Three

Somebody Else –The 1975

[You're intertwining your soul with somebody else]

6th YEAR

Elisabeth

The written message on the mirror faded after a few seconds, and not a single word had come out of our mouths since then. I don't know exactly how many hours Draco and I spent locked in my dorm after that, but I suppose a lot, since it was already dark outside.

We did nothing but stay in silence, both staring vacantly at different spots.

I heard him standing up from Amelia's bed and he came to sit by my side. We reached for each other's hands and, still without saying anything, we intertwined our fingers daintily.

"You should eat something," he muttered. "You have eaten nothing since breakfast."

"So have you," I stated.

He didn't reply, so I let go of his cold hand and stood up headed to the door. As soon as I got up, he grabbed me by the elbow and pulled me into a tight hug.

"I didn't expect this," I mumbled in his chest after a few seconds.

"Neither did I, Liz."

"Anyways, it's nothing new. We already were in on this," I tried to put it off.

Seriously I was not in the mood for any type of deep conversation about it at the moment. After all those hours, I just wanted to distract myself. "Let's go get something to eat."

"Sure."

But Draco didn't move. I went back to him and took his hand. "Come on," I smiled.

"Mhm-mm," he murmured, a smirk appearing on his face.

With no hesitation, he placed his big hands around my waist and pulled me in for a soft kiss. Without leaving my lips for a single moment, he helped me lay on my bed, gently.

Gentle. Draco was always gentle. He had always been.

He placed himself between my legs and started leaving a trail of wet kisses on my jawline.

"Malfoy?" I whispered.

"I'm finishing what I couldn't do before," he lifted his head to look at me. "Any objections?"

"None," I smiled.

"Good." I felt him smiling on my neck before he started nipping the soft spots of it, leaving small innocent love bites around.

My fingertips reached for the hem of his shirt to pull it off. Once I removed it, I tossed it to the side to admire what I had in front of me.

"I love that look on your face," he groaned. "When you see me... from there."

I blushed at his words.

"You are the bitchiest of them all," his big hand travelled under my skirt. The moment the cold metal of his rings brushed against my thighs, I shivered.

"But when I touch you," he continued, his tone deeper in every word. "You melt."

"Here," he leaned closer, so his lips brushed my ear. "I am in control."

His hand moved to my heat, feeling the wetness. His fingers gripped my underwear, and recklessly, he pulled them down.

"Elizabeth!" A firm hand banged repeatedly the door.

"You have to be kidding me," Draco whined.

"Elizabeth!" Amelia's voice came from the other side of the door.

Draco sat on the edge of the bed and ran his hands in his face, irritated.

"Elizabeth!"

"Amelia!" I shouted back. "What do you want?"

"Are you coming down for dinner?"

I glanced over Draco and I saw him buttoning up his white shirt.

"Yes, give me a minute," I replied.

"Why is the door locked?" she insisted.

"We'll meet you downstairs, Amelia," Draco barked.

"Oh, right. Uhm, yeah. Sorry!" she shouted distancing from the door.

Holding back a chuckle, I looked back at a now pissed off Draco.

"We will definitely be finishing this. Okay?" he threatened cheekily.

"Sure, Malfoy," I smirked.

He stood up and holding my hand, he dove in to kiss me fleetingly. "Put this on, hurry."

When he pulled away, I noticed he had left my underwear on my palm.

Once I was ready, I reached for the door handle hoping he was following me, but he was still sat on the edge of the bed.

"You coming?"

He pointed at his pronounced boner. "I can't."

...

"Betty!" Amelia waved when I entered the Great Hall.

I took a sit next to Blaise and served myself a bunch of grilled vegetables. I was really hungry.

"Oi, Beth," Sam started. "How long has it been since you quit meat?"

"Mmm," I thought. "Four years now, I think. I'm not quite sure."

"I find your task impossible," Blaise said with his mouth full of sausages, I think they were.

We all laughed, but I couldn't help but finch a little at the word task.

"Where's Malfoy?" he asked once he swallowed all the meat.

"Sleeping," I replied putting a piece of yellow pepper in my mouth. "He may come down any minute."

"There he is!" Sam smiled as Draco took a sit next to him.

"Hey, mate!" Sam patted his shoulder.

