What Lies Within

Draco wished he could stay at Sophie's side every second of the day but unfortunately he had to be back at Malfoy Manor regularly to keep appearances. Now that they thought Sophie was dead he had no reason to be anywhere but here. He would sneak out after their meetings, making it look as though he was actually hiding away in his bedroom. Narcissa and Lucius always covered for him, saying he needed time alone as he dealt with the loss of his wife. Surprisingly the Death Eaters honored that and never talked about Sophie or tried to bother him when they thought he was in his room.

Every free second he had he spent beside his wife, clutching at her hand. He would read to her, tell her what was going on in the world. As Christmas came, he spent two days straight in the hospital at her side. His mother told everyone that he needed to be alone and had gone to his cabin to grieve this first holiday without his wife in peace. He was thankful that they all bought it, the Dark Lord included. Christmas night at the hospital he thought about how on that exact day two years previous their feelings for one another had come out and he finally got to truly kiss the girl he was already head over heels for.

Everyday as Draco sat beside Sophie, running his fingers over her now healed skin, he told her how much he loved her and what he wanted to do with her in the future. Trips, adventures, and get together's with their friends. He even begrudgingly included the trio in his plans. He would live with the three of them forever if that meant his wife was alive and at his side.

As the days went on, December turning to January, Draco noticed how his bracelet's jewel had begun to get brighter and brighter. It was only a slight change but as he felt the warmth begin to slowly return to it he felt the biggest rush of hope he'd had since this happened over a month previously. If the bracelet was showing her life getting stronger than that meant she was going to wake up - or so Draco hoped.

"She will wake up, mother. I know it." He says later one evening after he had returned to the Manor. The two were sitting in his bedroom. Narcissa gives her son a soft smile and nods.

"I think she will as well but you also need to be prepared for the worst, Draco." But Draco refused to believe that. His wife would return to him - he knew it.

By the middle of February, his bracelet had returned to what it had been before. The jewel was bright red, the warmth within it matched that of her hand as he held it tightly. He felt any day now his wife's eyes would open and meet his for the first time since December. He sat and watched her face, trying to notice any signs of movement.

He hated to leave her that evening but he had no choice, having to get back to the manor so no one would question where he was. As he sat in the dining room, surrounded by laughing and joking Death Eaters as they all ate dinner, his bracelet began to pulse and the red begin to slightly glow. He frowned down at it, hiding it beneath the table but he still moved it over so his mother could see it as well. They exchanged wide eyed looks before both stood from the table.

"Draco isn't feeling very well. We are going to retire to his bedroom for the evening." Narcissa informed this all. No one seemed to really care and instead went back to their laughing and talking. "Do you think she's awake?" She asked her son as soon as they were out of the room.

"Yes," He stated as they head for the front door. "I can feel it. She's awake." Narcissa didn't want him to get his hopes up but knew she could do nothing about it so she accompanied him to St. Mungo's.

"Ah, Mr. Malfoy," As soon as they arrived on Sophie's floor, her doctor approached them. "I was just about to send a fire message to you."

"She's awake isn't she?" Draco asked hopefully, eyeing the hall. He was itching to get to her. He needed to see her, he needed to be with her.

"She is," Draco didn't even let the doctor finish what she was going to say before he was off. He all but ran down the hall. He came to a stop out front of his wife's door. He pushed it open slowly. Sophie was in fact awake but the sight of her current state still brought tears to his eyes. She was turned away from him on her side, her shoulders shook and he could hear her sobs.

"Sophie," Draco whispered, moving over to her bed. She didn't move, didn't turn to look at him but she did hold her hand up and out to him. He didn't hesitate as he laid down in the bed beside her. His body curled against hers, holding her close against him. He took her hand and allowed her to pull his arm over her hip, holding their tangled hands against her chest. He buried his nose in her hair and too began to cry.

They heard his mother and the doctor enter moments later but neither of them cared so the two of them left rather quickly. They were too far wrapped in each other and their tears to care about anyone else. Draco had his wife back but it was as he feared. She was a broken version of herself that he wasn't sure would ever mend.

After the two cried together, Sophie eventually rolled over. Draco's heart raced as his eyes finally met hers. It had been almost 3 months since he'd last looked into those eyes and he was so thankful and happy to have them here in front of him again. He reaches a hand up, his thumb brushing across her cheek to wipe away a few of her tears.

"I thought I'd lost you," He whispers. "For two days they made me think that you were dead."

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Draco." She mutters back, a small smile cracking at the corner of her mouth. So he hadn't completely lost his wife, there was still a part of her in there if she was making jokes like that.

"I'm sorry," He whispers after he smiles back. Both of their smiles fall and their eyes well up in fresh tears. "I failed you, I left you and-" Sophie cuts him off by pressing her lips to his. His heart gave a patter against his chest, butterflies erupting in his stomach as he felt the pressure her lips left on his. He gave a sigh as he reveled in the feel of what he had thought he'd lost forever.

