The Same Mistake

Draco sat up in bed his body feeling mostly better. Yes, there was residual pain, and yes, he could still feel the multitude of scars where the cuts had previously been. But that was alright; after telling Ellie he loved her the night before, a little bit of pain didn’t seem like that big of a deal.

“Muffliato!” a voice Draco recognized immediately whispered as the door to the Hospital Wing swung shut.

Ellie tiptoed across the room, stopping several inches from Draco’s bed. He could feel the waves of unhappiness rolling off of her. Peering up at Ellie, he saw her nervously gnawing on her bottom lip. Draco lifted one hand, gently tugging her lip free of her teeth.

“What’s wrong?” he breathed. Adrenaline pumped through his system. Had Ellie heard something; was his family alright? Did Dumbledore know?

“I heard Pansy came to see you . . .” Ellie trailed off, sucking her bottom lip back between her teeth.

The tension in his chest dissolved instantly, so powerful was the release that Draco burst out laughing. His eyes shining bright in the moonlight, he wrapped his arms around Ellie’s waist and dragged her onto his lap. Ellie squirmed, trying to get free, but most of Draco’s strength had returned allowing him to hold her easily in place. “Is that what has you upset?”

“Yes – No -Let go!” Ellie flustered. She struggled against his firm grip, but it was a feeble fight at best. Draco could tell that Ellie was scared of hurting him, which caused her to flap her arms uselessly at her sides instead of actually hitting him and making contact with his limbs.

“Ellie!” Draco laughed harder. “If you don’t stop moving, I’m not going to talk to you.”

Ellie froze instantly; her fair features pulled into a frown so adorable, Draco found it exceedingly hard not kiss her, especially with her trapped so perfectly on his lap. “That’s better,” Draco sighed, resettling Ellie so she wasn’t crushing any of his more important parts.

Tugging her arms free of his grasp, Ellie crossed them tightly over her chest. Her frown deepened every second Draco remained silent. He found the entire situation unbelievably normal; he felt like a normal teenaged wizard with a jealous girlfriend. It was remarkable really after all they had been through lately.

“Ellie.” Using one long finger, Draco turned her face so that she was forced to look him in the eyes. A pair of turbulent blue eyes met his calm ones. “If Pansy came to visit me, what does it matter?”

Ellie arched on eyebrow incredulously. “What does it matter? Your ex-girlfriend comes to see you and I’m not supposed to care?”

“No,” Draco shook his head, “I can’t see why you would.”

Ellie huffed, jerking her face away from him. “I think I should go.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Draco said, trying to suppress more laughter. “As it so happens, Pansy did stop by to visit me.” Ellie stiffened on top of him, he knew she was preparing to bolt so he quickly spoke again. “But as soon as she made it clear she had more than friendly intentions,” a flurry of French expletives exploded under Ellie’s breath, “I made it exceedingly clear to her that I was with someone else.”

Ellie’s rigid demeanor relaxed a minimal amount which Draco took as a good sign. Sinking back against his pillows, Draco maneuvered Ellie so that she was settled more securely and comfortably against him. Releasing a tiny, frustrated sigh, Ellie buried her face in the curve of Draco’s neck.

“I hate the idea of her being her with you.” Whispered Ellie, her mouth ghosting against the skin of his neck. Ellie wound her arms around his chest; Draco felt a fire kindle deep within him.

“Well she’s not, you are.” Draco whispered back. He turned his face, kissing Ellie’s cheek. Still, she did no pull away from him which made it impossible for Draco to kiss her the way he wanted to.

“I myself, heard a rumor while being locked up in here. Is it true that the Weasley girl blew up a toilet seat in the lavatory next to the Hospital Wing?”

Involuntarily, Ellie giggled. “Oui.”

“Needed a new one for home I suppose?”

Ellie sprang back from Draco, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “Non. She blew up the bathroom to allow me a chance to sneak in here last night. Though I should have known that you –“

Draco pressed a finger firmly against her pink lips. Lips which he had been anticipating covering his in kiss at this point, but clearly it wasn’t his night. “I didn’t mean that, Ellie,” he said aggrieved, those words being the closest he was willing to come to an apology. “I’m very glad that Ginny,” he grimaced at the name, “blew up a bathroom so that you could see me.”

