Closer to Love | Draco Malfoy [4]

Chapter 1 ~ Nightmares and Beatings

Screaming.

That was all I really did this summer. I also had to suffer the beatings Lucius gave me when I woke him up in the middle of the night. It wasn't Voldemort this time. I was having nightmares about Sirius dying all over again. I would scream his name, begging him to come back. But he was gone for good. He didn't come back like Cedric did last year. He was gone forever.

I was not as crazy as I was last year. I was actually fucked up last year, along with Harry. But that was all in the past now. I could start over.

Well, I hoped I could.

"SIRIUS! NOOOOOO!" I was having another nightmare again. I heard the door fly open and someone threw me out of my bed.

"Stupid bitch! You woke me up again!" Lucius punched me, creating a black eye. "When will you ever learn to shut up?!"

I didn't remember anything else that happened. Because I blacked out on the floor after that.

*******

"Potter! Wake up! I'm hungry!"

I groaned as I woke up. I was on the cold, hard floor and I couldn't move. I felt weak everywhere. I leaned against the dresser, closing my eyes, trying to remember what happened before I passed out. I was screaming. That was all I could remember. At the beginning of the summer, I was happy to figure out that Lucius was arrested and sent to Azkaban. I thought I would never see him again. But I was wrong.

"Potterette!" I heard Malfoy's voice this time, along with him banging his fist against the door. Yes, we were back to last names. "Wake up! My father is not a patient man!"

"No shit," I muttered as I attempted to get up. But it only resulted in me falling down again. I cried in pain.

Malfoy barged in and stopped when he saw me. "What are you doing on the floor?"

"I fell," I replied.

"Here, let me help you." He helped me up and winced when he saw my black eye.

"How bad does it look?" I asked.

"You want the truth?"

"No, not really."

"Then I'll just shut up."

"You do that."

He nodded, and a long, awkward silence came between us. Then I went past him and quickly left the room.

I headed downstairs and into the kitchen, where I hurriedly made breakfast with my wand. I didn't care if I wasn't allowed to use it outside of school. I was hoping it would save me time and some blows from the bastard himself. When I went into the dining room, everyone, minus Malfoy, were pissed off.

"About time you fed us," Narcissa said in a harsh tone.

"Sorry, your Majesty," I mumbled under my breath.

Before I could even react, a cane collided with my face. "Don't talk to my wife like that! Go get Draco some more fruit!"

"Actually, Father," he started. "May I be excused?"

He looked at his son suspiciously before replying. "Certainly. Potter, get me some more fruit, then."

I nodded while covering my face. I headed down to the kitchen, looking at my reflection with a pan. When I saw the blood, I started to cry. It was so bad. I wanted to rub it away, but my skin would end up going raw. Ignoring it, I started washing the dishes, still silently crying to myself.

"Does it hurt?" I turned around and saw Malfoy standing there.

"A little," I replied, turning back around to wash the dishes. "You shouldn't be here."

"Let me see it."

"I'm fine, Malfoy."

"Potterette--"

"Does your father still want fruit?"

"Max!" I looked at him in surprise. "Let me help you." He grabbed a clean washcloth and ran some water over it. He started to clean where it was bleeding.

I hissed at the pain. "Ow!"

"Relax, I'm almost done." After another minute, he threw the washcloth into the sink and used his wand to bandage it. "Done."

"Thank you," I paused. "Draco."

He looked down at his feet and then headed back upstairs. There were times where I thought he had a place in his heart that was just for me.

*******

The next few weeks were horrible. It was only July, and I was already considering running away and living on the streets of London until the last week of August came around. I wanted to write to Harry, but Hedwig would be intercepted by Lucius for sure. So I decided not to risk it.

The recent incident with Lucius was when he kicked me out of the house for the rest of the night. I slept in their garden on a bench, shivering and craving for warmth. I felt a hand touch me lightly on the shoulder.

"Max?" It was Draco. "What are you doing out here?"

I sat up and yawned. "Your father kicked me out. More nightmares that woke him up. He got tired of it. What are you doing out here?"

"I went to check on you and didn't see you in bed. I saw you from the balcony."

"You were worried about me?" I asked, kind of surprised.

"Yes, believe it or not, I was worried." He paused for a moment and motioned me to get up. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"We're going back to my room. I'm not letting you stay out here."

"What about--"

"Don't worry about him. I'd rather deal with his wrath for helping you than following his orders and letting you suffer out here."

We walked back inside the house and up to his room. I crawled into his bed and wrapped myself with his silk, green sheets. I felt him get in beside me and wrap his arm around me.

"This is nice," I said.

"Yeah, it is," he replied.

I sighed and looked up at him. "Thank you," I muttered.

"You're welcome."

With that, the two of us drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

A/N: Soooo what did you think of that little bit of Drax for ya? Did I satisfy your Drax hearts? Don't worry, there's more to come. ;D Believe me, there's A LOT to come.

Here it is! The first chapter of the fourth book in the Double Trouble series. Did you like it? What do you think will happen between Draco and Max throughout the next few chapters? Let me know!

Comment, vote, and enjoy Book 4 of the Double Trouble series. :)

-A