Pure as Snow

The ground crashed into them and the low cry of peacocks echoed all around the property that was covered in a thick mist to hide them from the brooding eyes of Malfoy Manor looming on the horizon. He felt her only once the world stopped spinning, her body softening and then- without warning -lashing out violently, throwing her modest weight against him and pushing him to the ground where he cried out in pain. She wasted no time, running foolishly towards the hedges that circled the property before Draco had a chance to stop her. He heard her scream as he scrambled to his feet, wand already drawn, and hoped there was no one else around to recognize it.

The hedges, as it were, were the same used in the Tri Wizard tournament. It wasn't sunshine and rain that kept them green but rather blood and marrow, his mother had lost many of her favored peacocks to their vines and they were the exact reason Draco had never been allowed a pet in his childhood. If she had touched them- and she clearly had -then she would not make it out alive without him. And as he came up to her he couldn't help but think that the notion that she'd need only scale a hedge to escape was a rather naive one when she'd been running for her life as long as she has now. Not that he had time to comment on this when the vines were quickly wrapping themselves around her throat. The shot of red hit the carnivores plant and it recoiled in agony just long enough for him to grab her wrist and drag her out from beneath, leaving her sprawled out on the damp lawn in a fit of coughs while she tried gasping for air.

"There's no where to go from here," He told her as she rolled onto her side and dry retched. "And you'll only get hurt if you keep trying."

Her eyes, dark with her resentment, turned up to him hovering over her. He expected nothing less than this but he wouldn't allow her to keep throwing herself into death's arms they way she intended to. If he had to he would immobilize her and carry her to the house but he hoped it wouldn't come to that. He offered her a hand that she swiped away and rolled his eyes as she tried to bring herself back to her shaky legs, blood staining her jeans where the thorns had torn through to rake away at her skin.

"I think worse than bringing me here," She said slowly, swaying unsteadily. "Was saving me from a death that would have been a lot less painful than the one your family have for me."

"No one is going to kill you," He promised and caught her as she started falling forward, to weak still to hold herself up.

Her laugh was strained and ragged, vibrating against his chest as he steadied her once more. "Why wouldn't they?" She bubbled hysterically, clutching at his shirt and tilting her head to look at him. "Just another abomination, a mudblood. House elves have more stature than me to your people."

"Ordinarily," He agreed reluctantly. "But you're the girlfriend of Harry Potter, worth more alive than dead."

"But I'm not!" She spat, pushing him away again and stumbling back blindly. "And it won't take them long to realize that."

"How would they ever know otherwise?"

"How do they ever find out half of what they know?" She retorted quickly. "They've an arsenal of cruel tricks up their sleeves."

"But none of those will kill you."

"Oh," She scoffed, nodding enthusiastically before throwing her hands up in disbelief. "I'm glad you're comfortable with my torture. That's really charming."

"I'm not comfortable with it," He spat out bitterly. "But its the lesser of two evils."

"Of course, eating rabbit and living in a cave is certainly more tormenting than your Aunt. Thank you for rescuing me from that Draco, how have I ever survived so long without your guidance?"

"The sarcasm is really not necessary." He muttered as his teeth ground together in agitation. "But I was referring to the likely death you'd meet out there."

"As opposed to the one waiting for me inside your stately home."

A long stretch of tense silence hung between them after her scorning words. All that was left of their conflict was a hurricane of unstable emotions that held fast to their one shared sentiment; love. And for all the ways she hated him in this moment they were each overshadowed by that love who's roots ran deep in her soul, twisted around her bones and bloomed in her chest that ached when she lingered on her real fear that if they break her, as she thought they would, she would confess to them and bring down on him his own death.

"You could fix this," She whispered, softening in his eyes. "Lets both go back and you can stay with us. Run with us. It can't last forever."

Shaking his head and turning away he spoke timidly, forcing himself not to give her this wish. "My family would be killed for that kind of treachery. This is the only way I can save everyone I love."

Coming closer Mel lay her head on his shoulder and laced their fingers together. "I can look after myself Draco-"

"You shouldn't have to, we're meant to fight together. Isn't that what you do when you're with someone? Fight for and with them?"

She began a protest that would undoubtedly be riddled with logic he had no desire to hear, already struggling enough with his decision he needed no more rational reasoning to make him doubt himself more. He intercepted her words with his lips, crushing, smothering lips he meant only to throw her off with. A rookie mistake and what began innocently enough escalated quickly out of his control. Mel respond with unhinged ferocity, quick to tangle them together with her hands in his hair dragging him down until she was under him on the ground.

And when he should have stopped he didn't, tearing away his shirt while she nipped at his collar bone and pulled him back down where his hands slide under her shirt and trace the curves she'd held onto. Nothing about her had changed, not really, and he was caught in thoughts of dark stair wells and empty classrooms where she trapped him with her touch like she did now. He felt her hands, quick fingers, at his belt and hesitated for a moment, breaking away and taking a sharp breath of air before catching her slender wrists.

"We don't have time for this." He panted, chest rising and falling with increasing urgency.

"We might never have time for this again." She reminded him feverishly, her cheeks flushed red and chest heaving.

He loosened his grip on her with no thought of consequences, making only internal protests as she pulled out his belt and wriggled out of her own jeans to reveal green underwear made from bunched silk that made him grin. "Nice underwear," She breathed hot in his ear. "Makes feel less without a home." His laugh trickled down her throat as his fingers played with the silk at her hips idly.

"You always have a ho-"

His words were thrown away with him, lodging in his throat as he arched through the air and landed with painful crack dangerously close to the deadly hedge. His collar bone seared with a familiar pain, a sharp break that paralyzed him with agony that seemed only insignificant once Mel's screams shook the air. He sat up slowly, teeth clenched, and watched his Mother's hazy outline hover over Mel who screamed and writhed under his Mother's wand. Screams like this were only bred from the worst of curses, the unforgivable kind.

"Stop!" He screamed, fumbling to his feet and barreling towards them. "Leave her!" He rammed into his Mother without hesitation, freeing Mel from the curse when she staggered to the side. "This isn't her fau-"

Narcissa, eyes burning with madness, wasted no time in retaliating by committing the unthinkable to her only child. Draco crumbled to his knees, insides burning and muscles tightening while his mind filled with the kinds of nightmares that would drive anyone to madness. He screamed out but couldn't hear it, his jaw feeling as though it was tearing away while a tormenting blackness crept over him before he gave in to unconsciousness.