Marked ⁂ Draco Malfoy ⁂

Year 6: Arranged

Draco took the clothes and silently thanked the elf before shutting the door as quick as it opened. He turned back to me and set down the clothes on the dresser. I looked to him silently hardly knowing what to say.

"Why does he want me? He's tried to kill me before, why would he suddenly give them freedom in-exchange for me?" I asked him.

"Aurora, I don't know for sure yet." He said avoiding eye contact.

"Draco... what do you know?" I asked him knowing that face.

He just looked to me and didn't say a word. I shook my head and looked at him. I was looking at someone I thought I knew and trusted and yet, here I was doubting it all. He wore the face of someone who had just gotten caught deep in a lie and as much as I didn't want to know at this point I needed to.

"You're already lying to me, just tell me." I said throwing my arms.

"You have to understand I never would have wanted things to happen this way." He said stepping forward and I just stepped backwards. "I think we wants us to get married."

"Why would he want that?" I asked him flatly.

"I don't know, I just over heard it from Snape when he came through the cabinet. He was talking to Bellatrix and-"

"And what Draco?" I asked.

"Bellatrix made a comment about her soon to be niece." He said. "I had nothing to do with this, Aurora. I would never agree to force you to do something like this, I know-"

"Just stop." I said with my arms crossed.

"Aurora, please you can't hold this against me. I have no more control than you!" He said stepping towards me reaching out for me but I stumbled back.

"Draco stop!" I cried out turning away covering my mouth with my hand.

"I know it doesn't matter, but I'm sorry." He said from behind me.

"Leave me alone Draco." I said and the room was filled with silence for a long moment before I heard the door open and close.

I turned to find the room empty. I let out my cries and held myself tightly. I didn't know what I was going to do, my whole life was hardly my own anymore. I didn't feel like I even belonged to myself. I looked down to my arm wishing I could just tear this stupid dark mark off my arm and disappear.

I wanted to scream at my parents. I hated them, they had force me into this life and stripped me of everything. I didn't understand how they could be so selfish and ruin my life for theirs. I thought they cared about me, I knew they didn't provide love and affection like most people parents, but I thought they would have at least cared.

I loved Draco, but I didn't want this. I wasn't even 18 yet I had just turned 17 only a few months ago, yet here I was being sold off as a pawn. I wiped the tears from my eyes and tried to calm myself. I didn't know what else to do right now. Everything was spiraling around me and I was left to just sit in it.

My attention was brought to the door which was being knocked on. I tensed knowing Draco wouldn't knock on his own bedroom door. I wiped my face and prayed I wasn't crying as hard as I just thought I was. I pushed forward and opened the door and Draco's mother was stood there.

"Is everything okay?" She asked clearly aware I was crying. "Draco told me you found out."

"I'm fine, just I guess surprised." I said trying to force a small smile to make it seem like I was okay.

"Dear you don't have to pretend. I'd be devastated and then some." She said and I could tell she was being honest. She had a deep look of empathy in her eyes as she looked to me nearly face to face.