Chapter 6

With Draco's proclamation ringing throughout my conscience, I found myself lying atop the large bed; my hands clenching the smooth sheets like a kitten stuck in a tree, while my mind drifted in and out of reality. He had been kind enough to leave after practically assaulting my ear with his words, promising to come visit after he handled some urgent business which I assumed meant hunting down my friends, and the only thing there was for me to do other than spend the whole time worrying over who would be captured next, was sleep. I don't know exactly how long I'd been sleeping, there wasn't a clock anywhere in the room and heavy curtains were shut over the windows which Malfoy had locked tight to make sure I didn't try anything. A fire had started up automatically in the huge fireplace after what felt like an hour or so, casting its decorative shadows across the room and onto my still being. I watched lazily, eyes only half-opened as the unrecognizable figures danced across my lower half; extending all the way onto the sheets on the other side as if there wasn't enough space for them to fully enjoy. Draco's words floated daintily through my mind as well, sending shivers down my spine. Malfoy was dead-set on winning my acceptance whatever way possible, and yet he was going to keep me here; trapped in a large elaborate cage, but a cage nonetheless. Why didn't he understand?

A strange feeling stirred in the pit of my stomach, something unlike any emotion I've felt before when thinking back to his warm breath tickling my ear. I could still feel it, the warmth fanning across the skin just under my ear; like a faint kiss from the sun. Even the fire burning next to me now couldn't compare to the warmth I felt when he held me in his arms not long before…but I forced the feeling away. There was no bloody way I was going to fall for that little arse and give him the satisfaction of breaking my heart. That's what he was going to do, of course; Veela or not, he was Draco Malfoy, the sex god of Hogwarts. Rumors had always drifted about the common rooms, detailing specifically about his exhibitions pretty much every night with the other Slytherin girls; for some reason the very thought of Draco in bed with another female caused a scowl to form across my face. But why did I care?! Sitting up with the inner turmoil ripping away at my sanity, I sighed; eyes staring at the flames that continued to flicker without a care in the world. There was no way I was just going to sit in here for the rest of the day, waiting patiently for Malfoy. No.

Stubbornly placing my feet on the floor, the chill from the marble seeped through my socks, taunting the nerves in my feet with every step I made. First, I glanced over the bookshelf, studying the small collection there only to find a varying difference in each one. A History of Magic, The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1), Magical Theory, A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, and The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection filled half the shelf. He kept them, from the very First Year…Malfoy kept all his textbooks. I don't know why I found that significant, but somehow it made me think of Malfoy in a way other than hatred - for about five seconds before I snapped myself out of it. My fingertips brushed the worn spines of each book, where the memories of all the late nights filled with homework and studying flashed through my mind. It was all gone now, every last bit of it. I guess I never really got the chance to just stop and ponder what would've happened if the conflict between Malfoy and Harry had never happened. Would I still be at Hogwarts, finishing up my final year? Or would Draco still have found me and dragged me away? Without even noticing it, the sudden warmth brought by my tears drew me from my thoughts, where I hurriedly wiped them away before starting towards the door.

Once again with no clue where I was headed, I wandered through the halls, curiously questioning why Malfoy had left the door unlocked. If it had been locked there wouldn't have been anything I could've done without_ I gasped, openly leaving my mouth ajar until a frown pressed my lips together. My wand! Where did Draco put it?! Determination lined my face as I began to search high and low for my wand; nothing being left unturned. Several of the doors I opened exposed different bedrooms or offices; all similarly decorated, with one out of the many being a den which showcased a large fire burning brightly in the corner. With a quick sweep through the twelfth bedroom, I settled my hand around the curved doorknob to open another, taller set of doors just down the hall. Its doors were thicker, making them harder to part due to my new lack of strength, but with as much force as I could muster, I pushed through unveiling a library. Dozens of shelves lined the walls, covered in different books while several pieces of furniture were placed around another fireplace; a desk or two settled in opposite corners with papers littering their surfaces. I knew my wand wouldn't be in here, but for some reason, I didn't want to leave just yet…

Letting my eyes roam the various titles of the nearest shelf, I stood in silence, taking in the different genres and languages that sat there collecting dust. This could be a place I found myself spending a lot of time in given I had nothing else to do. Just as my hand reached out to pluck one from the heap, a feeling washed over my back, sending chills up my spine like a warning sign. Red flags went up in my mind as the cold began to creep up to my shoulders, causing goose bumps to form all over my arms. Caution was prominent in my movements as I slowly looked over my shoulder, only to see a short figure standing in the open doorway. At first glance, I didn't completely recognize the person…that is until they stepped forward. That piggish nose was the first thing to catch my eye, where her rounded face then came into view. She released a shrill sort of giggle, rigidly pointing her wand at me with a devilish smirk, "Look at what I've found…"

Sitting amongst the others at the long table, listening to their dull stories of Rebel sightings, Draco craved his mate's being; to have her sit there next to him, or even better – in his lap. He could imagine her petite figure nestled perfectly against his side, like a piece finally joining the rest of the puzzle, while she completely distracted him from all the boring material that came from the Death Eaters' reports. Of course, Lucius noticed Draco's unfocused behavior, subtly signaling to his son with a hand that he should pay closer attention. He knew what the pull towards a veela's mate felt like, but he expected better from Draco; honestly, the others would begin to get suspicious if he didn't start being more careful. But Malfoy suddenly went still in his chair, staring blankly ahead until his eyes narrowed in anger. A dark tint overtook his usual cool grey, where he stood from his chair within the blink of an eye and spun, facing the doors as they opened with a loud thud against the surrounding walls. Within that second, Draco had never hated anyone more in his life.

