragon leather shoes into the grass, hair falling into his eyes.

I felt my body stiffen as I absentmindedly reached for my neck. No Calming Draught would save the tears from falling now. I choked silently, ripping open the box and nearly sobbing at the exact replica. The serpent, the studded eyes, the green glow of it. Dropping the box, I clasped it around my neck and clutched it to my chest as if a piece of me had been sewn back into place.

"Th-thank you," I whispered, watching a drop of my own tears hit the grassy floor. I wanted to ask him, does it connect to your ring just like the way it did before? But I didn't want to push it.

Draco's eyes followed the tear until his gaze caught onto my ankle. "What's that?" He gestured.

The key was flashing under the light of his wand. I breathed in. "You gave it to me and never told me what it was used for."