𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐆𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐍

❃ overprotective

*TW, mentions r4pe*

❃

𝑴𝒂𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒆

"How are you feeling?" A soft hand stroked my warm cheek. My vision blurred in and out as I viewed my friends standing around my bed, a fresh bandage wrapped around each of their forearms.

"I'm okay," I whispered, shutting my eyes as I slowly sat up, a hand placed behind my back helping me sit up straight.

"Draco?"

"Hi, love," he smiled, "I'm right here."

"The rest of us have the dark mark already. The Dark Lord gave them to us while you were sleeping. Bellatrix got you a deal, you should be grateful," Theo exclaimed, leaning against the bedroom wall.

I knew I wouldn't have been able to handle the screams of my friends as the dark mark was burned onto their skin.

"It took a bit of convincing. I wish I could give you more time but I must give it to you now," Bella exclaimed, shuffling my friends out the door. Draco stayed put by my side.

I knew it would be painful when he began to place rags under where my arm sat on the covers.

"This is going to sting terribly, try to keep quiet," Bella exclaimed, pointing her wand at my forearm.

"I'm right here, you're gonna be okay," Draco placed his hand in my free one.

"Morsmordre."

The black ink began to bubble into my veins, squelching as it burned the skull and snake under the layers of my skin.

Draco's hand covered my mouth in an effort to muffle my screams, but it was of no use. Tears began to stream down my face as he consoled me.

"Draco, it hurts," I sobbed, blood trickling from my forearm onto the dry rags, soaking them red.

"I know, I'm sorry."

Draco tried to keep his expression strong in front of Bella, but I could see how much he was breaking through my tear blurred eyes, biting down on his lip so to stop it from trembling.

By the time it was over I'd broken two of his fingers.

My recovery was far worse.

Sweating profusely, dehydration. Nausea, vomiting. I ran a fever of 103 for five hours, unescapable night terrors filling my vision as I drifted in and out of consciousness on his bed.

I awoke to Draco sitting on a chair beside the bed, wrapping a soft white bandage around my forearm, a cool, damp towel resting on my forehead.

"Is it over?" I whispered.

"You should feel well in a few, the others said they felt better after 24 hours. Mine was around the same," he smiled sadly, wrapping less tightly on the side of the harshly inked skin.

Draco stood as a knock emerged from the door.

"I made you tea," Naevah smiled, entering with a steaming mug. "It's Neville's own blend. Lemon, chamomile from western Asia and hibiscus petals."

"Which has a better ring to it? Neville the tea brewer or Neville the plug?" Pansy snorted, entering after her, earning a small slap on the arm from Naevah.

"Leave poor Neville alone," she smiled, placing the warm mug in my slightly shaky hands, Draco placing a small clean towel over my lap in case of any spills.

"It seems to me you have a little crush Navs, you've liked the kid since first year," she answered.

"Oh shut up," Naevah followed Pansy out, trying to hit her as they ran, their footsteps thumping throughout the Manor as they chased after one another, eventually fading.