There stood Pansy, fumbling into the room with his Remi restrained by her arms, with the girl's wand pointed at her throat. "Look Drake, I found this little rodent wandering about the library upstairs," Pansy tightened her grip on Remi's arm, twisting it further behind her back as she let out a brief gasp at the pain, "Perhaps she could be our entertainment for the evening." The end of Pansy's wand began to collect a bright red glow, the rays licking at Remi's neck hungrily, waiting to burn the pale flesh. "Let her go." His voice echoed throughout the now silent room, distracting Pansy for a few moments as her brow went up in confusion. "But you remember her, don't you Drake-y? The little rodent Slytherin that we always used to tease? Are you sleeping with her now, is that why you're so protective?" Draco could've sworn this girl was delusional, couldn't she see the anger that practically came from him in waves! Ever since they hooked up that one time back at Hogwarts, Pansy seemed to think they were practically engaged. But now she had taken it a step too far.

"Draco…" each syllable was left her lips separately, where the tension-filled air between them managed to weave it into his name. The look of fear that shown in Remi's eyes had Malfoy on the absolute edge; his mate was scared, which to him meant he had failed as her protector. That knowledge mixed with the anger already boiling over inside his conscience, made Draco one unhappy veela. With a single thought causing the wand to fly from Pansy's grasp, Draco watched as she sucked in a sharp breath, her now frightened eyes looked up to him in questioning. "Draco? Draco, what is the meaning of this? I thought we were supposed to be together?!" Backing up as Malfoy advanced toward her, Pansy harshly jerked Remi back against her chest; the frustration now evident in the small creases of her round face. "Draco! Draco, please_" a hard slap cut Remi's pleading short, but sent Draco's anger to its peak.

"Quiet you – you've ruined everything! Draco was mine! He was always mine, and you are not going to come in between us!" Blood rushed to Remi's face, forming the mark of a hand along her left cheek; the very sight of it made Draco want to yell. Raising his hand in a simple gesture, Pansy was roughly pulled from around Remi; left dangling in the air several feet up as she flailed helplessly, black tear trails beginning to stream down her face. He reached out, managing to take Remi's small hand in his own while pulling her into his side; she unconsciously buried her face into his chest, making the veela in him swell with pride. But there was still the problem that now floated before him… With anger still fueling his actions, Draco whispered a curse that sent Pansy sprawling in mid-air; her back arched towards the ceiling as she unleashed several horrid cries of pain. How dare she touch his mate?! What gave her the right to determine who he was with?! The memory of Pansy's wand pointed at his mate's throat caused his hand to clench into a fist, strengthening the power of the curse, making the girl scream louder. He was going to make an example of this one mistake, to make sure no one every did it again. Remi didn't lift her head, she was too frightened to see what an angry veela would do when it came to their endangered mate, but Draco didn't seem fazed at all by his actions. The screaming could still be heard, even when she tried to cover her ears, there was no escaping the sound. Deep down inside, Remi felt like this was her fault somewhat, and didn't want to be faced with a problem she caused knowing her worry would just get Draco irritated.

He sent the girl over the table of Death Eaters, allowing them all to watch as her body squirmed under his power; tears leaking up her face only to drip onto the glass of the table while she hollered in searing pain. "If any of you, touch Remi again – ANYONE!" his veela was still in control, where his thunderous roar sent all of them cowering in their seats, "I will find a far worse punishment than what Ms. Parkinson was so graciously able to demonstrate." Draco casually brushed a hand back through his sleek hair as if nothing had happened, glancing down to the beautiful girl tucked under his arm with a small smile before returning his gaze to the others. "Now, leave." None of the Death Eaters had to be told twice, as they all stood up in a frenzy of dark colors and disappeared, making sure not to anger the Dark Lord any further. Lastly, Draco looked down at Remi one more time, seeing her face unveil itself to the world as she stared up, catching his gaze immediately. Lucius and Narcissa both sat quietly, inspecting the two as Pansy remained fidgeting just above their heads. Blaise stood in the doorway across the room, having seen it all go down, but now, he looked at his best friend and his mate with slight interest, wondering how everything was going to work out when everything seemed so against them. Malfoy was suddenly able to catch his attention, gesturing lazily to Parkinson as he turned himself and Remi to face the door. "Take Ms. Parkinson to the dungeons, I'll handle her later." And without a word, he started back to Remi's chambers, carefully watching the show of emotions that flicked across her face.

"Are you alright?" he finally asked, breaking the silence that had brewed between them. "I'm fine," she replied in a small voice, tenderly rubbing her cheek where the heat had gathered. Draco moved swiftly, stopping them in the middle of a long corridor while removing Remi's hand from her face. The usually pale flesh was a bit pink, not as red as he had seen it moments before which made him grin while Malfoy's calmed eyes shifted to examine her own. Remi faced the ground when she saw his eyes go to hers, staring at a string that stuck out at the end of her sock with a little more interest than necessary. "Remi," his voice made her heart jump up to her throat, blocking any verbal response she was to give. "Are you alright?" He could tell there was something bothering her, more so than usual, and Draco hated to see his mate so flustered, especially if it was over something he'd done. "I'm fine, Malfoy," she snapped, hinting back to her regular self before that unfamiliar look washed over her face. "Why aren't you being honest with me?" Draco did his best to give some sort of pleading look, keeping his eyes locked with hers in hopes of getting her to talk. "I am being honest with you," she retorted, crossing her arms limply over her chest. "Then how about we play a game?" "What game?" The tone of voice she used seemed annoyed though the spark behind her eyes held a small gleam of excitement, making the grin on Malfoy's face widen. "The Game of Truth."