The Death Eater's Daughter

Secret - Part 29

Eleanore had been discharged from the hospital now for two days. She had been instructed by Madam Pomfrey to take it easy and to spend the next couple of days out of lesson to avoid added stress. For this reason, she had called upon Draco to help her catch up on missed work. Their meetings with the DA continued through the week; however, and now they had covered an impressively wide array of defence strategies.

It was a Friday night when Eleanore found herself distracted by something in the library. Draco was pointing to something in a Potions textbook, trying to teach her something about elixirs and euphoria, but Eleanore was staring into space, her eyes glazed over.

"Earth to Eleanore." Spoke Draco, coldly. Eleanore snapped her gaze towards him and instantly recognised the look of annoyance playing on his face.
"You know, it's not often I have the patience to tutor people on potions. You should count yourself lucky."
"I know, I'm sorry." She spoke, frantically attempting to focus herself on the textbook.
"What is wrong with you, El? You haven't been focused since, well, the hospital."
Eleanore forced an innocent chuckle.
"I don't know what you mean, Draco."
"Don't treat me like a child, El. I know when something's up."
She began the internal search party for the reason she felt so disconnected.
She thought long and hard about her abortion, but found it hard to conjure emotion. Yeah, she felt pretty shit about having to do it, but she had spent so long comforting herself; telling herself it was okay, that she managed to remedy the emotional outbursts.

Then she remembered. And the tears started to fall.

Draco wanted to lunge across the table to hug her, but instead he leaned in, taking her hand.
"It's okay, El. Just tell me what's wrong. Tell me how I can make it better."

The visions of Voldemort approaching her bedside flashed painfully in her mind, and with every image, it felt like a knife was being plunged deeper into her heart. Her dark mark instantly began to swell, causing her tears to fall harder. Was it even possible for Voldemort to know? Was it a dream at all?

"I had a vision, or a-or a dream, or something, just before you found me in the hospital wing."
The look of deep concern returned to Draco's silver eyes, as he squeezed her hand tighter.
"What of, El?"
"Voldemort."
There was an uncomfortable silence between the pair, as Draco thought hard about what this could mean for Eleanore.
"What happened...in your dream?"
Eleanore took a deep breath, in a futile attempt to find the will to regurgitate her horrible vision.
"He said I had to rethink my decision, about the abortion, or he would do something to me."
Draco began to get angry at this point, his cheeks stained with fury.
"What did he say he would do to you, Eleanore?"
She shrugged, much to his annoyance.
"I-I don't know, he just said he'd give me something to be scared of."

It was then that Madam Pince registered the noise, and she popped her head delicately from behind a bookshelf, pushing a finger firmly to her lips. Draco and Eleanore glared at the woman, forcing her to retreat. Draco and Eleanore swiftly left the library, walking quickly towards the room of requirement. Once the door had opened and closed, and Draco double checked that nobody was present in the room, he grabbed Eleanore's shoulders and levelled his eyes with hers. His heart twisted slightly inside of his chest when he recognised the tear tracks which travelled down her soft cheeks.

"Look at me, Eleanore." He snapped, forcing Eleanore to direct her gaze towards him. He noticed now that her eyes were red with straining and slightly puffy too. Draco pulled her into a tight hug and rested his chin on her forehead, disappointed to feel her body still stiffened with fear against his own.

"I don't think the dark lord could actually know...about the pregnancy. I mean, not without being too close to you."
Eleanore snapped herself from his embrace, fear coursing through her veins. She hadn't realised her own strength when she pushed him away, and she could feel her heart twinge when she saw him stumble slightly. Despite this, she angrily pulled up the sleeve of her robe and pointed her mark towards him.

"Draco, are you mad? The whole point of these stupid fucking marks is so that he knows what we're doing."

The tears started pricking at Draco's eyes, for he was terrified that the dark lord really would know. Before he could move, or say anything for that matter, he found himself on his knees, his hands cupping his face, the tears falling thick and fast.

Eleanore glided across the floor to hold him in her arms, for she too was crying, again.

"Come on, Draco. We can figure it out. We always do." Eleanore spoke. She knew, from the first time she laid eyes on Draco Malfoy, that he needed somebody to support him; to be strong for him. She also knew that she needed the same. They were put together, so brilliantly, to be each other's strength, and to help each other stare into the face of evil.

"I just...I can't lose you, El. I love you." Draco sniffled, his tears slowly coming to a halt.
"You're not going to lose me, Draco." The pair were kneeling opposite each other, holding each other in their arms. Eleanore reached a hand to his jawline and lifted his chin, forcing his eyes to lock with hers.
"I love you too, Draco. Which is exactly why I'm not leaving you, ever." Instantly, their lips had found each other, but it wasn't a kiss of lustful origin. It was a kiss of desperation. They were truly terrified of losing each other.

The pair remained in the room of requirement for a short while, holding each other closely on the sofa. Eventually, Eleanore rose, taking Draco's hand. "We should probably get back to the common room."

Upon leaving the room of requirement, they started down the corridor, freezing in their spot when they heard footsteps behind them. Eleanore gathered herself quickly, ready to use her excuse of "patrolling the corridors for students out of bed." This was the excuse both of them used whenever the Carrows would catch them roaming the darkened hallways.

"Miss Yaxley." A familiar, monotone, drawling voice echoed from behind her. It was Snape.
"Would you mind coming with me."
Eleanore turned on her heels, giving Draco's hand one tight squeeze of comfort.
"Professor, we were patrolling the corrid-"
"It's not about that, Miss Yaxley. Quite frankly, I couldn't give two Bertie beans for why you and Mr Malfoy are out this late."
Eleanore felt her heart sink in her chest, and she glanced up towards Draco, knowing he felt just as worried. The couple started towards Snape, apprehensively.
"Just Miss Yaxley, please."
At his words, Draco's stomach began twitching violently with nerves, but he turned towards Eleanore and instantly recognised that look of consolation in her eyes.
"Don't worry, Draco." She whispered, as she walked on with Snape.

Draco was left feeling lost and alone in the dark, empty corridor.