(a Draco Malfoy au) of snakes and stones

chapter seven

Draco

He felt like Juliette was too calm considering the situation she was in.
Considering the fact that he felt like he was about to have the biggest meltdown. He'd tried so fucking hard to get her out. He'd done everything in his power to avoid this. Pushed her away, even when he wanted to keep her at his side.
He didn't even know where they were, initially, he thought that they might have been at their house, but realised that this would actually be too easy.
"Draco, sit her down."
"Don't you dare hurt her," Draco said - going over to Juliette. His father had made Juliette unconscious, and Draco looked down at her, feeling an ache, deep in his chest.
"Tea and biscuits, remember?" His father growled. "Sit her down, son. Do something useful for once."
Draco did as told, his chest heavy.
With a snap of Lucius' fingers, she was awake again. And she didn't fight. Didn't argue.
"Now, Miss Ashwood. You are going to answer our questions, and will answer them truthfully." Lucius said, getting too close. Draco held up a hand.
"Move, boy." His father glared at him. "Or I'll remove you from the room."
"No," Draco argued. He knew it would only make things worse, knew that it would only lead him towards more trouble. "Talk to her from a distance." He paused. "She's hardly going to talk with you in her face like that."
"What do you know? Fuck off, boy." His father said and shoved him out of the way.
"You answer these questions. You answer them, and it'll all be easy for you."
Juliette shook her head. "No. I don't know anything about Hogwarts. They didn't tell me anything - for this very reason!" She fought back.
Draco lashed out towards his father when he raised his arm to hit her.
"Draco, Stop. It's okay." Juliette said, her voice still warm.
"Listen to your girl," Lucius warned him.
Two of Lucius' henchmen stepped forward, holding Draco by his arms.
"Now." His father turned back towards Juliette. He asked his first question. "Tell me this. Where is the Room of Requirement, and what does one need to be thinking to enter it."
Juliette kept her mouth shut, didn't even look up at Lucius.
Draco couldn't tell whether she knew the answer to this particular question and was hiding it, or whether she genuinely didn't know.
"Speak!" His father yelled at her. Draco tried to pull free but couldn't.
Still, she kept her mouth shut.
"Bring in Bellatrix. See if she can get her to speak." Lucius said, before storming from the room.
"No, No!" Draco fought harder this time. He wouldn't let Bellatrix get her hands on her. Who knew what she would do?
He charged after his father. "What's it going to take for you to leave her alone?" He yelled through a dark corridor. "Don't let Bellatrix in - please. That's not how to get her to speak." Draco had his hands in fists. "Let- let me get her to speak." He stammered. "I can get her to speak." He'd never begged his father before. Never wanted to stop him from doing something so bad that he would do anything to stop him.
"I'll think about it-" His father told him, and Draco charged towards him.
"She isn't going to talk to Bellatrix, and you know it!"
"No, you're right. She's not going to talk to her. But hearing her screams and watching you discover that love is a weakness will be entertaining." His father snarled.
"What do I have to do for you to let her leave," Draco asked.
"Nothing." His father stopped talking when a loud scream tore through the hallway. Draco's heart sank as he knew what it was. He felt himself cave in. He did this to her.
He ripped through the hallway, back to the room where Juliette was, but he couldn't get in.