when they became villains [draco malfoy] {book 2}

211

The wine Astrid had been drinking spilt on her shirt once she whipped around at the sound of somebody appearing in her fireplace. The liquid she had been about to swallow nearly dribbled out of her mouth when she saw who the person was. Dressed in black, soot glistening in the platinum blonde of his hair, he reminded her of nothing more than the devil himself. 

Astrid jumped to her feet and put the wine glass behind her on the coffee table. She raised her wand, staring into his narrowed eyes with the same scrutiny he was watching her. 

"How did you find me?" she asked and listened to the leather make a sound as she wrapped her fingers even tighter around the wand. She hadn't taken her gloves off. Even at home. Reading and rereading the article to figure out what exactly they knew and what they could figure out had been enough of a reminder of the past for her to never want to see her marked hands again.

Malfoy didn't answer. His eyes quit scanning her form and he stepped forward, completely ignoring the wand pointed at his chest. He looked around the room instead, examining the small, messy space she lived in and drove his hand through his hair to clear it from the soot from the Floo travel. 

His gaze stopped on something to the side and Astrid risked glancing away from him to notice he was looking at the suitcase she had packed. She hadn't yet figured out what exactly she was going to do, but she had prepared just to be ready.

"Planning on leaving?" he asked, making her raise her chin.

"How," she paused, her voice low, "did you find me?" She wouldn't answer questions until hers were answered. She knew better now than to not be cautious. Or trust strangers.

"Through the pathetic druggie you work for," Malfoy said.

Astrid narrowed her eyes into a glare, all her instincts screaming at her to hex the man and run. The article had said nothing about drugs. People shouldn't have known.

"I don't work for a druggie! I'm-"

"Yes, he fired you. He told me. It's rather amusing how fast he was ready to rat you out just so I wouldn't tell on him."

Astrid weighed her options. Behind her was the door out of the apartment: one she barely ever even used. She could disappear through there, but then she would have none of her stuff with her. Her packed belongings lay on her bed to the left, approximately five steps away. If she stunned him, would she have enough time to flee?

"How did you find out?" 

Yet she was also curious. She needed to know how he had found out and found her before she made her final decision. Astrid needed to know how much other people might know and to what extent she would have to hide. She wanted to know why he was here. What did he want? He hadn't searched for her before, so why now? Was he there to arrest her? Had his coworker buddies at the Ministry brainwashed him into being the 'good' guy?

"That is of no importance," Malfoy said and stepped forward again. "I'm not here for a friendly catch-up and you're ruining my business. I need you gone."

Gone, the word echoed in her mind, answering all of the most important questions.

"Stupefy!"Astrid shouted, hitting Malfoy straight in the chest and leapt for her bed. 

Her clothes were packed. Most of her money was packed. She just had to get out and to the muggle world and they would never find her. Her hand was already on her suitcase and her mind forming the thought of apparition when his yell interrupted it all.

"Expelliarmus!"

She watched longingly as her wand flew out of her hands and that split second of distraction allowed Malfoy to speak another incantation and send her flying back against the wall. A bookcase to her left rattled, but no books fell out. She slunk to the floor, the headache she had had before slowly transforming into what could only be a migraine. It was only when she tried to lift her hand to aid her head that she realised her limbs had been glued to the floor, her bum too, her back glued to the wall behind her. She couldn't move.