Lovely Secrets

Chapter 5

Etta's hands gripped the seat beneath her.  With every bump of the road she felt as if she'd fall onto the floor of the carriage.  Draco sat across from her. 

"Are you not used to carriage rides?" he asked her finally.

"No." Was her only reply.

Minutes seemed liked hours as they sat in silence.  Finally he moved across the carriage and sat next to her.  He pried her fingers from the luxurious material beneath her.  "You need to relax into the seat," he instructed.  

She did so; but frowned.  "I cannot see out the window this way."  

Draco hadn't noticed that she had been.  So preoccupied had he been with watching her.  

"I've never been this far from home."  

"Would you like to stop in the village?  Walk around a bit?"  He was desperate to please her.

"No. I... no. I don't think I could deal with more today." She sounded overwhelmed and he could not blame her.  

"I sent a messenger earlier.  They will be expecting us."  

That made her smile, even relax a bit.  

Eventually that smile reached her eyes.  Her hand touched his shoulder and she raised up a bit.  In that moment, she scared Draco more than anything else.  "I may have been distracted when we first met."  When he simply looked at her with eyes wide in fear of what she would do, she elaborated "What is my name now?"

"Oh. I... Mrs. Malfoy, Mrs. Harrietta Malfoy."  

She lowered herself back into her seat as if nothing had happened.  She rested her head on his shoulder and asked, "Who will I be meeting?"  

She was brazen.  Draco realized that he had definitely gotten himself into a situation.  He worried what his mother would think of a woman who flirted... who seemed so experienced, who very well could be experienced.  She was looking up at him from his shoulder and he realized that she expected an answer.  

"My father is away at the moment.  My mother will be expecting us, as I said.  I believe that my comrade Blaise Zabini will also be present.  And of course their will likely be a doctor."  

She closed her eyes.  "My mother will insist." 

"Do you?" She kept her eyes closed.

"I..."

 

"We are already bonded.  What difference will it make at this point, but to disappoint you?"  

Draco did not become angry.  He could not explain this emotion.  He'd never felt it before. He held her closer.  Closer than he'd ever held a woman and she cried.  Her head tucked into his neck, his collar getting moistened.  Her arms around his neck and his around her waist.  Into her hair he spoke, "No doctors.  No doctors, I promise."  But she continued to cry,  he was sure by now that he was hurting her with how tight his grip was.  "No one will ever hurt you again.  You are safe with me. I will keep you safe."

And even as her crying subsided he did not let her go.  When she fell asleep, having cried out her fears, he did not let her go.  He thought for the first time in his life that he may be falling in love with a woman.  He kissed the top of her head and became intoxicated with her scent.  He knew he would keep his promise to her.