𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬, 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 • (𝐝.𝐦.)

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐬𝐢𝐱

♔

I silently followed Draco through the castle. He was taking me somewhere I wasn't sure of, but I followed him anyway. 

We finally got to a set of spiral stairs that were familiar to me. 

We were at the Astronomy tower. 

He turned to me when we were about to go up. "Maggie..." He started but trailed off. 

"Draco?" 

"Do you trust me?" He asked, and I furrowed my brow. "Of course I do," I confirmed. He nodded, sucking in a breath and going up the stairs. 

I went up after him, and when we got to the top, to the observation part of the tower, I was in awe. I could see stars for miles. It was a breathtaking view, truly, and I reveled in it. 

Draco gripped the railing that surrounded the tower, looking out at the night sky. 

"You didn't write to me all summer," I said, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He sighed again, running his fingers through his hair before turning to me. 

"I know. I'm really sorry," He said. 

"Did you at least get my letter?" 

"I got it," He said.

"Did you read it?" I asked, and he nodded. "Of course I read it. I read it so many times. I read it over and over again, it was a comfort, honestly," He said, baring himself to me. 

I hesitated on what to say next. 

"What happened to you this summer? You look so run down... and- and tired," I said, not meaning for that to sound so rude, but just wanting answers. 

"That's why we're here. I want to show you something," He said. 

"Okay." 

"You have to swear on your life you won't tell another living soul, Maggie. Promise me?" 

"I promise. Not even Blaise will know," I swore. 

He breathed deeply, almost preparing himself for what he was about to show me. He turned away from me, however, his back to me. "You won't hate me for this, will you?" He asked quietly. 

"Hate you? Draco, I don't think I could ever hate you," I said. 

"I won't be able to handle you hating me," He said sadly. I began to worry more now, "You can tell me what's going on. I won't hate you," I reassured him. 

Swiftly, as if ripping off a bandaid, Draco turned to face me and pulled his left sleeve up, showing me his forearm. 

On it, something that caught me off-guard sat. 

The Dark Mark. 

I gasped uncontrollably. "You- they did it? They did this to you?" I asked, rushing to his side and grabbing his arm, examining it. 

"It wasn't my choice, I didn't want this. I swear, I didn't want this. I was assigned a task this year. I can't tell you what, it would only run the risk of you getting hurt, or- or discovered, I can't tell you what-" He started to panic slightly, but I reached out to him and pulled his sleeve down. 

I pulled in into a hug so tight I worried he couldn't breathe. His hands found my waist, but eventually traveled to my back, pulling me into him with force. He crashed into me and I crashed into him, and then we melted into each other. 

I felt his whole body shudder and crumble into my own, which broke my heart. 

He never wanted any of this. 

"I was chosen because of my father's failure," He choked out, his voice wavering, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. 

"I can't end up like him. I won't let myself turn into my father," He whimpered. 

I had never witnessed Draco so hurt, so raw, so vulnerable. He was cracking to pieces in my arms, and I felt like I couldn't catch all of them before they hit the ground and got swept under the rug. 

"You are not your dad. You're Draco, my Draco," I said, tears forming in my own eyes as my heart shattered for him. 

I don't know why I called him mine, but it felt right. 

"They wanted you too, that's why you came to that dinner early in the summer. I told them they couldn't have you, that you wouldn't be right for the task. They listened to me, thank Merlin," He explained. 

"But they chose you instead. How is that any better, Draco? I don't want this for you," I reasoned with him. 

He said nothing, but I knew he was still thinking about it. My arms were around his neck as we still embraced each other desperately. His face was buried in the crook of my neck and we began to lightly sway back and forth. 

I ran my right hand up to his neck, almost petting him, but stroking his head and his neck comfortingly. 

I felt his breath on my chest and I just continued swaying with him for a bit. As we were like this, I looked out onto the water, seeing the distorted reflections of the stars above in the lake. 

They were dazzling, really, but the ripples of the water made them hard to perceive. Made them look like something they weren't. 

"I need to ask something of you. A favor," I said, and he said nothing, simply listening. "I need you to promise you'll stop trying to protect me. It's hurting you, and I can't stand to think this was done to you partially because of me," I said. 

"That's one favor I can't grant you," He said, and we finally tore away from each other. 

He looked into my eyes, his own slightly watery. "Draco, please-" 

"No. I'll protect you until the day Voldemort puts his wand to my head and provides a killing curse. I will never stop, you mean too much to me," He said. 

At this, I had no words. So overwhelmed with emotion, I did what I had been longing to do all summer. I connected us. 

I pulled him in by his neck and kissed him desperately. He returned the sentiment with added hunger, and I didn't realize how much we needed- hell, craved- each other. 

He backed me up into one of the pillars that supported the tower's dome and I held his face in my hands as his tongue explored my mouth. 

The heat between us rose, his left hand found my hip, and one held onto it. His other hand held my jaw for support and I allowed myself to melt into him. 

His lips moved from my lips to my neck, and I sucked in a breath as the electricity I felt run through my body intensified. There would be a mark from this, I just knew it, but I didn't care. 

He sucked on my neck, then trailed kisses up and along my jawline. His hand moved from the opposite side of my jaw to my neck next and held me in place. I didn't even try to move, this felt so strangely good, I didn't want it to end. 

We returned to just kissing each other with a passion I had never felt before, and when we broke apart, foreheads against each other, panting and looking into each other's eyes, I felt something spark within me. 

This wasn't simply lust, I knew that. This was something else entirely. 

♔

ok i couldn't leave you guys with a cliffhanger like that... i'm not a monster. anyway... THANK YOU FOR 13K! y'all are the best.