Ashes and Ice

Draco Malfoy's POV

She presses her small hands to either side of my face and pulls me into a kiss, and suddenly the room vanishes. It's just us—no worries, no hate, no Potter, no Voldemort, no limits. Just her and me. I get lost in her lips. My heart stutters like it's skipping beats, and no matter how close I pull her, it's never close enough. I've kissed her before, but this time it burns in a way I never expected.

She's the kind of girl who kisses where it hurts, and keeps kissing until it hurts. Now I realize how much my lips ache for her. How badly I want to hold her again—that hope alone keeps me going.

Even though I've known her forever, it's like I've been waiting my whole life for this moment, for this person.

I kiss her back, smiling into it. I pull her on top of me, and this time it's different—we aren't just fucking like always. We're making love. Sharing something sacred.

I pick her up, and she wraps her legs around me. My hands grip her waist tight as I lead her to the bed. I trail kisses down her neck and she moans softly. We're both exhausted from all the crying and talking, but the second our lips touch, it feels like the whole world's energy rushes into us.

She kisses my neck and starts undoing my shirt, tossing it aside. I tug at the knot in the back of her dress and pull her sleeves down, finally seeing her, all of her, completely.

This is the first time I'm naked in front of her. Stark naked. I usually keep my shirt on to hide the mark, but now I don't have to. She knows me—inside and out.

Our sweaty bodies move together, catching our breath.

The morning after doesn't matter—not without her here. The room fills with the sound of our heavy breathing. "That was euphoric," I say, and she chuckles softly next to me. I pull the covers over us and sigh, still catching my breath.

She's breathing hard too, small compared to me, so of course she needs time to steady herself. She looks up from my chest and asks sweetly, "Shower together?" I tease her, "Bloody hell, woman, how many rounds can you go?" She playfully hits me.

"Just joking, darling. Let's go," I say, heading for the bathroom. "Drraccoooooo," she whines. I turn back. "Whhhaaatttttt," I mock, rolling my eyes as she opens her arms. "I can't walk after all that," she says.

Without hesitation, I jump on her.

"Woah!" she laughs as I pepper kisses all over her. "I'll carry you, darling," I say, picking her up in my arms.

The bathroom's nice—big bathtub, showers all around. But right now, all we want is to relax.

I lay a lazy Olivia on the sink and start filling the tub. Then I wrap my hands around her waist; her arms circle my neck. I look her over—hickeys everywhere on her skin and back.

Mine.

"You look cute," I say, making her blush instantly. Her fingertips brush the mark on my hand, and suddenly tears spill from her eyes. "Hey, hey, hey," I say, cupping her cheeks and forcing her to look at me. "What's wrong?" I ask softly.

She sniffles. "How can someone be so cruel, Draco?" She looks away, not meeting my eyes. "How can someone do that to a boy?" she asks again. I pull her close. "Doesn't matter, darling. I have you now. I can do anything."

She sighs.

"Let's take a bath," I say, lifting her and setting her in the tub. I sit behind her, her back resting against my chest.

"Mmm, this feels good," she murmurs, and I kiss the top of her head.

"Why can't we just stay like this forever?" she asks.

I chuckle softly. "Soon, my darling," I whisper, tightening my arms around her.

Olivia Montgomery's POV

He wraps a towel around me while I stand in front of the mirror, staring at my body. Hickeys. Everywhere. Under my jaw, behind my ears, down my neck, over my breasts, my waist, hips, thighs—even across my back. Draco hasn't left a single inch untouched. Tonight, he's devoured me completely.

He lifted me into his arms and laid me down on the bed. Then he covered me with the blankets and curled up next to me. "Draco," I say softly, and he looks down at me. "Yes, darling?" His voice is gentle as he kisses the top of my head.

"I—I want to help you. With your task," I confess, hope fluttering in my chest. He immediately shakes his head, firm. "No, no, no. I can't have your conscience on my hands. I'll do this." Before I can argue, he adds sternly, "There's no room for arguments here, darling."

I nod, but I want to be there for him. "Alright, but let me be there for you." I repeat his own words back at him, "There's no room for argument on this, love."

He chuckles and pulls me closer, wrapping his arms tightly around me. I rest my head on his chest, the steady beat of his heart soothing me instantly. My eyes start to feel heavy. 

"I love you, darling," I hear him say—or maybe I'm already dreaming.

The next morning, I wake to the sound of Draco snoring softly on my chest. I smile at the peaceful sight. He looks calm—exactly what he needs right now. I play with his hair, watching him sleep.

"How long do you want to stare at me? Because, honestly, it's kind of creepy," he mumbles into my chest, making me laugh.

