Chapter Text
Title: By your side
Pairing: Draco Malfoy x Reader
Word count: 1.2k
Author: Heloise Daphne Brightmore
Inspired by this gif:
He was standing above the sink, his back arching forward, his arms holding his weight as his firm grip around the porcelain turned the skin on his fingers whiter. He looked up at the mirror, his reflection looking back at him skinnier, paler than ever. His eyes were sunken in, dark circles accompanying the terrified look in his ice grey eyes. He was hopeless.
Tears flooded his eyes, rushing down his cheeks, landing harsh on the edge of the sink. He lifted his arm, abruptly wiping away the tear stains, before a sob escaped his heavy lungs. He grabbed the front of his shirt, scrunching the material in his grasp as if he was wishing to crush his own heart. His tears didn’t stop. They ran faster, deforming his thin face. He lowered his head, whimpering, his usually neatly combed blonde hair now a mess, falling in his eyes.
“Draco?” Your whisper came from the other end of the bathroom. “Draco…” You tried again, your voice pained, seeing him so broken, so weak. You walked up to the boy, placing a hand on his shoulder, causing him to cry out even louder. You turned him around, cupping his face, removing the tear stains from his swollen cheeks.
He threw his arms around your waist, pulling you into him, hiding his face in the crook of your neck, loudly sobbing as he felt finally something that was always consistent. Your presence. In light and in dark, in good and in bad, you were his much needed support. He could never express how much he appreciated you, but you didn’t need words to understand his gratefulness.
“I can’t… I can’t do this anymore.” His breath hitched, his voice breaking under the heavy weight he has been wearing for so long. His family pressuring him to be the perfect son. He, who must not be named, forcing him to do unspeakable acts. He was broken inside and out.
“Draco…” You whispered into his ear as you lowered yourself, placing your back against the cold wall, pulling him into your embrace. He wrapped his arms around you, pulling himself into a fetal position, his reddened cheek resting on your chest, enjoying your steady breathing. “let’s run away.” You offered.
“I can’t.” He looked up at you, his bloodshot eyes showing nothing, but fear. You have never seen him so helpless, almost shattered to his core. You placed your hand softly on his cheek, caressing his cold skin with your thumb. He let a tiny, pained smile crawl its way across his lips, leaning his head against your palm. “I wish I could, love. I wish I could just run away with you and leave everything behind.” He spoke, his eyes shining behind the tear drops collecting rapidly.
“Then let’s do it, Draco. Just you and me.” You begged him, something you never thought you would ever do. But Draco was your everything. You couldn’t possibly imagine your world without him. He was the centre of your attention, oxygen to your lungs, your soulmate. Your heart only beat for him. You couldn’t live without him, nor could you watch him suffer any longer. You were in pain each day at the sight of his broken body, his hopeless soul reflecting in his grey eyes.
“I have to do this. I have to kill him.” His voice broke as his tears started falling down his pale skin. “I have no choice, love.” His voice shook under the heaviness of his words.
“No, you do.” You leaned closer, hinting a small kiss on his forehead, his skin cold against your warm lips. “Dumbledore could live and so could we. Let’s run away Draco. We don’t even have to pack anything. We can just go into hiding right now.” Your tears started running slowly as you begged for him to change his mind, looking into his saddened eyes.
“You know, I can’t do that. They would find us and I could never risk your life.” He shook his head at the terrifying thoughts. He couldn’t imagine you ever getting hurt. You were the only person in his life, other than his mother, who never gave up on him, who always supported him. The one who had blind faith in him and loved him even in the darkest of times.
“Fine. Then we are going to do this together.” You replied with a sudden will power, removing the teardrops from your face.
“No, we won’t, love.” He replied, his tears stopping abruptly as his eyes widened in surprise. “I will not put you in danger.” He shook his head as he straightened his back, pulling away from your embrace. “You have to run. You have to stay safe.” He spoke firmly, his pain, the weight of his actions forgotten at the thought of you being in danger.
“I love you, Draco and you can not ask me to stay away from you.” You shook your head, gently brushing a loose hair from his face. “I have been by your side since day one and I am not planning on giving up on you, love. You can have me willingly or forcefully, but either way, I will be here for you and I will make sure that you return to me when all this is over.” Your voice was beyond determined, silencing Draco for a mere second.
“I can’t have you in danger. I can’t risk that.” He kept refusing, but his voice weakened.
“Nor can I watch you loose yourself. I can’t just pretend that you are fine, when inside I am burning in pain at the thought of you suffering. I want to be here and I will be here. By your side. All the way.” You smiled lightly as you pulled him closer, attaching your mouth to his chapped ones, feeling the salty taste of your tears mixing on your lips. You pulled away, hearing him heave a deep sigh.
“I will take care of you, whatever it takes.” He looked into your eyes with determination in his gaze. He knew, his priority would be your safety, whatever it took. He stood up from the floor, pulling you up with him, interlocking his fingers with yours. He lifted your locked hands to his lips, kissing the back of yours, his eyes closing for a seconds. “I love you.” He whispered against your skin as his eyes opened, meeting your gaze. You smiled at him warmly, before leaving the bathroom together, hand in hand, wanting nothing, but to protect each other against anything bad that came your way.