mother of wands (d.m) part two

II

I couldn't sleep, my thoughts running a mile a minute as Draco's warm arm kept me trapped to his chest as the seconds tick on, his breathing shallow and melodic.

My stomach churns as the events of yesterday's dinner came flooding back; Charity's lifeless eyes rolling back into her head as Nagini swallowed her hole in front of us all, like a demonic circus act.

I shake my head in hopes of erasing the vile image but it's only replaced by a different one, Hogwarts. The once bright and hopeful castle now morphed into something dim and haunted, my mind left to fill in the blanks of what was left behind last school year.

And then I saw my mother, her face lighting up as she realized it was me in her damp dungeon. Was I the first person she had talked to since escaping? Was that her only contact since leaving me that fateful summer? My fantasy quickly turns into a nightmare as I remember the disappointment in her voice when I confessed to her what I had done.

I knew my mother was resilient but how much can she take? How long can she avoid Voldemort and his followers quest for the wand, or worst yet, perhaps even my fathers followers?

I wasn't thinking when I left Borgin and Burke's, the possibility of seeing her eyes and hugging her comfy body too overpowering to plan logically.

Why was that ring there in the first place and if it was lost under impossible conditions, how was I able to come across it so easily?

I turn over onto my side, my back now resting on Draco's bare chest as he tugs me tighter to him, his scent intoxicating. I stare out the window, moonlight barely visible through the clouds as I force myself to count the remaining leaves on a nearby swaying tree to occupy my mind.

"Go to sleep Everett..." A sleepy voice mumbles from behind me.

I jump lightly, startled by his presence. "How did you know I was awake?"

He chuckles, "Because I'm awake. I can feel you thinking."

I roll under his heavy arm so I face him, "How can you 'feel me thinking?'"

His eyes are still closed but his lips are pursed in a tight smile, "Your pulse, it's fast."

I huff, "I just can't get yesterday out of mind."

His lashes flutter as he meets my gaze, "Me too. And no one will know what happened... The students and the other professors... They'll just assume she was killed. They won't know what he did to her..."

A shudder runs through me, "I didn't think of that..."

"Sorry," He says sucking in a breath. "I always find a way to make things worse."

I chuckle, cupping his cheek. "You and me both."

He rolls his eyes playfully, "That's not true, who knows where I'd be if you weren't around to help me fix all my mistakes."

"Maybe I fix your mistakes but I also create lots of my own," I say, brushing some loose blonde hair behind his ear.

Without warning, tears fill my eyes as I picture my mother again, her frantic and mechanic movements as she dug through our back garden. The things she did all those years ago, for the possibility of protecting me in the future. Her blind faith in me to do the right thing and my ability to throw that all away.

"Hey," He says lightly, his finger catching a tear as it rolls down my cheek. "Don't cry, we'll untangle this whole mess. I'm not sure how just... But we will."

I shake my head, "Do you ever fell like you've done everything wrong?"

"Every day," He huffs, shamefully.

I take in a deep breath and allow it to sit inside my lungs for a moment. "This all has to mean something, right? Like in the end, this won't be for naught."

He thinks for a moment, his thumb running absentmindedly across my collarbone. "Honestly? I'm not sure."

I sigh heavily. He was right, there was no way of telling if we were putting all our eggs into a basket that was destined to explode.

"Is that an alright answer?" He questions off my silence.

I nod, "Of course, I just-"

I stop myself, unsure of how to form my thoughts into words. Over past few months I had looked at this from every angle, every situation, every outcome. I had planned and plotted according to the information I was being given by Voldemort.

But something felt off. Another one of my stupid gifts.

I was missing something, like I had this huge puzzle in front of me and a whole section at the bottom was gone. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't shake this feeling like someone was besting me.

I wasn't being told everything from someone and I couldn't pinpoint who.

But once I had that piece...

"I'm just feeling really weird tonight..." I state with a depressed tone.

He lets out a short laugh, "If it makes you feel any better, I'm feeling rather strange myself."

I snuggle into his chest, kissing him lightly on the neck as he pulls me in close, his arms warming me as I lightly shut my eyes.

"Goodnight," He says as I start to drift slowly to sleep. "I really do think we can change this."

****