Ellie appeared quietly frustrated, wavering on whether or not to forgive his imprudent words. Draco was leaning heavily towards hoping she would forgive him so they could get on with the kissing. But she was quiet so long, Draco began to worry. Lifting one hand, he brushed Ellie’s long locks behind her ear. “Love, is everything alright?”

As his hand fell from her hair, Ellie intertwined their fingers. “Draco, you were right.”

He blinked, confused. Nothing came to mind that he had been right about recently. “Uhm, that the Weasley’s needed a new toilet?”

“No.” Ellie rolled her perfect eyes at him. “About the Order. They aren’t strong enough to protect me.”

There was an odd hollowness to her words that greatly concerned Draco. Ellie had never doubted the Order, what would change her mind now? “Is your family alright?” he asked tentatively.

She nodded jerkily. “Yes, my family is fine.” And saying the words seemed to add a resolve to her that she hadn’t had before. Ellie met Draco’s grey eyes with a look of determination. “I’m ready to help you with one of your missions.”

Draco’s heart, which had been focused entirely on lusting after Ellie only a few minutes before, sank deep within his chest, cold as ice. “What are you talking about?” But he thought he knew.

“I want to join –“

“Don’t say it!” Draco’s voice came out harsh, like a whip cracking.

“Why not?” Ellie asked, sounding for all the world like a true Malfoy - annoyed that someone would dare question her.

“The Death Eaters are not some after school club, Ellie.” Draco’s gritted his teeth, the words barely making it past his lips. “If you join, he will kill you at some point, or send you on a mission that will get you killed. I will not let you do this.”

“You won’t let me?” Ellie laughed, the sound was anything but amused. “This isn’t your decision to make, Draco. It’s mine and I’ve already made it. I understand the risks, I am not a child. I want to be with you, and the only way to ensure that is to become what you are.”

“We are together right now!” he growled.

“In secret!” she hissed back. “I don’t want to have to keep it a secret that I love you. I want to be able to stand by your side, no matter what comes!”

“I don’t want you by my side!” Dropping her hand, Draco latched both of his onto her shoulders. He wanted desperately to shake Ellie in an attempt to make her see common sense, but the idea of causing Ellie even unintentional pain was unbearable. He relaxed his grip, concentrated instead, on speaking calmly. “I want you safe, Ellie. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“Then keep me safe by keeping me with you.” Her eyes were hard with determination. “Present me to the Dark Lord as an asset, but one that comes attached to you.”

“He will destroy you!”

“I’m doing this whether you are with me or not. I have stood in the middle too long and now it is time for me to make my choice. I have made it. I want you to be with me when I do this, Draco, but if you are not, I will accept that.”

Panic assailed Draco’s thoughts. How had it come to this? Yes, he had always thought vaguely of having Ellie join him, but with the dangers that this decision carried, he had never truly considered it a feasible course of action. And now she had decided without him; she would refuse to back down, he knew that. It was her nature, a part of her that he loved so much.

There was only one thing Draco could think to do. He had to fix the Vanishing Cabinet, and soon. Once he murdered Dumbledore, he would be in the Dark Lord’s favor. With honor restored to his family, Draco would present Ellie to the Dark Lord not just as a Death Eater, but as his partner. To Draco’s admittedly limited knowledge, he could not remember the Dark Lord ever negligently breaking up a Death Eat couple. Instead, he used them as set. Draco’s father was currently separated from his mother for his own failure, one that Draco would not make.

And if Draco could present Ellie as his alone, he might just be able to keep her with him; keep her safe.

“Ellie,” he said in a voice that sounded painfully quiet after their shouting match. “Promise me you will wait a little while longer.”

She frowned, leaning away from him to read his face. Draco forced his features not to betray his thoughts. “Why?”

“Just promise me, Ellie. If you wait, I will present you to him.” His heart hammered in his chest, desperate for her answer.

She recovered the distance that had been created between them. Pressing her lips gently against his as she said, “I promise.”