"You did nothing wrong, Draco." She tells him when they pull away from one another. She brings a hand up to rest on his cheek. Her fingertips brush across the slight stubble that had begun to grow on his jawline. He needed a shave but could care less in that moment. Sophie actually kind of liked it. "You couldn't have done anything and I don't blame you." And she meant that. She held no malice towards her husband. He didn't bring this on her, he had done everything that he could to protect her but there was nothing either of them could have done to stop this.

"I blame me," He whispers, looking away from her. She sighs and kisses him gently again. "They all still think you're dead. They left you there on the floor. My mother and father realized you were alive and got you here as quickly as they could." Draco explained once they had pulled away from one another. It took every bit of willpower on Draco's part to not kiss her again and keep kissing her for the rest of the night. He had missed her lips so much.

"How long have I been here?" To Sophie it felt like it was yesterday that she'd been drug into that room. She tried not to picture the scene again and pushed it from her mind and instead focused on her husband in front of her.

"It's almost the end of February." He informs her, earning a gasp in response. "It was a lonely Christmas but.. I was here at your side for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day."

"I'm guessing the war isn't over then?" Sophie had really hoped that it was but if everyone still had to think that she was dead then it must still be going on. "What about the trio, have you heard anything? Ron was with me when they... took me." Draco sighs.

"I heard at Christmas... The Dark Lord got into a fight with Potter and Granger." He hadn't heard much about it but he heard a few whispers of a fight gone wrong and unsuccessful in Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve between the two of them and the Dark Lord's snake, Nagini. Before He could get there supposedly the two of them had already fled. As far as he knew they weren't hurt.

"So what is going to happen now? When I get out of here we won't be able to be together, will we?" Sophie's eyes well up with tears at the thought of having to be away from Draco right now. A piece of her was literally ripped from her and she wasn't sure she could deal with that without him beside her.

"We will need to get you somewhere safe. My mother and I talked about you going to our cabin but it's too risky. If they found out you were alive they would know just where to go."

"I can go to the Weasley's..." She suggests, knowing he might not like it as he probably won't be able to come see her as often with their wards and their dislike of him but it's where she would be safest, they both knew that.

"Yes, that's what I figured. Maybe it's best to be with Mrs. Weasley right now anyway. She can take care of you." Sophie sighs and hugs herself closer to Draco. She wished he was under the blankets with her so she could get even closer but this would still do. She could still feel his warm body, his heat warming her, his hands on her back as he held her tightly, it was enough to make her feel a little better.

"I'm sorry I lost our baby." She whispers then, getting a gasp from Draco. He never thought she would blame herself for this. Blame him - sure, but never herself. She didn't cause this, there was no way she could have kept that baby alive with the torture they inflected upon her.

"Love, this wasn't your fault. I don't blame you in the slightest and you shouldn't either. There was no way for you to have done anything to stop this." Sophie couldn't answer as she was wracked with sobs once again. It broke Draco's heart and all he could do was hold her close, kiss the top of her head and whisper that he loved her.

Eventually, the doctor came to see them. She explained what had happened, what they did, and what was going to happen now. After explaining where Sophie wanted to go when she got out, the doctor said she would get a message to Molly - apparently this doctor had met her when Mr. Weasley had come in a few years previously.

"When can she leave here?" Draco asks the doctor before she makes her exit.

"A few days. We just want to keep an eye on you for now." She gives Sophie a soft smile and then leaves the room to go get a message to Molly.

Draco's mother came in shortly after and told him that she was going to return home but that he could stay. She would continue with the story that he wasn't feeling well but he would have to come back tomorrow at some point.

The next morning, after a not so restful sleep together, Molly entered the room. As soon as her and Sophie made eye contact both woman broke into tears and hugged one another. Draco removed himself from the bed and allowed the two of them to have a moment.

"Oh, Sophie, I'm so sorry." She whispered to her. "I should have known you weren't safe there and insisted you stay with us." Molly sobbed but Sophie shook her head. "Ron came to us as soon as you were taken and told us everything. He's joined the other two again or so I assume as he left and hasn't returned. I'd like to think he found them, at least." Sophie nods at her words.

After talking with Mrs. Weasley for a bit, both of them in agreement that she would come stay with them as soon as she was released, Molly went to go speak with the doctor before she headed home and left the couple alone.

"I'll come see you as much as I can." Draco told her, pulling her into his arms as he sat beside her. She nods, not saying anything, and rests her head against his shoulder. She closes her eyes, taking in a deep breath, and relaxes in her husbands arms. She felt safe and even just a little bit more whole with him here like this. She couldn't wait for this whole thing to be over so they could go back to their life together.