Stolen magic

Be a man

The hot stream felt like a medicine to Malfoy's exhausted body. He felt weak. His hands were still shaking from the inhuman amount of the Cruciatus Curse he endured from the Dark Lord. He was tortured by the wizard before for his failures, but that time it was too much.

Malfoy knew, that Voldemort despised it when his followers showed any sign of weakness. That was the main reason why Malfoy wouldn't allow himself to cry, scream nor beg for forgiveness during the torture. Even though he was that close to dying. At one point he felt like his heartbeat became slower and intermittent. He knew, that it was thanks to Granger that he was still alive. Or sane. He felt like that spider back in their fourth year. The one that Moody, or Crouch, had brought to their class and performed the Unforgivables at the poor creature. That time Granger couldn't stand the Cruciatus Curse either and cried for the arachnid in front of the whole class. That time Draco had laughed at her for her reaction.

It was her face and her voice that helped him fight for so long. Voldemort was a cruel man. He would crucio him until he would loose his mind or life. It didn't matter to the Dark wizard. He didn't care about his beloved Death Eaters. The only thing he cared about was power. Malfoy knew that. Everybody did.

After Granger pleaded for his life Malfoy had to gather all of his remaining strength in order to stood up and to took his place behind his master's back. He was too close to fainting in front of everyone. But he knew, that it would mean his immediate death. So he gritted his teeth, clenched his fists and straightened his back.

It surprised him when Voldemort invited Granger to join him by his side. The Dark Lord was an unpredictable man. His actions were always well calculated and thought through. But he never treated someone like he was worth his presence. Not even his closest 'friends'.

What was more shocking though, was Granger's reaction to the Dark Lord's proximity. She didn't flinched at his touch nor she looked appalled by it. On the contrary. She looked calm and relaxed. It was a strange thing to witness. He always thought, that the young witch was disgusted by Voldemort's appearance. But that night proved him wrong. Either that or she was an absolutely excellent actress.

He wasn't able to concentrate on anything that had happened in the fortress that night. His body was screaming at him with exhaustion and his brain was still clouded by the hangover. He couldn't concentrate on reports from the other Death Eaters. The only things he was able to perceive were his sore self and Granger's calming presence. Every time he looked at her that night a dose of peace eased his mind. He didn't know why. It probably had something to do with her magic inside of him. He often felt the urge to be close to her. To feel her presence. To hear her breathing. It was like a balm to his nerves.

But every time he got close to her she pushed him away. And he understood why. But he wished she wouldn't.

He ran his hands through his hair one more time under the streaming water before he turned it off. He sighed and stepped out of the shower. He took a peek at his reflection in the mirror. A pale face, with dark circles under eyes and scar across his chest stared back at him. He hated how beaten he looked these days. Despite his built up muscles he felt weak. On the verge of collapsing. He wanted out of that war. He wanted to ran away and start a new life somewhere else. Anywhere else. But he knew he couldn't.

So instead of dreaming about his unattainable goals he pushed himself from the basin and walked to his wardrobe.

Normally he would put on only a pyjama pants and nothing more. He often felt like he would suffocate when he slept due to his nightmares, so he wore as little clothes as possible during the night.

But he knew that Granger was going through a breakdown right now, even though he didn't know why, and walking around her with his Dark Mark glowing on his porcelain skin could cause even more damage. So he took a plain black T-shirt with long sleeves from his wardrobe as well and pulled it down over his head.