Left Behind (A Dramione Romance)

Mudblood

Goosebumps broke out all across Draco's skin.

He stood frozen for a moment physically unable to move.

She's torturing her...

A second scream followed and a shudder passed through Draco.

He tried to tune it out. Tried to block it, like he had blocked out so much...but he couldn't tune out her cries, they were too sharp of a sound in his ears.

it was Granger in there being tortured by his aunt: Stubborn, righteous Granger.

How the hell was he supposed to feel about this?

Why did the sound of her screams make his skin crawl?

Its just the sound, that pitch would make anyone's skin crawl, he told himself.

In the distance Draco could hear Weasely calling out Hermione's name over and over.

He sounded like a wounded animal calling out; a desperate sound of agony.

Narcissa appeared in the doorway, shattering the glass cage in Draco's mind.

She looked so calm and serene. He wished he could feel something like that right now instead of feeling like he was on the edge of a cliff looking out over the edge.

"I was worried you were hurt," Narcissa said, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm fine mother," he managed, even though he was anything but fine. Draco took one look at his mothers face and he could tell she could sense his distress. He tried to slip on that cool mask that he had been working to perfect ever since the dark Lord had decided to take up residence in their house.

Narcissa walked towards him wordlessly. When she was only a few feet away she reached out and put her hand on his shoulder. She let her perfectly manicured hand rest there for a moment before she let it shift to his upper back directing him back inside.

Draco's limbs begged to protest, and yet he kept moving forward as if his body were working on auto pilot and he were merely sitting back and watching as the ground came closer and closer. He wanted to pull up, he wanted to pull away.

With each step that Draco took down the hall Granger's screams grew louder and louder.

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get the sword? Where?"

"We found it-we found it-PLEASE!" Hermione's screamed again.

A cold sweat broke out over Draco's skin and he shivered. His feet stopped of their own accord at the entrance to the drawing room. Every fiber of his being screamed against going in. If he walked in and saw what was going on that would make it real. It would mean that his aunt really was torturing his classmate; Torturing the person who he had, less than a half hour ago, been thinking of as worthy challenger.

She doesn't deserve to go through this, he found himself thinking.

No one one does, his mind answered back, why should it matter that its HER?

His mother's hand tugged on him, her grip firm and unyielding.

Was it that she wanted him to bear witness to his aunt's cruelty or was she worried what his absence from the room would signal?

Why does everything always have to be about keeping up appearances? He lamented.

Another scream cut through the air.

He couldn't handle it.

He needed a minute, just a minute to collect himself.

"I'll be in, in a moment," said Draco slipping away from his mothers grip.