"I'm starving," he groaned rubbing his stomach. "Amelia, can you pass me that?" he pointed at some plate.

"Sure," she agreed. "Uhm, guys," she looked at Draco and me. "I'm sorry for before," Amelia added.

"For what?" Draco questioned naively accepting the plate. He adjusted his clothes and served himself some food. "We were just having a nap." Very subtly, he winked at me.

"Oh, right," Amelia blushed at the thought of her premature conclusion. "I thought-."

"It's okay, Amelia," I reached across the table for her hand. "Really."

"Yeah, they've been shagging the whole day, they really needed some rest," Blaise spat.

Immediately, Draco threw a chicken wing bone to his friend's face. "Watch what you say," he grinned.

"No, really," Sam interrupted. "You both disappeared after Beth's fight with Granger. Where have you been the whole day?"

"Shagging," we said at the same time.

"Ah," Blaise sighed resting his chin on his palm. "Who could."

We all followed his gaze to the Gryffindor table until five pair of eyes landed on Ron Weasley.

"You could," Sam turned to Blaise. "If you at least talked to him."

"Yeah, at least he's a pureblood," Draco said chewing some food. "That's a green flag."

I chuckled.

"You can use the Charms classes to try to say something to him," Amelia suggested.

"In front of half our course?" Blaise widened his already big eyes. "Are you nuts?"

"Actually, it could be a great chance," Draco backed Amelia's idea.

Blaise flew his hand to his own chest dramatically and opened his mouth in offense.

"Malfoy, you're really getting on my nerves today and I've almost seen you an hour," he whined.

The day had been... Well, a little worked up; too many emotions in less than sixteen hours. But I had fun that nigh. Our friends managed to make the most of it, even without having a single clue.

As soon as my skin brushed the soft sheets, I fell asleep.

It must had been around three in the morning when our bedroom door squeaked. I didn't move, because I knew it. I felt my covers moving slightly to let someone new inside the bed.

"Hey, you," I whispered without turning around.

"I couldn't sleep," he said in his deep sleepy voice.

I covered us up with the thick duvet as Draco placed his arm around my waist.

"Better?" I whispered again.

"Mhm," he mumbled. "Night, Liz."

The next morning, I expected to wake up alone. But as soon as the first rays of sunshine started to sneak in through the window, I noticed Draco was still in bed with me.

Since summer, most of the mornings I woke up at the manor, Draco was not by my side. He was always sat in the middle of the backyard staring at absolutely nothing.

...

FLASHBACK

5th YEAR

SUMMER

I woke up feeling the cold emptiness of the bed. Draco's king-sized bed was too big for one single person to lay in alone, but there I was one more morning.

Almost automatically, I wrapped myself with the burgundy blanked displayed at the feet of the mattress and walked barefoot to the balcony window.

Sighing, I opened the crystal doors and stepped outside. A warm breeze caressed my face the moment I laid my eyes on Draco.

He was sitting in the middle of the grass, just where the morning sun illuminated. Again, he was doing absolutely nothing but gaze vaguely into the space.

"Morning, Romeo," I said from the high up of the small balcony.

He turned to look up frowning because of the bright light and waved at me.

I went back inside and threw on one of his shirts. I went down to the backyard, not without passing through the kitchen.

"Good morning, Cissy," I grated Narcissa.

"Morning, darling," she replied. "I've made some tea," she pointed at the steaming cups on a silver tray.

"Thank you," I smiled.

After a few seconds of silence, she made the same question from the day before. And the other. And the other. And so on.

"Is he-?"

"Yes." I cut her. Not again, please, I thought.

"Don't tell Lucius," Narcissa pleaded.

"I know, Narcissa."

She exhaled and approached to caress my cheek.

"I know you do, Elizabeth," she whispered. "But I don't want it to happen again," she whispered.

"Me either," I looked at her, both of our eyes filled with worrisome. "And it won't."

She pulled me in into a very, too much, I would say, hug.

I broke the hug and turned to pick up the silver tray and head to the garden.

"Morning, Juliet," Draco twinkled when I sat next to him. "How'd you sleep?"

"Alone," I smiled pitifully. "You?"

"I didn't," he confessed. But I already knew it.

"Your mum prepared some tea," I pointed.

He stared at the cups before reaching for one. As he did, I examined his face again.

