𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 | Draco Malfoy

TWENTY- SEVEN | the start, the middle, the end

The first thing Draco does as they wake up together is put his palm against Blair's forehead. He curses at the heat radiating from her skin, and as she regains consciousness, she groans at the effort it takes her to even move. "Draco.." She mumbles.

"How do you feel, love?" He asks, concern laced in his low voice.

"Can I curse?"

He smiles. "Yes, just this once."

"I feel like absolute shit." Blair mutters, raising her arm and brushing her hair out of her face, her head pounding. "I rarely get ill."

"Well, there's a first time for everything, I suppose. I'll go downstairs and make us something to eat, and then I'll go look for something to help with the fever, okay?" Draco says, pressing a kiss to her forehead before he gets out of bed.

"Mmm.." She hums, closing her eyes.

They eat together and Blair manages to eat enough to keep herself full, but can't seem to take any more than necessary. Draco finds it more important to keep her hydrated, so he makes her finish her glass of water before he carries her to the bathroom.

"I'm sorry," She whispers, blinking slowly. "I didn't want this to happen. I look like a Victorian child dying from influenza." She smiles a little.

Draco chuckles. "Don't you apologize, Blair. I love taking care of you, even if it's in moments such as these. I want you to be healthy."

Draco helps her brush her teeth and combs her hair for her, helping her into a comfortable set of sweatpants and a sweater of his before he carries her back to their bed.

After a few minutes of silence, Blair's the first one to fight her body's weakness and speak. "Draco," she mumbles, meeting his eyes. "What will become of us if we do get married someday? What if you get caught for.. for what you did?" The murders he committed will never be easy to talk about, but Blair's trying day by day to forgive him.

"There's no proof that will lead to me. I've worked at the Ministry for years, they won't suspect me. I'll come up with a plan later on to make them stop looking." Draco says calmly, stroking his hand through her hair, over her scalp.

"I'll help you whenever I can." Blair says firmly. What a terrible confession to make.

She pushes the guilt down and ignores it, the love she has for him louder than any kind of common sense. Draco said he'd stop killing for her— and she believes him. She trusts in that, at least.

"No, no, Blair, I don't want you to get involved in my mess. It's too dangerous." Draco has done his best to keep harm out of Blair's way, he isn't going to just open the door wide to let all the monsters in, even if most of those monsters are his, and are starting to break down the door, anyway.

"I'd do it for you. For us." She says, then looks down. "You're all I have left here, the only one who understands me in all ways. You're the only one that I can talk to. I can't lose you. You want to marry me and start over— you can't do that from Azkaban."

You want to marry me. The words repeat over and over in his head. Why didn't she say 'I want to marry you'? Is it too soon for that sort of confession? What else must be done for Blair to become his entirely, in all ways possible?

"I won't go to Azkaban. I'm going to do everything in my power to stay out of that prison."

"I promised to be yours while knowing the risks. I knew that it was stupid and foolish but I know damn well I can't walk away from you, from what I feel," Blair says, clenching her jaw. "You've been a terrible person, but I know that there's good inside of you, I see it when you look at me when I glance past that darkness. I believe that you can change— that you'd try for me. I'm here and I trust you.."