"Let's go. I reckon it's breakfast time, and I'm starving," I say, pulling on last night's clothes and slipping on Draco's coat to cover the hickeys.

I head upstairs to my room, but the others have already left for breakfast. I quickly smear the bruise removal paste I ordered from the twins over the marks and change into my robes before heading to the Great Hall.

"Hey, I didn't see you after last night," a voice says behind me. "Oh, hey, Theo," I say, feeling a hand snake around my waist. "Yeah, well, I was with Draco," I reply with a small smile. "Cool. Did you guys sort it out?" he asks. I nod. "Yes. He's a lot better now."

"Good. Glad you worked it all out," he says, kissing my cheek before heading to the Slytherin table.

I make my way to the Gryffindor table and sit next to Hermione. "So," she drags the word, "what's going on with you and Nott?" she asks, looking at me. "Nothing," I say, taking a bite of my sausage. "Well, I saw you all cozy yesterday at the party, then you both disappeared, so—" she starts, but I cut her off.

"Nothing. I was somewhere else," I say with my mouth full. "Are you already packed?" Ginny asks suddenly, and I realize we're leaving today for Christmas break.

Damn it.

"Shit! No, I'll finish breakfast fast and then pack," I say, hurrying through my food. "That's a beautiful necklace, Liv. Where'd you get it?" Ginny asks, making me blink in confusion.

"Ginny, did you hit your head? I never take off my necklaces—I've been wearing the same ones since last Christmas," I say, sipping my pumpkin juice. "She's right. It's new. And you don't have the moon one on," Hermione says, reaching out to touch it.

"A new one?" I ask, both of them nodding.

"Could you?" I turn toward Hermione so she can unclasp it. "Here," she says, handing me the necklace.

It's beautiful—my name engraved on the pendant. The gold shines bright, real and precious. I smile and ask Hermione to put it back on.

While she clasps it around my neck, my eyes search the room until they land on a blue-grey pair of eyes. He looks up just as I smile at him.

I mouth, "Thank you," touching the necklace gently. He mouths back, "Anything for my darling." I flush bright red at that. I spot Ron and Harry coming toward us, so I quickly take one last big bite and stand up.

"I'm... gonna... go pack," I say and hurry off to my dorm without saying a word to either of them.

When I get back, there's a bouquet of artificial green flowers waiting on my bed, with a note pinned to it.

My dear darling,

Your eyes.Your eyes are everything my heart could ever want.

I don't know what I did to deserve you.

Everything I have and will ever have is yours.

Since you're leaving for Christmas break, I thought I'd give you this gift early.

Thank you for everything.

I hope you like it.

Love,

~ DM

I smile at the note and start packing. Hermione and Ginny come to grab their bags and notice the bouquet. "That's one nice bouquet of roses," Ginny says, touching it. "I know. It's beautiful. And since it's not real, I can keep them forever," I say, zipping up my bag.

The three of us head to the platform, and I wait for Draco. He's staying behind to work on the cabinet. "You go ahead. I'll catch up," I tell the girls, then make my way over to Draco, who's chatting with Parkinson and the others.

"Ahem," I clear my throat when Pansy refuses to pull away from his hug.

Draco smiles at me, and the others head inside. I'm not jealous of Pansy being close to him—she's just being there for her friend. "I don't want to go," I whisper to Draco, holding his hands in mine. "I don't want you to stay. Well, I do—but you'd be a distraction," he says, and I laugh softly.

"I'll see you after Christmas. Or if you need me, write me a letter or something—I'll apparate back to Hogwarts," I promise, and he nods.

The train blows its whistle, and Draco pulls me into a hug, not caring who sees. "Bye, darling," he says. I smile against him. "I thought you didn't like goodbyes since we'll see each other again," I whisper. I cup his cheek and kiss him.

"Take care, Malfoy," I say, and he nods.

I board the train and sit with Hermione. The boys join us, but I stay silent, reading my book. "I'm gonna use the loo," Hermione says, leaving me alone with the boys I'm not in the mood for. "Oh, bloody hell," Ron mutters, staring at the door.

I follow his gaze and see Lavender making a heart on the glass. I roll my eyes and keep reading.

"Lovely," Harry says sarcastically when Lavender finishes.

"All she wants is to snog me. My lips are chapped. Look," Ron grumbles, pushing his face close to Harry's, but Harry pulls back. "I'll take your word for it," Harry says, and I glance again toward the door.

Hermione returns, eyes on Lavender's handiwork. I roll my eyes again, stand, and leave with her.

We join Ginny and her friends for the rest of the ride, talking about boys. I'm still reading when Ginny snatches my book. "Hey!" I protest, reaching for it. "Come on, talk to us," Ginny urges, and I roll my eyes.