His lip was not swollen anymore, but his left brow was. Now a dark scab had formed around the previous bleeding cut. His eye was still bruised, though it wasn't greenish anymore. Since yesterday it was more likely dark purple. Or black.

Less than two weeks ago, the Dark Lord himself showed up at the Malfoy Manor. It was the first time Draco and I saw him in person, and it was far more impressive than we expected, but not in a nice way.

That night, supported by numerous Death Eaters, the Malfoys and the Astaroths included, the plan was introduced. The time was coming.

Every single person in the room had a mission, however negligible was. Every single person but me.

I knew Draco had talked to his father many times about this moment. In numerous occasions, I had heard them shout from the other side of Lucius' office, where I never wanted to step into again. So I always waited at the doorstep. 'I want Liz out of all this,' he had barked at his father.

'She will be. I promise.' Lucius replied always.

When all the tasks had been divided, the Dark Lord's eyes laid on me.

"Little Astaroth," he smiled slyly. "You...Nice to see you."

I could feel my mother smile at his words. For some reason, Lucretia Astaroth was glad to see that scene.

The Dark Lord started to walk unhurriedly towards me, playing with wis wand in his fingers. Suddenly, the tip of his wand lifted my chin slowly.

"It's nice to see how beautiful you've become," he grinned. "My sincerest congratulations, Graham and Lucretia," he looked at my parents. "For creating such a work of art."

He let my chin go with a quick move and went back to sit at the head of the table.

As he did, I felt Draco's hand hold mine tightly beneath the table, and from the corner of my eye I saw his jaw clenching in anger.

"You know what is said," the Lord continued calmly looking to every person in the room. "Every work of art," and then, looked at me one more time. "Must be protected at all costs."

At his words, Draco's hand grip relaxed in relieve.

I didn't have any task.

But he did. And it wasn't a simple one. And he didn't like it.

Once everyone was gone, we went back upstairs and sat on Draco's bed feeling like a lorry had run us over.

We were so numb, so distracted, that we even forgot to close the door.

"This is not funny anymore, Liz," he breathed. "This does not feel like a game. We're talking about someone's life. I can't do it. I don't want to do it."

Draco hid his face in his palms before looking at me in the eyes.

"I'm scared, Liz."

Before I could even answer, we heard the door squeak.

"Draco." Lucius voice penetrated in the room.

"Come with me a minute."

Draco followed his father to his office, where he locked the door. That was never a positive sign. All that emerged from the other side of the door were Mr. Malfoy's angered yelling.

'I didn't raise my only son to be a fucking sissy,' he had said between ever single punch. He wrecked Draco's entire face, leaving him bleeding on the floor.

Mr. Malfoy had smashed his elbow into the side of Draco's skull, the soft spot high on the temple. That caused Draco to lay unconscious on the floor for almost an hour.

Mr. Malfoy got out of his office leaving the door open for his wife and me to see what he had just done. I was standing in the middle of the hallway, breathless at the sight.

In that moment my heart, my whole body ached for Draco.

I was already terrified of that man.

But I had absorbed the trauma and swallowing the pain I had kicked my way slowly back to the surface.

He was capable of doing horrible things, I knew it.

But it had never occurred to me that he could cause harm to his own blood and flesh.

He was fixing his shirt cuffs, buttoning them, when he laid his gaze on me.

"Clean him up, Elizabeth," he ordered with no regret in his eyes.

I lowered my head to avoid his staring.

"Yes, sir," I muttered.

Narcissa and I healed Draco's wounds in the kitchen. No one said a word.

That night, Narcissa and Lucius' screams echoed in the entire manor, depriving us from sleep.

It all started there.

So there we were, almost two weeks later, sitting one more day in the morning sun.

(end of flashback)

...

After a month of the Dark Lord's visit, Draco finally slept. After that month, I started to wake up next to him again. But I had the little fear that someday I wouldn't again. But that September morning he was next to me.

We noticed Amelia had already left the dorm, and we shared an almost shy look.

After our so desired moment of intimacy, we got dressed and went down to the common room to meet the rest of our friends for breakfast.

As the five of us stepped out the dungeon, Snape's straight face waited for us in the middle of the corridor.

"Zabini, Malfoy and Astaroth," he hissed. "My office."

