TWELVE

Trigger Warning for talk of attempted suicide/self harm and some abuse. Dedicated to

The tears stopped, everything becoming so clear. "She hates me." Draco whispered, picking up a knife. Just as he was about to stab his arm, destroying the dark mark and possibly his life, something stopped him.

"Draco! Don't. You. Dare!" A voice yelled, allowing Draco to pause, the knife penetrating many layers of his skin. Tears poured down his face like a waterfall, his eyes too blurry to see the figure now kneeling beside his left arm. A familiar hand clasped around his right hand around the hilt of the knife, slowly pulling the blade out.

"No. No no no no NO!" Draco wailed, using all his strength to lunge for the knife. He only managed to reach forward, his back arching up a little bit. He collapsed back, sobs racking his body as he longed for his strength back, for his feeling back.

"Draco, Draco look at me. It's Zinnia, it's me, just stay still please." Zinnia begged, continuously wiping her eyes with one hand so she could see her weakened boyfriend. She used her other hand to tightly wrap a cloth the room had produced around Draco's arm.

His body froze in its convulsions, his eyes looking up towards her scarred face. She weakly smiles, leaning down so their noses touched. Both of them closed their eyes, their breath mingling as they stayed perfectly still.

Draco's arm throbbed with stabbing pains, the mark fiercely twisting itself around under his skin. He wept in pain, Zinnia keeping her nose pressed against his. The door to the Room of Requirement swung open, a man stepping in.

"Ms. Cross, step away from Mr. Malfoy. Now." A deep voice commanded, over taking the room with control. Professor Snape stepped inside, sneering at the blood tipped knife on the floor. 

Zinnia turned around, moving Draco into a corner as fast as she could. She drew her wand, her hands trembling as she prepared to attack the professor. "Please. No." Draco whined, using almost all his strength to move her hand down. 

"You two will follow me to the medical wing quietly. Ms. Cross, support Mr. Malfoy in your arms. Madam Pomfry will be kept in secret, your parents await you Draco. They won't be pleased with your little.. attempt.. as I see." Snape commanded, barely stopping to take a breath. His jacket swished as he swiftly moved from the room. Zinnia wrapped Draco's arm over her shoulder, his other around her waist. With lots of strength, she stood up with all of Draco's weight on her. 

The walk through the halls was torturous. Draco's dark mark was covered, but the bandage surrounding his arm was clear to see. Where the blood seeped through, it was painfully obvious what had just occurred. Rumors already began to swirl, people chattering amongst themselves as to what truly happened. 

"In here. Now." Snape once again commanded, watching as Zinnia struggled to bring Draco into a secretive office. Lucius Malfoy sat beside Narcissa Malfoy, both of them poised on chairs. Narcissa looked mildly concerned as to her son possibly trying to take his own life, Lucius looking nearly furious. 

Draco was laid down on a bed, his eyes bloodshot from crying. This only seemed to anger Lucius more. Draco was an important asset to the dark lord, loosing him could cost the Malfoy's their lives. 

Madam Pomfry cautiously rushed to his side, concern evident on her face. "Draco, can you tell me your birth date?" She asked, slowly unwrapping the bandages. She knew of the dark mark and was threatened with severe punishment if she spoke of it. Obliviation was to happen after the healing. 

"June 5th." Draco replied, confused as to what his birthday mattered. All he cared about was the pain and how he deserved it, how he deserved it all. Zinnia was going to be interrogated by his parents. No, not interrogated, tortured was a better word. 

"Good. Can you tell me why you.. why you attempted to take your life from us?" She asked him, trying to use magic to heal the wound. It was no use, the knife he used was specially enchanted to not allow healing magic to its victim. 

"I can't do this." Draco whispered, barely loud enough for any to hear. Before he could say anything else, a cane was slapped across his face. He whimpered, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. 

Draco longed for that knife back and if he couldn't have the knife, his guitar. Zinnia, his girlfriend, the one he was sure hated him for this. He wanted time to reverse itself, he wanted to go back to before this all happened. 

"You will do this and if you don't it's your life and ours. How could you be so selfish!" Lucius bellowed, both Madam Pomfry and Zinnia flinching for Draco. 

Draco knew better than to speak, to reply to his father. Zinnia kept her distance, fear flashing across her face. "Please, Zinnia, don't leave me." Draco whispered, making a plea for help, for love. His father didn't move this time, just stared with distaste and even a little bit of concern for his son. Despite what he had done, the Lucius Malfoy was undeniably slightly concerned.

"I won't leave you." Zinnia muttered in reply, gently wrapping her fingers around his hand. Narcissa stared at her, surprised, but also grateful for the kind advance on her son.

"The wound is deep and will take a long time to heal. If this were normal circumstances, he would be staying in the medical wing until I could declare him safe to be on his own a little. This was a severe attempt after all." Madam Pomfry stated, an exasperated sigh coming from Lucius. "Keep him away from knives and keep the stitches in. That's all I can say."

Everyone sat in silence, a cloud of tension choking the air. Draco whined in pain every so often when the needle pierced his skin, string pulling the cut together. Zinnia held his other hand, knowing her couldn't feel anything but pressure on that side. She kept her eyes fixed on him, internally wincing as he cried.

Draco clenched the fist of his injured arm in pain and anger, now wanting to attack his father. He wanted to break him down, to tear him apart. His mind raced with thoughts of what he wanted to do to Lucius, even to Narcissa. He wanted to hold Zinnia after his destruction and take his time on letting her go. More than anything else he wanted peace.

"You are of no use to us now. Come with me." Snape once again overly commanded. Madam Pomfry rose to her feet, hanging her head as she walked behind him.

"Disgusting." Lucius whispered, leaving his son to think on that word. Narcissa followed, not even able to look Draco's way. Zinnia remained, hanging her head in sadness as the door clanged shut, leaving the two pained teenagers alone.