The White Sparrow {Draco & Lucius x Reader}

chapter seven - cold

"Draco? I thought I saw you leave with your mother-"

"Don't," he said gritting his teeth. "She left with another death eater. I'm not of her concern anymore."

You didn't know how to respond. You didn't know his family well, or him very well either for that matter. But it didn't change the fact that his mother left him in this terrifying situation. As well as his father who was nowhere to be found. They seemingly had willingly left him all alone.

Who does that?

"Is it only you? Or should I be expecting a whole army behind you," you sneered; arms crossed across your chest.

"Don't be so dramatic," he quipped back, his voice rising with anger.

You scoffed at him, completely shocked that after everything that has happened, he would still be so vile to you.

Draco looked at your annoyed expression and finally showed just an ounce of transparency.

"Obviously it's just me, okay?" he said dryly, devoid of his usual attitude.

He looked absolutely horrible and truly exhausted. The cruel and callous man was seemingly gone for the moment. He should be on his way back home happy with his family, yet now he stands with you instead in the barren forest...

"So... why are you here exactly? I'm trying to get the hell away from Hogwarts so I would appreciate it if you didn't rat me out."

"Just stop. I'm done with Hogwarts, with Voldemort, all of it. I don't give a damn what you're doing here, just go away," he snapped.

You were too drained to be actually affected by his anger, and you knew it truly wasn't directed towards you. The tough act he had put up at school had been broken down immensely from the battle and he had exuded any remaining fire in him already.

"Sorry Malfoy no can do. I have to keep going down this path, so you'd have to be the one to move."

He had no sarcastic remark this time. Instead, he just looked at you, breathing heavily. You felt uncomfortable with his stares and broke the eye contact, as he looked away as well. He knew who you were didn't he?

"Detention the other day? I tried to help you up, but you couldn't put your pride away to accept it," you said candidly, trying to answer his undisclosed question. As awkward as it was, there was no reason to beat around the bush.

"Obviously, I know who you are. Your brother is that stupid Ravenclaw prick, isn't he?" Draco prodded, even though he did in fact already know the answer.

You swallowed harshly and bit back the venom you so badly wanted to spew. He just couldn't keep your brother out of his mouth even when he wasn't here. Purely exhausted, you held it in and rubbed your head with a sigh.

"He is not a prick, and you know that. You know you laughed and mocked me the other day when I even tried helping him," you cleared your throat, trying not to cry. "Whatever, he's gone now so just don't bring him up again."

"Fine by me," he mumbled nearly incoherently, returning no eye contact this time and staring at the forest floor.

The silence was deafening in the quaint forest, and it snapped you back into the memories of the chaos and noise you had just endured for hours throughout the battle. You quickly tried to shake the memories away and focus on making it home.

"Hey, I don't know what you're planning on doing but I'm heading to Hogsmeade if you want to join," you offered, your stupid Hufflepuff nature betraying you.

Malfoy was shocked that someone would even be so kind to him after his stint as a death eater this school year. He didn't respond for a few minutes, his blue eyes piercing yours and capturing you in his gaze. You held your breath, now upholding the eye contact he held you in so deeply.

It was strange... the connection you felt as his eyes gleamed with the smallest hint of wonder.

"Why don't you come back to the manor with me?" Malfoy asked suddenly.

You must've had a crazed look on your face because he immediately followed up defensively with a reason as to why.

"Look, obviously the world as we know it has been destroyed. You can get warm and maybe have food I suppose, if you're hungry."

It made no sense as to why he was offering such a thing. You had done nothing more than be a normal friendly Hufflepuff, and Malfoy had even acknowledged that 'pathetic' Jameson was your brother. But perhaps this simple act of kindness was one of the only straws he was left grasping at for hope for the future.

Sadly, the apocalyptic nature of the war was finally setting in with his offer. What's to be said that Hogsmeade wouldn't be destroyed too? Or Hogs Head Inn? How far were the death eaters willing to go to prove their allegiance?

You figured you could contact your parents once there as well. Perhaps it would be more pleasant than you thought.

"That would be nice, thank you," you finally replied quietly, looking down.

Draco resumed his cold and closed off nature again, although his actions and words were telling two very different stories. You awkwardly stood next to him waiting to disapparate, eyes wandering to anything else but him, to ignore the tension.

You did not want to get caught staring at him and be mesmerized by his gaze again.

So, your eyes stayed on the sky instead, the gray clouds full of rain that we're going to unleash soon. A pain in your stomach reminded you that you hadn't eaten a bit of food since before McGonagall had gathered everyone. The Manor was sounding even better with the thought of food soon in your belly.

Tentatively putting your hand over his, he instinctively flinched at your touch. He cleared his throat worriedly, trying to pretend like it never happened.

Draco then cast the spell, the environment around you changing in a second as suddenly you were in a whole different world.