Blaise mouth dropped once again.

"What?!" he said offended. "What have w-"

"My," Snape cut him. "Office."

No one moved.

"Now!"

As we followed Snape through the cold hallways, Blaise was getting more and more nervous. He sure was not used to get into trouble.

When we were just few feet away of his office, we saw the Golden Trio waiting in front of the door, McGonagall behind them.

"This has to be a joke," Draco whined.

"Get in," Snape opened the door.

Before entering, Blaise grabbed Draco by the wrist and pulled him towards him. "Mate, I swear to Merlin if this has something to do with the fight I-."

"Calm the fuck down," Draco moved his hand away and stood up behind me gripping my shoulder.

I could feel his anger, but as he always said, 'Dirty laundry should be laundered at home. No scenes in public.'

"We have been informed of events that yesterday took place after your charms class," McGonagall started.

Ron's ears began to take a reddish colour. "But we-."

"Weasley," Snape spat. "You must learn when is better to stay quiet."

In other circumstances I would have laughed, but I didn't want this to get worse.

In every moment I could feel Harry's eyes on me, and I knew why.

Maybe he still hadn't gone over his feelings, in spite of these many years and what has happened since the end of second year. Or maybe he was trying to hate me more.

"We will not be tolerating this behaviour in our school, and least in sixth year students," Snape continued.

"But it was the girls!" Ron tried to defend himself.

"Ron!" Potter whined, and Hermione threw the redhead a sharp look.

I could see he was still a blabber. Somethings never change, I guess.

Instead, the green side stood quiet all the time.

"Gryffindor," McGonagall begun again. "Slytherin," she joined her hands. "Fifty points will be deducted from every house."

"WHAT?!"

Now it was all of us complaining.

"This is not fair!" Blaise whined one more time.

"Life neither," Snape responded, his tone always unchanged.

We started to scream again at each other's faces, blaming one another between every yell before Professor McGonagall asked for silence in a single shout.

"And," she stated. "Professor Snape, may I give you the honour," she turned to him.

"You will be carrying a course-long extra project which you will have to present at the end of this year."

Everyone's mouth dropped. As if this year wasn't difficult enough.

"And you will be working in pairs," he finished. "Maybe like this you learn to live with each other peacefully before you graduate. It is a high time."

"But we have a lot of projects already," Hermione and I said at the same time, not without looking at each other surprised for it.

"We know," Minerva continued. "That's why you will start this after the Christmas holidays."

Draco ran his hand through his hair with frustration.

"We can start it during them," he said to me. "At the manor."

"No, no," Snape laughed. "You don't decide who you work with. You have to... mix."

"Huh?" Ron pronounced the confusion we all shared in the moment.

"That is the point of this," Snape uttered. "Zabini, you'll work with Weasley."

They both looked another way, avoiding their gazes.

"Malfoy, you'll work with Granger."

Draco's face screwed up in disgust.

"And Astaroth, you'll be working with Potter."

Before I could complain, Draco stepped in.

"No."

"Of course," Minerva sentenced. Draco's fists clenched and I could see his knuckles turning white.

"Now, everything clear," Snape begun. "Everybody out."

As the Golden Trio, followed by McGonagall, made his way out, Harry looked at me and smiled weakly. I suppose it was automatically, because just a few seconds after doing it, he shook his head and kept a straight, angered face again.

"We'll see you in the hall, Blaise," I took his hand softly and he nodded.

Draco and I stayed to talk to Snape. This was unacceptable.

Snape turned to sit to his desk without noticing us. Once he sat, he looked at us.

"May I help you?"

"This is bullshit," Draco hissed.

"Look, Malfoy," Snape straightened his back adopting a more formal posture. "The... connection your families and I have gives you a total of zero rights to question my decisions. You mustn't forget I'm still the head of your house."

"Yes but-."

"But what?" Snape scoffed.

"Severus," I started. "It's Potter."

"I know."

We sighed. This was it.

After a brief pause, Snape talked again.

"Do you know your task, already?"

Draco tensed next to me.

"No," I replied. "Do you?"

Snape looked at us both and then stood up. He joined his hand behind his back and paced to the window, looking at the vast gardens through it. Not leaving his eyes of the landscape, he took a deep breath.

"Yes.".