His eyes searched hers, the grey walls breaking apart piece by piece until she could find him behind the Occlumency.

"Why?" he said, voice softer than the wind.

A thousand answers of logic and love raced through her mind, but really only one thing could pinpoint all of them.

"It's the right thing to do."

His eyes flickered over hers. She gave him a soft smile and took his hand, leading him to the place where she'd dropped the bag. She picked it up and pulled out the black vial.

He grabbed her arm when she uncapped it. "Don't— I can glamour it—"

"Glamours fade, Draco," she said, pulling her arm free. "We can't risk it." She lifted it to her lips and drank.

Pansy was right. Like ink, curling and twisting inside her veins. Shivering, she handed him the parchment and enchanted quill. She stared at him until he took them from her, signing with shaking fingers. Blood appeared upon the parchment as two letters etched themselves on her arm.

D.M.

Just as it had been before.

She brushed her fingers over it, watching the gold glitter under the black.

They walked through the boundary, and the letters on her arm sparkled. She tried a quick test, and sparks flew through her veins until she wrenched her arm back inside the barrier. The magic crackled as Draco took her hand and pulled her away, leading her past the gazebo and back home.

That night as they undressed each other, he stared mournfully down at her freshly inked tattoo.

She lifted his chin to hers and said, "It doesn't mean anything."

Kissing him soundly, she pushed him down on the bed and climbed over him, straddling his waist as they made love — as he showed her how to move her hips and where to place her hands. He watched her body writhe on top of him with fire in his eyes and let her take her pleasure whatever way she wanted, kissing her until she couldn't draw breath with how much she loved him.

~*~

On Saturday morning, they hatched their plans for Draco's visit to Edinburgh. There were reports that the castle was vacant except for the Carrows and their Lots, their operations suspended as they awaited Berge's new wards. Draco had heard that Carrows were often drunk by midday, so they decided he should go well before dinner, in case they were incapacitated.

It took two hours for the Memory Restoration Potion to brew and simmer with Charlotte's memories. Draco would take the Memory Potion and the instructions for the tattoo antidote to Edinburgh, creating an excuse to speak to the Carrows about buying Cassandra when Edinburgh reopened. He'd lowball them, and they'd throw him out.

When he could sneak away, he would Polyjuice himself as a random Muggle so that Charlotte and the girls would have no memory of Draco Malfoy creeping about the castle. He'd find a way to isolate Charlotte — the Imperius Curse was not off the table — and give her the potion to return her memories. If he was caught by the Carrows, he'd claim to be inspecting the girls for a cheaper alternative.