The Killers

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a/n: A reminder that this story does have a happy ending. Keep going.

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Chapter 29: The Killers

Theo was supporting all of Granger's weight by the time he got them to Nott Manor. Theo himself hadn't spent much time there recently, but hey - it was fucking his now, wasn't it?

So much darkness around him and all he wanted to do was laugh until he threw up.

"It's okay," he coaxed her, turning her and awkwardly wrapping his long arms around her narrow, shaking shoulders. "It's okay."

"I'm fine," she said mechanically, and the metallic quality to her voice felt wrong to him. So very, very wrong.

"You're not fine," he said brusquely, pushing her away and holding her at arm's length. "You know what you've done, right? You know what just happened?"

She blinked at him.

"Draco," she said, as if that were enough.

Fuck, Granger. If only that were enough.

"Come with me," he said, grabbing her arm roughly and leading her down the hall.

"Where are we going?" she mumbled, stumbling over her own feet. Theo was half dragging her, and he might have felt bad about it if he weren't completely certain she was still in shock.

"Bathroom," he said, not looking back. "Have to clean you up."

"I don't want to," she replied, shivering.

"Don't fucking care," he retorted, swallowing the regret that bubbled in his gut from handling her so aggressively in her fragile state. "You're getting blood all over my fucking expensive floors."

"Blood?" she asked, and he stopped.

"Blood," he repeated, holding her hands in front of her face so that she could see them.

Her eyes widened.

"Theo - "

"Shower," he said, grabbing her arm again and yanking her into the bathroom. Sorry, Draco, he thought, but she fucking needs it.

"Get in," he told her, waving his wand and turning it on. "Now."

She looked at him helplessly. "I'm fully dressed."

"Then undress yourself," he told her.

She looked pained.

"Or don't," he said, shrugging, and gently pushed her inside.

She didn't even argue. That's how far gone she was. She stood in the shower fully clothed, her face tilted up towards the steady stream of water, the blood trailing into her hair. She still gripped the wand. She still didn't move.

Fuck. He was going to have to keep an uncomfortably close eye on her, wasn't he?

"Listen," he said, getting in and turning her to face him. They were both soaked through within seconds, but he found it strangely cleansing. "You need to let me help you."

"Help me with what?" she mumbled, closing her eyes.

"You need to face this," he told her, sighing heavily and starting to scrub at the skin that was showing - her cheeks, her neck, her wrists. "One killer to another," he added, feeling the gravity of that statement settle into the pit of his stomach. "Trust me. Let me help you."

"Killer," she repeated, opening her eyes.

"Yes," he said, pointing his wand at her fingernails. "Scourgify."

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