Before I can reply, Theo knocks on the open door. "Hello, ladies," he says, flashing a flirtatious grin. "Olive, can I talk to you, sweetheart?" he asks, making the girls go "ooh." I roll my eyes, snatch my book back from Ginny, and playfully whack her with it.

We walk over to the Slytherin compartment, and I talk to Theo and Blaise about Draco's situation.

"I don't know what to think, Theo," I say, standing at the gate with the window open. "Did you offer help?" he asks, and I nod. "What do you think? He denied help—not just from me, but anyone," I sigh, the cold making my cheeks red as snow falls outside.

"You're cute," Blaise says, booping my nose. "Even Snape—" I start, but stop when I see Harry approaching. "Is everything okay?" he asks, eyeing my flushed face and the boys.

"Yes, everything's perfectly lovely," I say with heavy sarcasm, and he just nods.

"Anything else, Harry?" I ask, since he hasn't left yet.

"Yeah, we'll be arriving soon, so Hermione's asking for you," he says, and I look at the boys.

"We'll talk later. I'll write to you," I say, hugging Theo and Blaise, who both plant quick pecks on my cheeks.

"See you after the break, Olive," they say together.

We arrive at the Burrow and start unpacking for the Christmas break. It's warm, cozy, and smells like cinnamon and magic. Tomorrow's Christmas, and I'm buzzing with excitement—mostly because the twins are going to be here.

"Where's our favorite girl?" two familiar voices call out in unison. I spin around and sprint toward them. "Oh, I missed you weirdos so much," I say, crashing into their hug. They scowl at me with mock offense, which only makes me laugh.

"Er, Liv, Lupin's calling you," Ginny says from the staircase. I groan a little and head downstairs. "Voldemort has chosen Draco Malfoy for a mission?" Lupin says, voice low and serious. Harry nods.

Not this again.

"I know it sounds mad," Harry begins, but I cut him off. "Because it is mad," I say, rolling my eyes and sitting next to Tonks. "Has it occurred to you that Snape might've just pretended to help him to figure out what he's up to?" Lupin asks, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not what it sounded like," Harry mutters. "Perhaps Harry's right," Tonks adds gently. "To make an Unbreakable Vow—" she begins, but Lupin cuts in. "It comes down to whether or not we trust Dumbledore's judgment," he says.

That's enough.

"Dumbledore can make mistakes," Harry says, and I snap. "No, Harry, you're blinded by hatred—"

"No, I'm not—"

"Don't you dare cut me off," I say, jabbing my finger toward him. "You left without hearing the full conversation. Snape wasn't helping him out of loyalty to Voldemort—he was helping him because that boy was scared. Because if he knew someone was there, someone he could go to when the time came, he'd go. Snape is a member of the Order. Dumbledore trusts him, so I do too. And if you don't because you don't like him, I don't give a crap. He's my godfather, and I trust him."

Tonks places a gentle hand on my back, rubbing it to calm me down. She tells Harry to drop it.

"Olivia's right," Lupin says. "People are disappearing every day. If we start fighting among ourselves and doubting each other, we're already lost." I let out a deep breath and move to the dinner table. "Someone's angry today," says a voice behind me.

"Sirius!" I exclaim, jumping up to hug him. "How are you, sweetheart?" he asks, holding me close. "I'm okay. How about you? Everything alright now?" I ask, stepping back to look at him properly. He looks healthier than the last time I saw him, ever since I brought him back from the Ministry.

"I'm perfectly fine, thanks to you," he says with a smile, and we sit down to eat.

For once, I feel at peace. It's nice—just to be with family and pretend, even for a night, that we're all safe. But of course, it doesn't last.

Draco.

The Mark.

The task.

Voldemort.

"Presents time!" Ginny announces, plopping down near the tree. We all follow.

I get novels from Hermione, parchment and ink from Harry, a hoodie from Ginny, bruise removal paste from the twins (which earns them a glare), chocolate frogs from Ron, and a hand-knitted sweater from Mrs. Weasley.

"Mum, it's lovely," I say, pulling it over my head instantly. "Who's that for?" I ask, spotting another unopened box under the tree. "For you, I guess," Fred says, handing it to me.

It's wrapped in dark green and black paper.

I don't need to check who it's from.

I carry it to the couch and lift the lid. A soft silver cloth lines the inside, with a letter resting on top.

My dear darling,

Did you think the necklace was the only gift you'd get from me? Of course not. Also, my mother sent something too—it's in the box. She requests that you don't write back to thank her, you know...

Merry Christmas, darling.

~ DM

I pull back the cloth and gasp.

