30 | ﴾ First Place Slut ﴿

                                    

                                          
After a long time of weeping and hugging, my family had calmed down enough to avert their attention to Draco who had respectfully stood aside while they pulled at my hair and face, held me in their arms and asked me questions about my general health. They were incredibly concerned about how thin I had become, but relatively pleased all things considered I had survived a life threatening accident.
                          
My mother finally spun to Draco and held her arms out, coaxing him forwards by one shoulder. His eyes were completely wide as she pressed his body to hers and pet his hair, then kissed both of his cheeks, "Oh, le bel homme! So 'andsome! Madeleine!" She turned to me with a squeal of approval, Draco still twisted in her bold grasp like a petrified toy. I chewed on my lip with a grin, knowing he was not acclimatized to physical touch at all, much rather from people he didn't know. He stared at me as though to beg for help.
                          
My mother patted him roughly one more time on his cheek causing his face to swing slightly as she backed away to retrieve the fabric she'd dropped on the floor, and his skin blossomed with a rosy, embarrassed color. I could tell she'd been having afternoon wine as she normally did early on Saturdays and as a result she was known to be overtly friendly and giggly, much like myself. She was utterly gorgeous with her dripping green eyes and bright hair and we could all smell her sweet perfume from well across the room. 
                          
"Charlot, Madeleine, you must excuse Draco and I. Et es time for de men to chat," my father said as he smacked Draco in the back with a firm hand and my heart fluttered with mild panic. Adaleus was the French Minister for a reason; he was inquisitorial, intelligent and lethal when necessary. He had come from a line of royalty and exercised no hesitation in his speech. He'd always interrogated boys I brought home aggressively, searching for weaknesses, lying or imperfections. Draco's eyes met mine briefly with concern before my mother was beckoning me out of the room.
                          
"Wait," I said, tugging out of Charlot's hand. I ran to Draco and jumped into him. I hugged him tightly around his neck, kissing his cheek. His fingers feebly held my waist, probably cowering under the stare of Adaleus behind me. "I love you," I whispered in his ear.
                          
"Awwh regarde ça Adaleus, go easy on dis' one," Charlot cooed from the doorway where she was now leaning, her fingers against her lips.
                          
He gave me a reassuring nod, "Me too. I'll see you later." He let me slip away, hardly turning to watch me leave. I wouldn't be shocked if he was flat-out terrified by Adaleus. 
                          
As we walked down the sunny hall my mother had her arm draped around my neck, babbling about who we could invite for the evening. My parents had always been extreme socialites. I wouldn't be surprised if they invited half of France to come and see me. My nerves were beginning to soar and my face was hot as I realized how risky it all was, "Can-can we wait? I don' think I can 'andle a lot of people right now." 
                          
She paused in her stride, her ballet-pink dress clutched in her hand with her wine bottle, "Madeleine, since when do you not like to entertain? You are always de center of attention." She pet my hair as worry spread across her bronze face, "What 'as 'appened? Mon fille, 'ave you been hurt?"
                          
I wanted to scream about how much I had been hurt. About the Order and their abusive captivity of me, about the early days with the Malfoy's, the skeletons I had been forced to witness rotting away before my eyes, meeting the dark lord in person, the pressure of spying on Harry Potter... She had no idea of how bad it was in England. She especially wouldn't begin to comprehend why Draco was in the middle of everything with a dark mark on his arm. But one thing was obvious; she knew I had been hurt in some way. She was my mother, naturally.
                          
I weighed my options and realized that I had to be strong and assuring. I had to match the strength that Draco was likely enacting in that very moment with Adaleus, just so I could go home and see my family again. I couldn't put his life in jeopardy. Coming to France was the most selfless thing he could have possibly done for me.