The Heart's Thorn

~ 7 ~

Celeste had been meeting Draco whenever she could in the Room of Requirement, their workload had slightly lessened and Celeste was finding that she had more free time, although she didn't picture it mixing potions "it says it's tasteless and almost undetectable, so I'm not sure it should be giving off this smell" Draco said as he sniffed the air.

"Oh it's starting to smell? Excellent, that means we can add this" she threw in some coloured powder and chopped up roots of one of the wizarding worlds most poisonous plants "which should turn it..." she waited and watched the bubbling potion carefully "... ah, there, green" she smiled happily at the concoction, by Christmas it should become a water-thick black potion, which when added to a drink will not change the drinks shade "are you sure it's okay that you're missing your Quidditch game? They mightn't have started yet if you still want to-"

"Celeste, I told you I'm not interested in it anymore, there's no point"

Celeste looked up at him with a sad yet annoyed expression "I hate it when you say stuff like that"

"Well there is no point, if this works- well, things are going to change" Celeste didn't bother to ask what was going to happen, Draco wouldn't tell her and if he did then she was afraid that she would never look at him the same way again.

She got up and sat between his spread legs, resting her back against his torso, her head sat just below his chin "do you remember when we were kids, we used to say that when we ruled the world it would be different, we'd eat pudding for breakfast and get rid of all the sprouts, we'd put the parents on the moon and become the greatest wizards that the world has ever known" she felt Draco nod "don't those days seem so far away now?"

"Too far"

The pair sat in silence for a moment, Celeste enjoyed feeling Draco breathing behind her, his body kept her warm in the cold room and for a moment she thought she might fall asleep "what if we just stayed in here forever?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well we could just pretend that nothing bad is happening out there, that there's no threat or danger, that we'll be safe and free. That you would be free"

Draco stared down at her head, he knew she wanted nothing more than to free him, however he was branded, the mark would forever stain not just his skin, but his soul, he wasn't sure he would ever be free again "Celeste" he pulled back from her and stood up, staring down at her with the last shred of nobility that he could find in himself "you should leave"

She stood up too, looking up at him with narrowed eyebrows "why? We still have to add-"

"Not the room, me. You should leave me before you're dragged into my hell. You're delusional if you think I'll ever be free of him, and you're delusional if you think I can be saved. You don't deserve the only kind of life you could have with me, you deserve someone like that George Weasle, someone who can take care of you and make you laugh, a man who fights on the light side with you, not someone who- who dirties you, contaminates you. Please, go" she had never heard him beg this way, there was nothing in it for him, he wasn't begging so that he could gain something, he wanted to save her from the darkness, the hopelessness that surrounded him.

Celeste stepped slowly towards him and put her hands on his cheeks, he did not attempt to push her away, her touch was too soft to break contact "I'm not going anywhere. A happy life in the light with a good man is worthless if I'd rather be with someone else, I will trudge through battlefields with you if I have to. I'm a Belladonna and a Heartsthorne, and I have a feeling they don't give up the things they want"

She stretched herself up to touch her lips with his, and as she kissed him fervently he thought about how true her words had been, because he would gladly walk through war zones for her, if she were ever in danger he would do anything to keep her safe. But he couldn't help but think that he was putting her in danger, the mission he had been set by Voldemort would cast the darkest shadow over the Wizarding World since the first Wizarding War, there would be no one left to protect them, they would all be at Voldemort's mercy, although Draco was sure that he had none.