It's a snow globe—with us inside, dancing. It's the Yule Ball. When I press the little button on the side, music plays—the same song he first heard me sing.

It's like holding a memory. A piece of magic.

"That's beautiful," Ginny says, leaning over to admire it.

There's a smaller box inside, and a second note.

Dear Olivia,

Thank you. Thank you for accepting my son. He told me everything. Thank you for believing in who he really is. Your mother would be proud of you.

Merry Christmas, sweetheart.

~ Narcissa Malfoy

Inside the box is a crystal ring—delicate and breathtaking. I slip it on my finger and smile.

I've never felt more seen. More cherished. More... his.

I go to bed early that night, completely drained. My eyes sting with exhaustion, and the chill in the air makes curling up in my blanket feel like heaven.

But I'm woken in the middle of the night—not by noise, but by warmth. At first, it's nice. Comforting. After days of cold, it feels like the sun kissed my skin.

But then... it's too warm. Hot.

I shoot up and look around. My heart drops.

The room is glowing orange. The Burrow is on fire.

I scramble out of bed, coughing as smoke starts to thicken in the air. "Ginny?" I shout, but her bed is empty. Panic bubbles in my throat. I rush down the hall, pounding on the twins' door. "Fred! George! Wake up!"

They stumble out, groggy, and the second they see the flames their faces go pale.

I don't stop. I run through the house, dragging people out—Mum, Sirius, Ron. My chest is tight, lungs burning, but I don't stop. I can't.

Outside, we all stand together. Watching. Helpless.

The flames tower higher. They're eating the home alive.

Fred and George have tears in their eyes. So does Ron.

I don't even have to ask how it feels—I can see it. Watching the place that built you, the place that raised you, just... fall. Turn to ash. And you can't stop it.

"Do something!" Molly screams at me. Her voice is wild, broken. The others—Harry, Hermione—they've come running, but no one knows what to do.

So I move toward the flames.

I raise my hands slowly, fingers trembling. I call the cold. My palms start to glow, and I swirl them through the air. The fire responds.

It bends. It freezes. It turns to ice—sharp, thick ice—and then shatters into shards at my feet.

It's quiet now. The worst is over. But the house is broken.

I step through what's left. The scent of smoke clings to everything. Clothes—gone. Furniture—charred. Rooms—wrecked.

Draco's gift.

Gone.

We spend the rest of the break trying to rebuild what we can, but the guilt festers in my chest. Because I know who did this. Bellatrix. Draco's aunt.

And no matter how hard I try to justify it—it was her, not him—I can't shake the shame. Or the hurt.

When we return to Hogwarts, it feels surreal. The cold stone corridors, the chatter of students, the Great Hall glowing with candlelight... It's all the same.

But I'm not.

I'm walking toward the Hall when I see him. Draco. He looks like hell. His shoulders sag like he's carrying the world. His skin is pale, lips drawn tight. His eyes—they're almost hollow.

I wave. I smile, trying to make it small and natural because Hermione and the others don't know about us.

But he walks past me. Doesn't even look at me.

I swallow the sting in my throat and act unbothered. Like my heart isn't crumpling.

That night after dinner, I sneak away. I know where he'll be. Seventh floor. The corridor near the Room of Requirement. And I'm right. "Draco," I call softly. He turns, eyes sharp and angry. "What?" he snaps.

I walk closer. "What's got your knickers in a twist?" I ask, trying to make him crack a smile. But he doesn't.

"Is there something you wanted?" he says flatly. I fold my arms. "Yeah. I want to talk to you. Why are you acting like this?"

"Like what? I'm fucking drained, Olivia. I'm dying inside and no one knows—"

"I know, Draco!" I step closer. "I can help you—"

"I don't need your fucking help!" he roars, and I flinch. His voice is loud enough to echo.

"Do I have a sign on my back that says I need help? Huh?" His eyes blaze with something I've never seen in him before.

"No," I whisper.

"Answer me!" he yells again, stepping closer.

"I don't know why you're being like this," I say, my voice breaking. "I just wanted to help. Because it's too much—watching you suffer. I love you, Draco. That's why I want to help." His face hardens. His jaw clenches. "To hell with you. Your love. Your help." He jabs a finger at me like I'm poison.

"You don't mean that," I whisper, tears spilling now.

"I do. To my bones." I gasp, the words slicing me open.

And then I run.

I don't stop until I reach the Gryffindor Tower. My heart is hammering, my lungs burn, and my cheeks are wet.

I know he's in pain. I know he's struggling with the task, with the Mark, with everything.

But that doesn't give him the right to destroy me just because he's breaking.

Not tonight.

Not like that.