Trail of broken hearts and slimy snakes

18

I stood in the mirror, staring at my reflection, still feeling the heat in my cheeks. I could still feel his lips, his tongue, his fingers in all the right places. My heart began to thunder in my chest and my fingers trembled as they brushed against my lips. I could still smell him, taste him. It was like someone had pressed pause on the world and left Draco and I alone. It was amazing and scary and beautiful all at the same time. I blinked my eyes, bringing me back to the moment. I had to get to breakfast so I could make it to the room of requirements before class. I dashed from my room and hurried down the halls until I reached the great hall and sat at the table. I began loading food on to a plate and shoving a bite in my mouth.
"Hungry?" I heard Draco's voice and it hit me like a train.
My heart began to race again and my eyes grew large. I felt him sit next to me but I didn't dare look at him while my cheeks were on fire. I heard him let out a slight laugh and I felt his finger grab my chin, turning my face towards him. He was smirking at me, a twinkle in his gray eyes. His hair wasn't slicked back like usual, instead it was left messy but in a good way. I gulped down the food in my mouth and smiled at him.
"Good morning." I breathed.
He let go of my chin and I turned my head back to my plate and continued scarfing down food.
"What's the rush?" He scoffed.
"Oh I have- uh.. I have to work on something before class today." I tried to lie without lying.
He raised an eyebrow at me and crossed his arms over his chest. I smiled at him again and took one last bite of my food before standing to leave when I locked eyes with Blaise. I froze, feeling my blood come to a stand still and my lungs refuse air. Draco looked back over his shoulder to see what had caught my attention and he shot to his feet when he saw Blaise. He ripped his legs out from under the table and began storming in his direction. My eyes flashed between Draco and Blaise and I wanted to stop him, I wanted to call out to him but my body betrayed me. All I did was watch as Blaise stood from his seat and raised his hands up in defense as Draco's fist flew forward and landed on Blaise's nose. Blaise fell back against the table, clutching his face. Alice shrieked and people began pulling Draco off of Blaise.
"Leave her the fuck alone!!" Draco seethed.
"It's not my fault!!" Blaise spat.
Finally I rushed after Draco, grabbing his arm and pulling him towards me. He hissed and jerked away, looking down at me, then his face changed from rage to worry. I stared at him, not scared of him just scared he would hurt Blaise more.
"Draco. It's not his fault." I whispered.
Draco furrowed his brow and let out a huff before straightening his robes and storming out.
"Are you okay?" I asked Blaise.
"Yeah. I'm fine." He hissed.
He glared at me for a moment before his expression softened.
"Just, tell him to calm down." He said.
I nodded and turned when I bumped into Alice.
"Stay the fuck away." She barked.
"Alice." Blaise groaned.
"No. She needs to know her place. She attacks me then tries to... do whatever with you." Alice whined, keeping her eyes on me.
"Alice I'm not trying to get with Blaise, and if you remember, you stole him from me." I scoffed.
Suddenly I felt her hand connect with my cheek and there was a stinging pain that ran down my face. She slapped me. I felt my fingers began to singe. My cheeks grew hot. I glared back up at her. Blaise shot up from his seat and stepped between us, grabbing my shoulders.
"Kat. Breathe. Not here." Blaise whispered.
I felt my breathing begin to pick up and could feel heat rising in my stomach like bile.
"Are you still into her?!" Alice shouted from behind Blaise.
"Alice I need you to take a step back and stop talking." Blaise demanded.
"What the f-"
"STEP BACK AND SHUT UP!" Blaise shouted at her.
She snapped her mouth shut and took a step back, glaring at me still. My eyes never left her face. I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to set her on fire and watch it burn. I wanted-
No. I suddenly realized what I was thinking. I closed my eyes and tried to catch my breath, but when I realized I couldn't, that the heat was still rising inside of me, that my fingers began to burn and my hands began to tremble, I pushed past them both and began to run, out of the great hall and down the hall to the room of requirements. I bumped into a few students along the way, Draco being one of them, I guess he hadn't gone far.
"Kat?" He shouted after me but I kept running.
I stepped inside and let out a scream of anger. Why was I so mad. Alice never made me this mad. Even when I tried to think of her to get my flames going, it never worked. I wasn't mad at Draco or Blaise either... Blaise. What he told me. The dark mark. I felt my chest begin to heave and tears form in my eyes. I fell to my knees and began to sob. I had forgotten all about that but seeing him must have sparked that feeling of anger and despair. I couldn't get the mark. I couldn't be like my father, like Draco. I couldn't do what they do. I could feel the flames forming around me but I didn't care, all I could think about was my father and how he always told me I'd be just like him one day and how I promised myself I wouldn't be. He used to say it in between kicks.
"YOULL. GET. THE. MARK. AND. FINALLY. DO. SOMETHING. GOOD." He would shout as I cried on the floor.
I squeezed my eyes tight and visions began dancing around my head. Ants. Blood. My mother's face as she sobbed down at my small broken body on the kitchen floor. The flames rose higher and hotter but I still couldn't feel the pain. Suddenly I felt arms, wrapping around me, lifting me to my feet. I opened my eyes in surprise to see Draco clutching on to me for dear life. His shirt was burnt and torn and his skin was bright red where it was burning. No. No. No. he was going to burn himself alive. I pushed him away and took a few steps back. He stared at me, his chest heaving and letting out deep coughs from the flames. I shook my head and I knew I had to put the flames out now. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and thought of the only thing I had been thinking about all morning.
"I love you." Draco breathed as I brushed my fingers through his hair.
I opened my eyes and the flames were gone but Draco stood in front of me, grunting in pain. I shot forward and caught him just as he began to fall to his knees.
"Draco! Are you an idiot?" I shouted at him.
"What the fuck was that?" He asked.
I sat him down and stared at him for a moment, biting my lip, but I thought that if I could tell Blaise then Draco deserves to know. So I told him. I explained it all, everything I knew. His focus stayed on me the whole time but I could see the wheels in his head turning.
"You cannot, ever, leave my side." He said finally after a moment of absorbing everything I just told him.
"What?" I asked.
"Voldemort. He will... Merlin knows what he will do to you if he finds out." Draco shook his head. "You cannot be without me. Do you understand?"
I nodded at him. Usually I would disagree but this wasn't a time to be stubborn. He was right. He might not be able to hide me or even help me but just having him there will help me feel safe. Almost like clockwork, the doors opened and snape walked in, his face seemed grave and he had two men with him.
"Professor?" I asked.
"Fuck." Draco breathed.
I looked between them and felt my stomach drop when snape held his hand out and said...
"Katherine. Come with me. Someone wants to meet you."